Day 3: England vs Croatia | Austria vs North Macedonia | Netherlands vs Ukraine

diarm

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Messages
16,894
Buster15 said:
Agreed. Some of the posts read like - now, what is the most stupid and controversial thing I can post. Because that way, someone (another half wit) might actually agree with me.

What they completely miss is that Gareth Southgate understands more about the game of football and infinitely more about the players than anyone of us.
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Why? Because he played professionally?

I don't understand how someone can spend 90 minutes listening to Jermaine Jenas and still think that argument holds up.
 

Theon

Lord of the Iron Islands
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Oct 14, 2011
Messages
13,291
Withnail said:
It's the same everywhere. Your national team wins and everyone is happy and nobody wants to be a killjoy.
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Yeah you might be right on the football - I’m sure there is an element of excitement and wanting the team to do well.

The original poster was hinting at a broader point though, and I do think there’s something about the English cultural identity which is particularly exceptionalist and self-gratifying imo. Like any identify this will have deep historical roots and in our case is at least partially a consequence of our imperial legacy and control on the historical narrative. I know it’s just football, but these sorts of identities tend to be sustained through everyday discourse and I think you can see it in the ‘patriotic pride’ we tend to take in these sorts of things.
 

Maluco

Last Man Standing 3 champion 2019/20
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
5,964
More enjoyable game and spectacle than England so far. North Macedonia anthem was great. England supporters wanting to gatekeep tournaments when they are so boring to watch and recently got eliminated by Iceland is hilarious.
 
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