Nice try but no, he was cheating. As for the 99.9%, that’s whataboutery.
Italy- Euro 2020 discussion
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Italy have and always will do anything to win. Wasting time, feigning injury, cheap fouls that don’t warrant yellow cards but slow down play.
Its an area of the game that I can’t stand and I wish it would get clamped down on. If you are caught diving like Immobile, VAR should issue an automatic yellow card. If that happened the diving stops. Even their player that got injuried, his team mate tells him something with his hand over his mouth, next minute he’s on the floor and won’t move until a stretcher comes on. No idea how there was only 5 minutes injury time at the end because that took at least 5 minutes on its own.
Its an area of the game that I can’t stand and I wish it would get clamped down on. If you are caught diving like Immobile, VAR should issue an automatic yellow card. If that happened the diving stops. Even their player that got injuried, his team mate tells him something with his hand over his mouth, next minute he’s on the floor and won’t move until a stretcher comes on. No idea how there was only 5 minutes injury time at the end because that took at least 5 minutes on its own.
With players like sterling,grealish,kane try to fool the referee whenever they wanted to. England are no saints either. Get over it. VAR age they will do more because of slow-motion review any slight touch will be magnified. As a matter of fact Belgium earned a penalty with the diving too.
They managed to waste about fifteen minutes of game time, which is quite an achievement. Clearly some people think that's just part of the game and I suppose it is as the rules stand, but it really does highlight for me that things need to change. Reducing match time to 60 minutes but stopping the clock dead every time the ball goes out like in US sports might be an idea.
The playacting is also infuriating, and of course everyone does it to some extent but it's still the worst thing about football. It makes it a hard sport to like at times for me.
The playacting is also infuriating, and of course everyone does it to some extent but it's still the worst thing about football. It makes it a hard sport to like at times for me.
With Spinazzola out, I can see teams not really placing an emphasis on tactics to counteract Emerson, which will play into his and Italy’s hands, IMO. He’s an obvious downgrade on Spinazzola but he’s no joker either, certainly not from getting to the byline and whipping balls into the box. In fact, I think Belotti would profit most from Emerson’s inclusion due to this crossing ability and this duo could be another effective tool in Italy’s arsenal. Spain are very weak in the air from a defensive point of view and Italy should try to exploit that.
They look a good team, very motivated and seemingly no egos upsetting things.
Also absolutely second to none in shithousery. Anyone got the stats for how long the ball was actually in play second half yesterday...?
Also absolutely second to none in shithousery. Anyone got the stats for how long the ball was actually in play second half yesterday...?
Unfortunately, Balotelli is not a player anymore (he is Immobile age ffs!) and next gen Kean, Pinamonti, Scamacca are not up to the required level yet.
I would not be too harsh on Immobile, though: he is a counter attacking striker, not your Kane or Lewa kind of terminal. And Belotti is even less / different than all them, a waterpolo pivot really.
I would not be too harsh on Immobile, though: he is a counter attacking striker, not your Kane or Lewa kind of terminal. And Belotti is even less / different than all them, a waterpolo pivot really.
Immobile 
By the way, this is the first time I've actually seen Donnarumma play as I don't watch Serie A. And I'm impressed. He oozes confidence and command. Great signing by PSG.
The shithousing was my favourite part of the game, and i want those salty posts about it injected into my veins 
Football will be unfair if a player Verratti doesn't win a major international tournament.
Italy oozes simplicity and radiates the serenity of a future winner hopefully.
If not possible, then happy to see England win it.
Italy oozes simplicity and radiates the serenity of a future winner hopefully.
If not possible, then happy to see England win it.
Kean had the level required to be a strong asset. He started the season very well under Tuchel.
The issues he had to face were that:
- He really struggled to recover from Covid apparently
- The new coach Pochettino replaced Tuchel and had a soft spot for any Argentinian player like Icardi was also detrimental: unfair competition
Kean was screwed by being too similar to either Belotti/Immobile or Chiesa, depending on where he would play. Immobile and Belotti have hierarchy over him, Chiesa is better, Bernardeschi is closest we have to Insigne, and Raspadori is different to anyone else
I'm sorry but variety is the spice of life and football would be worse off if Italy's particular brand of shithousing were to become a thing of the past.
Any thoughts/views reports on the scenes after the match were a few of the Italian players practically jumped into the crowd, hugging various spectators, having selfies draped over one another etc. Clearly a breach of the sporting covid bubbles they are meant to strictly to adhere too to enable them to continue in their special sporting bubbles and now moving onto another country.
With such a clear and obvious breach of regs will these players be forced to isolate.
With such a clear and obvious breach of regs will these players be forced to isolate.
No news (yet) about a breach over these shores, maybe any fan allowed into the German stadium yesterday had to present their EU covid certificate in advance?
The shithousing was my favourite part of the game, and i want those salty posts about it injected into my veins
if you guys had 2012 balotelli right now, you would be favorites. Man was fire that tournament.
Immobile matching higuains goal record with 20 or so penalties is one of the greatest football crimes this century. Awful player.
Emerson has to be one of the most underrated players in world football. The drop off won't be half as big as some imagine. Immobile can't start in the semi, surely? That's one of the worst performances I've ever seen.
Call me old-fashioned but i'd like a win to be as memorable as it is devastating
He was not. He had a poor tournament with 1 great game, but that one game is the only thing everyone remembers
Spinazzola is our best dribbler and his ability to create in 1vs1 situations is a big part of our attacking play, which Emerson can't replicate
I understand you. If we score
first surely that is our plan.
Immobile is far better at holding up the ball and fast link up play.Which helps Italy free flowing possession style. Although he didn’t really show it against Belgium, but normally his link up play is great. Balotelli is one of the most overrated players ever, in 2012 too, his fluke game against Germany doesn’t mean anything to me, my memory from him is how he couldn’t keep up and ruined a lot of attacks in that tournament. He wouldn’t help Italy. And Italy are the favorites already btw in many peoples opinion.
At the start of the tournament I said Italy have the best midfield (with Spain) and that they will pin every team back. People laughed on here, it goes to show how big of an influence the PL bias has on people. Italy don’t have any PL hypebeasts so people think they don’t have any real quality and now its all due to Mancini that they are playing this way. Totally ignoring the immense quality Italy have. They have one of the best if not the best keeper in the tournament, the best central defensive pairing, Spinazolla very good leftback, best dominating midfield, high quality technical wide players. The quality is actually very high across the board and I would say their first11 rivals anyone’s.
I don't know about the rest of you but I admired the artistry of how they killed the game after Spinazzola's injury. I enjoyed it because they did what they needed in that period of the game. Italy have played the best football in this tournament so far so its not like they were playing like Burnley or Granada to reach the SF.
It's impressive that a team can switch their approach so quickly and successfully. The tide was fully against them and physically, Belgium were starting to overpower them, its the sort of street smarts I wish we had. I go back to the PSG game at home and how we were completely naive and threw the game away, while they outwitted us and got back into the game.
It's impressive that a team can switch their approach so quickly and successfully. The tide was fully against them and physically, Belgium were starting to overpower them, its the sort of street smarts I wish we had. I go back to the PSG game at home and how we were completely naive and threw the game away, while they outwitted us and got back into the game.
yeh, my bad .p
2 AM drunk hyped up, pathetic patriotic defence of his behaviour .(
still, glad that he decided to lie dead like that after going down, if he stood up he'd messed up the subsequent goalscoring opportunity, that's a fact
no worries.The funniest thing is he was so fully committed to his cheating that he missed seeing the goal. Oh well, he could always watch the replays.
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I think Northern European/ are going to bring the internet down in rage and indignation Tuesday evening. Italy and Spain are going to bring the shithousery and moaning to the ref levels above what we’ve seen in this tournament. It’s going to make for decadent viewing!
Sweden were wasting time in the first half against Spain and did the same vs Germany in 2018. Belgium did the same (wasting time, kicking balls away etc.) the whole second half vs Portugal. France were doing it vs Germany. Italy started wasting time after Spinazzola's Injury 'cause they pressed Belgium very high and were completely exhausted towards the end of the match. Every team would've done the same.
You didn't watch the Milan v Utd games this last season?
I've seen worse. But yeah he was extremely wasteful against Belgium. Think he'll start still though considering his goal scoring in the group stages and he's more mobile than Belotti.
Finalists then.
Weren't great tonight for large spells and not seeing out the 1-0 knocked them a fair bit but ultimately the gamble to get to penalties worked.
Seen off Belgium and Spain back to back which is some achievement already although Spain played through their middle three pretty comfortably.
Still going to be very tough to beat in the final although another who hasn't conceded first in the tournament so not sure they'd be great game chasers.
Certainly need the extra 24 hours to recover given a couple of players picked up knocks.
Weren't great tonight for large spells and not seeing out the 1-0 knocked them a fair bit but ultimately the gamble to get to penalties worked.
Seen off Belgium and Spain back to back which is some achievement already although Spain played through their middle three pretty comfortably.
Still going to be very tough to beat in the final although another who hasn't conceded first in the tournament so not sure they'd be great game chasers.
Certainly need the extra 24 hours to recover given a couple of players picked up knocks.
Chiellini
Their bench will cost them. Every sub seemed to make them worse. That and having to start Immobile and when he’s shite replacing him with Belotti.
Pleased for them. Starting to look a bit tired though and I kind of hope they stick an extra body in defence or midfield to give them a bit more solidity in the final, especially if they get the first goal. The Spanish goal was a perfect example of tiredness; just cut right through the middle into a lot of space.
Bonucci and Chiellini though
Bonucci and Chiellini though
Congrats jorgi and Emerson.
Commiserations dave.
Commiserations dave.
Spain, alongside Portugal were probably the 2 worst matchups for us based on style of play. Would back us to see 55%/65% against England/Denmark.
Anyways, this team is getting great experience - reaching a semi would have been an amazing result for this squad, going to the final is just the icing on the cake. Anything can happen now.
Anyways, this team is getting great experience - reaching a semi would have been an amazing result for this squad, going to the final is just the icing on the cake. Anything can happen now.
I love his name, but Immobile is so shit.
They missed Spinazzola and they were nackered at the end. Still rate them to give a good game in the final though, even if they lack a good striker.
Exceeded expectations! Belgium and Spain were always going to pose huge threats with individual quality (the former) and extreme possession (the latter). We won one, we drew another. Not too bad.
The final game on Sunday will be the pinnacle for almost any player in our squad… so many losses in the past. Last chance saloon for the veterans. From a matchup perspective, I am more worried about their nerves than the oppos, really.
Mancini knows his sh*t and will hopefully keep heads cool enough to survive the opening 30 minutes in a packed Wembley and the trophy in sight on the sideline.
The final game on Sunday will be the pinnacle for almost any player in our squad… so many losses in the past. Last chance saloon for the veterans. From a matchup perspective, I am more worried about their nerves than the oppos, really.
Mancini knows his sh*t and will hopefully keep heads cool enough to survive the opening 30 minutes in a packed Wembley and the trophy in sight on the sideline.