To ask why the England team (the men) keep falling at the final hurdle, (well virtually at the final hurdle,) at the football World Cup ... and The Euros too?

[GorgeousSpringtime]

Not an England-team bashing thread, but why, oh WHY do they - the men - keep falling at the final hurdle (well, virtually the final hurdle,) every time at the football (soccer) World Cup - and the Euro Cup too...?

They do so well, and get so far, and then BANG they're out. Nearly always in the top 8, or top 4, (and the top 2, in the World Cup once, and a couple of times in the Euros I think,) but never the winner. (Not since 1966 anyway!)

Is it nerves? Is it that they're so anxious to win that they keep making silly mistakes? Are they just not quite good enough? WHAT IS IT? Why do they keep getting so close, but just never manage to get the win?!

As I said, I am not bashing them, and they did well, and I am proud of them, but I just get so frustrated that they can't quite ever get the win!

!

Because it's a glorified friendly. The semi-final actually mattered so the pressure was on.

Me too. Could not be more proud! And they are showing that they can do it!

As I just said, they are showing us that they can do it!

Roll on Euros '28!

You can't possibly compare this match with the one v Argentina, especially as France have been dreadful so far. No cheating or fighting from our opposition has definitely helped!

England are playing incredibly well though! Come on boys!!

Incredible how dangerous England are with some pace on the wings as an outlet. This is a bit of an indictment on Tuchel, he's probably wishing France showed up tonight.

Toney had been shit but it's refreshing how much more of a likeable team England are without Kane diving and cheating. Complaining to the ref anytime someone is near him and faking head injuries to get play stopped. Although he wasn't alone in that, Stones and Pickford were happy enough to cheat the ref in that manner when they were leading against Argentina.

I’m not English so have no skin in the game, but the comment upthread about children in Argentina, Spain etc playing more football outside due to the weather probably has some merit. There’s clearly merit in playing for fun, with whoever’s around and whenever you can.

I wonder if the English football academies - by selecting too early - are doing talented young players a disservice? I do think “elite” anything before puberty is a scam, and they are psychologically damaging programs anyway, given that <1% of 9 year olds playing for an football academy will end up making a living from the game.

Omg they're going to catch them up then everyone will say Tuchel should've sent more defenders on

LOL true @Gloriia 😆

ENGLAND DID SO WELL in the England vs France game.

We have got third place folks.

Best we have ever done since 1966! Only ever got to fourth place before.

Well done you absolute beauties.

Amazing game, incredible !
What a brilliant ride this team has given us I feel so proud and what a signature sign off from the amazing Jude Bellingham ! He was determined to get that last goal !

Amazing !

I have lots and lots of hope and optimism. None regarding England winning the WC, though 🙂

Will do our rankings pretty good too. Might well go up to third.

It is France. It isn't a friendly!

There is no question Ireland, enjoys success be it football, rugby or any other sport, and generally have a good sense of humour in success and defeat. The team in 1990 came home as heroes despite 'losing' .

Your condescension just proved my point though so thank you for that.

As for England winning tonight im pleased for them, sorry I missed most of it but a social event meant I couldn't watch it all. I feel it was probably the last thing they wanted to do but like getting back on the horse after a bad fall it has helped them get over some of their disappointment and go home with pride.

IT'S COMING HOME! 😃 FOOTBALL's COMING HOME!! ⚽️

For all those who don't understand the song - Euro 2028 will be a home Euro (just like Euro 1996 was - hence the song!)

I’m not English so have no skin in the game, but the comment upthread about children in Argentina, Spain etc playing more football outside due to the weather probably has some merit.

I disagree. England has a pretty mild climate. Kids can and do play outdoors most of the year quite easily. Whereas parts of Spain are way too hot for any serious sporting activity for several months of the year.

Besides, if you look at tournament success, weather seems to have little to do with it. The strongest national team for the past decade or so is France, and their climate, at least in the northern region where most of their players come from, is similar to Britain. Spain are great now but weren't for a long time. Brazil, with its warm climate and all the stereotypes of kids in the favelas kicking around a ball, was once legendary, but these days is a bit of a damp squib. Whereas chilly Norway did really well, largely thanks to one or two exceptional players.

International teams tend to go through periods of success, mediocrity and failure. I don't think climate has much to do with it.

It was fabulous wasnt it. Even if they'd lost it wouldn't have been as bad as losing to those little shits in cartel Argentina. The French team so sportmanslike at the end. It was heartwarming. Especially as the English rugby team had thrashed the argies prior 🎉.

Loved Bellingham supporting and encouraging Saka. I've no idea where some of critics on here get the 'they're arrogant and entitled' from, they arent! All such nice boys.

Come on Spain! .

Well, the erstwhile coach of the Eng women’s cricket team, Jon Lewis, blamed the poor weather in England for his team’s robust Ashes cricket defeat in Aus 😀

He said his son needed to be “pushed out the door” in England, when it was -5 degrees and raining sideways. He was mocked for it though

It was actually a PP who said that England’s poor weather may be contributing for relatively poor performances, given investment etc.

Norway is an interesting country to bring up, because its philosophy for talent recognition and promotion is so different to England’s - kids are encouraged to play a lot of sport and specialise late.

We came THIRD.
i am not sure we need to start blaming our weather.

Like I said, I was just commenting on what a pp had said - that maybe the weather was contributing to England not winning. Which reminded me of the England coach’s excuse of why England women’s team played so poorly in the ashes in Aus.

I don’t live in England, if posters are insistent that the weather is perfect for sport then that’s fine by me as well 🤷‍♀️.

So what? You'd rather they went into a WC hoping they lose ? For all the hoohaa about the song I've hardly heard it this tournament. The way some posters go on and on complaining about a song that offends them so much makes me wonder whether they have access to a remote control or are forced to listen to being piped into the home on a loop.

Exactly. They are NOT arrogant and entitled, and I'm pretty sure that when that was said, they were referring to the fans too, with comments like 'England think they have a God Given RIGHT to win the World Cup!'

No, it's not that, we just really REALLY WANT to win it. As I said in the thread earlier, most people alive today don't remember the World Cup in 1966, as some 80% of people alive in the UK today were not even born til the mid 1960s or after. So that's 80% of the UK who have never seen England win the World Cup.

Well, we got 3rd place which is decent.

COME ON SPAIN! Kick the Argentinians butts!

If anything this current England team are too wholesome and nice. That's why they had trouble in a street fight with the Argentine thugs who look like they could shank you in an unlit street corner 🥶

So true

They played defensively against Argentina too early. That said I think they did brilliantly!