England v Italy

Let’s be honest though, half of England and Tory winkers like Farage, Gove, Francois and the sex Yeti have spent the last few decades calling half of Europe a bunch of Gareth Hunts, it’s no wonder they don’t like us.

 

I get your point too. I often say to people who remark that the “English are meant to be so polite”, that we didn’t own 75% of the world just by saying please and thank you. We’re a warrior nation and unfortunately that DNA seems to be more prevalent in some English football fans than others. These are the sort of idiots who “travel away” without going to games, and if they do actually attend the match, they spend more time looking at the oppo end than the game. Sadly the minority spoil it for the majority. I’m all for national pride (and optimism) but draw the line at using it to goad others.

Still think we’ve got a chance on Sunday!

 

I'm not sure he can drop Rice or Philips now and that's the only role Henderson can play so for me he's on the bench again.

 

Sadly, this kind of excellent logic is lost on most of the English people I encounter, hear about, and read about, never mind the non English. I think living abroad has opened my eyes to the perception of the 'arrogant English'.
In 'normal' circumstances the England team would be an admirable underdog, even without 'normal', in the past there's been a lot of love for England as a country but not so much for the team. Now it's possibly the other way round.
Personally, I know I feel that way. I'm full of admiration for Southgate, Sterling, Kane, and, especially, Rashford. However, the Brexit vote and the double-down aftermath has turned me against England as a country.
Ironically, I'm in Rome right now and, while I would normally enjoy the banter before Sunday's match, I can't help but feel somewhat ambivalent towards English success and what it might mean for the current atmosphere there.
On the one hand, the last thing I want to see is the stereotypical gammon lording it over everyone - finally with some actual recent evidence. On the other, these beautiful young men with their willingness to take the knee, wear an LGBT armband, and support young people in need make me proud again, after oh, so very long to be a human being who was born in the UK.
All of that said, my wife and I have decided to live in Rome for the next 12 months and we really need to make friends. So, it's City colours for the Roma fans and Forza Italia.

 

Something I read recently pointed out that the Coming Home song is about hope not expectation. I agree and is a reason why I loved it. It being taken over by those who then go on about 'German Bombers', etc, was depressing enough when they were a mindless minority. Now, though, they are the mindless majority, and I find it impossible to support.

 

Politics has nothing to do with our football team. Pretty sure the spite was mainly aimed at the EU, a political union, not 'Europe' as you put it. Bizarre comment.

The disdain others hold for us is from our hooligans in the 70s, 80s and 90s....oh and 00s.

 

An interesting stat, is that England have won 100% of the cup finals they've been in, whereas Italy only manage 38%. Can't beat mathematics - it's a nailed on win! I too stuck on a tenner on England before the cup started at 6/1. I could cash out now for 28€, but I'm not going to!

 

I think Italy will probably have a bit too much going forward for us to handle, tomorrow so I’m expecting a win for them. That’s not to say we can’t win, obviously if we play right at the top of our game we could do it. We have done fantastically well, but watching Italy I feel this is going to be really tough. Alongside their attacking flair and pace they have a great spirit too and I feel they’ll thrive on being up against it playing ‘away’. I really hope I am wrong, but that’s how I see it, I’m not putting England down or writing them off, just my honest assessment.

As for the anthem booing, folk doing that lack so much class, and you are also giving the opposition a gift wrapped motivational tool as well. If they stoop to booing a national anthem, that notion would probably go over their heads, anyway.

 

There's some weird moral battle going on here and I don't really understand. I will never get people who show disdain for their own country.

Yes we have idiots amongst us, yes the booing is tedious, but which country or even football club doesn't? The arrogance of our songs are overplayed though, there's supposed to be an arrogance and a goading element to football chants!! What are we trying to sanitise?

The players and manager have been amazing, they're the most likable group we've had in years and should be held up and celebrated. I'm not confident but I'm definitely hopeful and I wish the discussion didn't come along with such a navel gazing attitude, its just football.

 

Appreciate your moral stance. Hopefully the gammon aren't celebrating tomorrow night.

Instead it will be the intrinsically moral attackers of Sean Cox, the peace loving Italian ultras, the newspaper who posted this....



And the fans who will willingly put in writing that monkey chants are a sign of respect not racism.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/sep/04/inter-fans-tell-romelu-lukaku-monkey-chants-in-italy-are-not-racist

Glad you've picked the "right" side

 

Good grief! Equating black people to monkeys is apparently ok if it's just to distract and upset opposition players on a football pitch. But otherwise these people claim to be paragons of multicultural tolerance!
You couldn't make it up.

 

Definitely, there's much more too.

One of Italys star defenders said that a team mate was "50/50 to blame" for getting racist abuse.

https://news.sky.com/story/juventus-defender-says-blame-for-his-teammates-racist-abuse-is-50-50-11682791

But at least the English gammon won't be able to sing that arrogant song about it coming home eh? The anti-English sentiment amongst our own people while completely ignoring the failings of others is quite something to behold at the moment.

 

You don’t think decades of front pages in the Scum calling them Frogs and Krauts, Achtung Surrender on the front page of the Mirror have an effect? You don’t see the voting in the Eurovision? Have you lived and worked in mainland Europe? Seen the people on holiday acting like twats? The English in general aren’t liked across Europe.

 

So does that excuse us for disliking Iranians, Pakistanis, Iraqis as nations and all the other countries we have had problems with - FAR DEEPER than tabloid headlines and a few pissheads....... or is it just small minded Europeans in a small minded political union we are thankfully out out???????....

You seem to be excusing hate and division, giving it reasoning. That doesnt fit the lefty narrative?

 

Weird isn't it? I think we all accept that judging everybody of a certain nation/skin tone because of the actions of a minority of people who look similar is completely unacceptable.

Ah, except the white English gammons (a questionably acceptable term in my eyes) you can judge all of those together and any negativity towards them is perfectly fine and understandable. All the rest of Europe are actually right to hate us.

 

A Russian bell end singing the Italian National Anthem! A sight to behold.

 

Absolutely spot on. All BNP rejects!

 

We WERE a warrior nation . Now an utter irrelevance except on the brain, no meaningful British owned collective industry, a defence force thats has been whittled away to nothing, , yet we are perfectly happy to launder Russian money instead.

Some of the so called “ Nationalism” we have seen since 2010 is pretty poisonous.

Football has nothing to do with the above….Thats how it should be and that’s how it should remain.

I want England to win absolutely no doubt, despite the above, not because of!