RE: Andriy Shevchenko is the Coach of Genoa
This invisible news for Europe
Totally invisible. But a legend throughout Europe so quite surprising that it went largely unnoticed.
But the team has improved so much in this element of the game that even after losing by four goals to England, the Ukrainian players persistently controlled the ball in their own half of the field. I imagine how @ sporting-gorilla made fun of the Ukrainian national team :) I did it too.
Ha ha. Only because it's normally England who piss about with the ball so much that our centre backs and goalkeeper have more touches than everybody else on the pitch combined.
Shevchenko's undoubted success was the creation of a good atmosphere in the team.
Imagine the respect that every player would have had for him. I'm sure we've discussed him before - he was something very special indeed.
The England national team is a top level team. But often this team lacks quite a bit for maximum results. And I do not understand why. With the strongest championship in the world and such a choice of top-level players, England must become world champions.
Just imagine, he achieved what every Ukrainian footballer dreams of. For them, he is a living legend.
I think it mostly comes down to mentality and tactics - we could have won the Euros but we were too defensive. We have a very defensive / negative style of play which doesn't suit a team with great attackers and poor defenders. I didn't watch all of our matches because it's boring. I avoid watching boring things 🥱
Even I consider him a legend!
I watched probably all the matches of England at Euro 2020. I was convinced that England or Germany would become champions. Guessed wrong. Italy won. I was disappointed. I do not like the style of play of Italy. Italians usually foul a lot, sometimes very rude. And if they score a goal, they play to maintain the advantage. In this case, they focus on destroying the opponent's attacks, and this is rarely spectacular.
😆 I can't remember what we call that here - ah yes - "game management". When Chiellini clothes-lined Bukayo Saka in the final, it was always going to be just a yellow card but it was so cynical that it deserved more.
We so often hear "that was a good foul to give away" or "that was a clever foul" in the commentary. And how teams like that a praised for "breaking the game up". It's always accompanied with a fake injury and time wasting. A goalkeeper catching a cross, landing comfortably and then diving to the floor on top of the ball.
I don't know where it is but I wrote a post once about teams that are winning by 1 goal in stoppage time at the end of the game. It was along the lines of - If a goalkeeper doesn't get booked for time wasting, then he's not doing his job.
I'm sure you watched the finale. I can only imagine your feelings after the match.
When Pickford saved Jorginho's penalty, I celebrated and then the noise in my house went as follows....
"Who's going to take the next one?"
"Saka? No, it can't be him."
"Why's he taking one? He's never taken a penalty in his life."
"Come on Bukayo."
At a significantly increased volume...
"Wankers. Why was he taking one? Fucking wankers."
Switches of TV. Cleaned teeth.
Whilst cleaning my teeth, I thought...
Rashford and Sancho subbed on to take a penalty. Both missed. Saka missed too. I have a feeling tomorrow's headlines won't be about the football.
I went to bed. And forgot all about football.
And rightly enough, the final barely got a mention in the newspapers the next day. Racism did.
Sometimes I am happy that the Ukrainian national team never reaches such heights. It is better to lose faster than to lose in the final. It seems to me that I understand your emotions.
Nevertheless, I am confident in the England national team. Now it has a good players and good form. I think this generation will fight for the championship more than once.
I remember reading that the worst time to lose, is the semi-final - because you don't get to enjoy a big day out at the final. When it comes to watch and supporting Reading and England, my catchphrase has become...
If you go into a game expecting to lose and you play really well - better than a bigger club - the hope starts to creep in where at the beginning of the game you had none. It's only with hope, that the disappointment and sadness follow.
I wish that I shared your confidence but I'm afraid that I don't. Our goalkeeper and defenders aren't good enough (Jordan Pickford, John Stones and Harry Maguire are nowhere near the best goalkeepers and defenders in the world). This combined with a defensive manager means that we'll concede against the better teams and not know how to attack them.
I hope I'm wrong but with Gareth Southgate in charge, we'll always be a team that comes close (at best).