Final Reflections

Having completed my appropriate cooling off period after the height of Sunday's drama, it's time for my footnote to another major tournament blog....that I do so by reflecting on an England performance in the last game of the festival of footie still seems surreal. But here we are... 

It's a team sport

Not fueled by an individual star player, the two most cohesive teams made it through to the final. Reminding us all of how this game is played most effectively (and not when looking back at our supposedly star-laden golden age of Beckham et al). Which was also a fun side note to see all the former England players come out during the week championing the current team spirit and effectively explain all of our past failings on the fact they hated each other. Good to know our past hopes and dreams were crushed by playground politics.  

UEFA delegates were similarly stumped at choosing the player of the tournament. Not that Dunnarunna to PSG didn't have a good tournament, he did (although semi aside, I think Pickford was better), it just smacked of laziness to give it to the bloke who saved the last penalty. Especially as he wasn't smart enough to realise his save actually won the final! Some good solidarity with 99% of the British viewing public who definitely couldn't count to 5 by 10:30pm on Sunday.  

And finally.. the best team won. There's no hard luck story here. Well played Italy - I still need to check my Ladbrokes account, but gloating over picking the winners pre-tournament feels a little more hollow this time around. 

Too much too early

Let's be honest, nobody expected us to score after 2 mins (or 8 nervous pints in beer speak). It threw the game plan a little, but mostly the mentality of the players - now geared to 'hold what we have' for 87 minutes, just retreated further and further backwards and deeper that conceding was inevitable. A missed opportunity to take the game to Italy in the first 20 minutes and get that second goal - but that's easier with hindsight. The classic example of scoring too early. 

I don't have much energy to acknowledge it, but in a country where any high profile game is moved to a noon kick-off to proactively handle the idiot element, the naivety around stadium security and logistics beggars belief. The scenes witnessed at the stadium were not surprising to anyone. Certainly new excuses for FIFA to look elsewhere for 2030 now. Sad and predictable.

Youth

Gareth looked like the rest of the country Monday morning. Absolutely knackered and emotionally spent. But he still had the composure to point out World Cup semi-final followed by Euro final is some seriously solid progression. The key here is that this wasn't achieved with Beckham in his prime years set to fade, but with a 19 yr old taking penalty #5. He knows great things are coming and England are to be competitive for the next few tournaments for sure. The only hope being as this squad matures, Gareth's adventurous nature does too. Surely if he's prepared to roll the dice of letting Saka take the last penalty, it's an indication he's ready to expand from the compact and conservative tactics he deployed this summer. Here's hoping. 

Onto the next adventure....

My most enjoyable part of the wild ride to the final is it extended my time without having to reflect too hard on the new manager in the Goodison hotseat. It's been quite the bump back to earth this week to see Rafa all pimped out like a Spanish Tony Pulis in almost every garment available for sale in the Everton club shop. It's as if they're trying too hard to convince (themselves?) that he's really a true blue, and have even stapled Big Dunc to him to sway the fanbase. Ultimately, we want the team to succeed, and thus Rafa to succeed, but it will be bedsheets time if a slow start to the season.

Looking beyond figuring out what implausible way Everton will disappoint me this season, if you felt dirty and greasy trying to convince yourself that trips to empty stadiums in Baku were a beautiful example of 'expanding the reach of the game' , you're warming up perfectly for us all heading to Qatar in 15 months time. It's going to feel weird. But it will be very intriguing ... here in little over a year, (aka two new Everton managers away), happening bang in the middle of a domestic season... instead of players being 'tired' after a long season. It's a great chance for England to capitalise on the current momentum.... and one can only sit back and wonder what fine attire Sir Southgate will adopt for the middle east heat.... 

From waistcoat, to knitted tie, to Bermuda shorts and knee socks??!!!??.....

Is it? Or, isn't it?

I am writing this post shirtless. I have, without particular reason, been shirtless all day. I don't do this as a matter of course. It has to be because there is something in the air. Tonight's game has created an excitement that I literally have not felt in my lifetime. So after the usual drudge of hauling myself out of bed to get my daughter to an 8:30am swimming lesson; after too little sleep, I have settled into a day of what can only be described as anticipation. Normal routines have gone awry. I am a ball of energy. I've done pile-ons with the family, played loud music, paced around the house, drunk too much coffee, designed a red and white Rocket League car, resplendent with flag and crisp white boost trail, recorded said car scoring a worldie of a goal, filled my fridge with beer, and wine too, considered prosecco, realised the Italian connection, stuck with wine. I am frantic and it shows.

So I guess we need to consider the sliding door eventualities:

Scenario A: It's coming Rome!
The tournament's most promising and together team close out a win. Their blend of flair and ruggedness pays off. England are widely praised but doubts inevitably emerge about Southgate's propensity for caution. We collectively shift from a month of respecting our team, twisting the narrative and bolting this tournament onto the last however many and conclude that we are bottlers, destined to never win again, despite the wealth of talent our squad possesses. A new generation of players is scarred by defeat and we head to next year's World Cup with pressure ramped up tenfold and patience reduced by the same factor. We settle in, essentially for another generation of hurt. Baddiel and Skinner remix the song to replace the word "years" with "generations" and their song remains at #1 for a further 560 years.

Scenario B: It's coming home!
The tournament's most solid and together team closes out a win. The blend of stability and flair pays off. England are widely praised because of  Southgate's propensity for caution and he is lauded as a winner, a real tournament manager, prepared to, first and foremost, be hard to beat. We collectively shift from joking about our team being bottlers, and instead hail them as a generation of winners. They thrive off of the respect, and become a force for the next 3 major tournaments. Baddiel and Skinner launch a brand new single, celebrating the fact that our hurt has now gone, replaced only with joy, shirtlessness and Estrella lager, lots and lots of Estrella lager. 

Either is possible. I'm not sure anyone can confidently call it to be honest. I think the game will be a throwback. Tense, dirty, controversial, slightly lawless, infuriating, joyous. Enjoy it!

Let 'em have it!

So it has come to this. A bizarre world where I have the luxury of sitting down and watching Di Maria give Argentina the lead against Brazil in a heavyweight finale of the Copa America (forgetting the somewhat corrupt and immoral way the tournament was allowed to change host countries multiple times and still proceed in the midst of Covid...), while also contemplating the first major tournament final in my lifetime featuring the three lions. 

What a week. Two contrasting but equally enthralling semi-finals laced with drama. Hard not to focus on semi-final number two, but first Italy v Spain. For the first time really in the tournament, Italy were completely controlled by a Spanish team who rolled back the years with a supreme display of passing and possession football. A decade ago, they led the way with the false nine tactical approach. Sadly, this year's version is more of a 'we don't have any kind of nine' team, and predictably (if you've watched more of Spain than their two 5 goal salvos), they fell short in applying the finishing touch. Italy meanwhile demonstrated fantastic counter attacking speed to take the 1-0 lead. Poor Morata - no sooner had the maligned striker thrown the abuse and criticism back in the faces of everyone by bagging the equaliser, he was stepping up to take one of the least confident penalties seen at the tournament which ultimately ended their time. Kudos for Morata to have the balls to take the penalty, but can't imagine this helps his future Spain prospects. Italy escape, and on balance were the better team across the tournament, so no complaints. Chiellini gets to try and hug and back slap Harry Kane before kicking him all over Wembley. 

Wednesday, England played in a high profile semi-final, were up against a tough team but expected to win. They went a goal down. Jordan Pickford in looking too far ahead to the Italy final evidently downed a quadruple espresso right before kick off.  Think Gazza playing in goal. But not for the first time, Southgate flipped the switch, the team calmly regained control of the game, and even Jordan started to breath. Saka - at 19 - proved worthy of selection again with a burst of pace to set up the first goal and we were back in business. From that point on, the team were immense. Grealish came on. Grealish went off. In between, Sterling fell for a 'seen those given' type penalty. Kane - put off thinking Schmeichel was being targeted by aliens with a green laser - promptly rivalled Morata's effort, but rebutted about 50 years of hard luck tournament stories to take care of the fortunate tap in rebound. Cue delirium... reaching out, touching me....

And here we are.. Euro Final eve. Blog number I don't know, but the first one where we have to ponder an English appearance in a major final. Firstly, the most reassuring point... I think the final has the two most consistently good teams in the tournament. I can't really think of too many hard luck stories - maybe Belgium looking back and regretting the intermittent fitness of KDB. But no - the two teams in the final fully deserve to be there, which is great to see.   

This will be by far our toughest game, Italy have been great. I do think they will win the midfield battle. But the overarching emotion is calmness. There's no need to debate the formation or team selection - Gareth has a plan. There's no need to sweat over failure... as the boys have already sailed the heights in getting to the final. There's no need to worry about unlucky injuries... I think we have the best bench in the tournament. No, we can actually sit back and (gulp) enjoy the game and the rollercoaster ride to see if England can produce one more accomplished performance and almost unparalleled glory.  I'm sure it will be a cagey game, and maybe few chances - but show me a major final with equally matched teams that is ever a 5-4 goal fest.  

Of course, I shall wake up in the morning a bundle of nervous excitement of Pickford proportions. But let's believe. Let's believe the lads can do it. Let's believe Harry Maguire slips a sedative in Jordan's espresso. Let's believe in the inverse of the Russia world cup and Harry Kane finishes the tournament in world class form instead of limply. Let's believe the Yorkshire Pirlo continues to cover every blade of the Wembley turf.  

And as time winds down in the Maracana, and the best player of this game I have ever seen finally gets his major tournament win, why not believe..... 

In the words of the Wembley director to stadium DJ, Tony Perry, "Let 'em have it"! 

Things I am wrong about

As we head into the second semi-final, I wanted to share a few things that clearly I've been wrong about. This thought pattern emerged as I picked up a pack of Giant Wotsits from my local supermarket shelf (along with an 8-pack Brewdog selection case). As I did so, I immediately knew my assertion that "Wotsits are the best crisps known to humankind" was wrong. These big boys are incredible! In set the self doubt - the world around me clearly wasn't as it seemed and I wondered else I'd been wrong about. Turns out that is a rabbit-hole that could take some time to climb out of - but let's stick to tournament related things.

1) That Spain would beat Italy. I was convinced that Spain's fast passing and ball retention would overwhelm the spirited Italians and ultimately England also. But not to be. What a goal from Chiesa, what a bear hug from Chiellini, and what a final penalty from Insigne.

2) That individuals always shine in tournaments, often more than teams. During my argumentative-grump-phase about Grealish's omission (now over) - I cited that other teams with exceptional raw talents always play them, and always reap the benefits. Whilst the first part might be true, the latter part clearly isn't a given. It is probably no coincidence that the four semi-finalists were the four teams most coherent as teams. Belgium boasted De Bruyne, Portugal boasted Ronaldo, and Poland have always had Lewandowski but despite having solid line-ups didn't gel quite like the final four have. 

3) That Sterling shouldn't have been selected at all. What a tournament he has had. I'm not a huge fan of his; I am frustrated at his lack of natural finishing (I watched Julian Joachim back in the day, and think if he was plonked in the current Man City team that he'd probably perform just as well if not better), and I find interviews with him to be very grating, there's very little humility, albeit in the face of unfair criticism. But he has grown into the tournament perfectly and clearly has the bit between his teeth. 

4) That Southgate has too little ambition. I've slowly learned that his team selections and methods are driven almost entirely by ambition. It is executed in a different way to the way I would do it - but it is a consistent, steely, resoluteness that is actually admirable. He has slowly but surely reduced my grump. Even in the selection of Mason Mount, which on the face of it is like eating an Asda own generic biscuit when you could be munching down on that dark chocolate McVities digestive [Grealish] instead. But he does an effective job and when it works it becomes hard to argue with the mentality behind the decision making. 

Now there's a tonne more of things that I've been wrong about this tournament, but I need to get this posted so it has an hour of being relevant before kick-off. Then I need to lay into that 8-pack and hide the rest of the giant Wotsits from myself. 

One more thing I'll put out there to be instantly wrong about. Grealish starts tonight. The Southgate hug at the end of the Ukraine game was a "now it is your time" hug. And he's bringing it home!

Come on England

Mind the (expectation) gap

Well, that was predictable. A quarter-final match vs supposedly inferior opposition, started so brightly with an early lead taken. However, the consolidation from there to impose themselves on the game never came, and nervous, the team played below their potential & conceded the inevitable equaliser. A sudden red card handing the game back to them though, on a plate, surely?...  Cue a fraught 30 minutes of extra time and unnecessarily stressful penalty shootout, but ultimately passage to the semi-final was secured. 

But enough about Spain's convincing imitation of all things England....

Coming to the boil at just the right time, England faced an almost no-win situation. Heavily expected to win, and win comfortably - but we never do well in the face of any kind of expectation - we produced an identity defying performance of cohesion, pressing, ruthlessness and team harmony. And did exactly what the hyped-up media and country demanded - we strolled into the semi-final of a major tournament for the 2nd successive time. Such was the second half stroll, Southgate's selection for Wednesday was telegraphed as he slowly but surely took off his key players with victory assured. Birchy's grump was surgically removed with every glorious goal. 

Sure, the Ukrainian defending - particularly at set pieces - resembled a U11 game; "someone pick up the lad with the massive head!.... no you get him... ahh, bugger.."  But how many times have England been put in that situation and still contrived to under-achieve?  Not now under Mr Southgate, who is starting to look a lot smarter than all of us who haven't played professional and international football and have the highest level of coaching badges. Who'd have thought it?!

With the expectation gap firmly closed by such an assured performance, it's onto the business end of things. That 60,000 fans will be helping along the way, it starts to look highly promising. That Denmark started to just seemingly tire and fade a little as they hung on in the second half of their game vs the Czechs, it keeps looking promising! Maybe, just maybe, the emotional high of rebounding from the Erikson event is starting to fade. But they remain an excellent team, and for sure - the next two (I said it!) games will be England's hardest for sure. 

The game of the round was Italy vs Belgium - one that also lived up to expectations. Italy continue to look resplendent, and not only because everyone down to the physio is running around in Armani jackets. Mancini has unlocked a number of players - none more so than Insigne - who are great to watch and working as a team. Their subdued win vs Austria was forgotten as they attacked the ageing Belgium defence with real gusto. It was a classic game - worthy of the final - with so much talent on show. The soft-ish penalty awarded to Belgium came at the right time to set up a really entertaining 2nd half, which ultimately saw the exit of Senor Martinez. His one page managerial masterclass manual of 'pick KDB' proved to be slightly less effective (and more desperate!) on this occasion as said player was working on only one set of functioning ankle ligaments. I'm sure Pep will understand. 

And with that, it's onto Semi-Final predictions:

the semi-finals throw up a fascinating set of match-ups of fashionistas. Mancini's formal-dining pristine elegance versus the relaxed 2am Tapas restaurant chic of Luis Enrique....  it's hard to pick a winner. 

the second semi pits the 'casual Dad' look of Kasper Hjulmand vs everyone's favourite wedding guest Gareth, kicking the waistcoat to the side (that's soooo 2018) and rocking the knitted tie....  this one's an easier call, with Gaz clearly the last man standing when the lights come on. 

Oh, the actual games? 

• Italy v Spain: A classic match-up, but one you can't see past the Italians on. Spain have flattered and disappointed in equal measure. I see Italy's defence being the hardest obstacle they have encountered so far..... 2-0 win for Italy. 
• Denmark v England: Same again please. We've shown we can play with the intensity and energy needed for this game. As long as we do, and match the Dane's desire, we have more quality. Schmeichel to play an absolute blinder to take the match to extra-time though. England prevail 2-1.

Notable mentions:

• Some awful penalties from the Swiss. Seemingly finding new ways to twist the knife into Didier Deschamps after 5 of the sweetest pens you have ever seen vs France, the Swiss crumbled under pressure and missed more than they scored.
• Grealish to come back? Maybe Gareth was just running through the drinks order for the changing rooms at the end of the game, but it was a long embrace of fan-favourite Jack. I'd like to think it was a "now get us to the final" pep-talk, and Grealish is back in on Wednesday as Southgate shows off his impressive squad depth.
• Covid restrictions. Hard to imagine much social distancing going on, on Wednesday, if 60,000 fans get to see a winning goal! Maybe the rules are modified by BoJo last minute to simply 'no hugging of Billy Gilmour'...   

It's starting to look almost not as bad as usual!!!

 Wow, quarter finals done, and what a goodie bag of entertainment they provided. From the Swiss showing how not to do a penalty shootout, to England starting to purr like a well oiled machine, its all taking shape very nicely.

One thing that did hit me in this round was how tired some of the teams looked, which when you consider the last couple of disrupted seasons and the impact of several games in very close proximity to each other isn't all that surprising. I mean, I need a day to recover from walking up the stairs, so I can really feel their pain!! This is definitely where having that strength in depth of a good squad, not just a good starting 11, really comes into play, as well as digging deep and finding that character within.

With the real business end of the tournament looming and England still in there its hard not to get too carried away with it all and try and remain a bit objective, so I'm not going to bother even trying! The draw has certainly been kind to England, but that's certainly not their fault - people can moan all they want about the advantage of playing pretty much every game at Wembley but the match isn't won just by where you play, the players still have to perform and do their part, which they certainly have.

Gareth must be losing so much sleep over all the tough decisions he is having to make. Which three from Mount, Sancho, Grealish, Sterling and Saka should I play around Kane? The jammy bugger has great players in abundance and must be delighted that he has that flexibility to rotate and still have a top class forward line regardless of who he picks. Coupled with the defence looking pretty solid (a couple of minor wobbles but still not conceding at this stage is probably something not even the most ardent  fan could have realistically hoped for) and I'm starting to get a bit of a warm fuzzy feeling about this tournament.

So 3 games left to go, then its all over, what do I see for the next 7 days of football?

In the first semi final, I think Italy will be too organised for Spain, who have shown themselves to be not the greatest at the back. I can see the Azzuri taking this one without too much of a strain.

The second semi final will be the one to watch. England are hitting form just at the right time, and will be going into this one full of confidence after beating Ukraine so convincingly. Denmark on the other hand, whilst undoubtedly a very good team, are riding on the back of the Eriksen emotional wave, and at some point that has to give. I can see it happening here, and England getting through with a narrow victory, probably by just the odd goal.

That leaves the final, which I see as an Italy - England affair. Unfortunately (and I hope I'm proved wrong) I think this will be a very tight, guarded and ultimately disappointed affair, potentially even going to penalties after a goalless 120 minutes. I still reckon (and hope) England win it, but it wont be the showpiece send-off for what has been a pretty good tournament in my eyes.

It's coming isn't it?

Three days have passed (and about 52 baffling premier league managerial appointments) since the momentous result against Germany and I am finally able to reflect with a level head and look back at the dramatic action from Tuesday. 

Fine margins are abound in tournament knockout, and this game was no exception. Pretty much pilloried by most fans for an uber-defensive set up before the game started (myself included), and those concerns promptly validated with the first 60 cagey minutes of the game, and then having taken the 1-0 lead given the most unexpected get-out-of-jail-free card by Thomas Muller's inexplicable miss. Throw all this together and you have .... firm favourites at the bookies for the whole f*cking thing, IT'S COMING HOME!, Gareth is a tactical genius!! 

On the latter point, credit where credit is due - the plan was to negate the German wing-backs, and it worked to a tee. Saka was a mobile threat before fading in the second half. And the Allardici tactic of keeping it tight and try to nick one (while polishing off a pint of wine), is made much easier when you can call on a player like Grealish with 25 minutes to go. (I'm talking about nicking a goal, not the wine.... I think)...   It's not pretty, but that never stopped Italy in their pomp. And it certainly is effective with four clean sheets on the bounce.

The challenge with the team set up, I think if you run through the team - it's hard to find anyone who didn't have a good game. Kalvin Phillips - except for the first 15 mins where he ran around chasing shadows seemingly in awe of the realisation he was playing in an Eng v Ger game - and Declan Rice, gave another set of composed performances. However, they both have a natural tendency to go backwards or sideways, and while neat and tidy... results in minimal chances created. (Note the goal against the Czechs came from Phillips running in behind). Germany were toothless up front (Timo... ), but were more effective than us in playing through the lines in midfield. Grealish immediately improved that for England when he came on. Hopefully the late goal for Kane also gives him a jump start for the rest of the tournament. 

What next?

Clearly post-Germany, confidence is high, which is good - and there's a lot to like about the team's defensive solidity, and Sterling is clearly on form. But there's a few cautious points of note for me:

• We're favourites from a betting standpoint, but not the best team in the tournament
• France and the Netherlands can give us a nice powerpoint presentation on how to come unstuck  in 90 minutes (or 120 & pens if you're looking for dramatic effect)
• I can say it now the game is gone & I can't jinx us. It wasn't a good German team. Sure, a huge monkey off our back, but this was not the team of previous Euro's 
• We're now looking at consecutive games where the opposition will sit back and try and stop us. The Scotland game is not good evidence we will handle it with the ease of which Paddy Power think we will

Predictions and Special Mentions:

• Ukraine.... After the euphoria of the Germany game, I didn't rush to catch the game, only tuning into extra time, where the game resembled a fight scene from Game of Thrones, bodies everywhere. Heroic effort by Sweden to hold on, and was highly anticipating watching the players drag themselves to the penalty spot, hopping on one leg...sadly robbed of the spectacle and had to settle for a joyous Ukrainian sports bra
• Location, location, location..... I have to be honest, this piece passed me by pre-tournament. I knew the basics - use of multiple countries etc, but hadn't focused on the specific game dynamics such as Hungary being backed by 60,000 baying fans, Germany playing in Munich, while other teams travelled from Baku to Hampden. Lay on the covid restrictions, you have a crazy situation where any support is dependent on the number of ex-pats in that city. And of course... the semi-final & final being at Wembley. Could this be the difference maker?
• Prediction Time:
• SUI v ESP:  The half-time whistle just blew, so this feels like a bit of a cheat. It's an even game with a fortunate goal for Spain. But I see them consolidating things in the 2nd half... 2-0 to Spain 
• BEL v ITA:  The game of the round. Looking fwd to it, Belgium hit by injuries, but Lukaku has the Italian's number... 2-1 Belgium
• DEN v CZE:  The hardest game to call. I see this being very even. I see this going to penalties, with Denmark coming out on top. 
• ENG v UKR: Have to pick the tournament favourites for the win here. But I think stress and pain will still be heavily involved. 2-1 after extra time.

  Time to sit back and enjoy the show.... 

 

Now it begins - no more grump

I like to write a blog post whilst settling down to watch the football. So here I am, watching Switzerland make some promising early running against Spain (who seem to be really revving up to be a force). I did the same towards the end of the round of 16, but the games were just so good that the post never got written or published. Even Ukraine vs Sweden, against all odds, kept me occupied with the act of watching rather than blogging. 

I should start today by announcing the important news. My [online] Panini sticker album is 100% complete. Every team, resplendent with their wrong squad members [how can this be a thing for an online album!??] now sits fully populated with an array of perfectly squarely stuck stickers. For the full authenticity, I think they should have adapted the animation to stick the odd one at a slightly jaunty angle, and give you an odds-based chance to peel it back off with equal risk of correcting the angular stick or tearing the sticker and rendering it useless. It has actually been a great way to engage with the tournament and recreate that collection vibe, only without the crippling financial overhead of actually buying the packs.

Spain score, and with that I think the Swiss run is over. 

I won't review the last 16 match-by-match but I will share a couple of my main thoughts.

1. I'm grumpy about England. 

There, I said it. Our victorious, non-conceding, once in a generation talent of a team, is disappointing me. And I am disappointed with myself because of this disappointment. I have, thus far, been unable to get very excited about our team and the prospect of winning the tournament, like this. what's worse, is that when the good moments do come along (i.e. after the introduction of Grealish, when we start to purr), I am finding myself getting actually more grumpy because I am viewing it as clear evidence that we are needlessly self-throttling; depriving ourselves of an entertaining and devastating attacking force of a team and also risking everything by leaving games tight when they could be put out of sight. 

Now, I'm not so entrenched in my thoughts that I don't see the counter-arguments - pacing ourselves in the competition, start with a solid defensive foundation, play in a style that is usable against our toughest opponents. There is some merit to all of these; and I found myself at least accepting the team selection vs Germany. With the goalie and 7 defensive players selected to play in front of him, I actually agreed with the selection of Sterling, Kane and Saka. But in the moments before Grealish came on I was reaching full despair at the absence of linking those 7 defenders with our attack...crying out for our Jack's introduction. Hell I'd have taken Mount! and so it came to pass. He came on, we linked up, we won. The argument that this is excellent game management is as compelling as the argument that this shows us exactly what we are being deprived of for 2/3rds of every match for no apparent reason. Ultimately of course, I have to accept that I am a bloke in Bristol, not the England manager - and that we'll never know for sure. My mission - get over it and support the boys!

2. The feeling France fans must have right now puts my point 1 into perspective

I think this is possibly one of the greatest games I've ever seen. The Swiss lively and energetic from the start, taking a lead and looking threatening. France all at sea. Only to recover and deliver 15 minutes of exhibition football - incisive, fast, dripping with class; and then their arrogant demise. The swiss scored a goal that (if memory serves) Croatia and Czech Republic also did in the round. Fast whipped cross, solid header from 8 yards out; and I love to see it - there's something very special about goals from crosses. It still blows my mind that all this happened. As Pogba was doing his dance, I was wondering whether it would be 5 or 6. The penalties were just sensational. So much nerve from everyone, until Mbappe. What a rubbish way to go out. 

And so here we are - in the QFs. I'll sign off with some quick predictions:

• Spain, Belgium, England, Czech Republic for wins. 
• England to mix it up a bit and give Gareth an existential crisis by playing well with a changed formation and team and bagging 3. 
• Denmark players to end their tournament in tears, overwhelmed by it all and sad that they couldn't win it for Eriksen.

Enjoy the games.