PRE-MATCH THREAD - EURO 2021 England v Germany - Tuesday 29th June 2021 5pm.

[RHB]

Say what you like about their performances, England have won their group without conceding a goal and now we turn to the Round of 16 and our old mates Germany. Once again we play at Wembley but I'm not sure that gives us any real sort of advantage.

Can England turn it on and make us all smile? We potentially have the players that could deliver the result we all crave, we have pace galore, we have a water tight defence and, er, well we've got other good stuff as well, I just can't think of it at the moment. Certainly, having watched a bit of the German game last night I didn't think they were all that so it's all to play for.

So now we will have 7 days of press jingoism, cars cruising the streets with England flags wobbling out of their windows, national TV producing on screen cameos of obscure links to the game, strange creatures predicting the result and just about everything else that goes with this fixture. Cynical, me? Nah, but kick off just can't come quick enough.

Normal rules for pre-match and it morphs into the match thread come kick-off time.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Germany are slow at the back so we need as much pace on the pitch as possible. I think it will be the same team as Tuesday to start.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I rather fancy us for this one. I know Germany are usually our bogey side in competitions but they've not been great so far, and I think we've been easing ourselves in without having to break sweat too much.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Germany to win on penalties(again) i fear.

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

Nothing in that German side to have any fear, I would think Low must be more worried

Great chance to progress, will never get a better chance.

 

[johnlattimerssponge]

I have not really enjoyed too many games so far but last night's football was exciting hoped we would get Hungary as loved the passion both there team and fan's showed in every game although the weakest option.
Germany have not been good in two of the games so far but that said I am mentally preparing myself for the worst in an effort to lessen the pain on Tuesday night.

 

[ozzie]

God im worried.
Am i on a hattrick??
1990,was in Exeter when we played the s/f v Germany.My mother and sister who had came over from Australia were down stairs with my German wife.
I was upstairs alone watching the game on a b/w little tv.Worried...sadly i was on "natch" cider which is very,very strong cider brewed at a farm just down the road.
In fact the farmer who always sold me the stuff,when he smiled with his big red face had either no teeth or the ones he had were stumps...rotted away.It was very cheap and very cheerful,but not that night.
When Germany score i lost it somewhat when my wife cheered,luckily my mother was there and calmed me down.
When the game went to extra time,they all went to bed.We all know what the score was sadly and after the game and cried.
IMO,we were better than them,but they,again,had that luck you need.
In 1996 was now in Germany,working on site.
At both breaks there were about 15 Germans and myself.
NO German talked about the semi-final game.Neither did i,still remembering 1990
Not one word
We all know what happend,lost on pens again.I went outside and sat on our doorstep and cried again......i knew what the next day was going to be like...and it didnt disappoint!!
Laughing .joking, ok,then sing often" its coming home,its coming home"
In fact two patted me on the shoulder and said something like "you thought it was coming home,never and not if you play Germany"
So im here and praying,please dont make it a hattrick....please give this Southend & England fan something to smile about

 

[RHB]

God im worried.
Am i on a hattrick??
1990,was in Exeter when we played the s/f v Germany.My mother and sister who had came over from Australia were down stairs with my German wife.
I was upstairs alone watching the game on a b/w little tv.Worried...sadly i was on "natch" cider which is very,very strong cider brewed at a farm just down the road.
In fact the farmer who always sold me the stuff,when he smiled with his big red face had either no teeth or the ones he had were stumps...rotted away.It was very cheap and very cheerful,but not that night.
When Germany score i lost it somewhat when my wife cheered,luckily my mother was there and calmed me down.
When the game went to extra time,they all went to bed.We all know what the score was sadly and after the game and cried.
IMO,we were better than them,but they,again,had that luck you need.
In 1996 was now in Germany,working on site.
At both breaks there were about 15 Germans and myself.
NO German talked about the semi-final game.Neither did i,still remembering 1990
Not one word
We all know what happend,lost on pens again.I went outside and sat on our doorstep and cried again......i knew what the next day was going to be like...and it didnt disappoint!!
Laughing .joking, ok,then sing often" its coming home,its coming home"
In fact two patted me on the shoulder and said something like "you thought it was coming home,never and not if you play Germany"
So im here and praying,please dont make it a hattrick....please give this Southend & England fan something to smile about

Chill out @ozzie, the germs are going down this time.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Hmm well a lot of people had written Germany off until they beat the Portugese. They went behind twice to Hungary and France beat them fairly easily. I honestly think that we can win this BUT we have to believe we can win it.

Let's not worry about them (well, except for Kai Havertz, stick Phillips or Rice on him perhaps). Let's trust in the good attacking flair players we have and get the ball to them. Foden, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Grealish, Rashford .. that's some proper talent. If we bombard them for the first 20 and Kane bundles one in then yeah by all means park the bus a bit but I'd like to see good, pressing football, on the front foot, bit between the teeth. COME ON ENGLAND.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

In the Round of 16 a different sort of competion starts ie a knockout one.It'll be an interesting game next Tuesday for sure,whatever happens.

 

[blueblueblue]

Someone just posted on the main Euro thread the sides of the draw, we have a much better side for sure. If we can beat Germany I'd fancy us to reach the final.

 

[southendkid]

Neither of us have looked particularly good so far so this could go either way. I'd start Saka again, he looked very impressive in the last match. He might play for a average team in the premier league but he looked a lot more comfortable in Southgate's system than Foden has so far.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Someone just posted on the main Euro thread the sides of the draw, we have a much better side for sure. If we can beat Germany I'd fancy us to reach the final.

Sorry but personally I think that's wildly optimistic ,though a game in the Round of 8 against Sweden (or Ukraine) would certainly be winnable ,I'd imagine.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

What are the odds we get either a French or Scottish ref?
My thoughts were that the decisions had been very good, but last few games seem to be going backwards.
In the squad we have lot of winners in players from BIG clubs and, imo, they will not get stage fright as the tournament progresses BUT I worry that GS will become hesitant and over defensive.

 

[RHB]

What are the odds we get either a French or Scottish ref?
My thoughts were that the decisions had been very good, but last few games seem to be going backwards.
In the squad we have lot of winners in players from BIG clubs and, imo, they will not get stage fright as the tournament progresses BUT I worry that GS will become hesitant and over defensive.

With apologies to Scottish Zoners.

 

[ozzie]

Chill out @ozzie, the germs are going down this time.

Do hope and pray you are right RHB..
Im like Corporal Jones from Dads Army here..
"The Germans are coming,dont panic,the Germans are coming,dont panic"

 

[RHB]

The self isolation period for Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell expires at midnight tonight. They have been training alone but I do wonder whether either will feature in the starting XI, maybe Mount on the bench as he has been a big miss in my opinion.

I'm starting to get excited as the tournament proper starts here for England and Southgate (and us) and if we're going to flower as a team then this is the game where they have to show it.

As for the Germs, they have been denied the opportunity to train on the Wembley pitch because of the heavy rains forecast today/tomorrow. It's not just them it seems al teams due to play at Wembley have also been denied permission. They ain't happy about it it seems.

 

[Cricko]

This is what I would like to see tomorrow.

 

[kaymac]

Netherlands ref tomorrow

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

@Cricko I would be happy with that.