Twang, Leedsboy, Fortune 8, Tiggerlion and JohnA gather in the pod to discuss England’s triumphant exit from the last 16 and booking of a quarter final place on Saturday. With not a sick parrot in sight the boys survey the competition with a jaundiced eye and make a punt on the eventual winner. Dare we dream? Listen and find out.
The Afterword #66: The Daretodreamcast
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Woah! That was quick. Almost as quick as Mbappé!
Today’s news is tomorrow’s chip wrappers Tig.
For some reason, for as long as I can remember, I have found myself unencumbered with the burden of patriotism, so it’s neither here nor there to me whether our national teams do well. In fact, when the likes of the oafish Rooney, vile John Terry, unpleasant Gerrard and preposterous Beckham were running the show, while never watching the matches, I was hoping they’d lose.
However, now we have a team of good young players, managed by a patently decent man, I hope they go all the way, as they say.
Still won’t be watching, though….
Later, I will relate the tale of where I was when Southgate missed that penalty in 1996.
One of the pleasing things about this run has been the unveiling of the considerable disdain many have felt about the team in the last two decades.
It’s amusing as well to note that for the second time in three years (including Leicester in 2016) the media have been completely wrong-footed over it all.
They still don’t get it … when the Colombian game went to penalties, Rio Ferdinand immediately went into the ol’ “penalties are a lottery” mode … no they’re not … if your team are confident of taking penalties and you have a goalkeeper who is good at saving penalties, you clearly have a more than 50/50 chance of winning a penalty shoot-out against a team who might be less prepared/confident/technically adept at the task.
This was ALWAYS the case, Rio … why on earth didn’t you realise it?
What both ^ said.
The thing about Tuesday was how much I cared, all of a sudden. I’m not really a football fan and I’m squeamish about national identity, or at least the way it manifests itself through football. I just knew – absolutely knew, that Colombia were going to equalise. It looked like the England players knew it too. Is this part of being English?
I was trying to be all dispassionate (very hard in a crowded pub where everyone’s screaming and rending their garments) but that just came out as a feeling of absolute sickness, and then absolute relief. Why? It’s not that big a thing. Or is it?
I think the World Cup is a big thing. I have been to Belgium and Sweden this week and both places are full of people keen to discuss football. The same as England. Is there a bigger thing?
Yes.
hurrrr
*Also asymmetric and lumpy and Christians Ronaldo’s not getting his hands on it..
There’ll be a massive roar from the crowd as it’s kissed by every man in the winning side.
Very entertaining chaps. I have been left wondering if Tigg watches each game six times though.
Yep – stereo (TV) and mono (5 Live) versions too.
If I had to watch the Ireland v. Norway 0-0 draw in the 1994 World Cup six times, I reckon I’d turn into a gibbering wreck. A feast of football it was not.
“James Joyce… Michael Collins… Eamonn Andrews…. Johnny Logan…. Sinead O’Connor… Ted Crilly…. your boys took a hell of a boring!”
Yeah – and Henrik Ibsen, Roald Amundsen, Morten Harket, Jan Garbarek and Sonja Henie too!
Boring Jan Garberek? There’s fighting fire with fire 😉
Tbf: you could have picked any of the Ireland games at the World Cup under Jack Charlton. We still feel bad that our very last appearance (against Spain in 2002) was uncharacteristically entertaining..
Maybe not the whole match six times but definitely the highlights. (I did watch some of it again to see why Henderson was booked during the melee following the penalty decision. The daft bat got involved and ended up rubbing foreheads with a Colombian. He should have stayed well away. Kane kept his cool brilliantly. Henderson should learn from his captain.)
Speaking of which, I’m struggling with Kamasi Washington’s latest, especially now I’ve discovered the third disc taking it to well over three and a half hours long. I haven’t listened to the whole thing even once. Anyone got any suggestions for a forty minute edit? Just the goals and the red card incidents will do nicely.
In other news, the psychic goat says Sweden are going to win.
I ashamed to say that I made a forty-minute edit of Kamasi’s epic “The Epic”. It’s really good – but I’m afraid that my jazz fan credentials took a bit of a knock….
Sounds very sensible. What was the track listing?
Not just me then!
Change of the Guard
Re Run Home
Leroy and Lanisha
Clair de Lune
Final Thought
The Message
Happy to delete the rest………
Hey just realised it’s Podcast ’66! It’s a SIGN!!! Nobby’s dancing…
There’s only one way to beat them – get round the back.
(hurrrr)
That, I think, is very true of the Swedes. Trippier and Young are key down the flanks. Maybe, not so much for Croatia, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
By the way Twitter users should check out #GarethSouthgateWould for a rare thing, a laugh out loud funny and good natured joyous thread celebrating everyone’s new favourite Englishman.
Got a chance to listen to that and I have to say I enjoyed it more than any other discussion about the England and that game.
One thing though: did I hear someone suggest that Southgate ballooned his pen over the bar? In fact, he slid it along the ground and if the goalkeeper had gone the other way no-one would be talking about it now.
Imagine if the Colombian goalkeeper had simply stood up when Kane hit his straight down the middle during the game..?
Yeah. It was me. I must have been thinking of Waddle.
What is David Batty up to now? Remember him?
He came on as a late sub in France 98 and almost immediately fell over. I remember nothing else.
What can I say, it was the nineties, we were all falling over, it was a thing then. Crazy days, mate.
David Batty. The man that took a penalty because Paul ‘The Guvnor’ Ince didn’t want to. I know which one I think more of. Batty was a hell of a player. But so unfussy that people didn’t appreciate him.
True dat. Would take a hundred Batty’s over one Paul Ince any day. Ferguson figured out what type of person he was in short order too.
Ah well, that’s it then. Podcast dreaming of England’s glory? Vainglorious tempting of fate. We’re fucked now.
Most of us picked France and Brazil though…
50% wrong already.
I said France though 😀⚽️
Wha? Really? We’re not exactly short of Football punditry and Podcasts all year round never mind during the World Footsport tournament. Hope y’all had fun but this is the only one I won’t listen to – and I listened to all the Tull ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4ZGKI8vpcg
Tull do get a mention. If that helps.
I haven’t heard it. Does it go:
“Enough with 1966… you’re living in the past!”
No – it goes:
“England need to play with passion – A Passion Play!”
Snot’s running down his nose, greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes. But that’s enough about Gazza.
I’m sure it was when someone said “Thick as a brick, that Rooney”
Yes – we really should get back to dealing with the worldwide shortage of music podcasts!
I enjoyed this podcast very much. Good work, Twang
Cheers Ask. Have to get you on again soon.
Great podcast chaps!
Twang, I don’t know how old your son is but he sounds a lot like mine!
During a game he’s constantly asking questions and coming up with pieces of trivia about whoever’s playing.
(He’s 12 by the way)
Thanks!
Mine is 14. Oh the fun of endless memes being requoted…
Horror! Realised that I must have deleted the ‘Cast feed to iTunes. Safely rectified now and a great listen
I don’t like football.
But I listened to this and quite enjoyed it for some peculiar reason. Still won’t be watching this footy Cup Of The World though.
What did I say?
Same as me. That was pretty much how I expected it to be to be honest. I’d like Russia in the semi.
Maybe. Croatia have more quality but we have nothing to fear from either.
I don’t really care who gets through, I’d just like them to scrape through on penalties.
That’s cruel. My nerves wouldn’t be able to bear it. Thrilling though. Should we reconvene the pod?
Of course!
Yay! part 2
I’m in for the next round.
You all free like, tonight?
PM quick!
Really enjoyed listening to that the day after the Sweden game. Well done all.
Tigger on the money with his score prediction but in the interests of balance it should also be pointed out that his and others insistence that Brazil would make it to the final turned out to be balls, as any sensible observer knew would be the case.
Belgium v England in the final I reckon. Or maybe France v Croatia. It really wouldn’t be a huge shock whichever of these four teams win from here.
The match did nothing to resolve the Sterling question, did it? Will be interested to hear what you all think now. I can’t see him being dropped now, and nor should he be. There is a problem in front of goal, no question, but he was all over the pitch, and scared the bejasus out of the Swedish defence. He can come good in the next one.
He’s going to score the winner against Croatia, no problem.
I think Sterling did enough. He was a handful. I can’t wait for him to score to get that monkey off his back. I’m less convinced by Alli despite his goal. But I think they should be unchanged for the semi.
I’m hoping those two ‘superstars’ start showing their true attacking talent. We’ve managed so far without them firing on all four cylinders. Imagine what we can do when they actually play well.
I think it sort of did resolve it. he shakes defenses up which rattles the whole team. If could score too, even better!
Whilst my parting comment on the pod was that Sterling should be dropped on the basis of being a striker who does not strike, I would keep him in. His best game of the tournament so far. I cant see why we would now change a winning team even though we can all see faults in individuals.
Sorry if I missed the reconvening of the crew but not possible tonight,
Didn’t happen tonight. My youthful over enthusiasm!