HISTORY IS 100/1 TO REPEAT ITSELF when England takes part in a second major tournament final at Wembley this evening, according to Ladbrokes.
The bookies have revealed a flurry of patriotic punters who have backed England to be drawing 2-2 at full-time and go on to win the game 4-2 in extra-time, just as they did in 1966.
Elsewhere, 20/1 says Harry Kane follows in Geoff Hurst’s footsteps and bags a hat-trick tonight.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes told The Boy Hotspur: “England are so close to bringing football home, and patriotic punters are backing the Three Lions to repeat history in the process.“
Latest Betting
England to win 4-2 in extra time (2-2 full-time) – 100/1
Rashford has taken some high pressure penalties in the past. I remember the one in Paris. It’s hardly Southgates fault he missed.
Also, the premiership gives us the impression, the false impression that the national team is more competitive than it actually is. We’ve got too much
money sloshing about and a distinct lack of principles.
Understand all the bland corporate stuff about Southgate and the team et cetera. Terry Venables wasn’t the company man, we came up short then, we tried Capello it was a no-nonsense winner up until that point.
You can change the manager as many times as you like, the reality is we just don’t produce enough quality allied with the right mindset in this country. I think it goes deep I think it’s cultural. It goes beyond football. This latest generation of players have actually improved in that regard, but it’s still not good enough.
If we could have a team of Harry Kane’s then would be fine, if we could’ve had a team of Gazzas, Shearer’s or Rooneys we’d be fine. A country like Italy have a team made up of players with that mindset, there’s deeply held principles that are of everyday life.
We are a post industrialised, post empirical mess. Perhaps in some ways that makes us ‘modern’ or forward thinking, but when it comes to having what is needed in the sense of a sporting identity, we are completely lost.
Our post colonial slump is far from over…
33 you say🤔
Chiesa!
Chords jr going off saved england
On point as ever Finn.
Dreadful penalty
It was the mention of inclusivity and diversity before the game that told me we’d choke it
Personally I think Southgate has done well with a national team that last got into a final 55 years ago.
We just aren’t very good, when will people actually accept that? Every generation of England team is always hyped around the abilities of about two or three stand out players.
The reality of it is that other countries have spent the last 55 years getting to finals and winning things while we sing about football “comin’ ome”. Many of the countries with smaller population sizes too.
We just aren’t very good, we are a second rate football nation. The quality of Premiership warps the perception of the national team because it’s only as good as it is because it’s dominated by foreign players. It pays well so they come.
we have been better as a result of the FA’s work and Southgate has done a very decent job. Other than that we just aren’t really up to it, I’m sad to say…
We had one plan against Italy and it was the use of wingbacks to stretch them. Once Italy adjusted and along with their experience, we had no plan B.
I still think 19 is too young to take it in a game of that magnitude.
The price point Levy buys at means the squad always lacks either experience or quality and generally both together. A national team have no choice but the 8th richest club in the world does…
We did as well we could do which was improvement. Our pedigree isn’t good, first final in 55 years? Compared to Italy and other nations that’s quite pathetic.
We love our football but the reality is that a lot of other countries are better at the game we invented. Simple as that.
We did well because we are not an elite national team. We are improving and that’s a positive, not much else to take from it.
Sadly that sums it up in a nutshell Finn. Under Southgate we are the perennial beaten semi-finalists or finalists.
But at the expense of any meaningful attacking football Richard. I was just left bitterly disappointed at the wasted opportunity.
Mancini made two initial subs and changed tactics, and Italy clearly began to dominate and chances were coming for them. THAT was the time for Southgate to adjust the England side… not after the goal was scored.
Overall Southgate has done well for England… but it was his decisions that lost this game (including bringing on the two ‘expert’ penalty takers, under pressure, right at the end of the match). If Rashford hadn’t showboated, he might had won us the match at that point. He tried to be too effing clever.
Southgate. A corporate stooge who lacks any creative, guile and inventiveness to build a team that plays without fear to win, not strangling it. They parked the bus after going into the lead. Sat back. Kane had no service again. The penalty takers choice summed it up. Good teams at another level will always beat corporate England. So boring so predictable.
Whatever analysis Southgate had made to determine these two were good penalty takers (under pressure) was clearly wrong. If Rashford hadn’t showboated, the match might have been won.
Yep
I think Southgate thought our defence, previously considered suspect and probably not of tournament winning calibre, needed the reinforcement of two defensive midfielders.
Actually, dribbling isn’t a very accurate description because they didn’t really take the ball past opponents that much but their close control was impressive and the pretty patterns they weaved with their passing.
Yes, I think it’s definitely a possibility and sooner than that given the many youth tournaments we have won in recent years.
Yes, true.
Apparently, they had been among the best penalty takers in practice but missed on the night. This happens! Celtic lost a penalty shoot out with Inter Milan in a European Cup semi final in 1972 when Dixie Deans was the only player from either side to miss his penalty and he had apparently been Celtic’s best penalty taker in practice in the days leading up to the game.
I don’t think Rashford had played in this tournament prior to tonight’s shoot out (had he?) making it an extra pressurised moment, I think, to be asked to take one of the penalties as your first (and only) on field contribution.
I think only Spurs fans can truly grasp the immediate reality of the England failure – most of the country will be going through the emotional turmoils of disappointment and regret on a path to acceptance, but we can assimilate this readily having had so much practice.
I don’t really share the appreciation for Southgate, he’s squandered a best of generation striker in Harry Kane by hobbling our attacking play both in strategy and team selection. His game plan was all about not losing whereas the Italians were about trying to win the thing.
I must say the set up was very Jose-ian and had we lost during normal play would have been reminiscent of several of our matches last season. I put the ability to hold onto a draw down to Southgate not having to pick Dier. But in any event, playing this way is OK as long as you win: I am discontented because we played boring, grey, corporate football but also lost.
I am left neither inspired nor satiated.
I don’t doubt Southgate will be lauded for getting to a final along with players who played out of their skins to achieve fewer forward balls than a dog walking backwards.
What now for Harry – I really feel for him, he’s done everything right but been let down by those he’s trusted, Jose, Southgate, Levy….. maybe he’s a poor judge of character, maybe he’s learned heaps but at the expense of his own ambitions. Come what may he deserved more consideration in our strategy than being cut off by the head down, no passing, car-chasing Sterling or the lack of any creative midfield presence – we basically played with 6 at the back: a back four covered by a defensive midfield two.
Sadly I suspect Southgate will stay, will not review the failure and keep pursuing the vision of the late Jack Charlton at M’boro of simply not losing – a purgatory of the stalest of stalemates. No glory, no heroes, no hopes.
Sigh……
Yes, they were for me, too, England’s standout players tonight; Rice and Pickford particularly so. Harry played well but he was, alas, seldom in the 18 yard box where, of course, he is at his deadliest.
Realistically, only Harry and maybe Walker start for Italy. Playing for pens once Italy tied it was the best chance to win.
They were pressing them in the first half hour and pretty much controlling the game even though the Italians were already having more of the possession and having more shots on goal. After that the Italians played pretty well and dominated the match until extra time; they should have won in 90 minutes
34 unbeaten, I believe. No question they were the better team tonight and should really have won in 90 minutes; the close control, dribbling ability of some of their players was very impressive. But we seem to be making progress under Southgate, who until the second half today has had a very impressive tournament. I do think he could have introduced Grealish earlier, however and has Rashford actually played any minutes in this tournament.? If not, it’s very tough to make your debut in the tournament as a penalty taker in a shoot out!
In other words, spend money to buy quality experienced players. Dias v Rodon. Bruno v. Gio. Werner v. Vinicious. and so on….
I think Mankini just outfoxed Southgate tactically a bit, at the same time the Italians had far more experience to draw on and in the big moments it counts.
That’s why Spurs don’t see things over the line either we lack quality along with experience, you need a blend of both.
I’m happy with how England did and this group of players as well as Southgate. Italy have quality but crucially they have experience and I made them slight favourites tonight, What is it? 39 games unbeaten?
England don’t produce enough quality throughout the national team, we always have one or two that can get it done at that level whereas traditionally Italy, Germany, Spain, France always have a better spread of quality across their squads. England are getting better, we are producing technically gifted players in a way we never did before but this is generational.
The F.A have done their homework and it’s paying off but it takes time and there are still no guarantees in football but who know’s in 20 years time we might be consistently in finals.
Sterling’s been one of the players instrumental in England doing so well, but he and the other older players really need to have a look at themselves for even allowing their 19 year old team mate to take one ahead of them. I’m not sure how well I’d be sleeping tonight. Bad luck for Rashford but shouldn’t have tried to be too clever, put your foot through it and get it done.
Agree on the subs. I would’ve kept Rice on, taken Mount out for Grealish or Sancho early in the 2h. Plus in the 5-3-2 defensive setup the back 2 lines were too close together.
Bonkers decision, 19 years old wtf?
England looked better first half and largely controlled it, nerves got the better of quite a few of them in the second half and Garry Waistcoat, numpty that he is, made poor substitution decisions. It was poetic, in it’s way, the clown who blew it on pens while a player, loses on pens after both his subs brought on specifically for the shootout are put on too late to get fully warm, shake off the nerves and into a rhythm. Good job, Garry, a specialist in failure, what any ‘Boro supporter could have told you long ago. But look on the bright side – the FA extend his contract through the next World Cup, goodie gumdrops!
Agree 100% Tappa
Let’s be honest- Italy was the way better side. It’s a tough ask to defend for 88 min, but England would have gotten killed pressing these guys. Playing for pens was probably the best hope.
It’s ironic that the most attacking tactical decision Southgate made all tournament was bringing on the 2 players that missed pens
W@nke7 Italians giving it on sidebands (27.555) gonna fire up my big linear and cuss dem🌚
Poor tactics from Southgate. He should have made subs much earlier when we had dropped deeper and deeper. Italy made positive subs throughout, Southgate was negative and lacking in courage to go and win the game. The penalty taker selection was ridiculous.Rasford, Sancho and Grealish should have come on at the beginning of extra time.
Can’t put this on Harry. He, Rice, Shaw and Pickford were the best English players by miles.
Ah yes my bad.
Henderson was subbed – Southgate bottled it
Kane now has 3 loser medals with Spurs and England…
Yep, where was the ‘leader’ Henderson, Sterling and Grealish?
Bottled it obviously
Indeed…where was the “best player in the world” Sterling?
Senior players hang your heads in shame. Letting that young boy take such a pressure penalty
Not sure why Southgate gets all the praise…too negative…Italy back two both on yellows, both legs gone…no shots in the 2nd half….at least he’s not coming to Spurs….
Slog to the end….
This feels like Spurs v City Jose ptb special.
1 nil after few minutes….let’s play for pens. Sterling is garbage. Again. Will he get subbed? Not a chance.
Played boys
Parking the bus springs to mind.
Italy were diabolical, didn’t even get to the world cup. Mancini rocks up, and a 33 match unbeaten run appears. England had a defense shakey like Stevens, Maguire wasn’t even match fit…a keeper who’s been dodgy all year, then they embark on a solid as a rock tournament run conceding only 1 goal to the final.
Extraordinary sorcery from both managers.
♥️💣
You can do it boys