Saturday 23 June 2012

Is That England In The Quarter Finals?

England play Italy in the quarter finals of the European Championship this weekend and i admit that i didn't expect them to get through the group stage , i don't think many people did.
Even the most fervent England fan will admit that England couldn't have been more jammier against the Ukraine if we had smeared the starting eleven in Robertson's finest and stuffed them into a doughnut but here we are through to face the Italians in the last eight.
Sunday promises another awkward evening for us English after the dull 1-1 with France, the 'we-are-winning-no-we're-not-yes-we-are' 3-2 defeat of Sweden and the 'how the hell did we do that' win over the Ukraine when Rooney managed to head the ball in from millimetres out.
The UEFA website stats page show that England have only managed to muster 15 shots on target in those three games but have scored from 5 of them. Italy have had 30 shots on target in their 3 games and only scored 4 times and they had Ireland in their group.
They have let in 2 goals, we have conceded 3 so we have more accurate strikers than them but they have a slightly better defence but all the stats in the World can't disguise the fact that we have been lucky while not playing particularly well and as any Manchester United fan will tell you, being lucky and somehow getting the result when you are not at your best is how you win things.
If at 9.45 on Sunday evening we are celebrating another England win and we are watching grumpy, arm waving Italians trudge off the pitch and out of the Euro's then maybe this could be our year. If not and it is the grumpy faced English we are watching, then i blame John Terry for being such a git.

2 comments:

haveaniceday said...

yes but not in the semi final.

Lucy said...

I don't think that was ever in danger haveaniceday. Italy gave us a spanking that Jamie Theakston would be proud of.