Euros 2016
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="590983" data-time="1466731031"><p>Sorry buds, everyone thinks the Irish are British.</p></blockquote><br>Yeah I know - it's kinda like the Kiwis are all Australian really.
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Yep that was my first question to an Irish, Scot or Welshman when they accused me of being an Aussie...I simply had to know where in England they were born!
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Polska!
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<p>Off to extra time. I got the result correct so far but not the score</p>
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<p>Thursday 30 June Poland v Portugal 0-0 Poland on Pens</p>
<p>Friday 01 July Wales v Belgium 0-2</p>
<p>Saturday 02 July Germany v Italy 1-0</p>
<p>Sunday 03 July France v Iceland 1-0</p> -
<p>Germany has never beaten Italy in a knockout game - surprising.</p>
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<p>Belgium will be missing 2 of their back four (<span>Vermaelen is suspended and Vertonghen is out of the Euros with injury</span>) so I wouldn't discount Wales winning. Bale vs Hazard to decide the result.</p> -
<p>Poles must be favourites in a penalty shoot out if it comes to that, after their game against Switzerland where they were 5 from 5 in the shootout.</p>
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<p>Ronaldo will take the 5th penalty for Portugal which I can never understand, I think it is more for the glory if he happens to win the game through his penalty attempt rather than put your better penalty takers first.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="593160" data-time="1467323599">
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<p>Nuts! Portugal through. Still haven't won a match in 90 mins and they are through to 1/4's!</p>
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<p>That is nuts :(</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="592647" data-time="1467107386">
<div><strong>QF DRAW</strong><br><p> </p>
<p>Thursday 30 June Poland v Portugal<strong> Portugal win on penalties</strong></p>
<p>Friday 01 July Wales v Belgium</p>
<p>Saturday 02 July Germany v Italy</p>
<p>Sunday 03 July France v Iceland</p>
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<p>Heart says Poland, Wales, Italy, Iceland</p>
<p>Head says Portugal, Belgium, Germany, France</p>
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<p>Heart 0 - 1 Head</p> -
<p>From the sublime to the 'gor blimey'</p>
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<p><strong>Lancaster to advise FA on England</strong><br><br>
Stuart Lancaster, the head coach of the England team that failed so dismally in last year’s Rugby World Cup, has been appointed to a group of experts who are to advise the FA on improving the England set-up, it can be revealed.<br><br>
Coming so soon after England crashed out of Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland, the news that the man who oversaw another national embarrassment less than a year ago is now involved in English football will give fuel to critics of the FA.<br><br>
The advisory group, which also includes the cycling guru Sir Dave Brailsford, will provide guidance to Dan Ashworth, the FA technical director, and Martin Glenn, the chief executive, about coaching and performance issues, and the St George’s Park national football centre near Burton. The group will not, however, be involved in the selection of Roy Hodgson’s successor.<br><br>
The FA will today formally begin its search for the new England manager when Glenn meets Ashworth and David Gill, the FA vice-chairman, for the first time since Hodgson resigned.<br><br>
Lancaster’s stock may have fallen since the World Cup last autumn, when he resigned after England failed to make it into the knockout stage, but many of his ideas about coaching and performance planning still hold sway. He was invited on to the panel by the group’s chairman David Sheepshanks.<br><br>
In 2012, Hodgson and other FA staff were dazzled by a presentation from Lancaster about changing the culture and mentality of an England rugby squad that he took over after their embarrassing escapades at the 2011 World Cup. Sheepshanks offered him the unpaid post on the back of it.<br><br>
The governing body has not publicly announced any details about the group, which also includes Graeme Le Saux, the former England defender, and former international table tennis player Matthew Syed, now an author and columnist for The Times, but it has confirmed Lancaster’s and Brailsford’s involvement. Others may be invited.<br><br>
An FA insider told The Times that the advisory group would provide support on making improvements to coaching and the facilities at St George’s Park.<br><br>
“This is more about coach education and the philosophy of playing for England,†said the insider. “Stuart Lancaster has spoken often about how, from a young age, there are different interpretations of what it means to play for England. That fits in with the FA’s ‘England DNA’ playing and coaching philosophy of the England teams.â€<br><br>
The three men who will take charge of the manager hunt are meeting today, when they are expected to discuss the qualities they would like the new man to possess, as well as the timetable they are working to.<br><br>
The task has been complicated by the fact that Gareth Southgate, the England Under-21 manager, is reluctant to take over on an interim basis and Arsène Wenger will not commit himself until later into next season.<br><br>
Claudio Ranieri, Jürgen Klinsmann and Laurent Blanc are all thought to be interested in the vacant role.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lancaster-to-advise-fa-on-england-t7k2mp3cc'>http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lancaster-to-advise-fa-on-england-t7k2mp3cc</a></p>
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<p>I'll save them the time and effort.</p>
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<p>Employ a foreign coach who's actually won something.</p> -
<p>Bloody hell, you couldn't make it up could you?!</p>
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<p>Anyway Mike good luck for tonight. Keep the UK flag flying for us, seeing as we so dismally threw it away. Hopefully I shall get the chance of bathing in your reflected glory.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="593382" data-time="1467369085">
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<p>Bloody hell, you couldn't make it up could you?!</p>
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<p>Anyway Mike good luck for tonight. Keep the UK flag flying for us, seeing as we so dismally threw it away. Hopefully I shall get the chance of bathing in your reflected glory.</p>
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<p>Thanks mate :good1:</p>
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<p>No expectations. Happy that we've got this far.</p>
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<p>But if we can go further it would be magic :)</p> -
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less than ten to go and Wales lead 2-1 on the Belgians.<br><br>There'll be drinking in the valleys and hills tonight if this finishes right.
