M_B

Only ever been in once, friends arranged for my mate who was ill, to go in last season and I went with him. We were in the Blackburn end. Turned out to be his last game😞, daughter's taken over his seat for next season. Can't say I'd like to go in again, definitely not for me, although on the bright side it was the night match against Birmingham when it was absolutely Baltic.

I wasn't trying to prove some kind of point, just thought I'd mention it, I didn't know.

Not wanting to reopen a can of worms, but my mate sent a link to Rovers hospitality. Seemingly, the hospitality department do a flexi season ticket, you can choose which matches you want to attend.

As I said, it's probably just coincidence.

I've no idea, I've also no idea how many of Gallagher's runs created the space for someone to assist Szmodics.

It's probably coincidence that Szmodics has never hit double figures before, yet when he plays alongside the player who partnered Brereton and Armstrong, he scores 30.

Gallagher doesn't score enough goals, but his partners are invariably amongst the top scorers.

I agree, but we've got so used to reaching them under Southgate, it's like it's the norm,when prior to Southgate it very much wasn't. This isn't how it usually is watching England, it's semis or nothing from now on for the next incumbent.

Whether he lucked into it or not, he's leaving an almighty task for the next bloke to even get close.

You're probably right, but after 3 semi finals out of 4,I'm sure there'll be a bit of interest from other national teams.

Ours was the "strongest" half of the draw, but we've come through it to reach the semis. If we do get anything which is seen to be "favourable", we've deserved it.

Aye well, we'd be unlucky to get this far then go out to Holland.

Pulling a perceived easier team out of a bag could be seen as lucky. England, France, Holland and Spain played who they played because of their results. England were drawn to potentially play France in the semis, the pre tournament favourites. I don't remember you saying they were unlucky. There seems to be this need to put Southgate's relative "success" down to luck, rather than acknowledge that he has actually done a more than adequate job.

Our side of the draw had England and France, the two pre tournament favourites,ours was the perceived "hardest" side of the draw .

The tournament is a pre determined route towards the final, results then determine who and when you play as you progress. That England wouldn't meet France until the final is due to both teams' results, not the consequence of being drawn out of a bag. It really isn't difficult to understand, any fixture is determined by the success or failure of each team,not by the luck of the draw.

Which translates to, no they wouldn't.

Would England have been unlucky if they'd finished second in their group, and ended up on the other side of the draw for the latter stages?

That, and reaching 3 out of the last 4 semi finals.

Amazing how many people won't accept the simple concept of football results determining the outcome of the fixtures.

Let me reverse the situation, would you say England had been unlucky if they'd finished second and had to go in the other side of the draw? I'll preempt your answer as no, England ballsed up for not winning their group.

France were in our half of the draw, England and France were pre tournament favourites despite the prospect of having to face each other ,there's a lot of amnesia knocking about. I suppose we'll see if they both reach the final and prove the bookies right.

We should have been playing France to get to the final, they were pre tournament favourites. It isn't England's "luck" that we aren't playing them, it is down to French failings.

We were drawn in the toughest half of the draw, England and France were pre tournament favourites. England did their job, France didn't. Like you say, you can't argue with how far he's got us in tournaments, then go on to argue it.

For those who constantly criticise him, it just makes me wonder what they said about every manager since Sir Alf. The bloke's done a fantastic job.

Hard to tell who they wanted, but they definitely didn't want Parker or Bellamy.