Biblio

I hope whoever is the manager that we don't hear talk of transfer windows and new signings and war chests or anything else of that kind. I would much rather have a manager/coach who can get the best out of the players at his disposal, make them better players, create a better team. Building a Scottish or British team without any Albanians or Croatioans, or Slovenians or whatever, and getting the best out of them, is a much more appealing prospect than relying on also rans from the four corners of the globe.

Bill Shankly called him the final piece of the puzzle in creating a championship winning team. I was at Shankly's memorial service at Liverpool Cathedral and saw Peter Cormack with Ray Clemence in the congregation.

I was lucky enough to see him play when I was 15. My dad took me and my brother to the UEFA semi-final second leg at Anfield in 1976. There were thousands locked out because Neeskens and Cruff were an incredible draw. Halfway through the second half, there was an announcement over the tannoy asking Mr Gerrard of Halewood to go to the police room after the match. That message was for my dad, who had dropped his credit card and it had been handed in. I was realy excited that Cruff and Neeskens had heard my dad's name read out (I doubt they would have been listening actually) because they were so incredibly famouns back then.

Klopp has never managed Everton😁

This sort of win bonus should end, as should all central funding for the European competitions. All it does is help to cement domestic inequalities. Of course, it's impossible to campaign against it without attracting accusations of sour grapes, but I'd love to see it go.

A very good result which will help a lot with building confidence.

This excellent vlog will be following the FA Cup from the beginning, when Great Yarmouth get knocked out he will be covering the team who beat them and so on. Of course, it's just about possible that Great Yarmouth could make it all the way to Wembley.

It depends on how you define worth. A major country winning the Euros is a bit like Real Madrid winning the Europa it's not the real thing. An achievement for small countries like Greece but not for bigger nations. And I think Italy would much rather have been in the World Cup than win a second tier tournament on penalties. Of course, there isn't some shop where you can trade these things in so the point is academic really.

Is the European Championship a competition that is worth winning? The last few decades would suggest not. Starting with 1988 (mainly because it seemed to be just an afterthought of a tournament before then) we have the Netherlands a swinners. they went on to flop in the 1990 World Cup. 1992 Denmark won the trophy. didn't even qualify for the 1994 World cup. 1996 Germany won and flopped in the 1998 World Cup. Czech Rep made the final and didn't even qualify for the following World Cup. 2000 France won but were humiliated in the 2002 World Cup. 2004 Greece were winners but failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. 2008 - well that one is an outlier. Spain won and then went on to win the 2010 World cup. However... ...Spain won the 2012 Euros and failed dismally in the 2014 World Cup. 2016 Portugal winners but failed to do much in the next World Cup. 2021 Italy won the Euros and we all know how crap they have been since. It looks like winning the European Championship is no guide to how a team will do in the only international competition that really counts - the World Cup. Don't expect BBC etc to see it this way though.

This is one of the reasons I don't want England to win, despite being English. It seems certain that they will though and then we will never hear the end of how wonderful Southgate is and have to suffer him getting a totally undeserved knighthood.

Germany have played at a number of different venues during this tournament. Quite right too, they are the national team and it is wrong for one ground to be designated as a home ground, the advantages this would give are obvious. In 1966, 1996 and 2021 England played all their England based matches at Wembley. In 1966 the semi-final was changed to Wembley at the last minute. At euro 96, at least one England game was supposed to be held at Villa Park, but surprise, surprise, this never happened. The same thing will happen in future. I'm English myself and find this attachment to Wembley frustrating and embarrassing. I wish they could try to be like the Germans.

Even if they were relegated and had to fill their ranks with former Grimsby Town reserves then surely Guardiola (sorry "Pep"), being the greatest manager of all time, could get them winning the CL within a couple of years. He wouldn't need to sign anyone, he is just that good.

Rob Burrow has died. He has been such a very brave and inspirational and totally unselfish person as well as being a great player. The sporting world is a sadder place without him.

If the tie ends in a draw at the end of the two legs, then promotion should be given to the team that has finished higher in the league. That would eliminate the need for a stupid penalty competition.

It would be nice to see Rangers developing home grown players. Every now and then you will hear people saying we should sign X Dundee or Aberdeen player. Why isn't decent talent being spotted before the need to poach other team's stars?