I should probably start this post by admitting that one player, amongst many heroes last night, stood out as a towering example of why Thomas Tuchel is an elite football manager and I am a Chaise Lounge enthusiast.
Anthony Gordon.
Thunder, Rain and Mexican Fire
As rain delayed the start of the match, nothing could dampen the crackling atmosphere inside Mexico’s fortress. This was never going to be a polite little kickabout. It had ...
Welcome to Football’s Highest Exam
England face Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, which is not ideal if you were hoping for a relaxing early Monday morning, a gentle stroll into the quarter-finals, or a football match that doesn’t also resemble a science experiment.
The Azteca sits around 2,240 metres above sea level, which is roughly 7,200 feet in old money. That means the air is thinner, the lungs have to work harder, and footballers ...
England Survive, Somehow
So, England move smoothly into the next round.
No problem. Easy win. On we travel.
You know I’m lying, don’t you?
That was about as smooth as a flight through a thunderstorm, with the drinks trolley loose and the pilot asking if anyone on board has ever played Football Manager.
England are through, but they are not firing. In fact, if Harry Kane had been injured, they would probably be home already, ...
England Win the Group… But Are They World Cup Winners?
England have done what was required. Three games, top of the group, and a favourable last 32 draw. Tick. Tick. Tick. The 2-0 win over Panama wasn’t exactly footballing poetry. It was more the sporting equivalent of doing the washing up. Nobody enjoyed it much, but it needed doing.
To be fair to Panama, they were organised, hardworking and about as welcoming as a wasp in a sleeping ...
After last night’s disappointing game against Ghana, I allowed myself a small, private moment of smugness. Not a full lap of honour around the living room, but certainly a knowing nod into my glass of Peroni.
In my first Chez Lounge post, I suggested we might want to put the bunting away after the win over Croatia. Yes, England had looked good, but Ghana, I warned, might be a very different sort of evening. Less champagne football, more ...
