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, ...
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 ...
A Rarely Enjoyable England Opening Act
When I woke up this morning, I was trying to remember the last time I enjoyed the opening game of an England World Cup campaign quite so much.
Okay, the 6-2 hiding we handed out to Iran in 2022 was pretty entertaining, but Iran are no Croatia. Beating them felt a bit like beating my four-year-old granddaughter in a spelling test. Technically a victory, but not one that tells you very much about your ...
