What's new

Euro 2017 and distaff England's semi-final

widmerpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2012
3,378
5,605
Bit surprised that there's been no discussion at all here of Euro 2017. Crap as the women's game is - especially the quality of the passing and movement, it's like watching 20 tiny Sissokos with pony tails at times - it's not as if there's much other football on telly at the moment. Jermaine Jenas is doing his level best to take it all seriously and it's been a perfectly respectable Sunday night option on Channel 4.

Anyway, England in a semi-final isn't a bad thing. And at least, against the Netherlands, there will be more than friends and family in the stadium. So I think it's time for the SC moratorium on acknowledging gurly football to come to an end.
 

Dougal

Staff
Jun 4, 2004
60,346
129,923
You're right. Let's look at the highlights of the tournament so far...



I blame Jenas.
 

lillywhites61

SC Supporter
Aug 11, 2009
3,538
2,270
I think you ate doing them a diservice to be honest. Yes it isnt at the mens level but the womens gave has moved on a lot over the past 10 years and I actually think the England team has played bloody well. Certainly in with a very good shot of winning the thing and dont look like legends! Maybe because there is no media pressure??
 

Riandor

COB Founder
May 26, 2004
9,414
11,621
I think you ate doing them a diservice to be honest. Yes it isnt at the mens level but the womens gave has moved on a lot over the past 10 years and I actually think the England team has played bloody well. Certainly in with a very good shot of winning the thing and dont look like legends! Maybe because there is no media pressure??
Defensively well drilled and effective in attack, if not as skillfull as in their build up as some of the other teams. But they have to be considered favourites now. Will be interesting to see how they handle that tag.

Whilst the game is slower than the men's, I think the biggest weakness remains with female goalkeepers. A lot of the outfield players are pretty skillful, but the amount of games with howlers by goalkeepers is crazy. Germany vs Italy, Germany vs Denmark, heck even the French keeper should have done a lot better with England's goal (and those are just the 3 games I have seen of E2017).

It's also quite interesting to see a bit of a throwback with most attacks coming from crosses into the box and headed goals. Some very good crosses, but again, England are doing well because of defensive discipline, whereas so many of those knocked are due to players not being able to stick with the opposition player in the box. Too many free headers.

Not to say obviously that that doesn't happen in the men's game, (either poor GK or defensive lapses), but here it is on show almost every game.

Definitely coming along though and at least the majority don't act like pre-madonnas, unlike their male counterparts.
 
Last edited:

Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
39,837
50,713
I just cannot watch it. I tried watching a few minutes of the Game the other night, the quality level is roughly equivalent to watching 10yo boys with hypoxia.

If this was men's football, there would at least be some acknowledgement and humour at the poor quality of it but we have to listen to everyone involved pretending it's really faboulous. It just fucking grates.

Then you have the England manager who only seems capable of speaking in "hyper motivational speak" mode, every single word he says.

I just want punch him.
 
Last edited:

widmerpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2012
3,378
5,605
The reason it's so hard to watch is that if this was men's football, there would at least be some acknowledgement and humour at the poor quality of it but we have to listen to everyone involved pretending it's really faboulous. It just fucking grates..

Quite. Like the paralympics, or one's children's school plays.

I wonder if the problem with the speed and the wayward passing could be addressed by making the pitch rather smaller?
 

Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
39,837
50,713
Quite. Like the paralympics, or one's children's school plays.

I wonder if the problem with the speed and the wayward passing could be addressed by making the pitch rather smaller?

Well no, not really, that's the thing, there's much less pretence with Paralympics or kids plays. With the women's game we get this constant evangelical overtone.

The standard is somewhere between good pub and 10/12yo boys club football. Why the fuck anyone would broadcast it is beyond me, but if they are going to, lets not pretend it's good, because it's not, it's fucking atrocious.

I'm 50, carry a bit of timber round the middle, have two fucked knees, two screws in one ankle, a dodgy groin and only run these days if I'm late for train, but if I had a sex change next week (and invoked the English Grandmother rule) I'd be captain of that England team by Christmas.
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
England 'keeper Karen Bardsley has been ruled out of semi-final with a broken leg, sustained against France on Sunday night...
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
Well no, not really, that's the thing, there's much less pretence with Paralympics or kids plays. With the women's game we get this constant evangelical overtone.

The standard is somewhere between good pub and 10/12yo boys club football. Why the fuck anyone would broadcast it is beyond me, but if they are going to, lets not pretend it's good, because it's not, it's fucking atrocious.

I'm 50, carry a bit of timber round the middle, have two fucked knees, two screws in one ankle, a dodgy groin and only run these days if I'm late for train, but if I had a sex change next week (and invoked the English Grandmother rule) I'd be captain of that England team by Christmas.

Shame Jim'll Fix It isn't still on, as I'd wager most of the women's teams would run rings around you...
 

widmerpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2012
3,378
5,605
England 'keeper Karen Bardsley has been ruled out of semi-final with a broken leg, sustained against France on Sunday night...

That's quite impressive, because she gave it quite a while before she came off, and she was back on the pitch celebrating the win afterwards. Perhaps she's made of sterner stuff even than B-C.
 

lillywhites61

SC Supporter
Aug 11, 2009
3,538
2,270
Defensively well drilled and effective in attack, if not as skillfull as in their build up as some of the other teams. But they have to be considered favourites now. Will be interesting to see how they handle that tag.

Whilst the game is slower than the men's, I think the biggest weakness remains with female goalkeepers. A lot of the outfield players are pretty skillful, but the amount of games with howlers by goalkeepers is crazy. Germany vs Italy, Germany vs Denmark, heck even the French keeper should have done a lot better with England's goal (and those are just the 3 games I have seen of E2017).

It's also quite interesting to see a bit of a throwback with most attacks coming from crosses into the box and headed goals. Some very good crosses, but again, England are doing well because of defensive discipline, whereas so many of those knocked are due to players not being able to stick with the opposition player in the box. Too many free headers.

Not to say obviously that that doesn't happen in the men's game, (either poor GK or defensive lapses), but here it is on show almost every game.

Definitely coming along though and at least the majority don't act like pre-madonnas, unlike their male counterparts.

Spot on about the keepers, They are miles behind and need to improve. If they can get that standard up the games would be a lot better.

Our girls have played well defensively as you say and have taken chances effectively. I am really looking forward to the next match. Should be a good atmosphere as well which I think they will rise to.
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,946
61,828
I think the blind ignorance to genetic differences has been to the detriment of the game.

Reduce the size of the goals and the pitches and you would have a more competitive, exciting game. Maybe even reduce the halfs to 30mins.

Women and men and different, that's not a bad thing. Why can't people just embrace the differences and work with them?
 

hellava_tough

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2005
9,429
12,382
Defensively well drilled and effective in attack, if not as skillfull as in their build up as some of the other teams. But they have to be considered favourites now. Will be interesting to see how they handle that tag.

Whilst the game is slower than the men's, I think the biggest weakness remains with female goalkeepers. A lot of the outfield players are pretty skillful, but the amount of games with howlers by goalkeepers is crazy. Germany vs Italy, Germany vs Denmark, heck even the French keeper should have done a lot better with England's goal (and those are just the 3 games I have seen of E2017).

It's also quite interesting to see a bit of a throwback with most attacks coming from crosses into the box and headed goals. Some very good crosses, but again, England are doing well because of defensive discipline, whereas so many of those knocked are due to players not being able to stick with the opposition player in the box. Too many free headers.

Not to say obviously that that doesn't happen in the men's game, (either poor GK or defensive lapses), but here it is on show almost every game.

Definitely coming along though and at least the majority don't act like pre-madonnas, unlike their male counterparts.

I've only seen a few match highlight videos on BBC, but this is spot on

It's actually quite bizarre how that part of the female game is so bad; you would have thought it would be at least on par with the rest of the skill levels

Perhaps higher testosterone levels in men make them by far, more aggressive and their reflexes quicker, compared to women. I say this because many of the mistakes that I witnessed, involved the goalkeeper being indecisive and getting caught in no-man's land. This also happens in the men's game, but not as often. Usually a male keeper will make a decision and come steaming off his line, clattering both ball and striker at the same time. Sometimes he gets it right, sometimes he gets it wrong; but he's generally not indescisive. Hence why aggression, risk taking and decision making under pressure are the foundations of a good goalkeeper. Higher testosterone levels help in the development of these areas...I think :unsure:

Funnily enough, if a female team did have a solid goalkeeper, they'd probably win a tournament with that alone
 

hellava_tough

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2005
9,429
12,382
Added to my post above, perhaps comparative size differences between outfield players and goalkeepers have an effect too

It's not unusual for a male goalkeeper to be anywhere up to 6 to 10 inches taller than male outfield players

You get some giant male keepers, which can make their job easier. It's not the only factor, obviously, but it is some sort of factor

In the women's game, however, I'm not sure if you get that size disparity between goalkeepers and outfield players. I could be completely wrong on this as I haven't checked the stats, but it's something to consider
 

Riandor

COB Founder
May 26, 2004
9,414
11,621
I've only seen a few match highlight videos on BBC, but this is spot on

It's actually quite bizarre how that part of the female game is so bad; you would have thought it would be at least on par with the rest of the skill levels

Perhaps higher testosterone levels in men make them by far, more aggressive and their reflexes quicker, compared to women. I say this because many of the mistakes that I witnessed, involved the goalkeeper being indecisive and getting caught in no-man's land. This also happens in the men's game, but not as often. Usually a male keeper will make a decision and come steaming off his line, clattering both ball and striker at the same time. Sometimes he gets it right, sometimes he gets it wrong; but he's generally not indescisive. Hence why aggression, risk taking and decision making under pressure are the foundations of a good goalkeeper. Higher testosterone levels help in the development of these areas...I think :unsure:

Funnily enough, if a female team did have a solid goalkeeper, they'd probably win a tournament with that alone
Precisely.
Bardsley looked quite solid and had a very solid defence in front of her, I think this was the key to reaching the SF. With Bardsley breaking her leg, you have to hope her replacement is up to the task, because too many goals are happening from total GK flapping and not from actual good shots. Would hate for England to go out because they lost their above average GK.

IF... England win the tournament, you may well see the woman's game go more defencive for a period as others copy this approach (not to lose), similarly to how the men's game went. Then hopefully managers and coaches earn their salt in getting the women to learn to do things faster to create space where none exists and the pace comes into the game.
 

hellava_tough

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2005
9,429
12,382
Precisely.
Bardsley looked quite solid and had a very solid defence in front of her, I think this was the key to reaching the SF. With Bardsley breaking her leg, you have to hope her replacement is up to the task, because too many goals are happening from total GK flapping and not from actual good shots. Would hate for England to go out because they lost their above average GK.

IF... England win the tournament, you may well see the woman's game go more defencive for a period as others copy this approach (not to lose), similarly to how the men's game went. Then hopefully managers and coaches earn their salt in getting the women to learn to do things faster to create space where none exists and the pace comes into the game.

Yeah that could certainly happen

That said though, it could seriously damage the women's game if it becomes boring to watch, as well as having a lower skill level
 
Top