Rob Smyth's Blog, page 123

October 14, 2019

Bulgaria 0-6 England: Euro 2020 qualifier – as it happened

England thrashed Bulgaria in a match that was twice halted in the first half because of racist chants

10.13pm BST

That’s it for tonight’s blog. An unpleasant night, no doubt, but hopefully a seismic one. After decades of lip service and painfully slow change, a precedent was set when the game was stopped twice and almost abandoned. Thanks for your company and emails, goodnight.

10.07pm BST

And here’s Gareth Southgate

“I have to say that the Uefa officials were onto everything very quickly. We reported everything immediately when we heard things; we had constant communication with the fourth official and the referee. I was in contact with the players all the way through the first half in particular, and then again at half-time.

10.05pm BST

Here’s Tyrone Mings

“It was a great occasion; I made my England debut. Slightly overshadowed by a few disappointing chants, which could be clearly heard on the pitch, but we showed a great response and ultimately we let the football do the talking.

10.00pm BST

We’ll have plenty of reaction to the match as the evening progresses. For now, here’s our chief football correspondent David Hytner’s report.

9.58pm BST

Greg Clarke, the FA chairman, is speaking on ITV

“I was up in the stands with some of the FA staff. We heard some sounds which sounded like monkey chants. We had a pre-agreement with Gareth that I would come down if the game was interrupted. I heard some more chants and saw some activity which was appalling. I wouldn’t want to describe it but it was appalling, and I had a chat with Gareth at half-time.

9.51pm BST

“I admire the determination of English footballers to fight racism, but racism happens here in the UK too,” says Jose Rodriguez. “I am a Spanish citizen living and working in the UK for a number of years, and recently my neighbour next door told me I should show some respect as I come to this country to work. So I am a second-class citizen. Why not British look inside too before erecting themselves as the savours of the world...”

I honestly don’t think that’s the case. Racism is still a huge problem in Britain; everyone knows that.

9.51pm BST

ITV have just shown footage of Raheem Sterling being abused throughout the second half. I can understand the reluctance to call the game off, but it probably should have been in accordance with the protocol. It sounds like Uefa only got involved if an England player complained, which isn’t great.

9.43pm BST

Ian Wright, speaking on ITV, says this is a “fantastic moment, a seminal moment ... what’s good about it is that this is a generation of players and people now - not just black players - who won’t tolerate this any more. My generation was a generation of turn the other cheek, Martin Luther King. This is the by-any-means-necessary generation; the Malcolm X generation. They don’t need to take it any more. I feel really good watching this. I played so many games like this where people said, ‘Just beat them on the pitch.’ It doesn’t do anything. Today, they’ve won.”

9.39pm BST

Callum Wilson hits the post with the last kick of the match. The final whistle is greeted by loud boos. But at least we heard the final whistle, which seemed unlikely when the game was halted twice in the first half because of racist abuse.

9.37pm BST

90 min Two minutes of added time. Sancho almost makes it 7-0 with a low shot that is saved by Iliev. He was played in by a terrific pass from Callum Wilson.

9.34pm BST

87 min “Would you say that having Maddison in the hole behind Kane, Rashford, and Sterling is a bit of a gamble?” harhars Matt Gray.

9.34pm BST

86 min Mount’s long-range shot is beaten away by Iliev. England could have scored 10 tonight. Moments earlier, Zanev plunged his stats into the back of Sancho’s leg. He should have been sent off for that.

9.31pm BST

Harry Kane makes a goal for ... Harry Kane, just as Ben Culling predicted a few minutes ago. Kane slipped the ball through the legs of the last man Terziev, ran through and sidefooted the ball past Iliev.

9.29pm BST

84 min “England game halted ... and continued,” says Stephen Morris. “But never let reality get in the way of a headline.”

Thank goodness someone has finally had the courage to highlight the big issue of the night.

9.28pm BST

83 min Kane drives a low shot off the outside of the post.

9.28pm BST

82 min “Unfortunately our number 9 is also our best number 10,” says Ben Culling. “The only way Kane will score tonight is by passing to himself. If it was the nineties you’d pair Kane with a whippet like Rashford and they’d be a whole heap of fun.”

His evolution as a player, for richer and poorer, is really interesting. I’d love to see him in the same team as Maddison, with Sterling and Rashford as wide forwards.

9.25pm BST

78 min It looks like game is going to finish, which looked very unlikely at half-time.

9.23pm BST

77 min Thanks for all your emails, most of which I haven’t had chance to read yet. In the strangest possible way, this is the kind of match you can’t take your eyes off.

9.22pm BST

76 min Marcus Rashford, who scored the opening goal and played well in what has become his best position on the left, is replaced by Callum Wilson. Bulgaria bring on Kristiyan Malinov for Wanderson.

9.20pm BST

75 min “I’ve noticed that a lot of the commentary and punditry around the issue of racism in football and stadiums focuses on the idea of ‘bad individuals’ and ‘rotten eggs’,” says Mukseet Bashir. “And while that’s true, the reality is that these people are a reflection of a society that emboldens and enables them to exist. It’s important to deal to these issues (whether that be walking off, or abandoning games, or whatever the solution might be), I think it’s important to acknowledge that these issues don’t exist in a vacuum; they’re simply a visceral and confronting reflection of broader systemic racism. Unless we as a society work to improve the systemic and historic issues around race, this kind of bigotry will always exist.”

Yes, that’s a fair point. And I suppose there are plenty of precedents to show what can be achieved over time. I do think things are improving, however slowly. Had this happened a decade ago, I doubt anything would have been said until after the game. Then again, some of the most important people in the world are racists who don’t even realise they’re racist, which must be doing untold damage.

9.18pm BST

73 min A double change for England: Mason Mount and Jadon Sancho replace Ross Barkley and the inspirational Raheem Sterling.

9.15pm BST

England score five goals for the fourth time in their Euro 2020 qualification campaign. Kane slides a nice pass through to Sterling, who finishes with precision. Harry Kane’s through passing, both tonight and against the Czech Republic, has been devastating.

9.14pm BST

69 min A Bulgaria change: Isa off, Ivanov on.

9.14pm BST

67 min “This is surreal, in the worst possible way,” says Guy Hornsby. “While it’s good to see this called out and exposed so clearly, in prime time, it’s still staggering to actually see unfold. I remember the 80s, and I’ve heard some awful stuff in grounds, but this is another level. Hardly seems real to have it so visible. You have to admire these guys for even being able to string a few passes together. I can’t even imagine. The football just seems like a strange footnote.”

It’s despicable, but let’s be honest – it was even worse in the 1970s and 1980s. Ian Wright did a brilliant documentary on ITV4 last year, Out of Their Skin, which is worth watching if you can find it. And Dave Hill’s book on John Barnes, Out of His Skin, is even more startling.

9.09pm BST

63 min Iliev saves from Kane’s close-range strike. England could have doubled their 4-0 half-time lead.

9.08pm BST

62 min Clive Tyldesley, the ITV commentator, reports that there has been more racist abuse since half-time, and some Uefa officials have convened on the touchline.

9.07pm BST

61 min “Abandoning the game achieves nothing,” says John Potter. “The idiots almost get what they want, and move in somewhere else. And what about the fans of the non-abusive team. A trip across Europe for half a game. Never gonna work.”

I agree it’s not ideal, but I can’t think of any better ideas.

9.06pm BST

60 min Zanev’s low long-range shot is well claimed by the unsighted Pickford.

9.05pm BST

60 min Maguire fouls Isa, who briefly looks interested in continuing the argument. He calms down soon enough.

9.04pm BST

58 min England could have had three or four goals since half-time. Sterling has just missed another chance, hitting a low shot that was kicked away by Iliev.

9.02pm BST

56 min “I’m finding the complaints a bit surreal,” says JJ. “If Rangers were playing Arsenal in the Europa League, Jermain Defoe would be getting booed for every touch he took, and it wouldn’t be racism; it’d be because he used to play for Spurs. Are the jeers now for Rashford and Sterling racist in nature? If not, then they’re just jeers. If they are the only players being jeered and the only two black players on the field, you can be mighty suspicious, but can’t make the conclusion that it’s because of racism. That said, I hope that this game gets closed out, and racists of both countries can just eff off away from football stadiums.”

The monkey chants and Nazi salutes arguably gave the game away.

8.59pm BST

54 min It’s Kosovo 2-0 Montenegro in the other game, so England probably won’t be confirming their place at Euro 2020 tonight.

8.59pm BST

53 min “Not being perfect in terms of England having its own fair share of racists means you need to be diplomatic but not silent when calling out racism perpetrated by other countries’ fans,” says Niall Mullen. “Southgate has walked this line extremely well. Nonetheless this needs to be managed dispassionately by UEFA and, where necessary, the justice system. Otherwise the ‘they started it’ shouty tribalism of football drowns out all sensible discourse.”

That’s an excellent point, which became an issue – through no real fault of Southgate’s – before the game.

8.57pm BST

52 min “What I find truly unbelievable, in light of the Bulgarian FA’s defence of their fans ahead of the match, is that a load of right wing ‘ultra’ types were allowed in with ‘No Respect’ written on their group’s hoodies,” says Andrew Chappell. “What were the stadium officials thinking?”

Probably that they’d like to see their children again.

8.57pm BST

51 min Rashford has a close-range shot blocked by Iliev, and Sterling shoves the rebound wide. He probably should have scored. England have played some terrific football tonight.

8.56pm BST

48 min Kane’s shot is saved by Iliev.

8.52pm BST

47 min You start to wonder whether you’re imagining it, but I am almost certain Sterling is being jeered (and, presumably, the rest) every time he touches the ball.

8.51pm BST

46 min England bgegin the second half, and Raheem Sterling is immediately booed.

8.51pm BST

The players are back on the field. Popov is having a long chat with the referee. Bulgaria have made a substitution, but I don’t care.

8.48pm BST

Gareth Southgate has been talking to Uefa officials at half-time. Ivelin Popov, the Bulgaria captain, has spent the interval appealing to the home fans. A number of the extremists left the ground after around half an hour, but there was still plenty of abuse after that. I’d be surprised if the match is completed.

8.45pm BST

More thoughts “Whilst I completely agree with your statement ‘eat that you racist tossers’ (I cheered a little cheer when Sterling scored) the double standards in condemning racism from other countries annoys me no end,” says Kate in Durham. “We are by no means perfect in England, and whilst we may have moved on from the darker days in football, in recent weeks there have been racist incidents making the national news at Hartlepool and Middlesbrough matches. Away from football we are even worse. So let’s not get all holier than thou eh, and get our own house/country in order.”

Yes, that’s fair. I can’t get my head round it. ITV are showing some footage from the crowd – Nazi salutes, jumpers with ‘Uefa Mafia: No Respect’, monkey chants. All the classics. It’s beyond despicable.

8.40pm BST

Half-time chit chat “I know that England can’t exactly take the high ground when it comes to idiotic fans, but it’s so damn frustrating that football can attract such morons,” says Matt Dony. “It can be such a wonderful, life-affirming thing to be in a stadium cheering on ‘your’ team (I’m happy to admit to welling up during YNWA), and it can genuinely be a thing of beauty to watch elite athletes giving their best. I’m not the first to make the point that football can bring people together, and I certainly won’t be the last. So how dare these idiots ruin something we love. I’ve sent so many silly emails to MBMs, but this is easily the angriest/most exasperated missive I’ve fired off. I haven’t got a solution; I’m not clever enough to suggest anything. But something, something has to happen.”

Abandon the game and award it to the other team. It’s not ideal, but it’s a start. And progress is being made, even if it is taking longer than everyone would like.

8.37pm BST

That’s the end of a surreal, dispiriting 45 minutes. England played well and scored four excellent goals, but the match was stopped twice because of racist abuse. One more stoppage and it should be abandoned, although I wouldn’t rule out it being called off during the interval.

8.34pm BST

Eat that, you racist tossers. Harry Kane, the assist king, gives an open goal to Raheem Sterling at the end of another nice team move.

8.31pm BST

45+1 min The game has resumed, but Sterling is being booed again. There are six added minutes to be played.

8.29pm BST

44 min: The match has been stopped for the second time. A number of the home fans are apparently walking out of the stadium. I have no idea what is going on.

8.28pm BST

43 min: The referee is going to the touchline to talk to the fourth official and Gareth Southgate.

8.27pm BST

42 min Gareth Southgate has made a second complaint to the fourth official about racist abuse.

8.26pm BST

40 min “I don’t want to plant ideas in mostly empty heads,” says Shane O’Leary, “but the Uefa protocol sounds like an invitation for any racists watching their team lose to get busy with the racist guff?”

Surely they lose the game anyway if it’s abandoned?

8.24pm BST

38 min Most of the England players are being booed now, although I’m pretty sure Mings, Rashford and especially Sterling are being jeered the most. For now, however, the match is proceeding as normal. I wouldn’t put money on it finishing, though.

8.22pm BST

37 min Sterling appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty after being humped in the back by Hadzhiev. That could easily have been given.

8.21pm BST

35 min It has been confirmed that the England players reported racist abuse earlier in the game. This, by the way, is the standard Uefa announcement in such circumstances:

Attention. This is an important security announcement. Because of racist behaviour the referee has said he may have to suspend the match. Racism in football stadiums will not be tolerated.

8.18pm BST

34 min “Here’s my point as clearly as I can make it – success against internationals secures a player against failure,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “If a midfielder has had good, solid matches against a De Bruyne, Fabinho, or pick your favourite, he then has a base layer of confidence so that if he does have a rough match in future he can fall back on the belief that it was just a rough match, and not his true level. And look at Theo Walcott. Any time we see his name, our first thought is, ‘Oh right, the player Sven called up too soon.’ How many Jack Wilsheres have been tossed out the window after being cast as ‘the next Gazza?’ What marks a great international isn’t how he fits into a winner – that’s easy – it’s how he bounces back from losing and becomes a winner. A failing performance too early in a player’s career makes that harder.”

I take the point, I just don’t agree. But I still love you.

8.18pm BST

Ross Barkley gets his second goal with a deft header from Harry Kane’s right-wing cross. Kane has become quite the creator in recent times.

8.17pm BST

31 min The announcement was step one of Uefa’s protocol for dealing with racist chants. The second is another appeal over the PA system; if that fails, the referee should abandon the match.

8.15pm BST

30 min The match has resumed, for now. I don’t really know what to say.

8.14pm BST

29 min The referee is still talking to Harry Kane. There are home fans, some of them in balaclavas, flicking V signs in the direction of the pitch. I don’t think this match is going to continue.

8.13pm BST

27 min: The match has been stopped, almost certainly because of racist abuse. The referee has been spoken to by an official on the touchline. He’s now talking to Harry Kane. I thought I heard Sterling and Rashford being booed right at the start of the game, but when nobody else said anything I assumed it was my imagination.

There is now an announcement over the tannoy, which is also being booed. This, I fear, is about to get very serious.

8.11pm BST

25 min Zanev has a hack at Sterling, for which he probably should have been booked.

8.09pm BST

23 min “Worth a mention of England’s most recent qualifying opponent losing 3-2 to Northern Ireland tonight..?” says Iain Gamble. “It’s only a friendly, but you know...”

They just had a bad night on Friday. It happens. Even John Gregory’s Aston Villa occasionally lost a game.

8.07pm BST

The goal was made by Sterling, who quickened the pace with a run infield from the right. He played a neat one-two on the edge of the area with Kane - who has been England’s most penetrative passer in recent games - and drove the ball across the face to give Barkley an open goal. At first I thought it was offside, but on reflection I think Barkley was behind Sterling when the ball was played. There’s no VAR. I’m also not sure whether Sterling was trying to shoot or cross the ball to Barkley. Who cares.

8.05pm BST

Ross Barkley ends a lovely team move to double England’s lead.

8.05pm BST

18 min Bulgaria are looking reasonably dangerous on the counter-attack. Most of the game is taking place in their half, as you’d expect.

8.02pm BST

17 min “Something we can agree on, is good on Rashford,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I was delighted to see him chosen to start tonight. He and Ross Barkley have something in common: their performances for England are way, way above their club performances. I don’t know why and don’t care, but Marcus Rashford would be a permanent fixture on my best XI every time out.”

I can’t work Rashford out. He’s a completely different player from the one who emerged in 2016. But aye, good on him; at his best he’s a cracking footballer.

8.00pm BST

14 min England are in control, despite that Popov shot a few minutes ago. In the other group game, Kosovo lead Macedonia 1-0. If it stays like that, England can’t qualify tonight. I think it’s time to ask the difficult question: has Gareth Southgate taken this team as far as he can?

7.59pm BST

12 min “Losing was good for England,” says Steve Waterhouse. “GS needed to be reminded that he cannot pick players willy-nilly based on what’s happened in the last two weeks. There has to be a slightly more holistic approach than that.”

Nothing should ever be done willy-nilly, apart from using the phrase ‘willy-nilly’.

7.56pm BST

11 min Pickford makes an excellent save, getting down very smartly to his left to push away Popov’s deflected shot.

7.53pm BST

That was a spectacular goal from Rashford. He ran down the wing before losing Pashov with a nice Cruyff turn on the left edge of the box. Then, from a tight angle, he smashed a rising shot that went through Iliev and into the net. Iliev might have done better, on reflection, but it was a vicious strike.

7.52pm BST

As I was saying. This is a storming goal from Marcus Rashford.

7.50pm BST

6 min It’s been a slow and largely tedious start. Nothing to report apart from that Henderson booking.

7.49pm BST

3 min Henderson overruns the ball and ploughs through Hadzhiev. He’s booked and will miss England’s next qualifier, against Montenegro next month. I think he slipped, which made it look a bit worse, but he’d already committed to a tackle he was never going to win.

7.47pm BST

2 min Bulgaria have started in a 5-4-1 formation, not the 4-1-4-1 we expected. Aiming high.

7.45pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Bulgaria kick off from right to left. They are in white; England are in red.

7.42pm BST

The ground is at least half empty, but there are thousands of England fans belting out God Save The Queen with feeling.

7.40pm BST

“Pougatch ought to pull Keane up,” says Bill Hargreaves, “next time he drops one of those.”

Either that or Keane should do this the next time Ross Barkley’s name comes up.

7.35pm BST

“I see your point and as always treat it with true respect,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “However, if I may offer up a soupcon of rebuttal served with a massive side dish of self-recrimination, if nine touches in a half followed by a benching really aids development, by that record I should have been named captain of Canada’s national men’s team. Mind you, there’s still hope as Canada 2019 makes Scotland 2019 look like Brazil 1970. No wonder I emigrated.”

I don’t really understand the logic, to be honest. It’s not just the nine touches, it’s everything - the build-up, the nerves, the alien environment, the movement on and off the ball. He’s a better player now than he was on Friday morning.

7.30pm BST

Punditry department

Mark Pougatch “Where you would play Ross Barkley? What’s his best position?”

7.15pm BST

“I’m glad Southgate has chosen what I think is his best XI,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “Please, no insult is intended towards Mason Mount – zero percent – and I’m all for giving youth a chance, but we have to stop giving caps to all lads who have a run of three good matches in their first year in the top division. I’d frankly make it a rule that a player has to have played all the top six (or five if the player is on a top six side) at least once, just to see how he operates against teams brimming with full internationals. Make sense?”

I don’t really agree with that. For one, he’ll have had tougher games with Derby than he will with England. I know what you mean about getting too giddy about young players – Theo Walcott going to Germany, for example – but I don’t think Southgate has been guilty of that. And experiences like Friday, in what was a can-afford-to-lose game, will accelerate Mount’s development. My opinions are not those of Guardian Media Group, etc, etc.

7.02pm BST

Trent Alexander Bruyne “Southgate has made how many changes and he still can’t find room for Trent Alexander-Arnold?” sniffs Philip Riston. “Makes no sense to me.”

I’d probably play Alexander-Arnold but there’s very little between him, Trippier, Walker and Wan-Bissaka. England don’t cross the ball as much as Liverpool either, and that’s his biggest strength. That said, he had an absurdly good game against Switzerland in the summer. I can see all sides!

6.34pm BST

Pre-match reading/listening

6.23pm BST

Gareth Southgate sticks with a back four, but he does make five changes from the team that lost to the Czech Republic. Tyrone Mings makes his debut, replacing Michael Keane in central defence. Ben Chilwell is in for the suspended Danny Rose, while Harry Winks, Ross Barkley and Marcus Rashford replace Declan Rice, Mason Mount and Jadon Sancho respectively.

Bulgaria (4-1-4-1) Iliev; Pashov, Terziev, Hadzhiev, Zanev; Despodov; Popov, Sarmov, Kostadinov, Wanderson; Isa.
Substitutes: G Ivanov, Mihaylov, Lozev, Dimitrov, Slavchev, Kraev, Nedyalkov, Malinov, Marcelinho, H Ivanov, Goranov, Karagaren.

6.04pm BST

Hello. Shall we try that one again? England were supposed to clinch their place at Euro 2020 in the Czech Republic on Friday night; instead they suffered a defeat that was somewhere between irritating and alarming. It won’t affect their eventual qualification, but it has altered expectations of what they might achieve next summer. The Three Lionsometer, with It’s Coming Home! at one end and Send Them Home! at the other, has plenty of zinging to do before the tournament begins next June.

England have defended shoddily in the last two matches, and something hasn’t quite felt right. We can’t say it’s inertia, because Gareth Southgate has changed the personnel and tactics since the World Cup. Tonight, Matthew, he may revert to the back three that served England pretty well in Russia.

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Published on October 14, 2019 14:13

The Fiver | Another defensive performance that had them rolling in the aisles

The Fiver is suffering from acute PTSD. A newly recognised condition, Panama Tunisia Sweden Disorder affects those who cannot get over the golden summer of 2018, when England beat three of world football’s powerhouses en route to the World Cup semi-final. It seems we’re not the only one with it, because there are reports that, when England face Bulgaria on Monday, Gareth Southgate will return to a back three! First, he will apply his boot up the back of three players. At least one and possibly all of Michael Keane, Danny Rose (who is suspended) and Kieran Trippier will be removed from the side that started on Friday, with Tyrone Mings set to make his debut. It’s a dramatic but not unreasonable response to another defensive performance that had them rolling in the aisles, and had The Fiver wondering whether Celebrity Masterchef finalist Neil Ruddock would be better demonstrating his BIG clearances on ITV than his BIG flavours on BBC1.

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Published on October 14, 2019 07:56

October 13, 2019

Wales 1-1 Croatia: Euro 2020 qualifier – as it happened

Gareth Bale’s masterful equaliser earned Wales an important point against the World Cup finalists in a bruising game of few chances

Welsh hopeful of qualifying after draw

10.13pm BST

Here is Ben Fisher’s report:

9.56pm BST

Here’s Dan James “We knew it would be tough. There were a few tackles flying in but you expect that in these games. I’m fine – he caught me in the head but I didn’t get knocked out unfortunately … fortunately, sorry! We showed character to come from behind and it’s a good result against a great team.

9.48pm BST

So, Wales earn an honourable draw against Croatia in a bruising game of few chances. Gareth Bale scored a masterful equaliser just before half-time after an early goal from Nikola Vlasic; and though Bale’s goal should have been ruled out for a foul by Ben Davies in the build-up, Wales deserved their draw on the balance of play.

The result means Wales should - should - qualify if they win their last two group matches against Azerbaijan (A) and Hungary (H). But it is, for the first time, out of their hands. If Slovakia win their last two matches, at home to Azerbaijan and away to Croatia, Wales will be out.

9.45pm BST

Peep peep!

9.45pm BST

90+8 min Vlasic grossly overhits a through pass to Perisic. Had he weighted it correctly, Perisic would have been clear on goal. In his defence, the angles meant there was almost no margin for error.

9.43pm BST

90+6 min James is booked, a little harshly, for an aerial challenge on Jedvaj.

9.43pm BST

90+5 min One thing in Wales’ favour is that Croatia play their last group game before Hungary - in other words, they will need a point at home to Slovakia to be certain of qualification. And if they get that, Wales will qualify if they win away to Azerbaijan and at home to Hungary. They’dve took it.

9.41pm BST

90+4 min Croatia have completely dominated possession for the last 20 minutes, though their domination has been entirely sterile. In fact, I don’t think Wayne Hennessey has made a save since Perisic’s header in the 13th minute.

9.39pm BST

90+2 min Bale can barely move. He’s still on the pitch, but all he can really do is hop. It’s been a bruising game for both teams.

9.38pm BST

90 min The injured Modric is replaced by Milan Badelj. There will be eight minutes of added time. Bale is also limping heavily; Wales have used all their subs.

9.35pm BST

88 min Connor Roberts has a close-range shot blocked by Jedvaj. The chance came after an exhilarating run from Wilson, who was then flattened by Modric. The ball ran through to Tyler Roberts, who in turn picked out Connor Roberts. Modric is booked; both he and Wilson are still down.

9.33pm BST

86 min Kieffer Moore, who worked very hard without much reward, is replaced by Tyler Roberts.

9.33pm BST

86 min Allen is booked for a kick at Brekalo, who was leading a Croatia break. That means he’ll miss next month’s match in Azerbaijan.

9.32pm BST

85 min Rakitic is booked for a late lunge at Wilson.

9.32pm BST

84 min It increasingly looks like both teams have settled for a draw; or, at least, that they aren’t willing to take any risks in pursuit of victory.

9.30pm BST

83 min James makes good ground down the left, only to slice his cross out of play. The Wales attackers look tired.

9.27pm BST

80 min Wales need to be careful as Croatia are starting to pin them back. It’s harmless possession at the moment, at least.

9.24pm BST

77 min Croatia have had more of the ball in the last five minutes. It’s so delicately poised, and neither side knows whether to stick or twist. A draw is a decent enough result for both; a win would be pure gold.

9.23pm BST

75 min “No shame in Williams’ performance,” says Matt Dony. “When it comes to Wales, no one but Ramsey is truly ‘Ramseyish.’ Otherwise, 2016 would have been even better.”

9.21pm BST

73 min A draw would be a pretty good result for Wales. If it stays like this, they will qualify if they win their last two games unless Slovakia are victorious away to Croatia.

9.19pm BST

72 min Jedvaj, teed up by Rebic 20 yards from goal, spins a sweet shot with the outside of the right foot that drifts a few yards wide. Hennessexy had it covered.

9.17pm BST

70 min Perisic is lucky not to be booked for a foul on the breaking Wilson.

9.15pm BST

68 min Another Wales change: Harry Wilson replaces Jonny Williams, who did some nice things without quite having a Ramseyish influence.

9.14pm BST

68 min “I know the Guardian does not encourage violence to either fish or full-back,” says Ian Copestake. “But just in case memories of Joe Jordan have faded here’s a refresher.”

9.13pm BST

67 min Apart from the first 15 minutes, Wales have been the equal of the World Cup finalists. There’s merit in that, for all the frustration over Giggs’s tactics.

9.12pm BST

66 min “Just curious,” says Bob Kenyon. “Do you take the time to make every mention of Wales a link to a webpage, or does it happen by magic?”

The latter. In fact, I had no idea it happened.

9.12pm BST

65 min After a fine move from Croatia, Perisic’s dangerous cutback is crucially cleared by Roberts.

9.11pm BST

64 min If Croatia draw tonight, they will need a draw in their final game at home to Slovakia to be sure of qualifying. It’s a bit too close for comfort.

9.10pm BST

63 min Croatia make another change, with Ante Rebic replacing Bruno Petkovic.

9.08pm BST

61 min Bale goes on a scintillating run, beating Rakitic, Modric and Barisic before losing his balance just inside the area. There was a slight touch from Barisic, though Bale stayed on his feet and the only penalty appeals came from the crowd.

9.07pm BST

61 min This is anyone’s game. Wales have played with greater snap since half-time. Ethan Ampadu, meanwhile, has just returned to the Wales bench after being assessed by the medical staff.

9.05pm BST

59 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I feel a bit for Wales (and both Irish teams), what with their realistic prospects of qualification. There’s a lot to be said for the Scottish method of total inadequacy, punctuated by the odd shellacking of a part-time pub team, with no chance of qualification, and therefore no resulting disappointment. The Manchester United of international football, if you will.”

That’s a bit harsh on Chelsea.

9.04pm BST

58 min Moore is booked for a high tackle on Lovren.

9.04pm BST

57 min Perisic’s dangerous cross from the right hits the arm of Jedvaj. Kuipers awards a free-kick to Wales, which is a relief to those with memories of Joe Jordan.

9.03pm BST

55 min Wales are having a fine spell. James runs at Lovren on the left side of the box, shifts the ball down the line and cracks a shot from a tight angle that is blocked by Livakovic. He couldn’t hold it but there were no Wales players around to take advantage.

9.02pm BST

53 min “For a man who only played under Alex Ferguson at club level, it’s odd that the main feature of Giggs’ team is players looking to pass sideways or backwards at the first opportunity,” says Jonny Bull. “Wales thrived under Speed and Coleman, who set the team up to emphasise their strengths. The flashes of quality this team shows seem to come when they don’t follow the plan.”

It’s odd – I would have bet my dignity on a Giggs team playing with aggression and high tempo.

8.58pm BST

51 min I forgot to say, because of that Ampadu injury, that Ivan Rakitic replaced the injured Mateo Kovacic at half-time.

8.56pm BST

50 min “Well,” says Matt Dony. “If there’s going to be controversy, I’m pretty sure I’d rather the moral ambiguity of a foul-not-given over Lawrence potentially coming on and making a difference.”

8.56pm BST

49 min Ampadu is helped from the field, not on a stretcher, and Morrell replaces him.

8.56pm BST

48 min Ampadu is still down, and a stretcher is being brought onto the pitch. Lincoln’s Joe Morrell is getting ready to replace him. I’m not sure whether Ampadu was injured by the contact with Petkovic of the landing.

8.53pm BST

46 min Petkovic is booked after 15 seconds of the second half for flattening Ampadu as the pair jumped for a high ball.

8.46pm BST

That three-touch finish from Bale gets better every time you see it. His touch and awareness in such a tight space - and under such pressure - were so classy. It was definitely a foul by Davies in the build-up; he got the ball, but came through Kovacic to get it.

8.41pm BST

Half-time reading

8.41pm BST

“Fail to see how not pressing the opposition at all in their half when you basically need to win is a good idea, especially when they are leaving Modric free rein,” says Nick Goolding. “Great equaliser though - looked like Ben Davies didn’t get the memo and went on a rampage.”

8.38pm BST

Peep peep! Gareth Bale’s superb - and controversial - injury-time equaliser has changed the mood in Cardiff. Croatia were comfortable through the first half, and deservedly led through Nikola Vlasic’s early goal.

8.37pm BST

45+6 min Croatia finally kick off. Kovacic has limped off in a manner which suggests we won’t see him for the second half.

8.36pm BST

45+5 min Lovren has been booked for dissent. Croatia still haven’t kicked off because of the Kovacic injury.

8.35pm BST

45+5 min Kovacic is still down, having been clattered by Davies in the build up.

8.35pm BST

Davies charged forward from the halfway line and slid the ball towards Bale on the edge of the box. He couldn’t control it, but Davies won the loose ball with a very strong - and probably illegal - tackle on Kovacic 30 yards from goal. Then he got his head up and slid a fine angled pass to Bale just inside the box, to the left of centre. He controlled it deftly on the run, moved it away from Lovren and slid a precise low shot across Livakovic. That was classily taken by Bale, because he had very little space in which to work. All three touches were immaculate.

8.33pm BST

Superb goal! Croatia will be fuming but it was beautifully taken.

8.30pm BST

45 min There will be four minutes of added time.

8.30pm BST

44 min Modric, for the umpteen hundredth time in his career, has had the most touches of anyone on the field. It’s his game; the other 21 just play in it.

8.27pm BST

42 min Wales need more from James and especially Bale, who looks nowhere near his awesome best.

8.22pm BST

37 min Petkovic wins a ... goalkick for Wales. That should have been a corner.

8.21pm BST

35 min Although Wales are playing better, they can’t lay a glove on the Croatia defence. Kieffer Moore, who had such a fine full debut against Slovakia, hasn’t seen much of the ball tonight.

8.20pm BST

33 min “Hey Rob,” says J.R. in Illinois. “I’ll preface this by saying I’m not a doctor but there is no way Daniel James should be playing right now and there’s no way he was adequately tested for a concussion in a couple minutes on the pitch. He was unconscious. Here in the U.S. the announcer, Taylor Twellman, who knows a thing or two about concussions, said the decision to let James keep playing was ‘disgusting’ and I agree with him. European football is for some reason lagging behind on this issue.”

I don’t know enough – about concussions, never mind this specific incident – to comment. It’s so easy to say it’s disgusting, etc, etc, and I don’t doubt there have been examples of players being allowed back on the field when they should not have been. But I suspect there have been many more examples of decent, experienced medical professionals being abused without just cause.

8.17pm BST

30 min There’s a break in play because of a pitch invasion. The gentleman in question, his trousers so low that all concerned can appreciate his red underpants with white band, is now being bundled off the field. You

8.15pm BST

29 min A quiet period in the game. It’s a more even contest now, though Wales have yet to create a serious chance.

8.12pm BST

26 min Kovacic plays a nice short pass to Perisic, who is in the act of shooting when Davies comes on the blindside to make a vital interception.

8.08pm BST

22 min Davies wins a corner for Wales, who have come to life since James was flattened by Vida. Nothing comes of it but the last five minutes have been much more encouraging.

8.07pm BST

21 min “Am I the only one who thinks that a team in red shouldn’t be allowed to play a team in black?” says Matt Burtz. “There’s contrast with the numbers and the trim, sure, but at first glance it’s not great. Oh, and as an Everton fan, the lack of playing time that Vlasic got, and then his quick loan and sale, leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

It can’t be much fun being the taste buds of an Everton fan.

8.05pm BST

20 min Bale rams his free-kick into the wall, flattening Petkoric in the process. The referee stops plays so that he can receive treatment.

8.05pm BST

19 min Modric is adjudged to have fouled Moore, 25 yards from goal. It looked soft, but Wales won’t care if Bale roofs one from here.

8.04pm BST

18 min “You (quite understandably) didn’t mention the League of Nations or Nations League or whatever it is playoff route to Euro 2020 in your preamble, but I think if Denmark qualify then Wales would be in the playoffs even if they finish 4th in their group,” says Phil Grey. “I could be wrong. I could be right.”

8.02pm BST

16 min James gets to his feet, looking very groggy. He’s going to continue, so I assume he has passed a concussion test.

8.01pm BST

15 min Vida is pretty lucky to get way with a yellow card. It was a flying knee in the head, basically, as James shaped to control a high ball. James is still being treated, though he is conscious. The immediate reaction from the Croatia players was really worrying.

8.00pm BST

14 min A horrible collision between James and Vida near the halfway line. This looks really nasty, and the physios were onto the field even before the referee had stopped play. One of the Croatia players was also frantically waving them on as he ran straight towards James. Vida has been booked, and James is still down receiving treatment.

7.59pm BST

13 min: Excellent save from Hennessey! Croatia are playing superbly. Petkovic, on the left wing, swings a long cross/pass over the Wales defence to find Perisic near the penalty spot. He flicks a header towards the bottom corner, and Hennessey scrambles to his left to push it round the post. I thought that was going to sneak in.

7.57pm BST

12 min If Wales lose tonight, they will only qualify if they win their last two games and Croatia win their final match at home to Slovakia. Not at all beyond the realms, although Croatia will already have qualified if they win this match.

7.56pm BST

11 min Bale cuts infield and hits a shot that is comfortably saved by Livakovic.

7.56pm BST

A dreadful start for Wales. Brekalo surged down the left before moving infield, away from Lockyer. He pushed the ball back to Petkovic, who in turn teed up Vlasic on the edge of the box. His low shot, though not especially well struck, was precise enough to beat the diving Hennessey and go into the net off the post.

7.54pm BST

One-nil!

7.54pm BST

8 min Wales appeal for a penalty when Lovren shoulder barges the charging James off the field. It was a risky challenge, that - probably not enough for a penalty, but it was close.

7.53pm BST

8 min Croatia continue to dominate, though everything has been in front of the Wales defence.

7.51pm BST

6 min A long ball is headed down by Petkovic to Brekalo, who slashes the bouncing ball well wide from 20 yards.

7.48pm BST

4 min It’s been a confident, authoritative start from Croatia, with the first few minutes taking place almost exclusively in the Wales half.

7.46pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Croatia, in their dark blue and black away strip, kick off from right to left. Wales are in red.

7.45pm BST

There’s a storming atmosphere in Cardiff, as you’d expect. The captains Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, team-mates for most of the last 11 years, embrace in the centre circle.

7.39pm BST

“Please knock off the anti-Welsh stuff,” says David Crouch. “Welsh is not the language of animals.”

Unsubscribe.

7.19pm BST

“Reit, mae’r bechgyn rygbi wedi gwneud eu gwaith,” says Matt Dony. “Nawr, dyma dro’r bechgyn pêl-droed.”

Funnily enough I just said exactly the same thing to my dog, Pêl-droed.

7.07pm BST

Italy and Russia have qualified for Euro 2020. They join Belgium, who were the first team to confirm their place at next summer’s jamboree.

6.54pm BST

Hungary 1-0 Azerbaijan is the final score in Budapest. It seems Bahlul Mustafazade had an injury-time equaliser dubiously ruled out for handball. It doesn’t change Wales’ task, as they would have budgeted for a Hungary win, but it would have been a lovely boost going into the Croatia game.

6.51pm BST

I’m still trying to find out what happened in the Hungary match, but the official Uefa site briefly said it was 1-1.

6.48pm BST

Hang on, it’s been ruled out!

6.48pm BST

Azerbaijan have scored an injury-time in equaliser in Hungary! That’s a huge boost for Wales.

6.47pm BST

Pre-match reading

6.29pm BST

Wales are unchanged. Croatia are without Marcelo Brozovic, who is suspended, while Ivan Rakitic and Ante Rebic drop to the bench.

Wales (4-2-3-1) Hennessey; Roberts, Rodon, Lockyer, Davies; Allen, Ampadu; Bale, J Williams, James; Moore.
Substitutes: Ward, Davies, Gunter, N Taylor, A Williams, Roberts, Vokes, Wilson, Morrell, Lawrence, Matondo, Vaulks.

6.08pm BST

Hello. Three games, then. Three games for Wales to qualify for another European Championship: Croatia at home tonight, then Azerbaijan (A) and Hungary (H) next month. If they win the lot they will be at Euro 2020, although there’s a credible scenario whereby two wins is enough.

It’s all pretty complicated, but in essence a draw tonight would be a very good result for Wales, never mind a win, and even defeat would not completely crush the dreams of small children who were too young for Euro 2016 and dream of seeing their side at a major tournament.

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Published on October 13, 2019 13:56

October 11, 2019

Czech Republic 2-1 England: Euro 2020 qualifier – as it happened

A sloppy, sluggish England lost a major tournament qualifier for the first time since 2009 despite taking an early lead in Prague

Read David Hytner’s match report England fans involved in violent clashes with police in Prague

1.08am BST

9.54pm BST

That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report from Prague on a slightly chastening night for England. Thanks for your company - night!

9.53pm BST

Here’s Gareth Southgate “Our performance wasn’t good enough – simple as that. The winning goal was typical of the chances we gave up throughout the night. We have to accept that there weren’t enough good performances. We tried to change the shape in the first half, which didn’t work as well as it might. We conceded too many chances and gave the ball away too often.”

9.49pm BST

A reminder that there was some trouble before the game. I don’t envy the local bobbies on the late shift in Prague tonight.

9.43pm BST

Harry Kane speaks “It was down to us. We had the perfect start but we were sloppy with the ball and they scored soon after. We weren’t fighting and pressing as much as we normally do. The second half was a bit better but we didn’t take a couple of chances to go ahead and unfortunately they scored at the end.

“It’s a bit of a wake-up call. We’re still in a good position so there’s no need to panic. But we’ve still got stuff to work on, as you could see tonight. We gave the ball away too cheaply, especially in the first half.”

9.35pm BST

Peep peep! England have lost a qualifying match for the first time in a decade. They were nowhere near their best, despite an improved second-half performance, and the Czech Republic were deserved winners. England were sloppy and sluggish, perhaps complacent, and they should have few complaints about the result. It was a bad night; all teams have them. And it might be a timely reminder of a few immutable truths about winning football matches.

9.31pm BST

90+1 min Four minutes of added time.

9.31pm BST

90 min A final Czech Republic change: the excellent Lukas Masopust is replaced by Jaromir Zmrhal.

9.30pm BST

89 min “I noticed the earlier debate over the goalie slot,” says Bill Hargreaves. “I think Pickford’s saves have removed the doubt.”

I don’t know – they were reasonably straightforward. He’s a good, sometimes brilliant keeper, but I’m not sure I’ll ever completely trust him.

9.29pm BST

88 min Tammy Abraham replaces Declan Rice.

9.27pm BST

What a story this is: Zdenek Ondrasek is 30 years old, playing in the MLS for FC Dallas, and now he has come off the bench to score on his international debut. Masopust moved into the area from the right and cut the ball back carefully for Ondrasek, who swept a low shot into the corner from 12 yards. That was a crisp first-time finish. Rose went down just before the goal after losing an aerial challenge with Soucek, but it wasn’t a foul. Soucek’s header found Masopust, and he and Ondrasek did the rest.

9.26pm BST

The debutant has scored!

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9.25pm BST

84 min The substitute Ondrasek bursts to the edge of the area, only to slip over when he tries to come back onto his right foot.

9.25pm BST

83 min This is England’s best spell of the game. A late winner would secure qualification for Euro 2020, although they have a fair safety net: three more group games and a play-off if necessary.

9.23pm BST

82 min The Czech Republic make another change: Jakub Jankto is replaced by Jan Kopic.

9.22pm BST

81 min: Vaclik saves from Kane! Barkley put Kane through on goal with a gloriously imaginative pass, curled around the defence from a deep position on the right wing, and Vaclik charged from his line to block Kane’s shot. Fine save.

9.21pm BST

79 min Sterling has been England’s most consistent threat by a distance. Kane has flitted in and out of the match, though he has created England’s clearest chances with excellent through balls.

9.19pm BST

78 min: Another good save from Pickford! That was lovely play from the Czech Republic. Kral played a one-two on the edge of the area with Darida, who improvised beautifully to chest the ball back into his path. Kral had two men free to his left but decided to belt the ball towards the near post from a tightish angle. Pickford moved smartly to his left to beat it around the post.

9.17pm BST

76 min Now England appeal for a penalty when Sterling runs into Boril in the box. At most I think it was obstruction; the referee waved play on.

9.15pm BST

74 min Darida appeals unsuccessful for a penalty after a challenge from Rose. I don’t think there was much in it, though we haven’t seen a replay yet.

9.13pm BST

73 min Sterling has moved to the right, with Rashford on the left.

9.13pm BST

72 min England make a double substitution, with Marcus Rashford and Ross Barkley replacing Mason Mount and Jadon Sancho. Mount had a reasonable full debut, no more or less.

9.12pm BST

70 min “Gomez should be given the nod over Keane,” says Ian Copestake, “because he is regularly on the shoulder of greatness.”

9.10pm BST

69 min Rose, who definitely has been booked, fouls Coufal. At first I thought he was in trouble, but replays showed it was just a collision.

9.09pm BST

68 min I thought he was booked for that foul just before half-time, but apparently not. He should have been. He was certainly booked just then for dissent.

9.08pm BST

68 min Sterling is apparently booked for dissent. Wasn’t he booked earlier?

9.08pm BST

67 min “Come now, Niall Mullen,” says Geoff Wignall. “Sterling was booked for his play breaking foul - that’s hardly replicating his club form.”

9.06pm BST

65 min The Czech Republic make a change, with the debutant Zdenek Ondrasek replacing Patrik Schick.

9.05pm BST

64 min England are starting to create a few opportunities. Sterling floats a teasing cross from the left towards Kane, who misses with an attempted outside-of-the-boot flick.

9.04pm BST

62 min More excellent play from Kane, who shields the ball with his back to goal before lofting a long pass over the defence towards Sancho. The ball doesn’t bounce kindly for him, however, and Brabec is able to clear on the edge of the area.

9.02pm BST

60 min: Good save from Pickford! Masopust, cutting infield from the right, whips a big left-footed curler that is tipped over by the flying Pickford. It was a relatively comfortable save, as it was in the centre of the goal, but he still had to make it.

8.59pm BST

57 min Kane, lurking on the left wing, plays a beautiful first-time pass to put Sterling through on goal. He tries to dance round the keeper Vaclik, who does well to get down to his right and push the ball away.

8.55pm BST

54 min England have looked better since the tactical change - not least, as Glenn Hoddle points out on ITV, because Henderson has more scope to get ahead of the ball and impose himself on the game. He’s so much better in that role than as a deep-lying midfielder.

8.54pm BST

52 min England don’t have too many attacking options among their 48 substitutes. Rashford, Abraham, Barkley and Alexander-Arnold are the only ones.

8.53pm BST

51 min Soucek misses a half chance, slicing wide from 15 yards with his weaker left foot.

8.50pm BST

49 min Sancho just underhits a through pass to Sterling, who made a fine run from left to centre and would have been clear with a slightly firmer pass.

8.48pm BST

47 min It looks like England have switched to a familiar 4-1-2-3, with Mount pulled deeper and Henderson pushed forward. And why not?

8.46pm BST

46 min Peep peep! England get the second half under way.

8.43pm BST

“‘Sterling is booked for a play-breaking foul on Coufal,’” says Niall Mullen, quoting an earlier entry. “And they say England players don’t replicate their club performances for their country.”

What’s your narrative here mate?

8.33pm BST

Peep peep! The scoreline flatters England, who have been surprisingly wishy-washy. They took an early lead through Harry Kane’s penalty, but Jakub Brabec equalised from a corner four minutes later and since then the Czech Republic have been the better side.

8.31pm BST

45+1 min England break from a Czech Republic corner. Henderson plays a superb long pass down the right ot Sancho, who runs at his man to win a corner. Mount’s corner comes to nothing.

8.30pm BST

45 min “Surely at this stage,” says Matty Spillum, “the non-England eligible Liverpool player Gareth needs to call up is van Dijk?”

I’d take Karius at the moment.

8.29pm BST

44 min Sterling is booked for a play-breaking foul on Coufal.

8.26pm BST

41 min Masopust misses a good chance. Schick led a good Czech Republic break, moving elegantly away from Trippier and Henderson on the left. His cross skimmed off Darida and came to Masopust beyond the far post; he controlled the ball and screwed a tame shot across goal. Actually, replays show the shot hit Rose, though I don’t think it was going in anyway.

8.22pm BST

37 min England have lacked their usual menace on the counter-attack. Do you see what happens, Gareth, when you leave out Jesse Lingard?

8.18pm BST

33 min Nice play from England. Sancho plays a subtle square pass to Kane on the edge of the area. He takes a touch and cracks a shot that is blocked, and Celustka gets to the loose ball just before Mount.

8.16pm BST

32 min Schick’s header, from a right-wing free-kick, loops gently through to Pickford. It was another free header from a set-piece, though.

8.14pm BST

29 min This has been a surprisingly poor performance from England, both with and without the ball. They’re nowhere near their best.

8.12pm BST

26 min Trippier needs treatment after being caught late by Darida. Gareth Southgate takes the opportunity to call over a few of his team and politely ask them to stop playing silly buggers.

8.10pm BST

25 min Jankto’s dangerous cross from the left flashes across the six-yard box. The Czech Republic have been much the better side so far.

8.09pm BST

24 min Boril’s tame 20-yard shot is comfortably held by the sprawling Pickford.

8.06pm BST

21 min The Czech Republic have dominated possession, and Mount hasn’t seen enough of the ball in the No10 role. Apart from Sterling, who looks lively, England have done very little going forward.

8.04pm BST

20 min “Thank you for the Mings joke, Rob,” says Charles Antaki. “Quite takes me back to the rib-tickling humour of the fifth form, circa some time quite a long time ago last century. If you can sneak in a references to dubes or Ex-Lax my evening will be made. How’s the football by the way?”

Minging.

8.02pm BST

18 min This has been an uncomfortable start for England, who look edgy at the back, particuarly on set-pieces.

8.02pm BST

17 min Another corner from the Czech Republic causes problems for England. Jankto’s wicked inswinger from the right skims off the head of Soucek and is headed wide by the stooping Schick beyond the far post. There was a bit too much pace on the ball for him to control the header.

8.00pm BST

16 min There was, it seems, a bit of trouble before the game. You can read about it here.

8.00pm BST

14 min Kane is sent to the canvas by Brabec, 30 yards from goal. England try a training ground routine, a little zig-zag passing move, but Sancho overhits his ball to Sterling.

7.57pm BST

11 min “Now I could blind you with the science behind my reasoning and throw back the curtain on the underlying psychology supporting this observation,” begins Ian Copestake, “but at the end of the day Pickford looks as though he’s going to do something really stupid.”

I have a vague theory that Tom Heaton is England’s best goalkeeper, but I haven’t checked the data.

7.56pm BST

9 min Danny Rose is booked for a late challenge 25 yards from goal. England again look a bit ragged defensively. I wonder if Gareth Southgate might need to return to a back three before next summer, although that’s not ideal given the make up of their squad.

7.55pm BST

It was a good corner from the left, swung out at pace towards the penalty spot. Celustka mistimed a volley into the ground, but the ball bounced up perfectly for Brabec to knee the ball through Pickford at the far post. That wasn’t great defending from England, who were slow to react. Keane was the man marking Brabec.

7.54pm BST

The Czech Republic equaliser from the corner!

7.54pm BST

8 min Pickford makes an excellent diving save from Coufal’s fierce drive, palming it behind for a corner. There was an appeal for a penalty just before that, when a long-range shot hit Keane near the arm.

7.51pm BST

5 min “I don’t know about your side of the pond,” says Peter Oh, “but here in the U.S.(A.! U.S.A.!! U.S.A.!!!), Schick is the name of a razor manufacturer. I don’t expect this match to be anywhere near a close shave for England.”

Well, England do have a Mings on the bench, so anything’s possible.

7.50pm BST

Kane jogs on the spot, runs forward and clips the penalty straight down the middle. Vaclik dived to his right. It wasn’t a Panenka, just a simple sidefoot into the net. That’s Kane’s seventh goal in four and a bit Euro 2020 qualifiers.

7.49pm BST

4 min It was a clear foul on Raheem Sterling, who checked back inside Masopust on the left side of the area and was kicked in the shins.

7.48pm BST

3 min “Since I’ve spent the better part of my adulthood living outside Iceland, opportunities to watch my home country play live have been few and far between,” says Kári Tulinius. But having recently moved back, I thought that perhaps a trip to Laugardalsvöllur to see Iceland take on France might be in order, but a flu has laid me low. At least I’ll always have my memories of 21 years ago, when Iceland held reigning world champions France to a famous 1-1 draw and I watched Zidane move through the Icelandic defence as if he was made out of shadows and air. Going one better today would do Iceland’s qualifying chances a world of good, though a draw would be worth celebrating.”

‘Shadows and air’: what a great description that is. I may well have to delete this entry and pass it off as my own at a later date.

7.47pm BST

2 min A bouncing left-wing cross is missed by Keane at the near post, but Schick can’t control an awkward ball and it runs through to Pickford.

7.46pm BST

2 min England are, as expected playing a 4-2-3-1/4-2-1-3 rather than the usual 4-1-2-3/4-1-4-1 system. Mason Mount is the No10.

“To address Conal Huetter’s earlier question about up and coming Czech players, it’s surely only a matter of time before Slavia Prague captain Tomas Soucek gets a move to the big leagues,” says Nick Johnson. “His slightly gangly physique belies excellent technique and his performance in an extraordinary win over Sevilla in the Europa League last year was truly colossal. One to watch tonight.”

7.45pm BST

1 min Peep peep! The Czech Republic, in red, kick off from right to left. England are in white.

7.43pm BST

The players are ready for business. Let’s follow some association football.

7.40pm BST

“Isn’t Harry Wilson regularly featuring for Wales?” says Matty Spillum. “Does make it difficult for an England call-up, I’d imagine.”

My point exactly.

7.34pm BST

“Netherlands v Czech Republic the best 21st-century match at a major tournament?” sniffs Matt Dony. “Someone’s forgetting about 2006’s Netherlands v Portugal. (And maybe Wales v Belgium, but I’ll admit that’s a less neutral POV.)”

I liveblogged that Netherlands/Portugal game. I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier at work, and that includes the time I had a secret nap.

7.32pm BST

“Obviously we all heart Gareth now, but what I particularly like is how he’s resolved to evolve the team where it needs it,” says David Hopkins. “Lesser managers would have taken a World Cup semi as evidence that he’d found his best team, but he’s chosen to use it as a starting point. Great to see last year’s Rams loanees benefitting as well.”

Indeed, although it’s disappointing that he hasn’t called up Harry Wilson.

7.16pm BST

“I can’t understand Southgate’s continued refusal to pick Lewis Dunk,” says Will Morgan. “To my mind a far, far better player than Keane and Mings. He’s playing in a back three under Potter. His passing is superb - witness the defence-splitting howitzer for Brighton’s third against Spurs. And he’s a wonderfully brave defender. Thoughts?”

Yes, I like Dunk a lot. He’s not going to change the world but he’s a natural defender and probably better on the ball that most appreciate. It wouldn’t surprise me if, after a few more months playing Potterball, he gets back in the squad.

7.02pm BST

“I don’t see the Czech Republic mentioned too often as one of those ‘what might have been’ teams,” says Conal Huetter, “but that Euro 2004 team was incredible, and their 3-2 comeback win over the Netherlands still stands out as one of my favourite major tournament games. Now I’m not sure if I know where any of the current players play their club football, apart from Schick. Any chance of a new Nedved or Rosicky coming through?”

Schick is their best player, apparently, although they are due a golden generation in around 15 years’ time. That Netherlands game was staggering, probably the best at a major tournament since 1998. They were such a slick, classy side, the best attacking team at Euro 2004.

6.45pm BST

Some pre-match reading

6.43pm BST

“Surely,” says GP Lainsbury, “there’s a player in better form than Michael Keane?”

I haven’t seen enough of Everton this season to comment. I like Joe Gomez’s potential but he’s not playing enough for Liverpool. That’s definitely one of England’s weaker areas.

6.21pm BST

Mason Mount makes his full England debut, while Kieran Trippier is preferred to Trent Alexander Bruyne at right-back.

Czech Republic (4-2-3-1) Vaclik; Coufal, Celustka, Brabec, Boril; Soucek, Kral; Masopust, Darida, Jankto; Schick.
Substitutes: Kolar, Pavlenka, Reznik, Kudela, Krejci, Ondrasek, Husbauer, Krmencik, Kalvach, Kopic, Zmrhal, Simic.

5.25pm BST

Wotcha. Thirty years ago today, when people were still using the greeting ‘wotcha’, England went to Chorzow for their final World Cup qualifier. They needed a point to be certain of a place at Italia 90, and got it with a 0-0 draw. But that doesn’t really tell the story. The England goalkeeper Peter Shilton was assaulted by a series of vicious shots from all angles and distances; then, in injury-time, Ryszard Tarasiewicz hit the crossbar with a blistering effort from 35 yards.

Shilton may have got a touch, but that’s not the point. The reason for mentioning that game - and it really is taking an age to get to the point, isn’t it; you’d almost think we were paid by the word - is that qualification for major tournaments was once a fraught experience for England. In the 20th century it almost always went to the last game, and sometimes they didn’t qualify at all.

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Published on October 11, 2019 13:54

The Fiver | A team that makes The Fiver's day job very difficult

In the Fiver’s local, the Dog and Nihilism, it doesn’t take much to spark a profound, erudite, frequently fisticuff-based debate. All the big issues are up for discussion: Brexit, climate change, which R.E.M. album was the real return to form. Last night, as we supped a soothing pint of Emptiness Alleviator, we heard a shout from across the bar. “Ere, Fiver,” said our friend Protein Jim, “you reckon England have got a golden generation or what?” Before we could form a reply, Protein Jim was laid out by a crunching, right-handed counter argument from Micky the Drink, who accused of him of cursing the team by “associating them with that lot from Baden-Baden”.

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Published on October 11, 2019 08:15

October 10, 2019

Netherlands 3-1 Northern Ireland, Russia 4-0 Scotland, Slovakia 1-1 Wales – as it happened

The Netherlands scored three late goals to shatter a brave Northern Ireland, while Wales kept their qualification hopes alive with a useful draw in Slovakia

10.03pm BST

9.46pm BST

Scotland were plugged 4-0 in Russia. Let’s not dwell on that one, eh.

9.46pm BST

Wales took a useful point from their match in Slovakia, with the surprise selection Kieffer Moore scoring his first international goal. I’ve probably got this wrong, because I’m not the permutations man I used to be, but I suspect Wales will be okay if they win two of their three remaining games - Croatia and Hungary at home, Azerbaijan away. They need three wins to be absolutely certain. I think.

9.42pm BST

Northern Ireland were 11 minutes away from a famous victory and minus one minute from a famous draw, but those late Netherlands goals mean qualification for Euro 2020 is out of their hands. It was one of the more nobler defeats, not that this will be any consolation.

9.40pm BST

Group C

9.39pm BST

Peep peep! It has finished Slovakia 1-1 Wales, Netherlands 3-1 Northern Ireland and Russia 4-0 Scotland.

9.38pm BST

Slovakia 1-1 Wales Dan James misses a decent chance for Wales inthe last minute of added time, slicing wide from 12 yards after a good break.

9.37pm BST

Memphis Depay seals victory with a tender, precise finish from a very tight angle. Northern Ireland don’t deserve that.

9.35pm BST

The substitute Luuk de Jong scores a strange goal from 0.1 yards after a nifty bit of footwork. It looked like he might have been a fraction offside, though we haven’t seen a replay. There’s no VAR anyway.

9.34pm BST

Football, bugger off. That is so cruel.

9.34pm BST

Netherlands 1-1 Northern Ireland Four minutes of added time. Northern Ireland have been immense.

9.34pm BST

Slovakia 1-1 Wales We’re into six minutes of added time in Trnava. Gareth Bale should have been sent off just now, apparently, though I’m not sure exactly what happened because I’m glued to events in Rotterdam.

9.31pm BST

For the first time in their history (I think), Scotland are facing consecutive 4-0 defeats.

9.29pm BST

Netherlands 1-1 Northern Ireland The in-form substitute Donyell Malen has missed a sitter, heading wide from six yards. There are six minutes remaining.

9.28pm BST

Slovakia 1-1 Wales Six minutes remaining in Trnava. A draw isn’t a bad result for Wales, especially as it would mean they have a superior head-to-head record against Slovakia. That could be decisive.

9.26pm BST

“For the bad-weather-wanting Matt Dony, here’s my Hurricane XI,” says Matt Dony. “Only 8, because three got struck by lightning:

9.25pm BST

NORTHERN IRELAND LEAD NETHERLANDS

Josh Magennis punishes the Dutch to gives the #GAWA a huge goal

Watch the #Euro2020 qualifier live now on Sky Sports pic.twitter.com/m750bxbYbT

9.24pm BST

Memphis Depay shatters the fairytale, toebunging past Peacock-Farrell from eight yards. That was a really good finish, because he took the shot much earlier than expected.

9.20pm BST

The substitute Josh Magennis has given Northern Ireland the lead! The goal came from some absurd defending from the Netherlands, with miskicks in the penalty box from first de Ligt and then Blind. Dallas picked up the loose ball on the right of the area, held off Blind and stood up a good cross towards the six-yard line. Magennis towered above everyone and steered a header into the corner.

9.18pm BST

Oh my days!!!!

9.17pm BST

Group C

9.16pm BST

GOAL! Russia 3-0 Scotland (Dzyuba 70) The play-offs it is for Scotland.

9.15pm BST

“Hi again, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Of course the best, and longest running (since 1872) Scottish comedy of all is … ach, you know the rest. It’s just as well we can laugh at ourselves, we get enough practice, eh?”

At least Willie Miller and Alan Hansen didn’t run into each other the night.

9.15pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland Jonny Evans heads off the line from Wijnaldum! Nineteen minutes remaining, and for the first time it feels like a goal is imminent.

9.13pm BST

“Continuing the Radiohead theme, Rob — in the mid-2000s, I went home to Inverness,” says Simon Sylvester. “Walking home from the pub, I became aware of a large group of beery men at the far end of the high street, propping each other up and bellowing what I first assumed to be a football chant. I crossed the road to avoid them and went about my way. Halfway home, I caught myself humming the same tune, and realised that the drunken mob weren’t howling out some tribal statement, but were in fact singing Idioteque. Come on Scotland, by the way.”

9.12pm BST

Slovakia 1-1 Wales Every time I check on this game, Slovakia are in possession just outside the Wales area. But it’s still 1-1, and that would be a useful result for Wales.

9.08pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland There are 25 minutes remaining in Rotterdam. Northern Ireland are looking a bit tired, but they have defended with outstanding endeavour and intelligence.

9.06pm BST

Two in three minutes in Moscow. That was a screamer from Magomed Ozdoev, launched past David Marshall from 25 yards.

9.04pm BST

Scotland were having a good spell, but now they’re behind to a goal from the hulking Artem Dzyuba.

9.02pm BST

Latest scores

Group C

9.00pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland The pressure is increasing in Rotterdam, with Northern Ireland looking a bit frazzled for the first time.

8.59pm BST

Slovakia 1-1 Wales “Are there any typhoons near Slovakia?” pleads Wales fan Matt Dony. “I once played a lovely acoustic arrangement of Everything In Its Right Place at a folk night. It went down exactly as well as you’re imagining.”

One for the therapist, I’m sensing.

8.58pm BST

GOAL! Austria 2-1 Israel (Hinteregger 56)

8.57pm BST

GOAL! North Macedonia 1-0 Slovenia (Elmas 50) One-nil!

8.56pm BST

That’s put the ‘ach’ in Slovakia. Wales have been pegged back in Trnava, with Juraj Kucka hitting a cracking 20-yard volley past Wayne Hennessey.

8.55pm BST

Scottish comedy department “I want to thank you and everyone else for your recommendations,” says Matt Burtz. “As an enormous Frasier fan, Brian Cox will first and foremost be Daphne’s father in my eyes. The less said about Jane Leeves’ non-Mancunian accent, however, the better.”

At least Simon’s accent was perfect, eh? Oh.

8.51pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland There’s a long way to go - 43 minutes plus added time - but a draw would be an immense result for Northern Ireland, and mean that victory s in the return match at Windsor Park next month would guarantee qualification.

8.49pm BST

“Forget The National Anthem, Rob: Holland’s forwards have presumably been listening to How to Disappear Completely in the big earphones pre-game,” says Woolie Madden.

8.48pm BST

Peep peep! The second halves are under way.

8.47pm BST

“Evening Rob,” says Gerry Scott. “A word of recommendation for Bob Servant, a Broughty Ferry-set sitcom starring the great Brian Cox, an actor who seems able to do anything he puts his mind to.”

Can he play centre-forward? (See United, Manchester.)

8.43pm BST

Half-time reading

8.36pm BST

Half-time scores

Group C

8.35pm BST

“Bob,” writes my colleague Tom Lutz. “By my calculations, that is Zahavi’s 10th goal in seven games for Israel in qualifying. And he has scored 26 goals in 22 club games. Conclusion: he is good at scoring goals.”

Three months at Old Trafford would cure him of that.

8.34pm BST

Half time: Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland A brilliant 45 minutes for Northern Ireland. Bailey Peacock-Farrell barely had a save to make, and although the Netherlands had all of the ball, they played with a surprising listlessness.

8.32pm BST

GOAL! Belgium 6-0 San Marino (Tielemans 45+1) There are no easy games in international football.

8.30pm BST

GOAL! Croatia 3-0 Hungary (Petkovic 42) Bryan Petkovic’s second goal has sealed victory for Croatia, already.

8.29pm BST

GOAL! Belgium 5-0 San Marino (Alderweireld 43) It’s safe to say, without tempting fate, that Belgium have qualified for Euro 2020.

8.28pm BST

GOALS!

Austria 1-1 Israel (Lazaro 41)

8.27pm BST

Slovakia 0-1 Wales A big appeal for a penalty is turned down after a tackle on Jonny Williams in the Slovakia area. That could have gone either way.

8.25pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland This is like a training exercise: attack and defence, invasion and repulsion. So far Northern Ireland are winning, because they’re drawing.

8.23pm BST

“Given Azerbaijan’s draw against Croatia during the last international break, every single team in this group is Wales’s rival for second place,” says Jonny Bull. “First might well be up for grabs by the end of the weekend too. If Croatia and Hungary could both lose, with Croatia losing their entire squad ready for Sunday, that would be ideal.”

8.21pm BST

GOALS!

Group G

8.19pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland The Netherlands are not playing particularly well. Their tempo has been too slow, and I suppose it’s not beyond the realms that there might be a soupçon of complacency.

8.16pm BST

GOAL! Belgium 2-0 San Marino (Lukaku 28, Chadli 31) Belgium are heading to ... somewhere.

8.15pm BST

“I was at a Limmy show earlier this year which was fantastic, and I would recommend his book too,” says Simon McMahon. “He told some brilliant stories about working with Charlie Brooker for Screenwipe and Black Mirror in particular. The sketch show Burnistoun is in a similar vein, and I enjoyed Two Doors Down as well.”

8.14pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland Stuart Dallas makes a vital block from Gini Wijnaldum’s blooter, and Daley Blind slashes the rebound wide.

8.13pm BST

GOAL! Croatia 2-0 Hungary (Petkovic 24)

8.12pm BST

Wales have grabbed the lead! Daniel James stands up a nice cross from the left, and Kieffer Moore hangs in the air for an age before planting a fine header into the corner. That’s quite a story: it’s his first goal for Wales, on his competitive debut.

8.09pm BST

Russia 0-0 Scotland Not too much to report. Russia have been the better side, though David Marshall’s gloves are not dirty.

8.07pm BST

Slovakia 0-0 Wales It’s been a slightly nervous start from Wales. Ethan Ampadu made one brilliant, goal-saving block, it says here, while Gareth Bale has been booked.

8.05pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland We’ve had 18 minutes in Rotterdam, and the Netherlands still haven’t created anything of note. It’s been a fine start for Northern Ireland.

8.03pm BST

Latest scores

Group C

8.02pm BST

“I count six players from the Championship and three top-flight bench warmers in that starting XI for Wales, plus Bale and James,” says Phil Grey. “Maybe the future looks bright, but I want Euro 16 all over again please, except for the Portugal result of course.”

8.01pm BST

GOAL! Latvia 0-2 Lewandowski (Lewandowski 13) A win tonight would keep Robert Lewandowski well on course for qualification.

7.58pm BST

Slovakia 0-0 Wales “I’d rather see Harry Wilson start,” says Matt Dony, “but he’s a useful option from the bench if things aren’t working out after 60 mins. (Spoiler alert: They won’t be.) I love him because a) he’s owned by Liverpool; b) he LOVES a 25 yarder; and c) he looks incredibly like Torres. As an ‘amusing’ side point, I was also in Spain this time last year, when Spain comprehensively outplayed Wales. I watched it in a bar, along with Master Dony (six at the time), who loudly declared ‘I HATE Sergio Ramos.’ Is there a word that means proud-but-scared?”

Parent?

7.57pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland It’s been a reasonably good start for Northern Ireland. They’ve barely had a kick, but their defence has looked solid. There’s always a danger, in games like this, that you can be down 2-0 down after 10 minutes.

7.56pm BST

GOAL! Latvia 0-1 Poland I shan’t insult your intelligence by naming the goalscorer.

7.52pm BST

GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Hungary (Modric 5) An early goal in Wales’ group. It’s good news for Wales, in fact, as Hungary are among their rivals for the second qualifying spot.

7.52pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland Paddy McNair is doing a man-to-man marking job on Frenkie de Jong. It’s been a fairly quiet start.

7.51pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Matt Burtz. I think the best part of this new qualifying system is being introduced to British TV comedies that this American has never heard of. If you have any others with a Scottish flavour to recommend, I’m all ears.”

Limmy isn’t to all tastes, but he’s a twisted genius.

7.49pm BST

Netherlands 0-0 Northern Ireland Virgil van Dijk’s 25-yard volley goes approximately 25 yards wide.

7.47pm BST

“You mean to say that’s not Scotland’s midfield?!” sniffs Simon McMahon.

7.42pm BST

It’s time for the national anthems at the various grounds. My dream of some flunky getting the wrong end of the stick and blasting out the pervy saxophone of The National Anthem by Radiohead has not yet come true.

7.30pm BST

“Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Nearly choked on my schnitzel when I saw that Cyprus have won 2-1 away to Kazakhstan. That’ll be the same Kazakhstan that embarrassed Scotland 3-0 earlier this year? In Vienna for a few days where the Austrian fans appear buoyant ahead of their qualifier against Israel, and I can confirm that the Welsh fans in Bratislava have been sampling the local hospitality since early this morning. Excitably drinking in expectation, I remember that. Now Scotland fans just drink to forget. Anyway, Dundee United’s Lawrence Shankland is on the bench for us tonight. Prost, and come on Scotland!”

What I love about this new, easy-to-understand qualifying system is that Scotland could turn up tonight with a midfield of Rab C Nesbitt and the lads from Still Game, and they’d still be guaranteed a play-off place.

7.25pm BST

You don’t have to be a Football Manager addict to love this feature...

7.18pm BST

“Rob, I’m enjoying the first night of my holiday in Spain,” says Wales fan Matt Dony, getting the enjoyment out the way before the football starts. “That Welsh side looks more-than-useful on paper. Please do everything you can to influence a positive result. If there’s even a hint of a wisp of an ephemeral idea of suspicion of the ol’ commentator’s curse, I will be forced to visit pain upon you with maximum prejudice. And that’s a horrible thought, as I’m generally a very nice guy.

“Ah, this Welsh side. So much potential. What with my club loyalties lying the other end of the M62, I’m obviously divided on Giggs(y), but I was happy to give him the benefit of the doubt as Welsh manager. Something’s just not working, though. Something is not clicking. And time is running out. I really, really, REALLY don’t want 2016 to have been a flash in the pan. I’m not the first to say it (I rarely am...) but four points from these two games is an absolute minimum requirement.”

7.17pm BST

Pre-match reading (and listening)

7.11pm BST

“Greetings from Trvana, Rob,” says Alun Pugh. “As a Newcastle fan I was disappointed to see a Sports Direct shop at the stadium this evening. Do any other long-suffering fans know of any other far-flung stadia where there’s a Sports Direct?”

If there’s one at the Maracanã, football’s dead to me.

7.02pm BST

Russia v Scotland team news

Michael Devlin and John Fleck will make their Scotland debuts in Russia. The pair have been handed starting places for the European Championship qualifier in Moscow.

6.59pm BST

Full time: Belarus 0-0 Estonia Great stuff.

6.53pm BST

Slovakia v Wales team news

Tom Lockyer and Kieffer Moore were handed their first competitive Wales starts as manager Ryan Giggs made four changes for the Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovakia in Trnava.

6.47pm BST

Netherlands v Northern Ireland team news

Kyle Lafferty will lead the line for Northern Ireland in their Euro 2020 qualifier against the Netherlands in Rotterdam.

6.35pm BST

Hello and welcome to coverage of Matchday 7 (sic) in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. It’s all very straightforward: nobody has a clue how qualification works, but winning is better than losing. What we do know, thanks to the wonders of the information superhighway, is that Belgium will reach next summer’s finals if they win at home to San Marino tonight.

We’ll be keeping an eye - several, ideally - on all the games, with particular focus on the home nations. Northern Ireland (who are away to the Netherlands) and Wales (away to Slovakia) still have a decent chance of automatic qualification. Scotland don’t, for reasons that should be self-explanatory, but they are guaranteed a play-off place because of their Nations League exploits.

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Published on October 10, 2019 14:03

The Fiver | Getting happy in Barnsley on beer and tequila by mutual consent

“Football,” said Jock Stein, “is nothing without fans.” He can’t have had a very good Global Noodle Partner. Even a registered halfwit like The Fiver could write a dissertation on how the relationship between top clubs and fans has changed since Stein’s heyday. At a lower level, however, there are still a few weirdos who actually care about the club and the community of which they are part. And nothing says true love quite like a fortysomething German sucking on a lemon.

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Published on October 10, 2019 07:55

October 5, 2019

West Ham United 1-2 Crystal Palace: Premier League – as it happened

Jordan Ayew scored a late winner with the help of VAR as Crystal Palace came from behind to win at the London Stadium and move into the top four

7.41pm BST

7.28pm BST

What a fine win for Crystal Palace. The match could have gone either way, and West Ham may question the accuracy of VAR on the winning goal, but it’s hard to begrudge Palace. They were resourceful, disciplined and had a soupçon of brilliance in the shape of Wilfried Zaha.

7.25pm BST

Peep peep! Crystal Palace are fourth in the Premier League.

7.23pm BST

90+5 min Guaita saves from Diop’s header. Fornals floated the free-kick to the far post, where the stretching Benteke headed it up in the air. Noble cushioned a volley back across goal towards Diop, whose header on the run was too close to Guaita.

7.22pm BST

90+4 min Zabaleta is fouled just outside the area by Townsend, who could have been booked twice in the last couple of minutes.

7.21pm BST

90+3 min “Well, the top two are probably settled but third and fourth seem to be up for grabs,” says Mary Waltz. “What a fine match by Crystal Palace.”

Probably!

7.20pm BST

90+2 min West Ham appeal for a penalty when Haller goes over after a tangle with Cahill. Nothing doing.

7.20pm BST

90+1 min There will be six added minutes. Benteke came on for Ayew. The goal, since you asked, came when the free-kick for that foul on Zaha was only half cleared. Townsend curled in a deep cross from the right, Kelly headed coolly back across goal and Ayew shoved it under Roberto from six yards.

7.18pm BST

90 min Jordan Ayew is replaced by SOMEONE I DON’T KNOW WHO OKAY.

7.18pm BST

There were two checks – the first for offside against Kelly, the second when he headed the ball across the area for Ayew to score from close-range. Both were extremely tight, but VAR judged that both were fine.

7.17pm BST

Two-one!

7.16pm BST

88 min Actually, I think is going to be given...

7.15pm BST

87 min: Ayew has a goal disallowed for offside! It’ll be checked by VAR but I’m pretty sure it’s the right decision.

7.14pm BST

86 min Fredericks is booked for pulling back Zaha, who has caused problems since moving to the left.

7.13pm BST

85 min van Aanholt makes a vital interception, nicking the ball off Haller as he is about to shoot. The chance came after a fine run and pass from Wilshere.

7.12pm BST

84 min The match is in danger of petering out. West Ham make their final change, with Pablo Zabaleta replacing the injured Aaron Cresswell.

7.10pm BST

83 min Zaha is fouled just outside the area on the left by Fredericks. Michael Oliver gives nothing.

7.09pm BST

82 min Palace make a change, with Andros Townsend replacing a weary James McCarthy. He’s had a good game.

7.09pm BST

81 min It’s been a frustrating game for West Ham. Although they’ve had a few chances, they haven’t had any sustained spells of pressure. Palace have been excellent.

7.07pm BST

80 min If it stays like this, West Ham will go fourth and Palace eighth.

7.06pm BST

78 min Another West Ham change: Jack Wilshere replaces Andriy Yarmolenko.

7.03pm BST

75 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Nice of you to let the late, great David Coleman take over MBM duties for the first goal from his commentary box in the sky. Has there ever been a better way of describing the opening goal in a game?”

Nope. From memory, Coleman didn’t always limit “one-nil!” to the opening goal either.

7.03pm BST

74 min It’s hard to pick a winner here. It’s not like Romania v England in 1998, when only one team was ever going to score.

7.01pm BST

70 min “Watching this pair, both teams seem stuffed with capability,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Is there any truth in this assertion that it’s the best league, that on any given Sunday any team can beat any of the others? They do seem incredibly well coached throughout and to have skills and application in abundance. Is it my imagination or have they all upped their game in the era of Klopp and Pep?”

I do agree that the standard around the middle of the Premier League is higher than for much of the decade. Mind you, it might be an illusion caused by United and Arsenal downing their game so spectacularly. I’d say the standard at the top is the highest it’s been since the late 1990s.

6.57pm BST

69 min Haller’s snap-volley from Fredericks’ cross is blocked by Cahill. That was a fine effort.

6.56pm BST

68 min Manuel Lanzini, who looks a bit rusty, is replaced by Pablo Fornals.

6.53pm BST

65 min After a truly diabolical start, this has become a really interesting game.

6.51pm BST

Van Aanholt scores, dancing round the ball before sliding it into the bottom-left corner. Roberto went the wrong way.

6.50pm BST

62 min With Milovojevic suspended, Patrick van Aanholt will take the penalty.

6.49pm BST

Kouyate’s volleyed cross hits Rice’s arm in the area. He was only a yard away but his arm was in an unnatural position, as if he was dancing the funky chicken.

6.48pm BST

60 min Haller is booked for a foul on McArthur.

6.47pm BST

59 min Noble drives over the bar from 20 yards. Guaita had it covered.

6.46pm BST

58 min Zaha’s near-post cross is kneed well wide by Ayew, under pressure from the impressive Diop.

6.44pm BST

That was a lovely team goal. It started with some rat-a-tat passing from West Ham to get out of a tight spot in their own half, and continued for another 30 seconds or so as they probed for an opening. Eventually Yarmolenko played in the overlapping Fredericks, who ran at van Aanholt and drove a low cross into a crowded penalty area. Haller reacted quickest, stretching to force the ball past Guaita from 10 yards.

6.42pm BST

One-nil!

6.40pm BST

52 min Ogbonna misses a good chance, slapping a volley over the bar from eight yards after a free-kick ricocheted around the Palace box. His control was excellent, but he couldn’t quite get over the subsequent shot.

6.39pm BST

51 min Joel Ward is booked for pulling back Felipe Anderson.

6.38pm BST

50 min Zaha has started the second half brightly. Palace have had a lot more of the ball than expected.

6.33pm BST

46 min Peep peep! West Ham begin the second half.

6.20pm BST

Half-time reading

6.18pm BST

Peep peep! That wasn’t exactly an epiphany-inducing half of football, though it did get better towards half-time. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.

6.18pm BST

45+2 min Lanzini misses a good chance, whistling a low shot wide from the edge of the box. He was set up beautifully by Felipe Anderson, who cushioned a volleyed pass into his path.

6.14pm BST

44 min Yarmolenko is booked for a late tackle on Ward. Palace have been the better team for much of this first half.

6.13pm BST

42 min McCarthy’s stinging long-range shot is flapped away by Roberto, diving to his left. “What is that?” laments Jamie Carragher, who thought he should have caught it. “It’s a cameras job.”

6.11pm BST

40 min Guaita makes another smart reaction save to stop an own goal from Kelly. Felipe Anderson’s cross from the left pinballed around the six-yard box before hitting Kelly to force a good save from Guaita.

6.10pm BST

39 min After an abysmal start, the last 10 minutes have been pretty enjoyable.

6.09pm BST

36 min: Fredericks clears off the line! Zaha made the chance with a glorious bit of skill, turning past Cresswell in a phonebox by the touchline. Then he drew tjhe keeper Roberto before pulling the ball to Schlupp on the six-yard line. He mistimed a shot that looped towards goal, and Fredericks cleared it off the line.

6.04pm BST

32 min Felipe Anderson misses a good chance. Fredericks picked him out with a nice, lofted cross beyond the far post, but Anderson sliced his volley so badly that it went straight back out to the right wing. Seconds later, he forced a decent save from Guaita with a stopping header from 12 yards, but the first chance was the big one.

6.01pm BST

29 min: Fine save from Guaita! A moment of quality at last. Noble threaded a superb pass down the inside-right channel to Yarmolenko; he drove a first-time cross towards the near post, where Haller got away from Kelly and hit a close-range shot that was instinctively saved by Guaita.

5.57pm BST

25 min Ayew goes down after wearing Ogbonna’s arm in the face. I don’t think it was deliberate, and VAR didn’t get involved.

5.55pm BST

25 min Palace are having slightly the better of the game now. Cahill heads a corner down into the six-yard box, prompting a bit of a scramble before the ball is cleared by a West Ham defender.

5.54pm BST

23 min Ayew’s shot from the edge of the area is blocked, I think by one of his own team-mates.

5.53pm BST

21 min See 19 min. This is dismal.

5.50pm BST

19 min I don’t know what to say. There’s nothing whatsoever to report.

5.46pm BST

15 min This, if true, is quite amusing: apparently Sadio Mane started clutching the wrong ankle after earning Liverpool’s matchwinning penalty against Leicester. The reason I’m talking about that game is that absolutely nothing is happening in this one.

5.43pm BST

14 min Palace are having an even share of possession now, although the best thing about the game remains the two kits.

5.42pm BST

11 min Ayew and Schlupp combine promisingly on the left of the West Ham box before Yarmolenko clears. It hasn’t been a great start to the game.

5.37pm BST

7 min Palace’s 4-3-2-1 is more of a 45---1 at the moment. Wilfried Zaha must be loving his role on the right wing.

5.36pm BST

5 min Nothing to report as yet. Palace are defending very deep, as you’d expect.

5.33pm BST

2 min The pattern of the match has been set, with lots of West Ham possession. Find someone who loves you as much as Roy Hodgson loves good defensive shape.

5.32pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Crystal Palace kick off from right to left. There are two cracking kits on show today: West Ham’s 1970s homage vs the Palace sash.

5.27pm BST

The players are in the tunnel, and what a spacious, beautifully air-conditioned tunnel it is.

4.56pm BST

Liverpool’s winner means that West Ham will go third if they win tonight. Now that’s an evocative position round these parts.

4.53pm BST

Liverpool have won their 17th consecutive Premier League game. James Milner, so reliable from the spot, has scored at Anfield to give them a 2-1 win over Leicester. It’s surely going to happen this year.

4.51pm BST

Liverpool have an injury-time penalty at Anfield...

4.38pm BST

James Maddison has equalised for Leicester in a fascinating match at Anfield. Follow the last 10 minutes with Will Unwin.

4.34pm BST

West Ham (4-1-4-1) Roberto; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice; Yarmolenko, Noble, Lanzini, Felipe Anderson; Haller.
Substitutes: Martin, Balbuena, Zabaleta, Snodgrass, Fornals, Wilshere, Ajeti.

Crystal Palace (4-3-2-1) Guaita; Ward, Kelly, Cahill, van Aanholt; Kouyate, McArthur, McCarthy; Zaha, Schlupp; Ayew.
Substitutes: Hennessey, Tomkins, Dann, Camarasa, Meyer, Townsend, Benteke.

4.09pm BST

Hello. For a team that started the season with a 5-0 home defeat, West Ham are going along quite nicely. They are unbeaten since then, fifth in the table and playing some classy football; their last home game was that impressive win over Manchester United.

Crystal Palace are quietly having a good season themselves. Their defence has been typically excellent, apart from one shambolic half at Spurs, with only Liverpool and Leicester conceding fewer goals. A win for either side would take them to fourth in the table.

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Published on October 05, 2019 11:41

Brighton 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – as it happened

Hugo Lloris suffered an horrific injury before the teenage debutant Aaron Connolly scored twice to complete a miserable week for Spurs

3.03pm BST

Barney Ronay’s match report has arrived, so I’m off for a nap before my next liveblog. Bye!

2.51pm BST

Here’s Mauricio Pochettino

“Hugo is in hospital now. The club will communicate what has happened, but there is no good news. It had a massive emotional impact on the team, and we lost a goal as well. We tried to find a solution in the second half, a different way to play, but it was impossible. We are living a tough moment. We need to keep going and stick together. I feel sorry for the fans.

2.44pm BST

It feels like these are end times for Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino. But there’s an unpleasant bloodlust in the way the situation is being discussed. There’s an undercurrent of glee about the whole thing. Let’s force the issue so that he loses his job and we get our BREAKING NEWS fix, then we can move onto the next one. You want a P45, Ole Gunnar? How about you, Unai? Marco? What about you, Pep? You’ll get yours one day.

2.37pm BST

There’s no more news on Hugo Lloris, who was taken to hospital after suffering a hideous elbow injury when Brighton scored their first goal. The replays of the incident, apparently, were extremely grim.

2.33pm BST

“As much as I like Calum Robinson and David McGoldrick,” begins Eoin Jones, “surely Mick McCarthy needs to bring Connolly into the Irish senior team for the upcoming qualifiers after that performance?”

I guess he’ll want to manage him carefully, but it won’t be long because he looks a serious prospect. He reminds me a bit of Coventry-era Robbie Keane in his relentless movement, his cocky, imaginative finishing and his general Irishness.

2.30pm BST

Post-match interviews

Aaron Mooy “I thought we played really well, with intent from the start. We’ve played well in most of the games this season but the final touch wasn’t there. Today we put it all together. It’s a perfect day for everyone.

2.28pm BST

There are some intriguing 3pm games, including a humdinger at Anfield. You can follow them with Barry Glendenning.

2.26pm BST

Peep peep! Brighton beat Spurs for the first time in 36 years. They played superbly throughout, with the teenage Aaron Connolly two fine goals on his full Premier League debut. But the focus, inevitably, will be on a miserable Spurs performance and a horrible injury to Hugo Lloris. His season is probably over; Spurs’ season isn’t going swimmingly either.

2.24pm BST

90+2 min There will be three minutes of added time.

2.23pm BST

90+1 min “Controversial opinion: Spurs are not a “nearly” team,” says Yoshua Selvadurai. “They made 1 (UCL) final, 0 UCL semis, and 0 top 2 EPL finishes.”

You’re not looking at the whole pie. (And they finished 2nd in 2016-17.)

2.23pm BST

90 min Glenn Murray replaces the quietly excellent Dale Stephens.

2.21pm BST

89 min The Man of the Match is Aaron Connolly. Hard to argue with that in the circumstances, though another Aaron, Mooy, has been brilliant.

2.21pm BST

88 min Steven Alzate, who has had a good game in midfield, is replaced by Gaetan Bong. Brighton have some really promising young players: Maupay, Trossard, Connolly, Alzate and Murray.

2.19pm BST

87 min “Greatest near miss of the Wenger era is the 07/08 team,” says Mat Coates. “Crippled by injury in season (Rosicky, Van Persie, Eduardo) and progressively picked clean post season (Hleb, Flamini, Adebayor). Capable of a consistent elan the current crop can only dream of.”

Yeah, I think most non-Arsenal fans forget how good that side was. They never really recovered from Birmingham, did they.

2.18pm BST

86 min Lucas Moura forces another good save from Ryan, this time with a fierce shot towards the bottom corner from 25 yards. Ryan got down very smartly and stretched to his left to beat it away. Lucas Moura has been great since coming on.

2.17pm BST

85 min The impressive Maupay controls a cross from the right and selflessly tees up Gross, who shoots straight at Gazzaniga from 17 yards.

2.15pm BST

83 min Mat Ryan makes a fine close-range block from Lucas Moura, who suddenly injected a bit of speed and quality into Spurs’ play. He ran onto Lamela’s lobbed pass, turned his man in the area and struck a shot that hit the outrushing Ryan.

2.13pm BST

81 min “My favourite nearly team is probably that Parma side from the mid-late ‘90s that nearly broke the dominance of Milan and Juventus,” says Jim Bach. “Nearly. Crespo, Dino Baggio, Thuram, and a young Buffon...”

And, for one season only, our Seba.

2.12pm BST

80 min Yves Bissouma replaces Aaron Connolly, who scored two accomplished goals on a memorable full debut. He’ll sleep well tonight.

2.10pm BST

79 min “I spent five years in Brighton and used to steward at the Goldstone Ground, so I am loving this,” says Iain Pearson. “Can I, though, nominate my first love as a nearly team: Celtic in the first half of the seventies. We were at the end of our 9-in-a-row run and winning Scottish cups hand-over-fist so this nomination may sound a bit odd until one looks at Europe.

“One European Cup final appearance, two semi-finals (including a penalty-shoot out loss) and one quarter-finals in the European Cup and nothing to add to our single title of 1967. The team sheets of the time included the likes of Jimmy Johnstone, Lou Macari, Kenny Dalglish, Dixie Deans, Billy McNeill, Danny McGrain. All managed by Jock Stein.”

2.10pm BST

78 min The match is petering out, although Brighton still look dangerous on the counter-attack. For all Spurs’ woes, Brighton have been seriously good today.

2.08pm BST

77 min “Romania 1994: the greatest of losers,” says Paul Ewart. “More total than Danish Dynamite + Hagi, gloriously tabbing his way through matches.”

They were entirely wonderful (I wish somebody would write a book on them), but I’d argue Denmark were a more complete package, and they did it at two tournaments. Romania will definitely be on the list if I ever get to write the Joy of Six: Loose Cannons (see also: Zeman’s Foggia and Chris Nicholl’s Southampton).

2.06pm BST

75 min “Hi Rob,” says Mundane Protest. “Surely the obvious cause for Spurs’ dismal start is that four of the most important players in their first XI have been allowed to enter their final year of contract, meaning 4/11ths of the team isn’t committed to the club and the other half knows that and is justifiably miffed. Under Ferguson, say, can you imagine any player, no matter how good, showing that level of indifference to the club and not being immediately sold?”

Well, it happened with Ronaldo and Keane. But they were the best player in the team on each occasion, so I take your point.

2.06pm BST

74 min Maupay is poised to head Brighton 4-0 ahead when Alderweireld gets the slighest touch on the ball.

2.05pm BST

73 min Son is replaced by Lucas Moura.

2.04pm BST

71 min Kane misses an excellent chance, lifting a left-footed shot over the bar from 10 yards after turning back inside Burn.

2.01pm BST

69 min Son, in the six-yard box, fresh-airs an attempted shot on the turn.

1.59pm BST

67 min Connolly plays with a lovely arrogance, particularly in his finishing. He almost scored with a confident lob at Newcastle the other week, and both goals today have had a touch of class.

1.58pm BST

66 min “Not a team,” says Niall Mullen, “but a video of Jimmy White’s 90’s snooker career has replaced the word ‘nearly’ in the dictionary.”

I think we did a Joy of Six on this once. (Edit: yes, we did.)

1.58pm BST

This is some full debut for Aaron Connolly. He’s been a pest all day and now he’s scored his second goal. The move started when he made a fine run from centre to left to receive Dunk’s long pass. Then he cut back inside, shifted the ball away from Alderweireld and cracked a superb low shot into the far corner from 15 yards.

1.57pm BST

What a terrific goal this is, from a fine young player.

1.55pm BST

63 min Mooy, who has been superb on the left of Brighton’s midfield diamond, draws a foul from Sissoko on the left wing. Gross goes for goal from a ludicrous angle, whipping a brilliant disguised effort off the top of the crossbar. That’s their 15th attempt on goal; Spurs have had two.

1.54pm BST

62 min “Spurs made the European final last year, ahead of any expectations, moved into their new stadium and finally spent money on players,” says Zach Neeley. “Why are they so disaffected?”

All things move toward their end. It’ll make a good book when the dust has settled. There are tens of reasons; I suspect the biggest is a vague, self-perpetuating inertia.

1.54pm BST

61 min Brighton try the Beckham/Scholes corner, or rather the Mooy/Stephens, for the second time in the match. This time Stephens belts his volley over the bar.

1.49pm BST

57 min Stephens is booked for blocking Lamela from taking a quick free-kick. Lamela booted the ball against Stephens to ensure he’d be booked.

1.48pm BST

56 min “On the subject of nearly teams,” says Andrew Champney, “I have fond memories of Roy Evans’ Liverpool side.”

Who doesn’t?

1.48pm BST

55 min Burn’s wallop from the edge of the area is blocked by Winks. Dier was booked for blocking Connolly off the ball. Is VAR allowed to recommend first yellow cards?

1.46pm BST

53 min Connolly goes down after an off-the-ball incident with Dier. VAR are looking at it while play goes on.

1.45pm BST

52 min Brighton are sitting much deeper, content to play on the break. It’s a slightly risky tactic but you can udnerstand it in the circumstances.

1.43pm BST

51 min “Are we a couple of centre-back injuries at either end of the East Lancs Road away from all 20 PL clubs scrapping for fourth?” says Gary Naylor. Arsene

knows
knew.”

Once upon a time it was always like this.

1.42pm BST

50 min Sissoko overhits a pass to Son, but it runs through to Davies on the left. His low cross is kicked behind by the stretching Webster. This is better from Spurs.

1.41pm BST

48 min Here’s Mark Hooper. “Nice to see the Brighton subs bench paying tribute to Abbey Road by spelling out the drum line from Come Together: 3 Bong, 8 Bissouma, 14 Balogun, 16 Jahanbakhsh.”

1.40pm BST

47 min Spurs win a corner. They already look livelier than in the first half, although they managed that just by taking the kick off.

1.37pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Spurs begin the second half. They have made a change, with Harry Winks replacing Tanguy Ndombele. That means a switch to a back three, with Eric Dier alongside Aldertonghen.

1.36pm BST

“Ah, it isn’t easy watching a nearly team like Spurs do what nearly teams sadly do, which is to wither like leaves under an early frost before harvest,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “And yet, nearly teams are in their way much more interesting – definitely more loved by more neutrals – than champions. With champions, their flaws are forgotten or re-framed as strengths, or tests of will. Nearly teams? Much more like us; much more, well, human really. Like Ireland at the Rugby World Cup over the years, or the 2014 Liverpool team. Spurs will be one of them, in the Hall of Near Fame. What’s your favourite nearly team, as I know you’ve quite enjoyed Spurs these last few years?”

Og dat var Danmark.

1.34pm BST

Half-time chitchat

“Rob,” says Felix Wood. “Is it a crisis yet?”

1.23pm BST

Peep peep! Brighton lead Spurs 2-0 at the Amex Stadium. The scoreline is pretty flattering - to Spurs, who have played like a team who know it’s over. In their defence, they were stunned by a double blow in the third minute, when Hugo Lloris gave away a terrible goal and suffered a sickening elbow injury in the process. Aaron Connolly, making his first Premier League start, scored the second, and Spurs must be very glad to hear the half-time whistle.

1.20pm BST

45+5 min Maupay’s driven cutback hits Alderweireld and flashes just wide of the far post. It looked like Maupay had taken the ball out of play, and I suspect it would have been overturned by VAR had they scored. Moments later, Maupay’s swooshing 25-yarder is well held by Gazzaniga.

1.17pm BST

45+3 min I knew Spurs would miss Serge Aurier.

1.16pm BST

45+1 min There will be seven minutes of added time because of the injury to Hugo Lloris.

1.16pm BST

45 min “That man, with the lovely hair, presenting Gazzetta,” says Stephen Bassett. “Whatever happened to him?”

I know what happened to the lovely hair.

1.14pm BST

44 min Lamela has a shot kicked off the line by Dunk. Actually, it would have gone wide, but it was still a promising move from Spurs.

1.13pm BST

42 min Spurs needed a good start after Tuesday. Instead they had an unimaginably miserable first five minutes, with a comedy goal and a hideous injury to Hugo Lloris. They haven’t come close to recovering.

1.09pm BST

39 min “At school, one kid decided to vault over the gym horse backwards,” says Duncan Edwards. “He landed on the wooden floor and his arm was bent the wrong way at the elbow. This being the late 60s, our PE teacher gave him a bollocking.”

1.08pm BST

37 min Alderweireld overhits a backpass to Gazzaniga; he saves the corner and then lobs it back to Alderweireld, who miscontrols it with his chest and gives away a throw-in. That sums it all up, etc.

1.07pm BST

36 min Another chance for Brighton! After a nice passing move, Gross’s low cross was steered just wide from 14 yards by Connolly. It’s sad to see Spurs, who have been a model team for so long, playing like this. They’re a complete mess.

1.05pm BST

35 min Spurs’ heads have gone. Gross’s deflected shot goes just wide of the far post, with Gazzaniga scrambling across his goal.

1.05pm BST

35 min “It was such a beautiful summer of cricket; now all you can talk about it is people vomiting with pain,” says John Little. “Where did it all go wrong?”

In fairness, Steve Smith wasn’t exactly ticketyboo when Jofra Archer pinned him.

1.04pm BST

Brighton have been much the better team and now they lead by two. Burn hit a bouncing cross towards the near post, where Connolly got in front of the dozy Davies to flick the ball towards goal from six yards. Gazzaniga made a brilliant save, low to his left, but Connolly reacted first to steer the loose ball into the net. The first effort from Connolly was superb, an improvised flick with his studs as the ball bounced slightly awkwardly.

1.02pm BST

The teenager Aaron Connolly scores on his Premier League debut!

1.00pm BST

30 min Connolly goes over on the edge of the box after a bit of a shove from Sissoko. Jon Moss says there’s no foul, although he was miles behind play. I think it was a foul, but the original contact was just outside the area. VARman decides it was not a clear and obvious error.

12.58pm BST

28 min “So Paulo Gazzaniga takes Lloris’s place?” says Bill Hargreaves. “I believe his cousin from the English side of the family used to play in midfield for the Spurs?”

That’s as good a reason as any to post this, possibly the greatest intro to a football program.

12.56pm BST

26 min Lloris is on his way to A&E. Meanwile, Eriksen has Spurs’ first shot on target, a well-struck 25-yarder that is grabbed at the second attempt by Ryan.

12.55pm BST

26 min “Players don’t receive oxygen when injured,” says Dean Moull. “It’s entonox which is nitrous oxide. Oxygen wouldn’t do much for pain! Nitrous on the other hand...”

Ah yes, fair point. I’m with stupid, because I am stupid.

12.54pm BST

24 min Ndombele makes a vital interception from Montoya’s cutback. Spurs aren’t at the races. Brighton should try to put them away before half-time, because they won’t play this badly after the break.

12.52pm BST

22 min “I dislocated my elbow playing football 10 years ago after being challenged for a header and landing with my arm outstretched,” says Martin O’Connor. “It was the most shockingly painful thing I’ve ever experienced - I felt the two bone of my forearm pop out of place and back in again - and I have had both my knees reconstructed due to ACL ruptured. I feel for Lloris, he’s likely to be vomiting from the pain right now and will be out for months. To literally add insult to injury, the other team scored while I was writhing in pain and I had spent 2 years trying to get promoted to the team I was playing for that day in my club. As a Spurs fan, it was even more painful than watching them this week.”

Vomiting from the pain. Now that’s what I call grim.

12.50pm BST

20 min An accidental clash of heads between Maupay and Vertonghen, who has been in the wars in this game. He’s receiving a concussion test but seems fine to continue. He has a black eye but I think that’s the same one he’s had for a few weeks.

12.48pm BST

17 min “Evening Rob,” says Phil Withall. “You have to wonder if Spurs are now caught in a cycle of hell. A spiral of bad luck that seems to have no visible exit. Norwich have had more than their fair share of misfortune with injuries but Spurs seem hell bent on creating ever more inventive ways of introducing misfortune into their season.”

12.45pm BST

15 min Brighton have started really strongly, and are playing with greater urgency than has sometimes been the case this season. Spurs look stunned, both by the goal and that grisly injury to Hugo Lloris.

12.43pm BST

13 min The first good move from Spurs, with Davies’s through pass towards Eriksen intercepted confidently by Dunk.

12.40pm BST

10 min A nice set-piece routine from Brighton. Mooy drives a left-wing corner to the edge of the area for Stephens, whose vicious volley is blocked by the head of Vertonghen. I think that was going in. It knocked Vertongen off his feet, but he seems fine now.

12.39pm BST

8 min After a delay of around five minutes, Hugo Lloris is stretchered carefully off the field. He is still receiving oxygen. The poor bloke, that looks extremely nasty. Paulo Gazzaniga replaces him.

12.37pm BST

6 min Lloris is still being treated. In fact he’s receiving oxygen, and it looks far more serious than I first thought. Apparently his left arm bent horribly as he landed, and it was sufficiently bad that BT Sport aren’t showing replays.

12.35pm BST

That was a bad error from Lloris. Burn’s booming, overhit cross from the left forced Lloris to backpedal towards his own line. He made a split-second decision to catch the ball instead of pushing it over the bar, but he misjudged where he was in relation to the goalline. As he caught the ball, his momentum took him over the line, so he had to drop it in front of an open goal. Maupay reacted fastest to head it in from a yard. Lloris landed badly and looks in serious pain. He won’t be able to continue.

12.33pm BST

Oh dear lord. Hugo Lloris has given away a goal and injured himself in the process.

12.32pm BST

2 min Brighton are actually playing a back four, with Burn at left-back and Alzate to the right of centre in a diamond midfield.

12.30pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Brighton kick off from left to right.

12.26pm BST

The players emerge in the tunnel, most of them looking very serious. Harry Kane has the expression of someone who’s mad to hell and not going to take this anymore.

12.13pm BST

12.06pm BST

An email! “Pleased to make your acquaintance,” writes Quentin Lefarge. “What I know about football could be written, but when a manager messes with the full-back/defensive winger position by putting an Eric Dier there or some such the whole team will fail to function.”

At ease, Lefarge: Moussa Sissoko will be the right-back.

11.43am BST

Pre-match reading

11.37am BST

Graham Potter has addressed Brighton’s goallessness by bringing in an extra striker, the talented Irish teenager Aaron Connolly. Mauricio Pochettino has made four changes from the Spurs team that was plugged 7-2 by Bayern Munich. The big losers are Dele Alli and Harry Winks, who are on the bench, and Danny Rose, who isn’t in the squad at all. Serge Aurier is suspended for repeated galootery, so Moussa Sissoko will play at right-back.

Brighton & Hove Albion (possible 3-3-2-2) Ryan; Webster, Dunk, Burn; Montoya, Stephens, Alzate; Gross, Mooy; Maupay, Connolly.
Substitutes: Button, Bong, Balogun, March, Bissouma, Jahanbakhsh, Murray.

9.14am BST

Hello. Welcome to live coverage of Tottenham’s attempt to get back on the horse after their bizarre humiliation against Bayern Munich. There’s an end-of-days feel around Spurs at the moment, with the manager and half the squad reportedly keen to do one. A blissful five-year relationship, one that almost everybody envied and admired, was not supposed to end like this.

Spurs could end the weekend in third place, so it’s not exactly 1976-77 revisited. For that to happen, they first need to win a Premier League game away from home for the first time since January.

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Published on October 05, 2019 07:04

October 4, 2019

The Fiver | Our formula for true happiness: nostalgia = misery + time

The Fiver has always enjoyed revisiting old haunts, injunctions permitting. Modern life cannot stimulate the bittersweet tingle we feel as we wistfully recall the bad times and the worse of our glory days. We’ve even developed a formula for true happiness: Nostalgia = Misery + Time. The same will be true, to some extent, when Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield. We’ll all remember the good times: the SSS strike force and that astonishing surge to within one sure footing of the Premier League title in 2013-14. The bad – picking a reserve team at the Bernabéu, losing 6-1 at Stoke, pretty much everything from the summer of 2014 onwards – will be washed away by goodwill.

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Published on October 04, 2019 07:56

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