My relationship with the Euros has always been pretty much an open one, as in I can’t get too carried away with England and if I choose to pass on Austria v North Macedonia and a few similar matches, that’s because dogs need walking, cars need washing and gardens need watering.
I was reminded the Euros were up and running the morning after Italy’s stroll against Turkey, which was so one-way it was like watching us against 1p5wich [as if 
].
I got an email from the Club asking if I’d like discount on a *Pukki 10* shirt from the official source.
Now that Finland top is well cool, so I thought I’d take a look. £110 after discount? I made a quicker pass than one from Todd to Teemu I’m afraid. No ta.
I also read that Holland are not releasing their official goalkeeper tops for general sale so there’ll be no souvenirs of Euro 20/21 for me. I promise I won’t make any further mention of merch and marketing. I’m sure we’ve all had enough of that over the last week.
From a Norwich City point of view we have the Fantastic Four of Grant Hanley [Scotland], Pepe Placheta [Poland], Tim Krul [Holland] and last but not least Teemu Pukki strutting his stuff for his beloved Finland, who beat Denmark 1-0 in probably the most emotional match I have ever followed on Saturday evening.***
I also discovered that the term Huuhkajat, as in Eagle Owls, originates from a time when such a bird twice perched on the crossbar minutes before Finland scored a brace of goals in an important match. Eat your heart out Jonny Howson, your pigeon would only serve as the main course for an eagle owl!
While I’m not particularly into international football in a big way, I’m still going to keep up with the tournament. My predictions are normally guaranteed to be inaccurate but in this case I’ll confidently stick my neck out and say that none of our fantastic four will be lifting a trophy or collecting any medals. Even you Tim, I don’t see the Oranje triumphing.
As for England it would be rude of me not to point out a couple of observations from the 1-0 win over Croatia, a game which didn’t really grab me by the throat but then England matches rarely do.
With Spurs as my second side it was good on a personal level to see that Luka Modric has still got it, albeit at a slightly slower pace than when he was in his prime.
Then there was Harry Kane, ex of this Canary parish and just about still at that club in N17 as I write. If you had to judge him on this game alone would you really offer £150 million to Daniel Levy for him? I wouldn’t even if I were Sheikh Mansoor and had some small change that was annoying my jeans pockets.
Man of the match? Kalvin Phillips without a doubt closely followed by Tyrone Mings, despite his origins and the club he currently plays for. No room for sour grapes at international level of course. An honourable mention for Raheem Sterling MBE too of course.
However…..
From what little I’ve seen Italy and Belgium look good, France are likely to be incredibly strong and never, ever write off Germany. For me it’s got to be one of those four. I also got a great commentary laugh on Saturday afternoon, obviously not from Robbie Savage, as in: *Switzerland have a corner and Wales are having kittens*. Nice one Steve!
The dogs had never heard the national anthem before but quickly howled along once the sixth note kicked in. I’ll remember to turn the volume to zero before the Scotland game to spare our Hungarian City neighbours a repeat – Zoltan is simply amazed the Magyars have even qualified and is dreading how he expects them to perform, so I guess I’d better not antagonise him any further.
*** Gary said all that needed to be said about the Christian Eriksen incident yesterday, so all I will do is endorse everything he said on the matter and add my own best wishes to Christian for a full and speedy recovery.
Hi Martin
Yesterday wasn’t great fir England Cricket a poor showing for the batsmen yet Ollie Stone of Thorpe St Andrews proved he is worth his place in the test side nothing hidden on Twitter to come out I hope in the near future.
Football ⚽️ sorry to say is more about Prima Donna’s wanting an Oscar for stunt work Sterling would be a world class player if he stopped looking behind him for a tackle or touch that might get him a free kick and if we have him and Grealish on at the same time it will be a compo to see who wins the most in 90mins.
As you say Modric still has it to control a game and without the falling over and staring at the Ref in amazement for not give a free kick.
Hopefully we will progress and get better
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Healthy and Stay safe 🙏
Morning Alex
Yeah Grealish was getting the fans excited when he was warming up just before we scored, but not required – this time.
We sure can progress and improve – we’re gonna have to!
Cheers
YOU WASH YIUR CAR?!?!?!?!
‘Fraid so John
It’s not the type of car you’d put through a car wash and I choose not to use hand car washes as you never know whose business you might be subsidising, now do you?
It’s a Fiat 500 twin-air convertible chipped to almost Arbath bhp – no road tax but plenty of grunt to be sure. A poor man’s boy racer.
Thanks from Martin Clarkson.
Marty, I feel the same about international football. Sat in the garden Sunday afternoon drinking beer and watching the birds (feathered ones) I spend a fortune feeding ‘em. Made the effort to turn the TV on just before half time, England 0-0, that was it, back to a lazy sit in the garden. I might watch the odd game or two in the later stages but can’t get fired up about it. Will of course be watching MOTD again this coming season, or at least the last game they deem to show, unless we get a thrashing then we’ll be one of the first games on.
Hi Cutty
My passion was born in 1966 but after Mexico 1970 it faded and has yet to return.
I simply can’t find the fervour to replicate my support of City.
Can we win it? Not a chance.
Enjoy the garden it’s a good place to be just now.
Cheers
I’m a Scotland fan, I haven’t really had any relationship with the Euros. I don’t expect this casual fling to last very long. I just hope Grant and the others return to us fit and well.
Hi Don
The sun’s gone in here on the north Norfolk coast so I’ll be giving your boys a watch.
Even if only to hear Kenny McLean as a studio pundit 🙂
Cheers
I watched the game yesterday and was really impressed by both Phillips and Sterling, though Pickford worries me – I hope he proves me wrong.
Rumour Control sees Leeds also chasing ‘son of a Gunn’ and he’s stalling re ‘coming home’ over the terms of his contract. Obviously, he is inexperienced in dealing with the likes of SW – methinks there will be only one winner in this battle. 😀
Hi Ed
Gunn would be a perfect fit here in so many ways. The Pink Un say they can’t substantiate stories from what I think I’m justified in saying are gossip sites.
I’m taking the Dave Freezer view on this one.
Cheers – hope you’re good.
Martin, you are right those shirts are expensive. After tournament prices usually gets lower. Eagle owl named Bubi visited in qualification game against Belgium, Finland won that game 2-0. Finland manager was englishman Roy Hodgson, who also thanked Bubi. Game was 0-0, but right after Bubi flight away Jonatan Johansson scored 1-0. Eagle owl obviously upset Belgium players and gave more fighting spirit to finnish players. Finland plays again against Belgium in euro20 tournament. Roy Hodgson is remembered in Finland as pleasant gentleman, we called him Hodari ( hot dog). Finland was very close to qualify then and there is endless talks that it should have been with lineup Finland had. Its again pure speculation, people always keep on looking only players clubs and not how important roles they had. Now that qualification happened with squad which players are playing mainly in clubs what are not highly rated, people believe it was miracle. Many players play vital role in their clubs, there is plenty of leadership.
Italy indeed looked very impressive or Turkey was maybe bad? There is something about this tournament what I dislike a lot and its home advantage. So far if im right, only Finland has been able to win away game. Games look overall way too much like qualification games, where home advantage plays way too vital role. Finland came back to St Petersburg from Copenhagen yesterday evening. On wednesday Russia-Finland is earliest game and because game against Denmark was not mentally far from normal, maybe Finland should have left Copenhagen right after that game. Its also true that you cant prepare to something like that. Against Russia I do hope and expect not so defensive playing, results are of course most important thing but we have to show that we are able to play attractive football too. Training games before tournament against Sweden and Estonia were obviously fake acting, mr Kanerva is very clever. Plan was making Finland look even more underdog, to russians Finland is holiday and shopping place and not really a sport competitor.
Hi 1×2
I found the origin of Huuhkajat fascinating. What were you known as before that?
I think Jonatan Johannson played for Norwich City for a short while on loan – I cannot remember who the host club were at the time.
Hodgson Hodari? Most of us English thought of him as the most boring personality ever to manage England. A little like Gareth Southgate really [sorry Gareth]!
I know a little of Finland’s backstory with Russia so what you say does not surprise me too much. Of all teams, England will benefit from *home advantage* more than most.
Please keep commenting during the Championships as it’s great to hear a perspective from another country. Don Harold [above] doesn’t count as he has Scots heritage 🙂
Kiitos
Vintage canary
Who to buy every player that we are associated with leeds follow.so don’t beat about the Bush.
1 Ajer
2 Bornauw
3 De la vega
4 Giakoumakis
5 Aldrich
Job done 40million
We stay up forget 15 mullion for billings you need 8 mil options
Hi Keith
A fair point. The only thing that stops me agreeing with you is my feeling that we won’t buy anybody on your list… but maybe Angus Gunn might want to come *home*.
Thanks!
Agree Martin. Internationals are a bit like the Champions League for me, barely worth a glance till you get to within a sniff of the semi-finals. Imagine introducing a small child to ‘the greatest and most entertaining game in the world’ this week by plonking them down in front of England v Croatia. ‘Is this what you said was really exciting?’ the small one would squeak pointing at the screen after enduring an hour and a half of slow-paced drivel. ‘Errr, well… it’s sometimes exciting…’ you’d mumble. Then, having failed to be inculcated, the tot would scuttle off saying, ‘Perhaps I’ll give that cricket another go. Even if it’s raining and the covers are on and there’s no one on the pitch at least it’s more entertaining than that self-important overpaid tosh…’
Too harsh? Maybe.
Hi Chris
My dad was a copper and he swapped some shifts to make sure that he, I and anyone else in the house at the time got to see every England match in 1966.
I was only eight so I guess my excitement and expectation peaked a little early.
So no, I don’t think you’ve been too harsh.
Cheers
2 minutes before Sterling scored he failed to trap a routine ball on the touchline, we’d been playing poorly since half-time, and I’m thinking “Raheem off, Grealish on….” So much for my reading of a game.
Philips was superb. I have a £1 bet on Ngolo Kante for player of the tournament at 20/1 but if Philips carries on like that the Frenchman might not even be best in his position. Have we ever produced a decent ball-winning midfielder in the City academy? Keepers galore, full backs, centre halves, wingers and strikers, fine. But I can’t remember anyone like him.
Anyway, today I’m looking forward to attempting to understand whatever the Mayor says as a BBC pundit. Might need subtitles.
Hi Keith
It was a couple of years ago now but rumours were rife that we were seriously after Phillips at that time.
Shame nothing came of it.
As for your reading of the game, Sterling’s blaze over from that left-footed volley later on indicates that you might be a lot better at it than you think 🙂
Cheers
Cheers
Hi Martin,
I watched a large chunk of the re-shown England match last night – I don’t think they played too badly but I was a bit concerned how ‘out of it’ Kane seemed at times, he seemed lethargic.
I also watched a live chunk of Nederlands v Ukraine but stopped when I realised Tim Krul wasn’t actually playing. I’ll probably try to catch up with our NCFC representatives at the tournament over the next couple of weeks though.
As for the cricketers – why so many changes for this mini-series v New Zealand? Very poor!
Pleeease don’t mention fixtures with Offswitch, guys – surely Premier League clubs don’t warm up against Isthmian League teams do they?!?
Hi Kev
My guess is that Harry Kane’s got a lot of £ signs floating around within his cranium right now. Is that why Emi didn’t make the Copa America squad cut too?
I’m probably over the top cynical in both cases but you never know.
The England selection committee [cricket] owe us an explanation but we’ll never get one.
Offswitch? That’s a new one to me 🙂
Cheers
New Zealand , New bloody Zealand, but they did deserve the win. Our cricket team looked like City in the last 10 games of the covid premier relegation parade.
Denmark Finland , no words ,at the time tears , done CPR on a lost cause , no hospital or defib just round the corner. Guy passed. Erickson should make a full recovery but his pro career is over , Worlds going to hell in a handcart , ah nuts , fixtures for next season out soon.
Hi Bernie
Yes the fixtures are out tomorrow {Wednesday]. We’ll probably get Palace away for the first match knowing our luck.
As I said to Kev [above] the England selection committee owe us some kind of explanation for the NZ test debacle.
Cheers