I think it is the even more incessant media, with social media amplifying it, telling us

that we don't deserve any of the wins, that England are rubbish, are only in the final because we've been lucky, and over analysing ever tiny aspect of the game replayed in super slow motion replays.

Also the expectations have shifted. First time in my lifetime I can remember people suggesting the manager will have failed unless England make (and in some cases win) the final. Today being good and having a chance isn't enough. You either need to be THE BEST or you're s**t. Look at all the Messi vs Ronaldo argument - one of the most ridiculous polarisations I have ever seen.

Just like everything else these days - people have always rightly had opinions, but now the battle for attention among the social media generation to stand out amplifies the negativity, and of course everybody is convinced they're an expert because of the amount of data when they've got no idea about the realities of professional sport (raw data isn't immediately information).

With England I think all of the above combined to convince us that this group of players were going to wipe the floor with anyone they faced. Then the reality hits that because we have good players opponents (outside the likes of Spain perhaps) need to find a solution to stop them doing what they want, and flood the midfield and play on the break, so rather than praise England for overcoming stifling tactics, we see people stamping their feet and calling for the manager's head, labelling players s**t.

We saw yesterday (other than the Dutch goal) that even a team like Holland couldn't live with England when going toe to toe, and had to shut up shop.

I am excited but not expectant. I think Spain will beat us but am also excited to see us play against an opponent who is confident enough to just go toe to toe and play football, and I think in that situation we have a chance, albeit small.

Posted By: Legacy Fan, Jul 11, 09:25:01