MINGS & THE MERCILESS
During EN 2020 England missed two-thirds of the penalties available to them, which equates, as Priti Patel might tell you, to 57%. Nevertheless, the country’s players and manager consistently hit the target off the pitch and have continued to do so even after the tournament ended, standing as beacons of intelligence and dignity while some people who enjoy telling them what to do hurled bottles, vomit and abuse. Yes, there’ll always be an England.
On Monday, Aston Villa’s England players were among those leading by example. First, Jack Grealish got stuck into Roy Keane, who had publicly lambasted the player for shirking a penalty without knowing whether the player had shirked a penalty. “I said I wanted to take one!!!!” corrected Grealish through the medium of the same social media disgrace that others have used to get themselves sacked. “I won’t have people say that I didn’t want to take a peno when I said I will,” repeated Grealish for the benefit of a man who has published two autobiographies.
Then Tyrone Mings stepped up to set people straight. In particular, he had words for the aforementioned Patel, who earlier in the day had joined in folks criticising the racist abuse to which some players had been oh-so-predictably subjected in the wake of England’s defeat. “It has no place in our country,” wrote the home secretary, who must know it is in fact present in some very prominent places in the country. “And I back the police to hold those responsible accountable.”
Mings saw Patel’s comment and also recalled that before the tournament she had declined to criticise fans for booing England players for taking the knee before matches. “That’s a choice for them frankly,” she said of those fans, and when asked whether she intended booing players during the tournament she replied: “well, I haven’t gone to a football match to even sort of contemplate that.”
On Monday, Mings decided it was time to give her something else to sort of contemplate. “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens,” Mings tweeted.
At the time of Fivering, Patel has yet to answer. There are several possible replies available to her, though none should be “noisy” or create “serious annoyance” because she is putting a stop to that. The Fiver likes to think everyone is capable of listening and learning. And in fairness to Patel, she did apparently make it through all of EN 2020 without holding undisclosed meetings with leading figures from other teams, unlike when she was international development secretary.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If we walk about talent, I’m aware that I’m not the best in the world. If you choose based on titles, well: no one has won more than me this season” – does Big Cup and EN 2020 champion Jorginho think he deserves the Ballon d’Or? Maybe, maybe not.
RECOMMENDED LOOKING
It’s David Squires on England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy and so-called England supporters making an absolute show of themselves.
FIVER LETTERS
“Isn’t it about time we reopened a sensible debate about extra time, penalties and replays? I speak as someone who, given half a chance, still ‘bores for England’ on the heroic four-replay FA Cup battle between Bury and Stoke in 1955. Surely a World Cup or Euros final would merit coming back for a second battle on another night, if it can’t be settled first time? The penalties solution is a crude process, unconnected with the subtleties of football, however much excitement it artificially creates. It also leads to individual players being mercilessly, unfairly hounded and victimised for missing a kick, potentially for decades” – Graham Humphreys.
“The Italian wisecrack of ‘It’s Coming Rome’ has me thinking that USA! USA!! USA!!! may do well at the 2026 World Cup. We’re jointly hosting with Canada and Mexico so let’s start singing: ‘It’s Coming Nome’” – Mike Wilner.
“So, the player who scores the equaliser and one of the penalties for the winning side is the same bloke who said ‘the blame is 50-50’ after a teammate endured racist jeers, before backtracking in the face of criticism, claiming he ‘expressed himself badly’. A fitting end to the Wembley final” – Darrien Bold.
“Now the minor distractions are out of the way, we can relish the summer’s real main event … The Harry Kane Transfer Saga™” – Chris Brown.
“Would it be ungenerous to suggest that Natalie Elphicke should concentrate on politics instead of playing at being a football commentator?” – Justin Kavanagh.
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And you can always tweet The Fiver via @guardian_sport. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Graham Humphreys.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
The FA has been charged by Uefa over the conduct of England supporters at the EN 2020 final. The charges relate to pitch invasions, throwing objects, booing of the Italian national anthem and the lighting of a firework. European football’s governing body is also investigating “events involving supporters which occurred inside and around the stadium”.
In an emotional statement, Marcus Rashford has apologised for missing his penalty in the shootout, but made it clear “I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from … I’m Marcus Rashford, 23-year-old black man from South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that.”
England players have tweeted in response to the absolute weapons who racially abused their teammates. “If you abuse anyone on social media you’re not an England fan and we don’t want you,” said the captain, Harry Kane. “The racist abuse sent to some of my teammates after the bravery they showed is disgusting and has no place in the game,” added Phil Foden.
After more than year out of the professional game, Daniel Sturridge has been offered a trial with La Liga newcomers Real Mallorca.
In transfer news, Norwich have signed silky Nice vice-captain Pierre Lees-Melou for £3.5m to buddy up with Billy Gilmour in midfield this coming season. More transfers as they happen here.
Wolves are set to bundle goalkeeper Rui Patrício off to José Mourinho’s Roma for £10m and bring in (you guessed it) Portuguese stopper José Sá from Olympiakos.
In other red-hot stopper news, Crystal Palace have brought former Sunderland No 1 Remi Matthews in to replace out-of-contract Wayne Hennessey, who may finally have time to do that modern history course he was so desperate to take up.
Justice for Patrik! Uefa has announced its team of EN 2020, featuring five Italy players. The team: Donnarumma (Italy); Walker (England), Chiellini (Italy), Maguire (England), Spinazzola (Italy); Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Denmark), Jorginho (Italy), Pedri (Spain); Federico Chiesa (Italy), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Raheem Sterling (England).
And Inter have released a new snakeskin-style kit that should really come with a club-themed stetson and a pair of cowboy boots.
STILL WANT MORE?
EN20: our writers pick their highs, lows and bests of a thrilling month, and there’s a lot to pick through.
Ed Aarons picks his EN20 team of the tournament and fans from every participating nation give their verdicts here (Turkey, look away now).
The England Problem (part 94): picked over by Barney Ronay, Jonathan Liew, Marina Hyde and David Goldblatt.
The view of all this chaos from across the Channel: it’s not pretty.
And on your actual football, David Hytner on how England and Gareth Southgate will rue this missed opportunity.
Oh, and if it’s your thing … you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. And INSTACHAT, TOO!
