keely - indeed, but as OI suggests, it’s only fine if your wages keep up with inflation; if they don’t, you are worse off (probably most people?).

2% is the target so we whould theoretically be really happy that we are so close to our target.

A4, it was always going to happen! We have been printing money for years and now we have a pent up demand as lockdown is easing.

Inflation up to 2.1% - good luck all those who haven’t been able to earn during the pandemic, and to all those who will be getting a real terms pay cut this year :(

Good morning Wombles.

France barely got out of third gear, SA.

I wouldn’t worry about playing France. They were very ordinary and only scored due their one effort on goal being by a German defender.

Surrey, you joined the Met in the 1930s. Blimey, my Dad joined the Met in 1939 and he'd be 110 years old now. Credit to you for keeping going.

So if England win their group and Portugal win theirs, England get knocked out by France, yes?

It’s going to take a good side to knock out France. Strong in every department.

SA, that's a brave prediction (Portugal), of course, that would in all likelihood lead to England v France in last 16. Not sure I want that

Germany’s crossing and final ball has been poor but at least they are trying to score. France seem to have one tactic which is to defend the box and whack the ball to Mbappé who is quick but invariably offside.

Another great France goal - offside again 🤣

Got a relative who is a flat foot. Last conversation we had re being an establishment flunky was the sentencing of those ferrets that skinned that poor copper to death by dragging him along the road in Red Kite country. After discussion and persuasion, agree with a higher charge/stiff sentence for murdering a serving officer who was on duty. But no agreement that if you are paid to uphold the law and break it, such as the serving met officer that the met has paid off 2 officers that he raped: stiffer sentence.

I know I don't follow Premier league football but I didn't realise until this very moment that Leroy Sane is German!!!!

Like Ollie Palmer reminded me of Neil Shipperley at first…… 🤪

Brilliant finish from Mbappé but offside 🤷🏻‍♂️

Like Lady Gaga reminds you of Miss Worcester?

Mbappe reminds me of Ade Azeez

France stats show one effort on target, but that isn’t correct as the shot that was on target was by Hummels and the effort he put in was not on target. So France have not had an effort on target.

Surrey Dave - I thought all new police recruits had to spend 2 years on the beat, regardless of whether they joined at 16/18 or as grad/fast-track entry before they could move on/up. Have I misremembered and, if not, when did that policy change?

There was a marginal offside on the French goal, if it had been in the Premier League it would have been disallowed

Sadly the appointment of people in “managerial” positions when they’ve had zero front line experience at those jobs has become the norm in the public sector, often to the detriment of the service provided - people who are supposedly highly educated (because they did a masters at Cambridge or whatever in education or criminology or PPE or data analysis or something else) means they get drafted into middle-senior management positions and then come up with hairbrained schemes and tons of extra paperwork for the actual workers - cf education, the police service, the NHS, and of course politicians, many of whom have great 1st class honours in PPE but who haven’t ever done an *actual* normal job as such (I don’t count being a hedge fund manager or property portfolio manager as a *normal* job I’m afraid). Maybe I’ve got that all about face but it’s galling to be bossed around by people who’ve never experienced your job first hand - it’s also noticeable how some people are super-critical of certain professions yet also hyper-secretive about what their own job is/was…..

How many of the Germany team would get in the England team?

OI - Kane and Ramsdale