Euro 2016

finchy

England in with a chance? I'd like to think so after tonight's performance (I know it was only a friendly, but both teams were well up for it). There are a few weak spots, but if Kane and Vardy carry their form into summer, this might be the strongest attack we've had since '96.

The only worries I have is whether they will be able to play such a high-tempo game after a long, hard season and whether the back-up players will be good enough. Still, exciting times.

ballysmate

I seem to remember the hype following the 5-1 win. We did FA afterwards.

finchy

Just because something happens once doesn't mean it will happen again.

kingstonian

Anyone know why the group matches are scattered all across France rather than in one base per group? England's group matches are in Lens, St Etienne and Toulouse, so hundreds of miles apart.

Ber Nard

From Twitter:

@GeraintThomas86
Here we go a few months of, 'England are going to win the Euros' now...

DeVlaeminck

The attacking options are looking useful, think the defence is probably too weak.

ballysmate

For the past 50 years we have gone to tournaments, well the ones we qualified for, with high hopes. The exception being the last one when we went with no hope. Without exception we have disappointed. Even last time when expectations were low, we managed to be more shite than anticipated. So no, not expecting great things.

chris_bass

depends what Roy does when Rooney and Wilshere are fit again.

Stevo_666

Best England side I've seen in a long time.

For some reason this old song sprang to mind:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OzxMjBEazas

finchy

Ballysmate wrote:

For the past 50 years we have gone to tournaments, well the ones we qualified for, with high hopes. The exception being the last one when we went with no hope. Without exception we have disappointed. Even last time when expectations were low, we managed to be more shite than anticipated. So no, not expecting great things.

I'd agree, with the exceptions of WC '86 and '90 and Euro '96. This might actually be a fairly decent team though.

ballysmate

Chris Bass wrote:

depends what Woy does when Wooney and Wilshere are fit again.

There you go.

kingstonian

Kingstonian wrote:

Anyone know why the group matches are scattered all across France rather than in one base per group? England's group matches are in Lens, St Etienne and Marseille, so hundreds of miles apart.

Sorry, tried to edit my original post and screwed it up.

It is Marseille, not Toulouse - that's the edit

Frank the tank

I think we're in with a chance. Roy Hodgeson has some talent to play with. I think he is shrewd enough to not let egos preside, rather than performances, and no-one has a right to a shirt.
I hope that is how he thinks, 'cos if he does I believe we will be in the mix.

pblakeney

Funny how quickly things change. Remember the doom and gloom before the first comeback goal?
If Roy picks on form rather than reputation then there is a chance but the defence has to be more solid.

ballysmate

Our domestic football is in decline, with our top clubs struggling again in CL. The PL standard has been less than vintage this year. Would it not be ironic if all this coincided with an upturn in the national side's abilities?

verylonglegs

In with a chance? I really doubt it. They are however looking like they are worth watching again, for the first time in a while. I'd given up on them and only saw one game in each of the last 3 summer tournaments but it looks like we've some players now who actually give a monkeys and crucially can play together. Ferdinand, Cole, Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes etc...all very good players but they never really bonded as a team it seems to me.

There are already many press articles on Rooney and his international future but for me I would've already got rid of him once he achieved the goal scoring record a few months back. He's looked a tired old plodder for a few seasons now and we should be looking forward rather than to hanging on to the past.

orraloon

The moment when you realise that Rooney, Wilshere, Milner and Sterling will be back.

slowmart

orraloon wrote:

The moment when you realise that Rooney, Wilshere, Milner and Sterling will be back.

Since when has media awareness been a requisite for pulling on the England shirt?


Fucking amazing some cunt always comes out with a negative on a decent night of football from a young and promising England side.

bianchimoon

Hopefully we've learned the lesson of continuing to play old guard players way beyond their sell by date, Beckham, Ferdinand, Lampard, Gerrard et al, held England back for far to long. Let's see if Rooney gets an automatic place, then we'll know the answer

kingstonian

orraloon wrote:

The moment when you realise that Rooney, Wilshere, Milner and Sterling will be back.

What do you mean?


All 3 played really well

surrey_commuter

Kingstonian wrote:

orraloon wrote:

The moment when you realise that Rooney, Wilshere, Milner and Sterling will be back.

What do you mean?


All 3 played really well

I suspect it is a reference to how miserable they look.

Anyway call me what me want but it amazes me the way that people so quickly forget how utterly rubbish we are. Foreign teams don't care about friendlies.

orraloon

Slowmart wrote:

******* amazing some **** always comes out with a negative on a decent night of football from a young and promising England side.

Oh lighten up for goodness sake.

Was merely a semi humorous comment over that still of their expressions; after the refreshing attacking display of the 2nd half Woy's reported desire to include Wilshere in squad if at all possible, and Capn Wayne's place by 'right' rather than form look increasingly odd.

Defence looked distinctly average; Woy has viable options in attack but Smalling in partic played at times like a poor Sunday leaguer.

Let's hope Woy continues to test new and better formations vs the Dutch, rather than reverting to the predictable names.

ballysmate

verylonglegs wrote:

In with a chance? I really doubt it. They are however looking like they are worth watching again, for the first time in a while. I'd given up on them and only saw one game in each of the last 3 summer tournaments but it looks like we've some players now who actually give a monkeys and crucially can play together. Ferdinand, Cole, Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes etc...all very good players but they never really bonded as a team it seems to me.

There are already many press articles on Rooney and his international future but for me I would've already got rid of him once he achieved the goal scoring record a few months back. He's looked a tired old plodder for a few seasons now and we should be looking forward rather than to hanging on to the past.

There lies a problem that afflicts the English game. Rooney has looked a plodder for some time but has been indulged in order to achieve a record. Not performing? Get rid, no matter how big a name you are.

mr_goo

I am at a loss as to why the national side has to have an official captain (Rooney), therefore despite his declining performances he will still get picked into squad and get a starting place. A mad situation.

laurentian

I'm pretty sure Rooney will play a part most games at Euro 16 and I think I would agree with Roy doing that. Rooney is still a creative player and, despite his impressive goal record with England is a very unselfish player who could get great things from the deftness of Kane and the speed of Vardy. I have no doubt that Rooney is revered and respected by the younger members (ie most of them) of the squad and we will be a better team for him being there.

If I look back at the last 20 years of abject disappointment in tournaments, I believe that our best performances as a team have been when we have had relatively young players (eg Owen, Rooney) doing their thing before their respective Premier League managers have battered it into them that the club is bigger than the country. I'm sure this is a reason that the era of Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes, Nevilles, etc etc never came up with the goods or "reproduced their club form" (to paraphrase an oft quoted phrase). I do not find it surprising that the England ethic is different when the players are either young or from teams without that "club bigger than country" mentality (Spurs, Leicester), or both.

I don't think we will win Euro 16 and, despite what some would like to believe, I don't think the press are bigging them up in the way that we are used to either.

Saturday was a good performance from a promising side and we should enjoy them until such a time as they too are convinced that playing for their club is a greater thing than playing for their nation.

verylonglegs

You mention Rooney's scoring record but holding the overall record masks his rather woeful tournament return. In World Cup matches he's scored 1 goal in 11 games. Lineker achieved 10 goals in 12 matches. Shearer only played in one WC (4 matches) but still found the net twice. Owen...4 goals in 12 games (That surprised me, I imagined it would be more than that). Even Sol Campbell has a (slightly)better ratio than Rooney, he scored 1 goal in 10 games at WC Finals.

Apart from his breakthrough tournament in Euro 2004 he's consistently delivered very little for his country in June and July however it looks like we're going to have to put up with him again so I just hope he does something useful and proves me wrong.

finchy

The defence still isn't convincing me.

pblakeney

Back to depression again?

ballysmate

Does this mean we aren't going to win it now?

philbar72

no chance of a win. every chance to get rid of old rubbish or players that can't actually play football. Rooney/Milner/Walcott/ Wilshere etc. chances are player power will still count and the dead wood will start, we'll struggle and it'll be another if only exercise.

the team that played against Germany looked pretty convicing. Alli, Kane, Vardy all should be included where possible. Dier looks good enough as does Drinkwater.

our defence with the exception of Rose is terrible defensively.

finchy

Nothing has changed. They're still in with a chance of doing well, but the defence could still fall to pieces against decent opposition.