Euro 2016 thread

[SedRA]

2 hours ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Knowing the Russians as we do, it would not surprise me if their players were on large bonuses to get a result against us and were told to throw the Wales game. Anything to get one over on us. They did afterall send a load of ex-military over to beat the shit out of our fans in Marseille. They weren't interested in turning up for the other games. Systematic doping in athletics, bought the 2018 WC etc.

Their defending against Wales last night was match-fixing-esque.

Yes, what an odd one that was. Bringing on the Premier League's top goalscorer towards the end when you are endlessly pumping balls into the box and winning loads of corners. Definitely should've chucked an inexperienced 18 year old on.

As for tempo, I actually think we are playing better 'tournament football'. If you look at the top sides they do have periods where they slow things down and keep the ball. Sometimes you have to take time and probe and that's what we were trying to do. It was far more measured for large parts of the game than the usual fast football from us which leads to a high turnover of possession.

But don't you know? We're England! It doesn't matter what the other team does, we should win regardless, it's out God given right! 

[MarcusX]

10 hours ago, collier said:

If, if, if................if we had more point than Wales we would have topped the group, if we win every game from now we are the European champs. It's easy to use if as an excuse, we have had piss easy groups for the last few tournaments and we have consistently failed to win them. It might not bite us in the next round but France, Germany etc await after and I wonder what if's we will be using to explain those games away! 

Piss easy? Wouldnt call Italy & Uruguay piss easy!

And in 2012 we won the group.

France / Germany / Spain etc await us at some bloody point, what difference does it make! We're gonna have to beat a top side at some point. If we'd won the group our route could have included Germany, Belgium, Italy.

It's not completely inconceivable that Wales may face Germany in the last 16 and we could get Hungray or Iceland, I know who i would prefer.

 

[MichaelRobartes]

3 minutes ago, MarcusX said:

Piss easy? Wouldnt call Italy & Uruguay piss easy!

And in 2012 we won the group.

France / Germany / Spain etc await us at some bloody point, what difference does it make! We're gonna have to beat a top side at some point. If we'd won the group our route could have included Germany, Belgium, Italy.

It's not completely inconceivable that Wales may face Germany in the last 16 and we could get Hungray or Iceland, I know who i would prefer.

 

Remember when Costa Rica were really shite two years ago as well?

[JamesBCFC]

Anyone know what would happen in group F if Hungary beat Ronaldo Portugal 2-0 and Austria vs Iceland is a 0-0 draw?

Austria and Portugal would have an identical record on goals scored, goal difference, etc and their head to head was a draw. 

I realise both would essentially be out, not being the best 3rd place team, but in terms of ranking them.

edit- same scenario could happen in Group D, but between 2nd and 3rd, so it really would matter.

[Super]

12 minutes ago, MarcusX said:

Piss easy? Wouldnt call Italy & Uruguay piss easy!

And in 2012 we won the group.

France / Germany / Spain etc await us at some bloody point, what difference does it make! We're gonna have to beat a top side at some point. If we'd won the group our route could have included Germany, Belgium, Italy.

It's not completely inconceivable that Wales may face Germany in the last 16 and we could get Hungray or Iceland, I know who i would prefer.

 

Everything is so bloody confusing, roll on the knockout stages.

[CITYAREREDANDWHITE]

37 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Anyone still think Rose is not our best choice at left back, if you are I think you are basing it on the 18 year old playing out of position for us several years ago. I can't believe I have seen anyone so completely out of his depth than Bertrand last night, I was surprised that Roy took such a risk leaving him on, I thought he was one tackle away from being sent off.

In this competition, yes he is the best choice. Next season Shaw will be back, and he's on another level compared to both Bertrand and Rose

[Coppello]

13 minutes ago, City169 said:

Anyone know what would happen in group F if Hungary beat Ronaldo Portugal 2-0 and Austria vs Iceland is a 0-0 draw?

Austria and Portugal would have an identical record on goals scored, goal difference, etc and their head to head was a draw. 

I realise both would essentially be out, not being the best 3rd place team, but in terms of ranking them.

edit- same scenario could happen in Group D, but between 2nd and 3rd, so it really would matter.

I think it will go down to FIFA coefficients in which I am assuming Portugal are higher?

[BRISTOL86]

4 hours ago, Fordy62 said:

I'm not sure I get all the hatred. 

Again, we played pretty well. On a different night we had enough Chances to win comfortably, but for some heroic defending by that Liverpool goon & co.

The way we're playing, we just need it to click and we can beat anyone. 

Yes, it's disappointing to come second in the group to Wales, but I think most of us would prefer it that way round.

 

The trouble is we've been saying 'on another night it could have been different', or words to that effect, for 50 years! 

Reality is 1 goal put past the two teams that Wales managed to put 5 past. 2 points from games that Wales took 6 from. Those are rightly alarming figures. Reality is it could so have easily been 3 games, no wins. 

It'll be interesting to see how this team fares against a team that actually want to play football - again Roy is fiercely adamant that we're a very good side and our performances have been excellent and we're going to give someone a hiding.

Not sure I've seen one excellent performance yet Roy insists we've had three  

Lets see if his team is as good as his talk should we make it far enough to play a top class side. 

[Super]

4 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

The trouble is we've been saying 'on another night it could have been different', or words to that effect, for 50 years! 

Reality is 1 goal put past the two teams that Wales managed to put 5 past. 2 points from games that Wales took 6 from. Those are rightly alarming figures. Reality is it could so have easily been 3 games, no wins. 

It'll be interesting to see how this team fares against a team that actually want to play football - again Roy is fiercely adamant that we're a very good side and our performances have been excellent and we're going to give someone a hiding.

Not sure I've seen one excellent performance yet Roy insists we've had three  

Lets see if his team is as good as his talk should we make it far enough to play a top class side. 

We haven't beaten a team by more than a goal in a tournament since 2006! Took Wales 3 games.

[Red-Robbo]

2 hours ago, Roger Red Hat said:

Too true squire.........after all Clyne never ever got anywhere near getting past his marker..

He was an unexpected bonus but generally we were a lot more turgid, predictable  and slow than we were in the second half against Wales.

[Alex_BCFC]

I'm in a minority I expect, but cautiously optimistic about our chances in the tournament.

I think we have players there to succeed but hampered by a poor manager. Dropping Rooney was just plain stupid. The Sturridge and Vardy ones were fair enough.

Lets be honest, Russia robbed us in the first game. Russia also had to go for the win against Wales whereas they didn't against us.This is Why Wales had so much space.

The 3rd place in the group thing farcical. Meant Slovakia had no intention of leaving their half.

Only worry is we get Iceland and they put 11 men (or 12 if Wilshere is playing) behind the ball. We clearly struggle to get through that and even against Wales we bundled it home twice.

[BRISTOL86]

WWDWLDDWLDWWLLLDDWD

No, not a town in Wales. Our tournament form since 2006. 

[Super]

8 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

WWDWLDDWLDWWLLLDDWD

No, not a town in Wales. Our tournament form since 2006. 

Paraguay, Trinidad, Ecuador, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, Wales.

[Roger Red Hat]

1 hour ago, City169 said:

Anyone know what would happen in group F if Hungary beat Ronaldo Portugal 2-0 and Austria vs Iceland is a 0-0 draw?

Austria and Portugal would have an identical record on goals scored, goal difference, etc and their head to head was a draw. 

I realise both would essentially be out, not being the best 3rd place team, but in terms of ranking them.

edit- same scenario could happen in Group D, but between 2nd and 3rd, so it really would matter.

I think bookings and sendings off come into it at some point.

[SedRA]

29 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

The trouble is we've been saying 'on another night it could have been different', or words to that effect, for 50 years! 

Reality is 1 goal put past the two teams that Wales managed to put 5 past. 2 points from games that Wales took 6 from. Those are rightly alarming figures. Reality is it could so have easily been 3 games, no wins. 

It'll be interesting to see how this team fares against a team that actually want to play football - again Roy is fiercely adamant that we're a very good side and our performances have been excellent and we're going to give someone a hiding.

Not sure I've seen one excellent performance yet Roy insists we've had three  

Lets see if his team is as good as his talk should we make it far enough to play a top class side. 

But we beat Wales, and it could have quite as easily been 3 wins with the chances against Slovakia and a Russian fluke injury time equaliser. It goes both ways. 

[BRISTOL86]

4 minutes ago, Super said:

Paraguay, Trinidad, Ecuador, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, Wales.

Yep, all of the elite teams. We did well to match the might of Costa Rica though so that felt like a win of sorts.

[North London Red]

Looking ahead, I suspect we'd start as strong favourites against Hungary, Iceland or Austria, although I could easily foresee a 0-0 draw followed by a loss on penalties against any of those three. 

A game against Portugal would be much more even in the bookies' eyes and they've been our nemesis twice in the last 12 years - and Ronaldo is likely to click at some point - so I am keen to avoid them. 

If we do make it past the last 16, a quarter final against (most likely) France would be some occasion, but one in which all of the pressure would be on the French. 

[Super]

4 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Yep, all of the elite teams. We did well to match the might of Costa Rica though so that felt like a win of sorts.

And only Trinidad by more than a goal and we struggled in that game. Always been a problem for us putting teams away.

[Northern Red]

1 hour ago, phantom said:

Anyone else taken a barrage of nonsense comments from the Welsh overnight?

I'm guessing that they are also sadly suffering from "Swindon Syndrome" where support assume that they have won / achieved something without being halfway through a campaign

Yep, a lot of my Welsh friends on Facebook have suddenly decided that they like football, having never mentioned the subject previously. 

[ChippenhamRed]

2 hours ago, BA14 RED said:

Great promising young coach. Got Bournemouth to the Premier League. Attack minded, positive and would be a breath of fresh air for England in my eyes instead of appointing another dinosaur

You think England haven't been attack-minded enough in this tournament???  Vardy, Sturridge and Rooney all on the pitch, Lallana and Alli pushing on, Walker/Clyne/Rose/Bertrand overlapping down the outside, almost entire games played in the final third?  What more do you what?  Rashford in goal with a licence to roam?  Ten up front?  Centre backs instructed to shoot from the half way line? 

[BRISTOL86]

13 minutes ago, Super said:

And only Trinidad by more than a goal and we struggled in that game. Always been a problem for us putting teams away.

It's ok though, Roy says someone is getting a hiding soon. 

[Super]

6 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

It's ok though, Roy says someone is getting a hiding soon. 

Yes us...

[Fodbarmyarmy]

53 minutes ago, Super said:

We haven't beaten a team by more than a goal in a tournament since 2006! Took Wales 3 games.

58 years and three games to be precise.....

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, BRISTOL86 said:

The trouble is we've been saying 'on another night it could have been different', or words to that effect, for 50 years! 

Reality is 1 goal put past the two teams that Wales managed to put 5 past. 2 points from games that Wales took 6 from. Those are rightly alarming figures. Reality is it could so have easily been 3 games, no wins. 

It'll be interesting to see how this team fares against a team that actually want to play football - again Roy is fiercely adamant that we're a very good side and our performances have been excellent and we're going to give someone a hiding.

Not sure I've seen one excellent performance yet Roy insists we've had three  

Lets see if his team is as good as his talk should we make it far enough to play a top class side. 

Sounds worringly like what Cotterill used to say about us last season ! 

Lee Johnson for England ? 

[Major Isewater]

33 minutes ago, RedSA said:

But we beat Wales, and it could have quite as easily been 3 wins with the chances against Slovakia and a Russian fluke injury time equaliser. It goes both ways. 

Could have beens , whilst médiocre teams like France , Germany , Italy somehow do just enough to ' win ' when présented with similar occasions in tournaments .

England almost always try to be too clever when we reach the finals of a tournament. 

We should play our natural game without fear .

Shit or bust .

[downendcity]

12 minutes ago, Fodbarmyarmy said:

58 years and three games to be precise.....

Ah, but that's splitting hairs - letting facts get in the way of a good argument!

[SedRA]

5 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Could have beens , whilst médiocre teams like France , Germany , Italy somehow do just enough to ' win ' when présented with similar occasions in tournaments .

England almost always try to be too clever when we reach the finals of a tournament. 

We should play our natural game without fear .

Shit or bust .

True. But my point was that you can't say 'we almost didn't win any games' and not acknowledge that we also 'almost' won all our games. 

[BRISTOL86]

5 minutes ago, downendcity said:

Ah, but that's splitting hairs - letting facts get in the way of a good argument!

The fact is that a team who have never even played at a Euro's have performed much better than us against the same opposition, despite constant assurances from Roy that actually it's all an illusion and we're actually really good!

Perhaps we're just trying to fool the mighty Iceland into a false sense of security? Well played Hodgssonnssön. 

[Kid in the Riot]

18 minutes ago, BRISTOL86 said:

The fact is that a team who have never even played at a Euro's have performed much better than us against the same opposition, despite constant assurances from Roy that actually it's all an illusion and we're actually really good!

Perhaps we're just trying to fool the mighty Iceland into a false sense of security? Well played Hodgssonnssön. 

Sorry but I don't agree Wales have performed 'much better than us against the same opposition'. They were poor against Slovakia and we're fortunate to win and they played an utterly pathetic Russia side already on their way home.

Plus we beat them, and they looked pretty poor then too.

[Monkeh]

for what its worth,

England aren't performing badly, far from it we've dominated all our matches so far from start to finish, Englands problem is they havent be ruthless enough, we are looking for the perfect goal instead of having a crack, we are also making at least 1 mistake a game that is costing us goals (we were lucky on that front against Slovakia when hart and smalling had a mis-communication),

 I'm happy with the stuff we've played, I'm not happy with our finishing and final ball