Euro 2016

Pffffft. We can dominate, but only if we're allowed. Our distribution is still exceptionally poor, we shit it when pressed, Harry Kane is a f*cking spaffer. Kyle Walker MoM? Yuh whaaaa? Thank the stars for a proper goalscorer in Vardy. Wankerino.

Well done England in getting away with it v Wales (I take it from Dan's comments that it was singularly unimpressive). And what about Polak Milik's miss v Krauts??!! Deary me.

I thought Walker probably deserved the award.

He was England's best attacker for much of the match. And, despite the name, he had 90-odd minutes of fast engine on him, surging forward up to 70 yards at at a time. Decent defending too, oddly.

Dier was a bit off, even though he again had a bit of the Beckenbauer about him. The anticipation and fluid movement which seems to give him more time, I mean - something slightly imperious, along with his good eye and distribution when he's at the top of his game.

Wales played valiantly, but (perhaps against plans) let themselves get driven deeper and deeper, till they were almost a wall in front of goal. It's very hard to hold out for ever that way - unlucky as they may have been about the timing.

England really don't seem to have their plans sorted out. Kane's role not properly defined (not using his strengths), Alli, Lallana and Sterling too often on top of each other, Sturridge thrown on also a bit too deep until the end, and full backs being given too much work.

The Rooney decision has worked, Smalling has looked bright, and for all his occasional giving away of possession, I liked Lallana's ingenuity and trickiness which creates gaps and chances.

Hart, Sterling have been absolutely bloody awful, on the other hand. And (as noted) some of the others look lost in the plan.

Well done to N Ireland! Won't qualify, but have acquitted themselves very well for a tiny country with such a small "catchment".

Ronaldo having a Euro shocker. This time he's missed a penalty v Austria to leave Portugal on the brink of elimination.

They will probably back themselves to ease past Hungary. It might be in the balance, though. Ronny had better get his boots on the right feet this time.

Whereas - on evidence of the first 25 and last 30 mins (was the middle very different?), Austria looked as bad a team as I've seen in this tournament. Looked incapable of kicking their way out of a wet paper bag. Presumably the draw was their cunning plan, and then put 3 past Iceland and at worst sneak through as a "fastest loser" in third place. Iceland might have something to say about that. (I hope - if both sides play with anything like the skills & commitment they've shown so far.)

skully wrote:Ronaldo having a Euro shocker. This time he's missed a penalty v Austria to leave Portugal on the brink of elimination.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy

Seconded.

PeterCS wrote:Well done to N Ireland! Won't qualify, but have acquitted themselves very well for a tiny country with such a small "catchment".

3 points is already potentially enough to qualify in the current format. If they somehow get a point in their last match (unlikely but possible) then 4 will almost certainly get them through.

With 13 minutes to go it looks like Russia are going home. Will their fans kick off now they are safe from expulsion?

Nice to see the Welsh smash the shitty Ruskies and top their group.

vilkrang wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Well done to N Ireland! Won't qualify, but have acquitted themselves very well for a tiny country with such a small "catchment".

3 points is already potentially enough to qualify in the current format. If they somehow get a point in their last match (unlikely but possible) then 4 will almost certainly get them through.

True - but still perhaps a long shot, if Germany shake themselves.

Brilliant gutsy and skilful performance by Wales. Took the bull by the horns. Or the bear by the ears.


England?

And odd mixture of lack of pace and lack of composure/accuracy.

They seemed so often to dawdle on the ball from defence & in midfield, sleepwalking at times. And then lose their focus when they got into attack.

I don't know if Woy was lost in wishful thinking, or trying to put on a brave face for the cameras afterwards. Sounded very like Bumble's "we flippin' murdered 'em!!!!" ("Dominated the whole match ... completely on top ... dominated .... they didn't try to play ... one of these teams we meet is going to suffer").

True, the main ambition of Slovakia was plainly to get a point and progress. Parking the bus, etc. Škrtel was brilliant, but they didn't offer much.

But you can't just blame bad luck if that thwarts you.

I'm not sure if it's not partly a structural mess, and player disorientation.
Where Kane was played as a midfielder at the start of the competition, also assigned corners and longer free-kicks (- why?), Sturridge tonight started as a sort of right-winger-drifting-into-midfield. Why? And again, midfielders too much on top of each other. (Bad strategy, or poor play?) Tonight, Henderson and Lallana - both surprise-move players, but erratic - added to Sturridge drifting into midfield, Wilshere having a dire mare, and even Vardy starting to race back in frustration to retrieve possession, made too much clutter. Rooney returning helped a bit later on, but perhaps too late.

Dier was again England's best player, I thought - that much-needed composure, generally high accuracy, creating and using space, penetrative passes. ...


So what's the answer? Well, other teams may be more adventurous, and make more of a game of it (which however will test England's back four and the dodgy keeper, but hey ho). Hence create more space that England under Hodgson seem to need.

But in any case, I think the team needs more shape and purpose than it has shown so far.

Maybe they need to get Drinkwater in (a tackling midfielder - supplementing and freeing Dier & wingbacks) and use Alli as a sub (with more space for his skills). Tell Lallana, tricky and inspirational though he can be, to get more active on the wings. Where else will they get width from? Maybe Wilshere, under same orders as Lallana? Can Barkley play wide? (Walcott or, gaggdavitt, Lennon might have offered better width: Walcott no doubt under protest.)

And let Vardy/Kane alternate in the role they are best at. With Rooney as a latter-day Bergkamp.


It can't be that difficult to be a wee bit more resourceful than the clutter tonight, can it?

Anyway, low expectations may be best for England. And a more enterprising opposition. ...

The elephant in the room is Rooney. He shouldn't be anywhere near the side these days and Hodgson was right to leave him out against Slovakia. What a carthorse.

Vardy was his usual lively self and looked dangerous, Alli came on and immediately looked a threat. Sturridge looked pretty decent, and Dier is lively.

Set pieces are a massive problem. Harry Kane's free kicks against Russia were dreadful, and Rooney isn't much better.

All in all, it doesn't look like England will go far. Under Hodgson they have real trouble finding the back of the net in major tournaments. What's it been? About five goals in seven matches combined since the start of the last world cup? Nowhere near good enough.

Some cracking matches in the 1st knockout stage. How grouse would it be if Ireland knocked out the Frogs as revenge for the infamous 2009 Henry handball that stopped Erin from making the World Cup?

So I assume England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales will now be kicked out of the tournament?

Henry wrote:So I assume England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales will now be kicked out of the tournament?

Did the Republic of Ireland also hold a referendum?

Portugal gets away with it v Croatia. Wales and Poland also move through.

At least their football team respects the will of the people.

Deary me. England flattering to deceive yet again. Well done to the Icelanders. Ooroo Roy.

And the I-ties knocked out the Spaniards, ay?

Poms Fooxit

Well that is f*cking dreadful. Probably the lowest point in English football history.

There needs to be a massive review of English football but there won't be as long as the Premier League rakes in the money. The national team is an afterthought to everyone involved in English football, including the players. It's just not good enough but will anything ever change? Unlikely.

Pretty much what the pommy without the invective.commentators said after the match without the invective.

JGK wrote:At least their football team respects the will of the people.

I confess to a full-blown 'hell yeah' on the way to work today when I heard this result on the radio.

Henry wrote:Well that is f*cking dreadful. Probably the lowest point in English football history.

There needs to be a massive review of English football but there won't be as long as the Premier League rakes in the money. The national team is an afterthought to everyone involved in English football, including the players. It's just not good enough but will anything ever change? Unlikely.

TBF English football was on the crap side before the EPL.