[Archived] euro12 thread

[Amo]

It is funny how people say that expectations are realistic this year.

A couple of unconvincing wins against average teams later = WE CAN WIN THIS!

[Ozz]

What do you expect?

[Mattyblue]

Well I suppose we can, any half decent side can put a three match run together in the knockout stages.

But, you have 30% posession against a Germany or Spain...

[greco]

They were hardly completely shut out I remember them missing a free header and an easy one on one in the second half

I do think our full backs look good though and that will be massive if we go on to play Germany and cut the supply to Gomez

a team like ukraine, with the players they have at their disposal, will never be completely shut out. They are bound to create chances, no matter who they play, especially with them playing at home and hosting the euro´s for the first time. I should probably have elaborated and added, that i meant it in more of a, "they we´re shut out, as much as it was possible to do, under those circumstances".

[DE.]

We will have to improve considerably to beat Italy - the performances thus far just won't cut it. Still scratching my head as to quite how we won the group, but never mind.

[jim mk2]

Unlike his predcessors, Hodgson's England has shape and balance and every player knows his role and is playing to his strengths. Unlike previous teams, we've also been a bit lucky - a good sign.

[roverandout]

still people pissing and moaning even though we are into the quarters, we aint pretty, we aint attractive to watch but like germany, italian teams of the past we are winning games and have a real chance of a semi-final place, some people need to take their rovers glasses off and enjoy the ride.

[roversR4ever]

Unlike his predcessors, Hodgson's England has shape and balance and every player knows his role and is playing to his strengths. Unlike previous teams, we've also been a bit lucky - a good sign.

Completely agree with you, we finally look like a well organised team, if Rooney had been a bit sharper (which Im sure will come) it would have been a lot more comfortable. We seem to have a good combination of players as a team, noone is going to find it easy to break us down. Suprisingly we seem to have players we can bring on to change things without ruining the shape of the team.

Shows what a good manager can do........

[Tom]

a team like ukraine, with the players they have at their disposal, will never be completely shut out. They are bound to create chances, no matter who they play, especially with them playing at home and hosting the euro´s for the first time. I should probably have elaborated and added, that i meant it in more of a, "they we´re shut out, as much as it was possible to do, under those circumstances".

A team like Ukraine?

They are rank average at best

[Hughesy]

Hughesy, Get on the UEFA website now. They have tickets available for the game. I've just got myself 3 !!!!

Gutted pal - We had just decided to give it up (about 10 this morn) as it was too expensive for a QF....Manc > Gatwick return £103....Gatwick to Kiev return £243...£50 hotel....so £400 before ticket & spends.

The semi is more realistic priced so im praying we make it, and its likely to be Z'Germans....let me know asap if they go on sale (if we are still in).

[Mattyblue]

still people pissing and moaning even though we are into the quarters, we aint pretty, we aint attractive to watch but like germany, italian teams of the past we are winning games and have a real chance of a semi-final place, some people need to take their rovers glasses off and enjoy the ride.

Football is all about winning, something I am at pains to say whatever glasses I have on.

Tell you what though, once again it is the media that decides what football fans think, I saw some fan being interviewed outside the ground say,

'it is getting results I suppose but it's not the type of football we are used to seeing'.

Is that because Fabio, Steve McClaren et al had us playing champagne football or the fact we are actually winning?!

[jim mk2]

Football is all about winning, something I am at pains to say whatever glasses I have on.

Tell you what though, once again it is the media that decides what football fans think, I saw some fan being interviewed outside the ground say,

'it is getting results I suppose but it's not the type of football we are used to seeing'.

Is that because Fabio, Steve McClaren et al had us playing champagne football or the fact we are actually winning?!

Probably the same idiots weren't happy with the football at Ewood 24 months ago. Some folk think football is about entertainment - they'll never learn.

[Veevs]

Only Germany for me are living up to expectations.

As for us we just can't keep hold of the ball and against a really good side that is bound to cost us. Italy game for me will not exactly be the most exciting, in fact likely to be a complete bore but I reckon we have an outside chance of progressing to meet Germany which we will of course loose in style. Italy will really miss Chiellini allot but De Rossi, Pirlo and Marchisio provide a very strong attacking midfield and they look much stronger up front when Balotelli is playing however the defence is much weaker without Chiellini and their defensive midfield can be a mess for them.

[eire3382]

Euros start getting interesting from now on. Alas ireland were a disaster but the turnament as a whole has been pretty good.

Have to fancy germany to win it out . Hopefully a final with spain, that should be a good match up. As for the rest I can only realistically see Portugal being able to live with the Spainish and Germans. But in knock out format anything can happen so who really knows!

[roverandout]

noone has been impressive so far thats what makes it interesting, 4 or 5 teams can win it, including england, provided the teams get a bit of luck etc, germany and spain could easily be out now had luck not been on their side, we have never been a good posession team and are unlikely to ever be but we have finally found a group of players who play as a team and know their game bar one or two, we are missing half of what would be have been our first choice for this tournament, walker, cahill, wilshire, barry, lampard and bent so we have done remarkably well to finish top of the group and face a much easier tie against italy, i dont rate this italian side, they are without their best defender and i think parker will be in pirlo's face the whole game, giving gerrard the space to open up the italian defence, they have no pace at the back or midifeld and they wont enjoy facing the ariel prowess of carroll at some stage of the game, man-for-man i think we have a better team than italy in most positions, i still dont think we have a chance of winning the tournament but semi-finals would be a great achievement at the end of the day.

[speeeeeeedie]

I agree with Jim and Roverandout.

Hodgson has England playing as a team, it's been a long time since that happened. Barring injuries the same 11 will start the next game with the same 3 subs coming on if need be.

As for the moaning, it will always happen.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

we are missing half of what would be have been our first choice for this tournament, walker, cahill, wilshire, barry, lampard and bent so we have done remarkably well to finish top of the group

and face a much easier tie against italy, i dont rate this italian side, they are without their best defender and i think parker will be in pirlo's face the whole game, giving gerrard the space to open up the italian defence, they have no pace at the back or midifeld and they wont enjoy facing the ariel prowess of carroll at some stage of the game, man-for-man i think we have a better team than italy in most positions

I'll give you Walker and perhaps Cahill due to the fact he plays with Terry at Chelsea and therefore might have started. Although I do think Lescott would have anyway. Bent was average at best and incredibly lazy this season for Villa and I don't think he would have started either. Parker would have started over Wilshere and Barry in a 4-4-2 which you would have played. I can't see Hodgson making the same vital error that previous England managers made by playing Lampard and Gerrard together. A big loss though nonetheless.

Parker on Pirlo leaves space for Montolivo and Motta (or Giovinco). Pirlo is the main playmaker but Gerrard isn't exactly the best defensively. I can see Rooney being the one to drop back on Pirlo like Croatia did with Mandzukic for a bit. Croatia had success in that game in the 2nd half after going 4-2-3-1 with Modric up against Pirlo and I think England should do the same from now on in the tournament with Gerrard behind Rooney and Parker and Phil Jones behind...or maybe Milner. Just as long as it isn't Henderson.

I think you could have the most success in the game down the flanks (like all your other games I suppose) as Croatia sometimes had 2 on 1 against their full backs. Although I don't think Italy's centre backs will be too troubled by Rooney in the air despite his heading ability improving quite a bit over the last few seasons. That will change drastically though if Carroll gets a game. One player I would definitely drop is Ashley Young as once again watching England reminded me of Blackburn, as he offered almost nothing defensively. This would be a massive issue against their right wing back Maggio who plays for Napoli and is a very good player. If Cole and Johnson are left on their own to deal with the wing backs then they will be too wide and both Cassano and Balotelli love to work the channels which could cause you problems. Cole and Johnson versus their 2 wing backs would also leave 2 vs 2 at the back. Also I don't think you should employ a high defensive line like I think you did against Sweden as they have pace in attack that especially Terry won't be able to handle.

I'm not going to talk about Ukraine's disallowed goal because it's football and it happens to everyone, for and against, but what I will say is that it was not offside at all in the build up and can't believe I keep hearing that.

I wouldn't exactly call myself a neutral in England games but your games have still been lacking in quality/creativity and can be quite frustrating. Not all the time of course and you do still have some very good players. I've just spoken to my cousin who is in Italy at the moment and apparently the locals were celebrating in a pub in Florence when they knew they would be playing England and not France. You do have a chance of winning the game but not that much imo as you do not keep the ball enough to beat a team like Italy, who for me have been pretty impressive this tournament.

[Audax]

noone has been impressive so far thats what makes it interesting, 4 or 5 teams can win it, including england, provided the teams get a bit of luck etc, germany and spain could easily be out now had luck not been on their side, we have never been a good posession team and are unlikely to ever be but we have finally found a group of players who play as a team and know their game bar one or two, we are missing half of what would be have been our first choice for this tournament, walker, cahill, wilshire, barry, lampard and bent so we have done remarkably well to finish top of the group and face a much easier tie against italy, i dont rate this italian side, they are without their best defender and i think parker will be in pirlo's face the whole game, giving gerrard the space to open up the italian defence, they have no pace at the back or midifeld and they wont enjoy facing the ariel prowess of carroll at some stage of the game, man-for-man i think we have a better team than italy in most positions, i still dont think we have a chance of winning the tournament but semi-finals would be a great achievement at the end of the day.

A tournament of equals so this article says by Brian Glanville: http://www.worldsoccer.com/columnists/a-tournament-of-equals-euro-2012-remains-wide-open

He outright says that Croatia were unlucky to lose to Spain.

Per Greece, he writes:

Greece’s astonishing victory against the much-fancied Russians, whom even the resuscitated Andrei Arshavin (will Arsenal take him back from loan to Zenit?) unable to save the game, was blemished by a wretched refereeing decision. Giorgos Karagounis, veteran survivor of the remarkable Greek team which won in Portugal eight years ago, the scorer of the winning goal, quite out of the blue, against Russia, was most unjustly penalised with a yellow card by an inept referee in the Swede, Eriksson, when it should have been plain enough that it was Karagounis who was fouled and deserved to be given a penalty. So Karagounis was ruled out of the difficult match against Germany.

Just in the spirit of fair play, I wish they could appeal and allow this Greek player Karagounis to play against Germany. Greece obviously will be the big underdog already. He seems to say Denmark should have been given a penalty vs. Germany as well.

[cn174]

The semi is more realistic priced so im praying we make it, and its likely to be Z'Germans....let me know asap if they go on sale (if we are still in).

Hughsey use your noggin!! Just keep checking uefa website, dont wait for someone to tell you to check it.

btw be careful of fakeys from other websites, we met a few Irish who got done. They do two security checks on the tickets (and you) so they must be quite hard to copy which is how it should be.

Just got back home now, had a wonderful time in Poland. Would deffo go back to all those places, great atmosphere in all the cities, stadiums and fanzones.

By all accounts my brother is having a good time in Ukraine (although he has said that Kharkiv and Donesk are sh!tholes ha)

[Stuart]

Just in the spirit of fair play, I wish they could appeal and allow this Greek player Karagounis to play against Germany. Greece obviously will be the big underdog already. He seems to say Denmark should have been given a penalty vs. Germany as well.

I thought all yellow cards were rescinded after the group stages?

[Tom]

After the quarter finals they are but he already has a suspension in place for an accumaltion of them

[Hughesy]

Hughsey use your noggin!! Just keep checking uefa website, dont wait for someone to tell you to check it.

Just got back home now, had a wonderful time in Poland. Would deffo go back to all those places, great atmosphere in all the cities, stadiums and fanzones.

Oh I will do....just saying if anyone spots it then stick it on here just incase I havent spotted it as quickly.

What was Poland like for prices of beer then?

[thenodrog]

Unless I am mistaken Rooney has put on some blubber and yesterdays below par performance saw many commentators employing the euphamism 'rustiness' instead of a more accurate but politically incorrect term of 'fat git'. Last night when clean through in the last 10 mins he was caught quite easily prompting my thoughts that we have now seen the best of him. Like Owen his best years might have been his early ones.

Right having thought longer about this against Italy and the better teams I'd leave the GK and back 4 as they are (cos barring a lack of concentration against Sweden they have done well in the main) but drop FatBoy Wayne to the subs bench and save him for a last 20 impact role should it be necessary . He was too easily caught the other night when through on goal. If he can't be arsed to keep fit for this without Fergy on his case then he doesn't deserve to play a major role as far as I am concerned.

Gerrard could replace him in the attacking mid position with Phil Jones replacing Gerrard. Jones could dovetail defensively with Parker which would make for a much stronger defensive mid pairing, more strength in the air at both ends and which in turn would allow us to play the more attacking wing options should it be necessary late in the game. Walcott to replace Milner after 50 mins rather than 80 and similar with Downing / Oxlade Chamberlain with the lightweight Young. Young's only edge over those two is in winning dodgy free kicks around the pen area. Like the necessary requirement for all wags he goes down well.

Centre forward? Take your pick depending on the perceived weaknesses of the opposing centre halves.

If Hodgson will see it my way it could well be the making of him.

[roverandout]

italy have been far from impressive, they got a deserved point against spain but they didnt exactly push the spanish, they scraped a draw against the croatians and were very unimpressive against the irish, who had a couple of great chances, we have been far from impressive too so i would rate this game at 50-50, that being said we CAN beat them but we will need to raise our game.

[American Rover12]

Just saw that Blues Bar was showing the quarters and offering drink specials. Would be a good opportunity to remind everyone we still want Kean/Venkys out. Protest shirts snuck in under England tops!