[Archived] euro12 thread

[T4E]

Absolute codswallop. This 'anti-football' brigade are so far up their own arses they can see daylight. We stopped a superior team from scoring in 120 minutes. Sure we bottled it in the shoot out, AGAIN, but that was a commendable performance from England. It's not all about tippy tappy, fall over when someone pressures you, football y'know.

....and as soon as you can win trophies purely by stopping the opposition scoring at the expense of actually having possession of the ball then that will become a commendable performance. Until then it will remain a negative, defeatist shambles.

[jim mk2]

Proud Scot. Like I've said previously my dislike of England's football teams stems from a large portion of their fans and media's usual arrogance.

As a "proud Scot" perhaps you should keep quiet after your country's dismal fall from grace. I think it's sad that the Celtic nations enjoy England defeats - just shows their small nation mentality.

[roversoutsider]

Proud Scot. Like I've said previously my dislike of England's football teams stems from a large portion of their fans and media's usual arrogance.

Who is your No. 1 striker?

[Silencio]

Not true - Rooney's skill level is the equal of Gacoigne's. At his best (which he wasn't here) he's one of the world's best forwards.

When he came through I thought so. He was explosive and could run past and hold off players on the move as Gazza did. Unfortunately he's lost some of that and had to make up for it by getting better around the six yard box. He's still very good in tight positions and is one of the world's better forwards but his fitness restricts his game IMO. It certainly did tonight…

(Obviously his club career has been a lot better than Gazza's was)

[jim mk2]

i just dont know where we go from here, we never seem to learn, how come germany have produced such a world class squad when they were as ###### as us 10 years ago, they are no nearer to becoming better teqhnicians, it makes me so damn sad and upset that we havent learned from past tournaments

Germans have a national mindset in football in that they go on the pitch expecting to win. It makes a huge difference. England for a few years under Alf Ramsey were the same.

[Tom]

Who is your No. 1 striker?

Whoever it is would have done more and tried harder than our number one striker

[Majiball]

Absolute codswallop. This 'anti-football' brigade are so far up their own arses they can see daylight. We stopped a superior team from scoring in 120 minutes. Sure we bottled it in the shoot out, AGAIN, but that was a commendable performance from England. It's not all about tippy tappy, fall over when someone pressures you, football y'know.

I thought dumb luck played a bigger part than anything else, you should have dead and buried at 90.

Even Ireland who were the worst side in the tournmament managed to string 5 passes together. The reason why England are so ###### is because they have no midfield, they can't tackle and can't pass.

They have a midfield but playing two compact banks of 4 allowing Pirlo the freedom of the park is suicide.

Gotta love the way you lot turn on SIH becuase he's Scottish, you lot are worse than the Germans at least they gave Poland back eventually.

Scots are the lowest of the low and ruled by ######, to quote a famous one.

[roversoutsider]

Whoever it is would have done more and tried harder than our number one striker

I thought their No. 1 striker was David Goodwillie? Are you saying he would do better than Rooney? You sound like Steve Kean!

[DE.]

Since when has Kean's Rovers defended or shown the shape and commitment like England have in this tournament ? You're talking rubbish.

You call having 30+ shots on our goal tonight good defending? Whilst our defence made some decent last ditch tackles, the Italians should and could have scored 4 or 5. They stopped themselves from scoring, we gifted them 3 or 4 golden opportunities which they blew.

As for further back in the tournament - those two goals Sweden scored were pretty embarrassing as well. The French goal was right out of the Kean textbook - stand off on the edge of the penalty area and let them shoot.

It's easy to get caught up in the lie that we're committed, have shape, blah blah blah... but really, England are just a very average team who were shown up tonight big style. I savaged Ireland for playing like crap and I'll do the same for England. We're light-years behind the best European teams, absolute light-years. And to think some of the wages those players are on it's shameful.

[T4E]

I'm delighted you're out. There, I said it.

[Tom]

I thought their No. 1 striker was David Goodwillie? Are you saying he would do better than Rooney? You sound like Steve Kean!

More than Rooney did tonight?

Yes

Steve Kean himself could have

[RoyRover]

At international level England are an average to good side but they are not a poor side. They did well to reach the quarter-finals. As for "prehistoric tactics", there is nothing wrong with sound defence and commitment - qualities Rovers were lacking all season.

They are an average side at best. A team full of players hyped up beyond their actually ability due to the fact that they play in the biggest league in the world. It shows how far England's aspirations have fallen that sound defence and commitment are things that the media have been scrapping the barrel for to give England team some positive qualities. These are the vert basic things you'd expect at international level.

[dr_awol]

Really poor performance from england tonight... but what would be more worrying is the lack of quality coming through, jones and chamberlain all i can think off

[Andy]

A very good effort in getting to the quarter finals and being a shootout away from the semis (yet again), particularly considering the amount of time Roy has had to work with the squad.

Very proud of the team and very proud to be English, as ever.

Interested to see where we go from here - ie whether we build afresh with youth.

[DE.]

Sheer class

[Baz]

Italy deserved to win, mainly because of lumping the ball upfield, they chose to pass it to each other.

The massive holes in the England squad were showing throughout the tournament, too many average players around (Henderson, Milner, Jagielka etc...). We defended reasonably well, but to be frank Italy missed some very good chances, as did England when we actually tried to attack their back four.

Best 4 teams through to Semis.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Yes. People may get annoyed, and then they may take to their keyboard and tell you how annoyed they are.

I also don't know why more goalkeepers don't stay on their feet in the centre of goal - they'd save just as many penalties as they do by diving.

I think that would be easy to work out after a while. And you would look like a complete tit if it went in.

At international level England are an average to good side but they are not a poor side. They did well to reach the quarter-finals. As for "prehistoric tactics", there is nothing wrong with sound defence and commitment - qualities Rovers were lacking all season.

It's all about relativity. For a nation of 50 million people, with 4 professional leagues, one of which is at least in the top 2 in the world and the right infrastructure then England are certainly a poor side.

sorry salgado but your clearly a bitter scot then, whose own national side is far behind everyone else, you're at the same level as the faroe islands and the likes of moldova, i am not saying that out of spite either, if i was you i would take more interest in my own national team's vast shortcomings

I'm not bitter I just like when the arrogant English fans come crashing down to Earth. Not everyone of course I feel sorry for the English fans who speak sense and realise they aren't as good as the likes of Italy etc. Believe me when I say I care a lot more about Scotland than I do about England. We beat Faroe Islands 3-0 last time and Moldova 2-0. I know you were exaggerating though. Scotland is a nation of 5 million people and is as good as it should be. In other words you could argue that relatively we are better than you. Like the last time we played when we beat you 1-0 haha. I am aware of the score in the first leg.

As a "proud Scot" perhaps you should keep quiet after your country's dismal fall from grace. I think it's sad that the Celtic nations enjoy England defeats - just shows their small nation mentality.

I am a member of the younger generation and we are as sh1t as we have been in my lifetime. Although we also have some pretty good youngsters coming through, Grant Hanley being one of them. We enjoy your defeats because of how arrogant you usually are (not everyone).

Who is your No. 1 striker?

Steven Fletcher technically. McFadden I suppose is a support striker. People are commenting on Rooney being over weight and how that has seemingly affected his performance, with his touch and pace. Goodwillie is also over weight.

[joey_big_nose]

To be honest I thought we did alright tonight, particularly in the first half. Two very even teams, Italy outplayed us but by and large a decent performance. Just depressing now all the fans and papers will chuck the toys out, Hodgson will be sacked, there will be a lot of bluster yet nothing will change. Its a daft defating vicious cycle.

For me it was a decent performance at the tournament. Before we went in everyone would have said we are a quarter final team. We made the quarter finals. Topped our qualifying group, topped our tournament group, showed we are a reasonable top ten in the world team without being in the same ball park as Spain or Germany. On another night we could have beaten Italy, but on penalties we dropped out. Hey ho. Lets concetrate on developing a better squad.

No shame in that.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

They are an average side at best. A team full of players hyped up beyond their actually ability due to the fact that they play in the biggest league in the world. It shows how far England's aspirations have fallen that sound defence and commitment are things that the media have been scrapping the barrel for to give England team some positive qualities. These are the vert basic things you'd expect at international level.

This team wasn't hyped up at all. I dont think anyone really expected us to get through to the semis. Look at the Dutch. Thats hype.

We got as far as we should have and no further. Quite simply, we dont have the players to play in any other style, certainly not well enough to beat the top European sides. We played to our strengths and hoped for a bit of luck. I dont think we could have expected much more. I would have liked to have seen more of the Ox and much less of Ashley Young but besides that, I dont think there can be too many complaints.

Wilshere could make a big difference in a few years time, as could the Ox given more games. I think this tournament told us what we already knew, that we're a good 10/15 years behind the likes of Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy and Holland when it comes to possession football, and until that changes we're not going to win an international tournament. You can't beat decent teams without the ball.

[joey_big_nose]

Really poor performance from england tonight... but what would be more worrying is the lack of quality coming through, jones and chamberlain all i can think off

Its not too shabby. Ox, Wiltshire, Welbeck, Hart, Jones, Smalling, Walker, Caroll is a decent foundation for the next ten years. Another very decent crop of youngster imo.

The point is I suppose is that these guys aren't anywhere near the quality of Germany or Spain (perhaps Hart, Wiltshire and Ox aside who all look excellent). But then Germany and Spain are utterly exceptional....

[DE.]

Quite simply, we dont have the players to play in any other style, certainly not well enough to beat the top European sides. We played to our strengths and hoped for a bit of luck. I dont think we could have expected much more. I would have liked to have seen more of the Ox and much less of Ashley Young but besides that, I dont think there can be too many complaints.

This is the part I struggle to accept, and most England fans should as well. Why don't we have the players to play in any other style than smash it up the pitch and hope Rooney or Carroll gets a head to it? Why can't our ridiculously well-paid players, most of whom play in what is generally considered to be one of if not the best league in the world, pass it to each other like Spain or Germany do? I was embarrassed by our hopeless long ball tactics this evening, every time we had the ball we just gave it right back to Italy. Our ball retention was so bad it genuinely reminded me of watching Rovers last season.

And let's be clear - Italy are not an amazing team. They're good, but not great. We should have been able to give the Italians a game and instead we were obliterated and made to look distinctly inferior. Man for man, surely the Italian players are on far less money than our boys? Why? Why can't our players pass and move like they do? Why should we accept that smacking the ball up the pitch and putting in cross after cross is the only way we can win a match?

Football needs to change at grassroots level in this country and it needs to start ASAP. We're a nation going nowhere right now, and with the best will in the world our young players will win nothing in the future unless a serious rethink is done into the way we play the game. Football has moved on, England haven't.

[T4E]

I think that would be easy to work out after a while. And you would look like a complete tit if it went in.

It's all about relativity. For a nation of 50 million people, with 4 professional leagues, one of which is at least in the top 2 in the world and the right infrastructure then England are certainly a poor side.

I'm not bitter I just like when the arrogant English fans come crashing down to Earth. Not everyone of course I feel sorry for the English fans who speak sense and realise they aren't as good as the likes of Italy etc. Believe me when I say I care a lot more about Scotland than I do about England. We beat Faroe Islands 3-0 last time and Moldova 2-0. I know you were exaggerating though. Scotland is a nation of 5 million people and is as good as it should be. In other words you could argue that relatively we are better than you. Like the last time we played when we beat you 1-0 haha. I am aware of the score in the first leg.

I am a member of the younger generation and we are as sh1t as we have been in my lifetime. Although we also have some pretty good youngsters coming through, Grant Hanley being one of them. We enjoy your defeats because of how arrogant you usually are (not everyone).

Steven Fletcher technically. McFadden I suppose is a support striker. People are commenting on Rooney being over weight and how that has seemingly affected his performance, with his touch and pace. Goodwillie is also over weight.

Don't get dragged in pal. Most England fans think humility is what you call it when it's warm outside.

[roverandout]

nothing more to say than we arent in the top bracket and we are a million miles from that, italy were by far the better side, better passers, too many passengers tonight, young, rooney, milner, wellbeck, not one decent cross into the box, i just dont understand how hard it can be to pass a ball a few yards, i cant say im proud of them as we have not really gained anything from this tournament, we are no further along than we were in south africa, totally deflated as i thought it might be different this time around, ah well!!!

shut up t4e, you're a nob

[jim mk2]

You call having 30+ shots on our goal tonight good defending? Whilst our defence made some decent last ditch tackles, the Italians should and could have scored 4 or 5. They stopped themselves from scoring, we gifted them 3 or 4 golden opportunities which they blew.

As for further back in the tournament - those two goals Sweden scored were pretty embarrassing as well. The French goal was right out of the Kean textbook - stand off on the edge of the penalty area and let them shoot.

It's easy to get caught up in the lie that we're committed, have shape, blah blah blah... but really, England are just a very average team who were shown up tonight big style. I savaged Ireland for playing like crap and I'll do the same for England. We're light-years behind the best European teams, absolute light-years. And to think some of the wages those players are on it's shameful.

No one's denying England are not in the top echelon at international level but to say they are "digusting" and comparing them to Kean's Rovers as you did is plainly nonsense.

[grizfoot]

England played a variation on the "hoofball" theme tonight. If Big Sam was England manager he'd probably be getting slated for it. Don't buy this new and improved England, the least you expect is a little bit of passion and work-rate for your country and to be able to keep a defensive shape. Apart from that England offered very little, ball retention was dreadful once again. I don't even think Italy are in the same class as a Germany or a Spain.