[Archived] European Championship France 2016

[RibbleValleyRover]

Would have put Rashford on,might have offered something different tonight.

The problem I see for England is that you can have tons of possession and create chances but you have to put them away at this level. Some of the better teams in the tournament will be far more clinical, England might have 6 or 7 chances against a Germany, France or Italy but those teams might only need 1 chance to put it away.

[Mike Graham]

Did anyone think Rooney had been on the pies and chips?

[Hasta]

Someone tell me Hodgson got it spot on tonight. I dare ya!

Coleman got it spot on. Ultimately done by a lucky England goal.

Lucky?

I've seen this a few times now. Did I miss something on Thursday?

Did sturridge lose his footing and rabona it in by mistake? Did a slight earth tremor deviate the trajectory of the ball to beat the keeper?

Ah , we are talking about the first goal. The one where we put in a decent cross and we challenged and pressurised the defender in to heading it back across his 6 yard line to our striker.

How does that make us lucky but Hart flapping at a very routine free kick save doesn't give them any luck?

[Gav]

Outstanding in the first half I thought, Clyne was superb, but we lacked ideas in the second half when Slovakia resorted to putting 11 men behind the ball instead of 10.

So we get 2 days extra rest and play Iceland, Hungary or Ronaldo, hardly disastrous.

We look a good team, I've been surprised, talent coming off the bench in abundance, but we do lack someone to 'pick the lock' and thats a worry.

[roverandout]

Hodgson dithering and team selections are costing us, we have the players but old wobbly neck is a senile old fart, bin him as soon as the tournament ends, bring a foreign coach with tactical awareness, can't stand the guy, why take our two most dangerous players off in Lallana and Sturridge and then bring on more conventional fowards, Henderson should have been replaced along with vardy, @#/? baffling. We now have a harder route thanks to the old dodderer

[Hasta]

I sad this pre-kick off but had we won the group we would probably face Spain or Croatia.

If we come runners up its unlikely to be Portugal who will probably either win the group or come third.

Therefore I'd expect Hungary, Austria or Iceland.

[Stuart]

Lucky?

I've seen this a few times now. Did I miss something on Thursday?

Did sturridge lose his footing and rabona it in by mistake? Did a slight earth tremor deviate the trajectory of the ball to beat the keeper?

Ah , we are talking about the first goal. The one where we put in a decent cross and we challenged and pressurised the defender in to heading it back across his 6 yard line to our striker.

How does that make us lucky but Hart flapping at a very routine free kick save doesn't give them any luck?

We were seconds away from three draws and got a lucky break. Did you not watch that ball bounce back to Sturridge.

Wales' had a similarly lucky goal tonight with a rebound back to the striker but they banged another two in against a team we couldn't see off.

Too many changes has cost us. But for that last minute goal we could be going home.

[K-Hod]

I couldn't believe we took Lallana off, that was a head scratcher. That game was crying out for a different type of striker (I.e. like Andy Carroll), as all our strikers are too samey IMO. There doesn't appear to be a plan b bar bringing on all our strikers, which in fairness worked against Wales but Slovakia appeared to have expected it.

That being said, we were incredibly wasteful in front of goal when we did have a chance. As someone else said, against better teams we simply can't be that wasteful again or it will really cost us and send us home.

[Stuart]

Can't beat Russia or Slovakia, yet Wales managed it, but Woy "fears nobody".

Cup games are all about consistency and momentum. Woy is a meddler. Not a good combination.

[Hasta]

We were seconds away from three draws and got a lucky break. Did you not watch that ball bounce back to Sturridge.

Wales' had a similarly lucky goal tonight with a rebound back to the striker but they banged another two in against a team we couldn't see off.

Too many changes has cost us. But for that last minute goal we could be going home.

Lol.

Bounce back to Sturridge.

https://youtu.be/KVNg6vJri7c

[Baz]

Couldnt see the need for the number of changes tonight, can understand Sturridge and Vardy, but not the others. Didn't see the point in keeping 2 defensive midfielders on the park in Henderson and Dier. For all they are saying on ITV the longer that game went on, the less ideas we had. Maybe shows that Carroll rather than Rashford would have given us a different option. Sturridge sat too deep, and no-one ran directly at their opposite player in and around their area, just pushed it out wide, for a ball in and Skrtyl headed away.

Wilshere looked like a guy who has played 5 hours of football in 12 months.

IMO play your best available team, get ahead, and then bring on the likes of Wilshere if and when you have the opportunity.

[perthblue02]

Hodgson just interviewed on Bein sports, and the reason we have not set the tournament alight is because basically the opposition have not played the way we want them to play to exploit them.

Lets just hope the opponents in the last 16 know how they are supposed to play as it sounds like we have no plan B

[Baz]

Hodgson just interviewed on Bein sports, and the reason we have not set the tournament alight is because basically the opposition have not played the way we want them to play to exploit them.

Lets just hope the opponents in the last 16 know how they are supposed to play as it sounds like we have no plan B

Throughout his managerial career, Hodgson has been successful at defensive minded counter-attacking football, and far less successful at bigger clubs where the team demands his team dictates play. I see no difference in this England side.

[yorkblue]

England will be more effective as an attacking force against teams that are more positive. More space will be available and that will suit us. Unfortunately our defensive weaknesses will be more exposed as well. It could be you score 2 and we score 3 time.

[Gav]

Reading back through the posts Roys being critisized again for doing something a bit different.

We've been doing the same things for 50yrs and won nothing, I've traveled thousands of miles watching England managers in tournaments do the same thing, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary!

So if Roy wants to make changes after a win I'm all for it, lets see how far we go doing things a bit different.

[Husky]

Hodgson just interviewed on Bein sports, and the reason we have not set the tournament alight is because basically the opposition have not played the way we want them to play to exploit them.

Lets just hope the opponents in the last 16 know how they are supposed to play as it sounds like we have no plan B

Woy Bowyer!

[roverandout]

Probably second round

[Baz]

Reading back through the posts Roys being critisized again for doing something a bit different.

We've been doing the same things for 50yrs and won nothing, I've traveled thousands of miles watching England managers in tournaments do the same thing, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary!

So if Roy wants to make changes after a win I'm all for it, lets see how far we go doing things a bit different.

I hope you are right Gav, but Woy I fear just isn't a winner.

[Husky]

Probably second round

[patrickvalery]

I can't decide if we're playing well and being unlucky or if we're just lacking a bit of cutting edge. It has to be said that most times we got a shot off it hit one of the slovakian lads. Their keeper made two good stops at least. I just wish I could shake that nagging feeling that this lot are a bit on the flakey side.

I can only hope tonight shows Henderson isn't up to it and Wilshire is too far off the pace to be an integral cog in the machine. Only wish we had the competition in midfield that we had a fullback. Which is worrying considering nearly our whole squad are midfielders.

I think my main emotion this evening was best described as a kind of deep belly growl mixed with a hefty lung full of sigh.

Should also add, I actually think we moss wellbeck. A bit more direct and strong from out wide.

[Husky]

I think my main emotion this evening was best described as a kind of deep belly growl mixed with a hefty lung full of sigh.

I had something similar. But probably more because I drank some Stella dated November 2015.

[patrickvalery]

I had something similar. But probably more because I drank some Stella dated November 2015.

In my house we call that a vintage.

[McClarky]

I thought England played quite well tonight. They were fast and incisive but lost momentum later on. Sone of that must be with Lallana going off who was superb again. A bit short on composure and quality around the box but apart from that it was much better than anything in the last 2 or 3 tournaments.

[Husky]

Woy is such a @#/?!

Was looking forward to a Saturday summer daylight game down the pub. Now it's back to a keany Monday night game (probably at home).

[oldjamfan1]

We were seconds away from three draws and got a lucky break. Did you not watch that ball bounce back to Sturridge.

Too many changes has cost us. But for that last minute goal we could be going home.

So if we score a last minute goal (Wales) its lucky, but if we concede one (Russia) its just a goal?