European Championship

[warspite1]

Well done to Wales, well deserved - top man Gareth Bale [&o]

[Franciscus]

Congratulations to England and specially Wales !!

[TulliusDetritus]

Not really appropiate. Apologies.

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
I'm now struggling....

My worst fear now is that Portugal finishes 2nd in their group...England - Portugal...Well, history teaches us how to place that bet unfortunately.

[VPaulus]

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: warspite1
I'm now struggling....

My worst fear now is that Portugal finishes 2nd in their group...England - Portugal...Well, history teaches us how to place that bet unfortunately.

England beat us on the 66' World Cup semi-final.
I think think they can beat us again. So my fear is exactly like yours... I hope Portugal finish in first and avoid England.

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Well quelle surprise...... another tournament, another opponent we should be beating and....... it never gets any better does it?

Why do England footballers not understand that playing the ball forward, quickly, with precision, behind the defence is what causes defences to crumble? We did that a few times in the first half, maybe once in the second... and that's it. Why?

Speaking of why, Why was Vardy taken off at half time and not replaced? Why was the knackered Kane brought on and not Rashford? Why Henderson indeed? Mind you, Wilshire and Rooney were pretty awful too.

On the positives, we can't score but we dominated the game, Eric Dier looks a better player with every game, Clynne was industrious down the right and Sturridge looked good before he tired. I'm now struggling....

Bad Things...

First up, because they lack the composure that is needed. I never feel confident when Ebgland go into half time at 0-0. If they haven't already scored by that point then panic seems to set in and we're treated to lots of sideways passing as no-one takes the lead followed by 30 yard shots into a mass of defenders as someone eventually tries to be a hero.

Why was Vardy taken off? Because he fluffed his one chance at getting a goal. He shouldn't have started IMO, he's better from the bench against a side who aren't looking to defend.
Why was Kane brought on? I suspect because he's more experienced than Rashford.
Why Henderson? I do not know. I can understand Wilshere as he's been ever present for the qualifying campaign. But Henderson has never had a good game for England. He's a 6/10 player, at his absolute best he's competent. But I wouldn't trust him to pass the salt at the dinner table. [:@]
Wilshere was pants. Get ball. Run at defenders. Lose ball. Repeat to fade.
Rooney. Is. Not. A. Midfielder. Passing the ball sideways to Danny Rose to do something with does not a midfielder make. It's not his fault I guess, people are desperate for him to be shoehorned into the side somewhere. But if he has a bad game it's Roy's fault for not dropping him. If he doesn't play and we lose then it's Roy's fault that we're missing his leadership.


Jordan Henderson. Again. So bad. It's actually reached the point that I'm feeling sorry for Mark Noble. Like Henderson he's also an average midfielder for a decentish Premier League team. But he's never had the chance to be pish for England.

More Questions...

Why do people keep talking about the quality forwards we've got in the team when they've managed three goals?
Why does the England team still cause me feelings of frustration?

Good Things...

Clyne was good, but it wasn't that long ago that he was first choice RB was it? But he's good competition for Rose so that's positive.
Eric Dier has been good. A few too many long range shots into the sea of bodies at times, but he's played some actual good long range passes. Maybe a side effect of spending time at a foreign academy?
Joe Hart didn't drop a bollock this time. So that's an improvement.
The red kit looked alright.
John Stones hasn't got onto the pitch.

[warspite1]

Why was Vardy taken off?

He wasn't taken off. The fact that you believed me merely proves that he was non-existent in the second-half [:(]

Why was Kane brought on? I suspect because he's more experienced than Rashford.

True - but he's also totally cream crackered

Why does the England team still cause me feelings of frustration?

Because its football? Its our national game? Its important!? I am looking at Germany now and the difference in passing, movement, ideas and....everything is just incredible.....

[warspite1]

NORTHERN IRELAND! Fingers crossed now

[RichMunn]

ORIGINAL: Franciscus

Congratulations to England and specially Wales !!

I am 62 and that was the best Wales performance I have ever seen by a street. Russia were terrible but they were put to the sword.

England should score so many more goals than they do. But teams will be frightened by our world-class player Bale and his 2 or 3 very good quality team-mates, especially Aaron Ramsey, more than they will be frightened by Hodgson's inconsistent and uncertain England. (My view is that England have no world class players, but many very good ones).

Coleman has a team which has a great spirit and if it plays without fear (which it did not against England) no little pace and skill.

And now it has to be "play to win".

[:)]

[gamer78]

Franciscus Portugal missed so opportunties!
But look at a group with Croatia and Spain. [8D]
It is not fair to be in it. [:o]

[TulliusDetritus]

So if I well understood Germany, France, Italy, England and now Spain on one side = killing each other until only one is alive that is [:D]

And on the other side Wales and Croatia.

I hope Croatia makes it to the final and bags the title [8D]

[Wolfe1759]

Northern Ireland are through to the last 16 [:)][:)][:)]

Now France or (I hope) Wales and then onwards to the final - I'd predict an Albania v Northern Ireland final though that may be slightly wishful thinking, we'll probably end up playing Iceland [:D]

[warspite1]

So pleased for little Northern Ireland. McGovern was unbelievable and they all worked their socks off - rode their luck, yes of course - but only 1-0 to the World Champions? I think that was a great day's work. I particularly like the passion that O'Neill, the manager, displays during the game. Here is a guy that WANTS to win.

Would be great for Northern Ireland to meet Wales in the last 16. That's one British side in the last 8...... and probably the only British side in the last 8 [:(]

[warspite1]

Is Group F the most mucked up in football history? [X(]

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Is Group F the most mucked up in football history? [X(]

Why mucked up? [&:]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Is Group F the most mucked up in football history? [X(]

Why mucked up? [&:]

warspite1

Because no one gave Iceland or Hungary a prayer, and Austria (rightly or wrongly) were seen by some as dark horses - and of course Portugal are Portugal (semi-finalists 4 years ago). Portugal may yet turn it around, but for most of that half they were out of the competition......

[Orm]

Oh. I see.

The 'golden generation' of Portugal has past. And most teams play defensively against them to minimize the possibility of counters. So I am not all that surprised that Portugal has been struggling.

And I guessed that Iceland would win their matches with 1-0. And if failing that then a 1-1 draw.

So to me group F isn't mucked up, but rather interesting. [:)]

[Orm]

Iceland!!!

[&o] [&o] [&o] [&o] [&o] [&o] [&o]

[Orm]

England vs Iceland. [:)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

Iceland!!!

[&o] [&o] [&o] [&o] [&o] [&o] [&o]

warspite1

I think you mean

ICELAND!!!!!