Great team performance with no prima donnas. Hodgson is playing to our strengths and not pouncing around with over the top tippy tappy which we can't do. Not sure how this work ethic will be maintained in competition but great to have a team back that we can be proud of.
I can think of two other England team void of prima donnas that have just both reached the semis of their respective World Cup tournaments - one male and one female.
The average age of our starting X1 yesterday was 24 and there is a core of players who are used to playing with each other week in week out.
Not saying that we are going to win the Euros because luck does play a part but the one thing for certain is that they are all pulling in the same direction. And that can take you a long way.
Imo Vardy should be starting, playing against same oppositions as Rooney with worse players along side him and still scored more goals.
But we all know Rooney is Roys love child and can't be dropped so Rooney will start, Vardy will probably get about half hours playing time in whole competition, we will go out in group stages with everyone laughing at us and Rooney will go eat some burgers
Not a Rooney fan then?
He's basically carrying Man Utd at the moment along with Martial.
Certainly is. No way will / can he be left out of the England side.
Oops!! No way!! Rooney's inclusion will just result in the usual slowing down of play to pedestrian pace. Pace last night terrified the Germans and there is no way Rooney should be included at the expense of anyone who performed last night. Bar 2004, he always fails to impress at big tournaments and can no longer even be regarded as a luxury you can't do without.
Really hate the imbalance he brings to an England team. We are now, finally, so better off without him.
Agree with this. It's almost like you wish Rooney would get injured before the tournament starts so the decision to start with him is taken out of Hodgson's hands
Imo Vardy should be starting, playing against same oppositions as Rooney with worse players along side him and still scored more goals.
But we all know Rooney is Roys love child and can't be dropped so Rooney will start, Vardy will probably get about half hours playing time in whole competition, we will go out in group stages with everyone laughing at us and Rooney will go eat some burgers
Not a Rooney fan then?
He's basically carrying Man Utd at the moment along with Martial.
Certainly is. No way will / can he be left out of the England side.
Oops!! No way!! Rooney's inclusion will just result in the usual slowing down of play to pedestrian pace. Pace last night terrified the Germans and there is no way Rooney should be included at the expense of anyone who performed last night. Bar 2004, he always fails to impress at big tournaments and can no longer even be regarded as a luxury you can't do without.
Really hate the imbalance he brings to an England team. We are now, finally, so better off without him.
Agree with this. It's almost like you wish Rooney would get injured before the tournament starts so the decision to start with him is taken out of Hodgson's hands
Was discussing this with my father-in-law today. Don't really want to wish injury on a player, so maybe we can engineer him biting someone and getting a ban that goes past the Euros?
Roy will always play rooney if he's available. For two tournaments he has played him even though Rooney was out of form, injured and unfit. Roy holds this hope that the roon will show world class ability and drag the team to the final.
At the end of the day it boils down to: are we more likely to do well with or without Rooney? On the basis of the football England have played over the last year (taking into account opposition and occasion) I would not have him starting. A bit like Jacko if we actually had any better options, I wouldn't start him
Rooney plays a much slower more tactical game. Dropping deep, short passing. If we had the quality and mentality of say Italy, that would work. But this England team is all about pace and hitting teams on the break. It's great to watch and it's the English way. Id be tempted not to take Rooney.
Isn't this the guy who was our top scorer and n the qualifiers and just broke the all time record for goals scored?
Should he start? Debatable.
Should he travel as part of a squad. Of course.
I would take Kane, Vardy, Rooney, Sturridge, Wellbeck.
Don't let logic get in the way of bias Damo.
I will repeat 'til the cows come home, and don't give a shit who argues that we were a poor side, we scored two goals in the last world cup, he scored one and set the other one up. That's 100% involvement in the two positive moments in 270 minutes of football. If he "failed" what is your summing up of the other 22, some of whom are being championed for this June?
That said, I wouldn't start him after the way the team played on Saturday, I might feel different after the other four friendlies we have lined up. I would have him in the squad, if he's fit.
Isn't this the guy who was our top scorer and n the qualifiers and just broke the all time record for goals scored?
Should he start? Debatable.
Should he travel as part of a squad. Of course.
I would take Kane, Vardy, Rooney, Sturridge, Wellbeck.
Rooney has suffered by playing in a slow and stodgy Man U team. As I said on the other thread, Sturridge would fit in far better with the way we played on Saturday.
Roy will always play rooney if he's available. For two tournaments he has played him even though Rooney was out of form, injured and unfit. Roy holds this hope that the roon will show world class ability and drag the team to the final.
We weren't over-blessed with options before though (Ricky lambert and Andy Carroll, anyone?) . This time, there are at least 3 better centre forwards and 2 better number 10s
Isn't this the guy who was our top scorer and n the qualifiers and just broke the all time record for goals scored?
Should he start? Debatable.
Should he travel as part of a squad. Of course.
I would take Kane, Vardy, Rooney, Sturridge, Wellbeck.
Don't let logic get in the way of bias Damo.
I will repeat 'til the cows come home, and don't give a shit who argues that we were a poor side, we scored two goals in the last world cup, he scored one and set the other one up. That's 100% involvement in the two positive moments in 270 minutes of football. If he "failed" what is your summing up of the other 22, some of whom are being championed for this June?
That said, I wouldn't start him after the way the team played on Saturday, I might feel different after the other four friendlies we have lined up. I would have him in the squad, if he's fit.
Agreed.
I think a lot of Rooney's problems, or perceived problems, are linked to the fact our media and pundits over hyped him as a kid and have felt the need to continue to do so until recently.
He has always been a very good Premiership player and at his peak was one of the better forwards in Europe, but he has never hit the heights of being a potential World's best like he was made out to be and it's debatable, with players like Terry, Gerrard, Beckham etc etc around during his career, if he has ever even been England's single best player. If Rooney had been a less high profile player he'd be lauded for his England record, but because some people were led into expecting him to be the english Messi or Ronaldo I think some will always see what he has done as under achievement.
Personally I think Rooney's time is coming to an end with England, but he still has plenty to offer right now. At this precise moment I'd have him on the bench as an option for the game with 20 minutes left where we need a goal but, at the same time, a lot of the people calling for him to axed altogether are the same ones banging on about picking on form not reputation. Well, if that is truly what we are going to do (and I agree we largely should) we need to wait until the end of the season and see who is still in and out of form (including Rooney) before we write anyone off.
England fan logic = Beat the World Champions after being 2-0 down + Rooney hasn't even played = Slag off Rooney
Not sure I'm seeing any slagging off here? It's more a case of realism, common sense and an acceptance of the bleedin obvious that is smacking us all in the face!
Hodgson said: "I have to repeat Wayne is our captain and he has captained the team extremely well in the past two years.
"He took us through a qualifying campaign where we had a complete success with 10 wins out out 10. It doesn't please me too much that it is suggested now that the moment he is injured and doesn't play he gets jettisoned in some way. He doesn't deserve that."
This to me, suggests that Rooney will very much still have a starting place under Hodgson.
Course he will. Rooney should have been dropped years ago I reckon. Although we have won, who have we beaten? If we had lost it would have been shit.
He's scored but not as many as he should have and has held the side back as too often it's set up around him and if he fails to fire, which happens frequently, we are screwed.
Mind you, never have liked him, even at the point where he was a fit bright prospect rather than a slightly geriatric crock.
Often looked towards the fat end of sturdy.
Contrast with Vardy, I know who I would have working for my company.
Course he will. Rooney should have been dropped years ago I reckon. Although we have won, who have we beaten? If we had lost it would have been shit.
He's scored but not as many as he should have and has held the side back as too often it's set up around him and if he fails to fire, which happens frequently, we are screwed.
Mind you, never have liked him, even at the point where he was a fit bright prospect rather than a slightly geriatric crock.
Often looked towards the fat end of sturdy.
Contrast with Vardy, I know who I would have working for my company.
Kane ... Vardy ... Rooney ... Welbeck or Sturridge would be my Strikers for the Euros
Why not take all five of them and drop Walcott or Sterling from the list of Midfielders
Agree with this. personally I'd drop Sterling off of Tower Bridge. All he does is strut about.
Both Walcott and Sterling are terrible when it comes to finishing... Plus when they run into the box they either find it impossible to look up and so find a killer pass or try to shoot themselves from an impossible angle!!
As I said in an earlier post over the Weekend... Against Germany we passed the ball around them so quickly we got up the pitch as a team quicker than usual meaning we had more bodies in the box with more space.
Sterling / Walcott are great on the counter attack yet when no one in the England side can keep up with them either the ball either gets fizzed straight across the box and goes for a throw in or the opposition get the ball back and go on their own attack, leaving our players vulnerable and out of position!!
Comments
The average age of our starting X1 yesterday was 24 and there is a core of players who are used to playing with each other week in week out.
Not saying that we are going to win the Euros because luck does play a part but the one thing for certain is that they are all pulling in the same direction. And that can take you a long way.
Agree with this. It's almost like you wish Rooney would get injured before the tournament starts so the decision to start with him is taken out of Hodgson's hands
Drop Rooney...put him on the bench make him fight for his place.
Might end up seeing the Rooney of 2004
Id be tempted not to take Rooney.
Should he start? Debatable.
Should he travel as part of a squad. Of course.
I would take Kane, Vardy, Rooney, Sturridge, Wellbeck.
I will repeat 'til the cows come home, and don't give a shit who argues that we were a poor side, we scored two goals in the last world cup, he scored one and set the other one up. That's 100% involvement in the two positive moments in 270 minutes of football. If he "failed" what is your summing up of the other 22, some of whom are being championed for this June?
That said, I wouldn't start him after the way the team played on Saturday, I might feel different after the other four friendlies we have lined up. I would have him in the squad, if he's fit.
Clyne, Stones, Smalling, Bertrand/ Shaw if fit
Dier, Alli, Barkley We weren't over-blessed with options before though (Ricky lambert and Andy Carroll, anyone?) . This time, there are at least 3 better centre forwards and 2 better number 10s
I think a lot of Rooney's problems, or perceived problems, are linked to the fact our media and pundits over hyped him as a kid and have felt the need to continue to do so until recently.
He has always been a very good Premiership player and at his peak was one of the better forwards in Europe, but he has never hit the heights of being a potential World's best like he was made out to be and it's debatable, with players like Terry, Gerrard, Beckham etc etc around during his career, if he has ever even been England's single best player. If Rooney had been a less high profile player he'd be lauded for his England record, but because some people were led into expecting him to be the english Messi or Ronaldo I think some will always see what he has done as under achievement.
Personally I think Rooney's time is coming to an end with England, but he still has plenty to offer right now. At this precise moment I'd have him on the bench as an option for the game with 20 minutes left where we need a goal but, at the same time, a lot of the people calling for him to axed altogether are the same ones banging on about picking on form not reputation. Well, if that is truly what we are going to do (and I agree we largely should) we need to wait until the end of the season and see who is still in and out of form (including Rooney) before we write anyone off.
"He took us through a qualifying campaign where we had a complete success with 10 wins out out 10. It doesn't please me too much that it is suggested now that the moment he is injured and doesn't play he gets jettisoned in some way. He doesn't deserve that."
This to me, suggests that Rooney will very much still have a starting place under Hodgson.
He's scored but not as many as he should have and has held the side back as too often it's set up around him and if he fails to fire, which happens frequently, we are screwed.
Mind you, never have liked him, even at the point where he was a fit bright prospect rather than a slightly geriatric crock.
Often looked towards the fat end of sturdy.
Contrast with Vardy, I know who I would have working for my company.
It's up to Rooney (or should be) to show Hodgson, and the public, that he's worthy of displacing them.
Why not take all five of them and drop Walcott or Sterling from the list of Midfielders
As I said in an earlier post over the Weekend... Against Germany we passed the ball around them so quickly we got up the pitch as a team quicker than usual meaning we had more bodies in the box with more space.
Sterling / Walcott are great on the counter attack yet when no one in the England side can keep up with them either the ball either gets fizzed straight across the box and goes for a throw in or the opposition get the ball back and go on their own attack, leaving our players vulnerable and out of position!!