I'm glad we are in the tough half of the draw, if you wanna be the best you have to beat the best. Hodgson has been moaning about the 3 teams that played England all parked the bus for 90 minutes, well these lot wont so time to prove yourself Woy.
You are all aware we won't have to play ALL of those teams? After a likely meeting with France it's Spain, Italy OR Germany! Doesn't feel so bad knowing two of them will have been eliminated for us. If we beat Hungary/Iceland/Portugal then France. Or Northern Ireland, lol
Basically Hodgson has fucked up massively. If he hadn't have dicked around with the side we would be in Wales position now.
I keep reading this, but what make you so sure the team that started vs Wales would've won yesterday?
Most of the players he brought in played no better or worse than then ones they replaced had done in the first two games. Everyone wanted Sturridge and Vardy after Wales. Clyne was good. Henderson and Bertrand weren't amazing, but Alli and Rose have hardly been tearing the tournament a new one. The only one was Wilshire was not nearly as good as Rooney had been.
Perversely, I think this draw helps England. Next game aside, teams will come at them more and allow us to play more on the counter attack. The worry is the defence won't be good enough when properly tested.
I'm glad we are in the tough half of the draw, if you wanna be the best you have to beat the best. Hodgson has been moaning about the 3 teams that played England all parked the bus for 90 minutes, well these lot wont so time to prove yourself Woy.
Basically Hodgson has fucked up massively. If he hadn't have dicked around with the side we would be in Wales position now.
Instead we will go out in the next round to Portugal (you just know that's who we will get).
This will define Hodgsons career.
Not sure how he fucked up massively. To be honest Kane and Sterling were pretty poor in the first 2 games (Sterling was worse than poor), and pretty much everyone was crying out for Vardy and Sturridge to start. They did, and yet we still didn't score. I'd say Wilshere in for Rooney was his only mistake. However, there's nothing to suggest we'd have won if Hodgson hadn't made the 6 changes. Let's remember that side failed to beat an absolutely awful Russian team.
Firstly - a massive well done to Northern Ireland. You have to feel for Italy. They have won their group and now face Italy, then probably Germany, then France or England before they can reach the final!
As for Hodgson. Everybody who was critical of his decision to make six changes before the match are perfectly entitled to be angry with him now! But we are still in it and we have to get behind a team that I believe is as good as any in this tournament. Let's deal with Hodgson after the tournament - He needs a semi final at least to avoid the flack but that is for another day!
Firstly - a massive well done to Northern Ireland. You have to feel for Italy. They have won their group and now face Italy, then probably Germany, then France or England before they can reach the final!
As for Hodgson. Everybody who was critical of his decision to make six changes before the match are perfectly entitled to be angry with him now! But we are still in it and we have to get behind a team that I believe is as good as any in this tournament. Let's deal with Hodgson after the tournament - He needs a semi final at least to avoid the flack but that is for another day!
Wow Italy v Italty?! That will be a belter of a game.
I need Iceland to beat Austria and Portugal v Hungary to end in a draw (or Portugal to win by a smaller margin than Iceland do). Got Iceland as group winners. Gutted that Hungary equalised against them.
England will have to do something 3 times which they have NEVER achieved in their history...
Beat a top tier nation, on foreign soil, in the knockout rounds.
Still at least after street wise Russia, Wales and Slovakia all nearly put a stop to us we cam play naive, free-flowing Portugal, France etc.
Just out of curiosity what classes a Nation as "Top Tier"
Reason I ask is because only Germany / Spain / Portugal are above us in the World Rankings in our half of the draw.
And as we all know the rankings are an absolute farce.
Belgium the best team in Europe? Portugal ranked 8th? Austria 10th? Holland better than France? All of the above and Northern Ireland ranked better than Croatia?
England will have to do something 3 times which they have NEVER achieved in their history...
Beat a top tier nation, on foreign soil, in the knockout rounds.
Still at least after street wise Russia, Wales and Slovakia all nearly put a stop to us we cam play naive, free-flowing Portugal, France etc.
Just out of curiosity what classes a Nation as "Top Tier"
Reason I ask is because only Germany / Spain / Portugal are above us in the World Rankings in our half of the draw.
No clear definition just general consensus.
England have beaten Denmark (former Euro champs) and Belgium (highest ranked team in Europe) in knockouts but you wouldn't say either are top level and they certainly weren't when England beat them.
England have never gone to a tournament and beaten a team in the bracket that France, Italy, Spain and Germany would fill today.
Maybe this will be the year but likely having to come through 2 of those teams is a big ask.
In other words englands likely route to the final is...
vs massive underdogs vs the hosts and 2006 world cup finalists vs current world cup holders or Double European cup holders and world cup 2010 winners or The team that dumps both of those out and was 2006 world cup winners and 2012 finalists
The bigger sides in the other half of the draw just don't compare.
Croatia were 3rd in 98 and haven't made a semi final since. Belgium have 1 world cup quarter final in 30 years (at least). If the odds are correct then Portugal will be in that half and they have semi finals and 1 final on home turf.
If England make the final then noone can say they don't deserve it but England will need to find their finest form and just a bit more than the spirit of 66 to navigate this half.
Comments
Just one goal last night would've made all the difference.
Sweden beating Belgium.
Ireland beating Italy.
Hungary beating Portugal.
Instead we will go out in the next round to Portugal (you just know that's who we will get).
This will define Hodgsons career.
Most of the players he brought in played no better or worse than then ones they replaced had done in the first two games. Everyone wanted Sturridge and Vardy after Wales. Clyne was good. Henderson and Bertrand weren't amazing, but Alli and Rose have hardly been tearing the tournament a new one. The only one was Wilshire was not nearly as good as Rooney had been.
Perversely, I think this draw helps England. Next game aside, teams will come at them more and allow us to play more on the counter attack. The worry is the defence won't be good enough when properly tested.
Not sure how he fucked up massively. To be honest Kane and Sterling were pretty poor in the first 2 games (Sterling was worse than poor), and pretty much everyone was crying out for Vardy and Sturridge to start. They did, and yet we still didn't score. I'd say Wilshere in for Rooney was his only mistake. However, there's nothing to suggest we'd have won if Hodgson hadn't made the 6 changes. Let's remember that side failed to beat an absolutely awful Russian team.
As for Hodgson. Everybody who was critical of his decision to make six changes before the match are perfectly entitled to be angry with him now! But we are still in it and we have to get behind a team that I believe is as good as any in this tournament. Let's deal with Hodgson after the tournament - He needs a semi final at least to avoid the flack but that is for another day!
Beat a top tier nation, on foreign soil, in the knockout rounds.
Still at least after street wise Russia, Wales and Slovakia all nearly put a stop to us we cam play naive, free-flowing Portugal, France etc.
Reason I ask is because only Germany / Spain / Portugal are above us in the World Rankings in our half of the draw.
And as we all know the rankings are an absolute farce.
Belgium the best team in Europe?
Portugal ranked 8th?
Austria 10th?
Holland better than France?
All of the above and Northern Ireland ranked better than Croatia?
England have beaten Denmark (former Euro champs) and Belgium (highest ranked team in Europe) in knockouts but you wouldn't say either are top level and they certainly weren't when England beat them.
England have never gone to a tournament and beaten a team in the bracket that France, Italy, Spain and Germany would fill today.
Maybe this will be the year but likely having to come through 2 of those teams is a big ask.
In other words englands likely route to the final is...
vs massive underdogs
vs the hosts and 2006 world cup finalists
vs current world cup holders or
Double European cup holders and world cup 2010 winners or
The team that dumps both of those out and was 2006 world cup winners and 2012 finalists
The bigger sides in the other half of the draw just don't compare.
Croatia were 3rd in 98 and haven't made a semi final since.
Belgium have 1 world cup quarter final in 30 years (at least).
If the odds are correct then Portugal will be in that half and they have semi finals and 1 final on home turf.
If England make the final then noone can say they don't deserve it but England will need to find their finest form and just a bit more than the spirit of 66 to navigate this half.
Oink.