If Portugal beat Hungary - and I think they will. It would have worked our well for us. I will be watching that game with great interest. The thing is that teams have to win matches now to progress. Portugal - despite being awful - can beat England to the extent of a match up being pretty much 50-50 - I honestly think Hungary don't have enough to beat us and would be more 5-95.
Then we would almost certainly have to get past a France team that haven't impressed me at all. But they have dangerous players and are at home. I'd say that is 45-55 in their favour, but we have a real chance. You ought to expect to play a decent side in the quarter finals and it is winnable, Then a well organised Italy or disapointing Germany side in the semis, I'd have both of these as 50-50s with the toughest game against Spain in the final - 30-70 in their favour. That is the best time to play your toughest game.
So whilst we will have to get through a couple of tough matches - three if Portugal come second - we have increased our cahnces of making the final IMO by coming second. Is Roy a genius? I doubt it. I hope he stops messing about now and just puts out sides that have sufficient threat and let's see what happens!
All you can say is that if Germany win their Group then Spain are jammy buggers.
Pretty much no one is in their half of the draw other than the questionable Belgium and maybe Portugal!!
I'll judge England when we come up against a team that want to have a match, rather than getting 10 men behind the ball and hardly want to venture out of their own half.
I did not think Wales put 10 men behind the ball and "parked the bus"?
Dominated the game, couldn't finish and no luck whatsoever. Wales have scored three "lucky" goals on the other hand. Not that I hold it against them, I wish them well and hope they progress too.
I'll judge England when we come up against a team that want to have a match, rather than getting 10 men behind the ball and hardly want to venture out of their own half.
I did not think Wales put 10 men behind the ball and "parked the bus"?
Not for the entire game, but for the last 30 mins there had settled on a draw.
I'll judge England when we come up against a team that want to have a match, rather than getting 10 men behind the ball and hardly want to venture out of their own half.
I did not think Wales put 10 men behind the ball and "parked the bus"?
We might have a squad that is more suited to play against teams that want to score against you. Bilic suggested that Roy may have brought a joker - somebody like Carrol to give a different option against the packed defence. I subscribe to this- I would take a couple of players who could give me something different - whether they were in the best 23 on merit or not.
I have said from the beginning that the one thing this England team is lacking is goals - in the past we had Scholes, Lampard and Beckham and centre halves that got their fair share. That takes pressure off of the strikers. It is a shame as players like Henderson, Wilshire (not fully fit for me) and Lallana are terrific, but they don't get enough, simple as that. It is an issue Klopp will need to address at Liverpool. One solution is to put players in around them who are better than average in this respect. Drinkwater is a great player, but doesn't bring goals either to be fair to Roy. Chaimberlain who has scored 5 in 25 England internationals may have been a good call if he was fit.
I like Lallana, while he isn't a great scorer of goals, his movement creates space and chances for others.
Wilshire and Henderson both look like players lacking match fitness
I would always have taken Townsend, direct and a bit different, and with a knack of scoring crucial goals
Vardy scored a lucky goal against Wales IMO- Clyne was very unlucky with his effort yesterday- has to go down as a good save but don't think the keeper knew much about it! We could have done with a lucky deflection too. Portugal avoid second and no harm done!
Dominated the game, couldn't finish and no luck whatsoever. Wales have scored three "lucky" goals on the other hand. Not that I hold it against them, I wish them well and hope they progress too.
Wales and England are chalk and cheese at this Tournament.
When Slovakia and Russia have played Wales they know its an opportunity for three points so have gone on the attack to try and score goals, thats left gaps which Wales have done really well to exploit and score from (i.e. the two from Ramsey and Taylor were scored because they got in behind a Russia Defence which were half-way up their half.
England on the other hand when we've played all three sides, have been viewed as the danger so the opposition (the risk to their progression in the Tournament) have sensibly shut up shop and might as well have linked arms on the goal-line...
Note; the ONLY time England have scored a goal (to take the lead) well before full-time was against Russia, they then knew they couldnt just stay back and defend so were forced to come out and attack us themselves, sadly its the only mistake Hodgson has made this tournament which was not to exploit those gaps that were left.
We're now into the knockout phase and I hope Wales and potentially Slovakia / Albania take good penalties because that approach wont be enough.
I'll judge England when we come up against a team that want to have a match, rather than getting 10 men behind the ball and hardly want to venture out of their own half.
I did not think Wales put 10 men behind the ball and "parked the bus"?
really?
No not the same as Slovakia did last night. As ricky_otto has said they may have done for the last 30 mins to protect a one goal lead but that is normal in football but it still leaves another 60 minutes.
Wales and Slovakia played exactly the same way against England
(1) If you have the ball... break on England with pace and try to win Free-Kicks in dangerous positions. (2) If you dont have the ball... converge in your own half, stop the ball from getting into the box.
I don't see that it is really. English fans have made these 3 matches practically like a home game. We dominate possession and out shoot the opponents massively. It's very typical to what we have faced in qualifying and also what a lot of these players face for their clubs.
Only unbeaten team in our group. Have outplayed all 3 teams we have played. I think Roy has learnt a lot about the team last 3 games. I think it might just click. The idea that 3 teams can progress is a joke and will ruin many games this week. Also, I would have squeezed Andy Carroll in the squad somewhere as a plan B/C, our strike force is a bit one dimensional.
I would have squeezed Andy Carroll in the squad somewhere as a plan B/C, our strike force is a bit one dimensional.
I didn't think originally the idea was worthwhile given the quality of England's strike-force, but can't argue that he would have given them a better plan C.
Very true... Wouldnt mind him as England Mens Manager one day.
Mark Sampson @Mark_Sampson 2h2 hours ago Group stages KEY objective make it through! Now the tournament really starts for #ENG 23 fit players time to focus on next match #EURO2016
Well I for one is a little pissed off.... Elbowed a lovely blonde off me in bed and got up at 2:45am to watch that.... I should of stayed where I was and humped her leg till she woke up.
Comments
Pretty much no one is in their half of the draw other than the questionable Belgium and maybe Portugal!!
Wilshire and Henderson both look like players lacking match fitness
I would always have taken Townsend, direct and a bit different, and with a knack of scoring crucial goals
When Slovakia and Russia have played Wales they know its an opportunity for three points so have gone on the attack to try and score goals, thats left gaps which Wales have done really well to exploit and score from (i.e. the two from Ramsey and Taylor were scored because they got in behind a Russia Defence which were half-way up their half.
England on the other hand when we've played all three sides, have been viewed as the danger so the opposition (the risk to their progression in the Tournament) have sensibly shut up shop and might as well have linked arms on the goal-line...
Note; the ONLY time England have scored a goal (to take the lead) well before full-time was against Russia, they then knew they couldnt just stay back and defend so were forced to come out and attack us themselves, sadly its the only mistake Hodgson has made this tournament which was not to exploit those gaps that were left.
We're now into the knockout phase and I hope Wales and potentially Slovakia / Albania take good penalties because that approach wont be enough.
(1) If you have the ball... break on England with pace and try to win Free-Kicks in dangerous positions.
(2) If you dont have the ball... converge in your own half, stop the ball from getting into the box.
The idea that 3 teams can progress is a joke and will ruin many games this week. Also, I would have squeezed Andy Carroll in the squad somewhere as a plan B/C, our strike force is a bit one dimensional.
In Qualifying there are double the teams and over double the games so losing one or even two games isnt the end of the world.
Think we would do OK against them.
CharltonEngland fan has Ronaldo coming to the party and beating us single handed.The optimist in me has Ronaldo being sent off for kicking out at Rooney, and the entire England team winking in unison.
Mark Sampson @Mark_Sampson 2h2 hours ago
Group stages KEY objective make it through! Now the tournament really starts for #ENG 23 fit players time to focus on next match #EURO2016