France's team is fairly obvious just like Belgium. At least their manager had the sense to change it.
France's team is fairly obvious just like Belgium. At least their manager had the sense to change it.
If that England team is accurate it's a shambles. Top of the group is too important to chuck the reserves out, even if that squad SHOULD still win.
I'd argue that the proposed line up is stronger than the one we've turned out so far. Certainly more likely to get us goals.Originally Posted by Browning
Rooney and the full backs have been our best 3 players. Dropping all 3 of those is madness, even if it does bring in Vardy and Sturridge.
This entire discussion needs to be conducted with the over-arching understanding that Roy Hodgson is, in fact, not a very good coach.
Once you accept that, anything is possible in terms of what he might or might not do.
The full backs will be knackered. Pochettino rotated them a lot too and, anyway, I think all four full backs are much of a muchness. Rooney has passed well but has slowed attacks down whilst Ali has looked shattered. Wilshere will be more incisive than either. I'm not keen in Henderson though.
The fullbacks are pretty much the same. Rooney for Wilshere is roughly equal, style-wise. I'd probably switch Lallana for Milner (as he's looked knackered when coming off in both games after putting a shift in) and actually keep Alli in - he's the one most hampered by Rooney being wedged into the team and I reckon he'd link up well with the replacement strikers.
I still don't really get how the second round pairings work for this (not that I have looked all that closely). There aren't enough 3rd placed teams to go around for all the group winners are there - so are some group winners going to play a 2nd placed team? Is that done on anything other than grouping (ie is there a 1st placed and 2nd placed league table to go with this 3rd placed one)?
It was decided somehow pre-tournament. The winners of E (Italy) and F are facing runners up.
Yeah, it's pre-fixed, so I think the winners of E and F get runners-up, whilst some runners-up luck out and get other runners-up.
Seriously lads, download the spreadsheet.
Fucking lol, just seen Mexico got beat by Chile 7-0.
Not having three games today is tangibly lowering my quality of life / happiness.
Don't worry, we get 4 a day for the next two days.
Wales better not fuck this up. If Russia finish third i might end up seeing them. Fuck that.
Allez les rouges.
Can England go out or are we through?
I make it that a heavy defeat to Slovakia puts us in some form of vague jeopardy.
This 3rd place bullshit needs to die.
We've secured qualification just depends on where.
It's possible we can go out, but in the same way Man Utd still had a chance of fourth when they played Bournemouth.
Lallana is always knackered after 60-70 mins. Hardly ever finishes games.
Lallana's brand of headless chickenery would make him so much more effective coming on as a sub against tired legs.
Right, so I'm pretty sure Wales are going to fuck it against Russia and lose, which will leave it up to us to shit our way to a 1-0 against the Slovaks to see Wales get third.
Team confirmed as expected.
Given Hodgson doesn't know what he's doing, I'm really not sure what to make of it all.
Jordan Henderson
Sturridge is wasted on the wing as well
Sturridge is more capable of playing wide than Vardy is.
I hope Rashford is sent on when Sturridge breaks down.
Does Roy have a thing for Lama?
Sturridge, Vardy wide and Kane centre, Jack the deep lying midfielder and Rooney as the attacking mid - AVE IT!!!!
Massive liberties being taken. If we don't end up topping the group tonight I'll be vexed and Roy will be looking for new employment.
It'll probably be a diamond with Vardy and Sturridge up front.
Well Dixon's convinced me on the fullbacks being a terrible idea. Rooney not being in midfield doesn't bother me and the two up top should have started after the Wales game anyway.
What was Dixon's reason?
Martin Samuel has a good article in the Mail today, pointing out how we always manage to fuck ourselves by finishing second. We know that we go out when we face a good team. It would be nice if we could delay that until the semis though.
Yeah, I've banged on about that for years now. It's been fucking infuriating.
Just that from a defensive perspective continuity is key.
As an aside, the competition for places argument (that Roy was just citing) can do one as well. It's the last group game in the European Championships, not a fucking third round FA Cup tie against Walsall.
Do fans of other countries have the same impression of us? If for example we come up against Italy or even Portugal we'd be assuring each other of abject failure (probably rightly).
That team.
Involving squad players is a great way to foster drive and competition, there's nothing more likely to kill motivation than knowing you're only going to be putting out cones for a fortnight. I also realise I'm saying this about a Roy Hodgson managed England squad so who the fuck knows.
International tournaments aren't long enough for the drive and competition to be fostered.
Perhaps not, we're definitely going to win the world cup though.
I really do love Slaven, getting him as a pundit is easily the best thing ITV have done for a long time.
What I would say is that I don't think there's much of a difference (if any, actually) in quality between this line up and the team that faced Russia and Wales. I'm not worried.
Wales Slovakia double.
I half feel like this is a better team that England is fielding almost.
Rooney has looked good as a central midfielder, but honestly Wilshere has something that Rooney doesn't, and Henderson is starting to look more and more solid as a player to me. Up front Sterling hasn't looked up to much and Kane even less. The fullbacks could probably have remained the same as before but that's it.
That support though.
Jogi Low fucked things up for Germany in 2012 by fielding the squad players against Greece in the quarterfinals.
If Wales do indeed finish top
Cracking start for Wales.
Joe Pirlo.
Watching the Wales game now. England are just so fucking boring.
I've just spotted that only Rooney has double figures for international goals in the England 23.
The next closest is Sturridge on 6.
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