Euro 2016 Matchday 1 : v Russia

[eddie]

1 hour ago, Mafiabob said:

All that was really missing last night was the ruthlessness. Which you need at international level, you're not going to get 4/5 glorious chances against the better teams. Need killer instinct.

Thought Rooney played well..... He is much maligned by our lot but he sacrifices his best position and also unselfishly realises his best days up top are behind him.

Dier is going to be some player...... 

I would be dropping Sterling and Lallana for next game. 

Wingless wonders, eh? You are Alf Ramsey and I claim my £5.

[Carl Sagan]

22 hours ago, top 6 finish said:

I can say after this performance the following :ahem

ITV - should never,ever,be allowed to present football or any other sport ever again.

 

Was there on (paid for) ITV tickets with the big boss and a few others. Need them to keep showing games if I'm to go again.

20 hours ago, Alpha said:

Sterling has amazing balance and ability. And is so thick and greedy it's unreal.

Thought England were the most exciting team so far. Alli looks like a star. The pressing and the tempo way above what I last saw.

But why did they decide to let Russia come onto them. Proper case of Nigel Clough. "All our best play has been on the front foot. Let's sit back now instead".... Huh? Like a fighter winning 7 rounds then stopping punching. 

Sterling began killing momentum. He is just too stupid and greedy to play on the counter and with each wasted attack Russia found encouragement to take more risk. 

 

Sterling had a great first 30 minutes but a terrible 60 to follow. For me completely undeserved selection after his season and had to be off for Vardy by the hour mark. If we'd done that we'd have won comfortably. For me it wasn't Nigel, it was like having Wassall on the bench, simply not reacting when the team were desperate for substitutions. And when he made them 20-25 minutes too late he made the wrong ones.

I have a man crush on Dele Alli. Feel he will be the Johann Cruyff of the tournament. So much poise/elegance/ability.

12 hours ago, IlsonDerby said:

Roy has us playing some of the best football we have played in years with the youngest squad in the tournament. Yes we didn't see out a game which is frustrating. A game though that we had played really well in. For me their keeper was man of the match' he kept them in the game. If we play like that in our next 2 games I'm confident of 2 wins. 

Im not sure what more you want from an England manager? For ages we've wanted youth. For ages we've wanted an attacking system. We have both and had the game finished 1-0 I'm sure we'd all be sat agreeing that England have looked the most dangerous of all teams that have played so far.

would bringing on Vardy have made rose less susceptible to losing a header against someone a foot taller than him? Would drinkwater being in the squad have changed the outcome? 

What more can hodgson do? We are not blessed with world class talent but we do have some exciting young players who I trust him to nurture. 

I think his decision to play Rooney in the middle worked. Rooney played well. 

You're right the football is so much better than days of old, but Vardy's pace and finishing ability would have destroyed that Russian defence so conceding an injury time header wouldn't have mattered. A lot of people around me thought Rooney played well, but I wouldn't have picked him and was glad he went off, even though it was probably his best game for years. He would be nowhere near my starting 11. The wonderful thing about this England team is the ability to play it through the middle at pace with incredible one-touch interchanges. Then there's Rooney. The ball comes to him, he traps it, looks up, plays it out of his feet, looks up again, shapes himself and plays the ball everyone knew he was going to, chipping it slowly out to the winger for what he thinks is a Hollywood ball but in fact has totally killed all momentum in the move. He slows everything down. We are unplayable at pace and he doesn't belong in that team, the team that beat Germany away without him. And because he's the senior player we have to have a freekick around the box for him to waste before we can let a freekick specialist like Dier take it.

As others have said on the thread, what the hell is Kane doing taking corners. I remember brian Clough lambasting one of his centre forwards (Hector?) for doing the same. He was the only reguular goalscorer in the team so keep him away from the goal? He was our worst player on the night but I'm a big fan and put Vardy alongside and both will be worldbeaters.

I expected this selection from Hodgson because he's conservative and over loyal to his players. We'll draw with Wales and need to beat Slovakia to go through and whether we do depends on if we'll play the old guard of Rooney and Milner or go for it and have the exciting forward triangle of Kane, Vardy and Alli and sweep all before us.

 

[Alph]

Cruise control for Germany. New best team so far

[Posh Ram]

20 hours ago, Alpha said:

Sterling has amazing balance and ability. And is so thick and greedy it's unreal.

Thought England were the most exciting team so far. Alli looks like a star. The pressing and the tempo way above what I last saw.

But why did they decide to let Russia come onto them. Proper case of Nigel Clough. "All our best play has been on the front foot. Let's sit back now instead".... Huh? Like a fighter winning 7 rounds then stopping punching. 

Sterling began killing momentum. He is just too stupid and greedy to play on the counter and with each wasted attack Russia found encouragement to take more risk. 

It was a shame to see the most promising team so far pooh their pants. 

For a moment international football was fun!

Sterling, to me, looks like a classic case of somebody whose feet move faster than his brain. 

Hodgson is an odd one because I think he deserves credit for bringing the youngsters through and committing to playing attacking football at the start of the game. It took balls to drop Vardy. But I think a good manager who knows the English game could make this side world beaters. Unfortunately the FA will go with someone English like Eddie Howe who's not yet experienced enough for the job.

[Rev]

18 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Was there on (paid for) ITV tickets with the big boss and a few others. Need them to keep showing games if I'm to go again.

Sterling had a great first 30 minutes but a terrible 60 to follow. For me completely undeserved selection after his season and had to be off for Vardy by the hour mark. If we'd done that we'd have won comfortably. For me it wasn't Nigel, it was like having Wassall on the bench, simply not reacting when the team were desperate for substitutions. And when he made them 20-25 minutes too late he made the wrong ones.

I have a man crush on Dele Alli. Feel he will be the Johann Cruyff of the tournament. So much poise/elegance/ability.

You're right the football is so much better than days of old, but Vardy's pace and finishing ability would have destroyed that Russian defence so conceding an injury time header wouldn't have mattered. A lot of people around me thought Rooney played well, but I wouldn't have picked him and was glad he went off, even though it was probably his best game for years. He would be nowhere near my starting 11. The wonderful thing about this England team is the ability to play it through the middle at pace with incredible one-touch interchanges. Then there's Rooney. The ball comes to him, he traps it, looks up, plays it out of his feet, looks up again, shapes himself and plays the ball everyone knew he was going to, chipping it slowly out to the winger for what he thinks is a Hollywood ball but in fact has totally killed all momentum in the move. He slows everything down. We are unplayable at pace and he doesn't belong in that team, the team that beat Germany away without him. And because he's the senior player we have to have a freekick around the box for him to waste before we can let a freekick specialist like Dier take it.

As others have said on the thread, what the hell is Kane doing taking corners. I remember brian Clough lambasting one of his centre forwards (Hector?) for doing the same. He was the only reguular goalscorer in the team so keep him away from the goal? He was our worst player on the night but I'm a big fan and put Vardy alongside and both will be worldbeaters.

I expected this selection from Hodgson because he's conservative and over loyal to his players. We'll draw with Wales and need to beat Slovakia to go through and whether we do depends on if we'll play the old guard of Rooney and Milner or go for it and have the exciting forward triangle of Kane, Vardy and Alli and sweep all before us.

 

I read last night that Dier hasn't had a shot from a direct free kick in over 60 games so far at Spurs!

Beginners luck!

[Carl Sagan]

13 minutes ago, reveldevil said:

I read last night that Dier hasn't had a shot from a direct free kick in over 60 games so far at Spurs!

Beginners luck!

Good find - I stand corrected! Though Rooney takes a lot of freekicks and they're generally rubbish so someone else had to take them.

[Rev]

1 minute ago, Carl Sagan said:

Good find - I stand corrected! Though Rooney takes a lot of freekicks and they're generally rubbish so someone else had to take them.

I don't think he'll have to wait so long for his next one!

[brentford]

my thoughts for what they are worth

 

https://arcticterntalk.org/2016/06/12/day-3-of-euro-2016-meet-sic-kic-and-nic-ric-and-itv-have-been-robbed-the-violence-continues/

[Alph]

I hate to knit pick and England were good, most of them deserved to win. They had the opportunities to score goals and Dier looks very good.

but...

The free kick. Why does the keeper set the wall up to cover one side and then go to that side himself?  It would have been straight down his throat.

A few other moans to sneak in...

Joe Hart's kicking. 

Hoddle talking about a Harry Kane free kick being in the style of Ronaldo but Ronaldo usually scores. When? When does Ronaldo score free kicks? Playing for Real Madrid he takes bloody loads and how many go in? 

Hoddle's description of Wilshere. Now I know we only see Wilshere 4 times per year playing any football. But he's not "at his best when running at defenders." 

[sage]

44 minutes ago, Posh Ram said:

Sterling, to me, looks like a classic case of somebody whose feet move faster than his brain. 

Hodgson is an odd one because I think he deserves credit for bringing the youngsters through and committing to playing attacking football at the start of the game. It took balls to drop Vardy. But I think a good manager who knows the English game could make this side world beaters. Unfortunately the FA will go with someone English like Eddie Howe who's not yet experienced enough for the job.

Really? 

[Carl Sagan]

1 hour ago, Posh Ram said:

Sterling, to me, looks like a classic case of somebody whose feet move faster than his brain. 

Hodgson is an odd one because I think he deserves credit for bringing the youngsters through and committing to playing attacking football at the start of the game. It took balls to drop Vardy. But I think a good manager who knows the English game could make this side world beaters. Unfortunately the FA will go with someone English like Eddie Howe who's not yet experienced enough for the job.

Agree with the post, but I'm not sure what you're saying over Vardy. I think it was a strange decision not to play the best forward in the Premier League last season and a winner, against the odds; I think it was a stupid decision not to bring him on at some point, say with 25/30 minutes to go. Hodgson is unusual for a football manager and quite educated and sophisticated - my expectation (with no knowledge to back it up) is that he doesn't like Vardy as a person and reckons he's uncouth. He was forced to pick him for England originally because his form was so good, but he wants a team in his image that doesn't have the likes of Vardy in it. So he gambled that a team without Vardy would win. They played quite well and created a fair few chances, but they didn't have the person they needed to finish those chances off.

Vardy, Kane, Alli, Dier (if only Drinkwater were there too), Walker and Rose could and should be the core that wins us our first major trophy for 50 years. They should be the first six names on the team sheet. Joe Hart probably 7, two centre backs (our weakness) takes it to 9 and then because we ditched Drinkwater we have room for two midfielders. I think someone powerful like Barkley as a midfield powerhouse and then either Wilshere or Lallana for a bit of guile.

[Rampage]

Why 'develop' a team over two years then spring a surprise with Rooney? As soon as the team was announced, i thought that we would struggle to win the game. pleasantly surprised at the way that we played. There was a point at 55 mins minutes that i thought that we could lose the game because we would not score. Very surprised at the goal, but we did not look secure. Sterling not up to it in my opinion. we should have let Russia take the midfield and pop one over them for Vardy to run onto. If we had then we would have won by a couple of goals. Passing was not crisp or accurate enough.to create really clear chances. Kane was a bit off it by his standards. Frankly I will be surprised if we beat Wales, without a lucky goal. I was bored with the game after 50 minutes.

[Posh Ram]

42 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Agree with the post, but I'm not sure what you're saying over Vardy. I think it was a strange decision not to play the best forward in the Premier League last season and a winner, against the odds; I think it was a stupid decision not to bring him on at some point, say with 25/30 minutes to go. Hodgson is unusual for a football manager and quite educated and sophisticated - my expectation (with no knowledge to back it up) is that he doesn't like Vardy as a person and reckons he's uncouth. He was forced to pick him for England originally because his form was so good, but he wants a team in his image that doesn't have the likes of Vardy in it. So he gambled that a team without Vardy would win. They played quite well and created a fair few chances, but they didn't have the person they needed to finish those chances off.

Vardy, Kane, Alli, Dier (if only Drinkwater were there too), Walker and Rose could and should be the core that wins us our first major trophy for 50 years. They should be the first six names on the team sheet. Joe Hart probably 7, two centre backs (our weakness) takes it to 9 and then because we ditched Drinkwater we have room for two midfielders. I think someone powerful like Barkley as a midfield powerhouse and then either Wilshere or Lallana for a bit of guile.

I can't believe he didn't bring Drinkwater and agree about putting Vardy on with 25 minutes left, to offer a different kind of threat. 

I'd have Rooney at centre mid over Barkley who's in horrible form. Probably would try fit Milner in too if possible. The centre backs are a massive problem but hopefully Stones can get back on track and one of Reece Oxford and Joe Gomez ends up being world class.

[Ted McMinn Football Genius]

19 minutes ago, Rampage said:

Why 'develop' a team over two years then spring a surprise with Rooney? As soon as the team was announced, i thought that we would struggle to win the game. pleasantly surprised at the way that we played. There was a point at 55 mins minutes that i thought that we could lose the game because we would not score. Very surprised at the goal, but we did not look secure. Sterling not up to it in my opinion. we should have let Russia take the midfield and pop one over them for Vardy to run onto. If we had then we would have won by a couple of goals. Passing was not crisp or accurate enough.to create really clear chances. Kane was a bit off it by his standards. Frankly I will be surprised if we beat Wales, without a lucky goal. I was bored with the game after 50 minutes.

Agree, but the major issue for me was the serious lack of tempo.

There after it was the substitutions that de-railed us, Sterling should have been replaced within the hour mark.

IMO RS just isn't a team player and we need a team if we are to beat Wales on Thursday ergo he needs to be benched. 

I believe that we will go with the same 11 as against Russia, if proven correct.......

Its another embarrassing exit for our boys, please Woy play Vardy and you never know what we might achieve. 

[Mafiabob]

2 minutes ago, Ted McMinn Football Genius said:

Agree, but the major issue for me was the serious lack of tempo.

There after it was the substitutions that de-railed us, Sterling should have been replaced within the hour mark.

IMO RS just isn't a team player and we need a team if we are to beat Wales on Thursday ergo he needs to be benched. 

I believe that we will go with the same 11 as against Russia, if proven correct.......

Its another embarrassing exit for our boys, please Woy play Vardy and you never know what we might achieve. 

Didn't realise we could get knocked out after 1 game.....

[Inverurie Ram]

13 hours ago, blackNwhites said:

I'm a big fan of the 4-3-3, it's the formation that makes the most sense to me. I rather like seeing both Derby and England playing it, I feel like I know what's going on and I am entertained.

To drop Sterling is likely to see the end of the 4-3-3, I said it before the tournament started we seem to have a lack of wingers going. That was before Townsend was sent home.

Sturridge or Milner on the left side wing forward position. Sturridge if preferable if we're going to keep playing that way. Sterling was so bloody terrible I'd accept playing a different formation just so he doesn't get on the pitch.

I feel sorry for Milner, he's been abused so much as a utility man (stand up guy for doing as asked) but his best position is centre midfield. He's quality in the middle. Loads of competition in there though with Rooney, Alli, Wilshire, Henderson and Milner. Oh and Barkley, forgot he'd even gone.

If Sterling gets dropped, and Sturridge still benched it's likely Rooney will/should be dropped. Which is a shame because he played the best I've seen from him in years yesterday, he was very disciplined and the deeper CM position suits him perfectly. I think he's also more likely to score goals. He was unlucky yesterday. Should never have been subbed.

Roy has bought a lot of questions to answer for himself. But I hope he sticks with the 4-3-3 and plays Sturridge instead of Sterling. Sturridge has guaranteed end product.

 

If Milner hadn't fallen on his arse and just done the easy job of keeping the ball up front for a few minutes, we wouldn't have had a corner to defend, and drawn the game, he failed miserably to do the job that Woy had put him on the pitch to do.

And for the amount of England caps he has won, there is still hope for everyone on this forum of winning a cap to play for England. He's had his time and had a lot more time than better players to wear the shirt, and England will never win any major competition by constantly trying to play safe, by playing the same failing old guard of the past.

He who dares wins Woy, when it matters most, we can keep on qualifying, but when you get there, you have to be brave and take risks, and that means picking those players on form and the ones most likely to do "the something special" remember the young Michael Owen and Argentina, give them the opportunity to beat their opponents, those who know very little about how they play and perform when up against them.

Be brave Woy, and let England's youth show you the way.

[Ted McMinn Football Genius]

1 hour ago, Mafiabob said:

Didn't realise we could get knocked out after 1 game.....

Ha Ha Ha brilliant, why not read the post before you write pedantic statements  "I believe if we go with the same 11 as against Russia, if proven correct....." Hence 2 games (Russia + Wales) = 2 games. 

So you see, your realisation has been infact proven correct, but your assumption has been proven premature. 

[eddie]

4 hours ago, Ted McMinn Football Genius said:

Ha Ha Ha brilliant, why not read the post before you write pedantic statements  "I believe if we go with the same 11 as against Russia, if proven correct....." Hence 2 games (Russia + Wales) = 2 games. 

So you see, your realisation has been infact proven correct, but your assumption has been proven premature. 

With 16 to qualify out of 24, you can't get knocked out after 2 games either.

[Van der MoodHoover]

8 hours ago, Alpha said:

Cruise control for Germany. New best team so far

As well as Germany played,  I thought they were gifted the game by a truly woeful Ukraine team who looked ageing, disunited and disinterested. 

You need to harry the German ball players like kroos who is a great passer but lacks pace.

If I was going to come up with a strategy for the Ukraine team that would nail on a Germany win then it would be to put 10 players deep behind the ball but tell them all to jog slowly around and not to go within 15m of the player with the ball.

[Van der MoodHoover]

7 hours ago, Rampage said:

Why 'develop' a team over two years then spring a surprise with Rooney? As soon as the team was announced, i thought that we would struggle to win the game. pleasantly surprised at the way that we played. There was a point at 55 mins minutes that i thought that we could lose the game because we would not score. Very surprised at the goal, but we did not look secure. Sterling not up to it in my opinion. we should have let Russia take the midfield and pop one over them for Vardy to run onto. If we had then we would have won by a couple of goals. Passing was not crisp or accurate enough.to create really clear chances. Kane was a bit off it by his standards. Frankly I will be surprised if we beat Wales, without a lucky goal. I was bored with the game after 50 minutes.

I was going to take issue with this comment but then realised that 36 hours on I couldn't really recall any memorable moments - goals apart. 

We seemed to run around a lot but didn't look that incisive against a team who came to defend. 

It's a shame about Roy. He develops some promise then too easily falls back on the tried and failed approach of the past.

I think he's boxed himself into a corner with his squad selection. The 2 alongside Kane didn't work. Lallana is intelligent but lacks pace and the converse is true of sterling. But not sure who else he has to play up front in a 433.