The Official *England to Euro 2016 Glory* Thread

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

And this time, even I don't believe it will happen!

Instead, in a pish-poor tournament devoid of serious quality, I'm backing the Welsh to do the business at a healthy 80/1.

Anyway, England's first warm-up is against Turkey in about an hour and a half. Make sure you enjoy Kane and Vardy playing up front together, because it won't be replicated at any other point this summer!

[GSC]

I agree with Liam (shock). The diamond doesn't work, its being shoehorned in at the last minute to try and fit everyone in.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Dier and Hendo
Rooney Wilshere Alli

That was hard

[GSC]

So 3 players that all want to play centrally competing for the same space.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

We've had basically half hour of it. Rooney and Alli switched wild be better but we don't know yet

[Crimey]

I don't think Milner should play central midfield at all, certainly not in whatever system Hodgson was trying to play. 

I think the diamond has failed, he started using it after Liverpool had success with it in 13-14, but that really relied on the ability of Suarez to press high up the pitch. 

For me, I'd go for a more narrow 4-2-3-1, because obviously the squad simply doesn't have the wide players to play wide. I'll include Rooney simply because he'll definitely be playing.

Hart

Clyne - Smalling - Cahill - Bertrand

Dier -  Wilshere

Lallana - Rooney - Sterling

Kane

I don't think Vardy can start, not if Kane is also starting. He'll have to be content with a place on the bench because he's not a winger, he won't do what Welbeck does out there. 

I think you're hugely overrating Rooney in midfield Dolph, his performance in the FA Cup was okay at best, gave away the ball too much and I'm not sure has the legs to offer great defensive shield there. I think his future might lie in midfield, but he's not ready to play there at a major international tournament. 

[Guest]

No, Dele Alli

[GSC]

And it really wasn't very good. Better than the diamond perhaps but not keeping Russia awake at night.

Roy needs to make a tough decision. Though I'm more inclined to believe he'd rather play Rooney at CB than pick a team without him.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Yes. Youve got three players there who want to play on the ball, will go deep and go long, move wide and link. Arguably I'd have Alli playing further forward of the three, but it's hard because I don't really believe in formations as tightly as seem to be the suggestion on here

[Crimey]

No, Dele Alli

I'd have him ahead of Rooney, but he's going to play, he's not good enough deeper or further forward so Alli is the one to go. I don't think Alli will be better than Lallana or Sterling wide, he's just not that kind of player. The only hope is that Rooney plays so poorly in that first game that he's dropped.

[Guest]

--------Dier------Henderson-----
Rooney------Wilshere--------Alli
----------------Kane-------------

Dolph, that side must be a joke? Alli wide left, Rooney wide right, Wilshere suddenly thrown in at the no.10 role. Puzzling.

[GSC]

Play Wilshere at CM, drop Henderson & Rooney, Alli behind Kane, Sterling left, Vardy or Lallana right.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Again, no wide or wide, it's not football manager, players play in roles not slots

[Crimey]

Well they either are going to move wide, which means they're in a space they're neither familiar or effective in. Or they're going to stay central and just get in each other's way. It's not FIFA-logic, it's the fact that there is limited space on the pitch.

[jbeadlesbigrighthand]

Wilshere and Henderson are very close in ability for me, and Henderson probably gets the edge just because Wilshere hasn't been fit for a long time.

They really aren't close in ability. A fit Wilshere is a much better player. Henderson is probably a bit better defensively, and has a better engine. But Wilshere is a so much better with the ball. Unfortunately, Wilshere is also made of glass.

[Ent]

Rooney was crap in the fa cup final, gave the ball away unnecessarily 9 times in the 1st half with only 1 decent pass. At international level that isn't going to cut it.

Won some fan poll motm but think rashford was the official motm.

[Guest]

I posted it earlier, the 4-2-3-1 is the way forward. Really is no need to over complicate things.

-----Wilshere-----Dier--------
Lallana-------Alli--------Sterling
--------------Kane--------------

End of.

Will we see it against Russia? Highly doubtful

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

A sign of the job Roy has done that here we are a week from the tournament we have no idea what our best formation actually is and who the best players would be in that

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Wilshere next to Alli? Wilshere has no awareness defensively. 

Henderson has to play if its a deeper player. Noble and Drinkwater were the two fit in form players and neither made it. so Henderson is the only choice of natural midfielders, the other is Rooney. 

This comes back to the point Southgate made on ITV which was brilliant; in international football people are scared to lose the ball. England made no incisive forward passes because of this. Rooney plays good passes, but loses the ball sometimes and gets slated. We are not gonna win games taking no risks.

[Ent]

It'll end in tears if Rooney is played in cm.

He gives the ball away needlessly all the time, often under no pressure - not occasionally. He occasionally makes a good/incisive pass.

He's better off playing further forward.

[GSC]

Must've missed most of his good passes. Generally when he plays for England hes pretty static and loses the ball if he's not playing backwards.

[MIG]

The friendlies were for trying things out, maybe Roy already knows his formation and team and its more like the one against Germany. Just cause we don't know, doesn't mean he doesn't.
It also doesn't mean that he does, but you see where I'm coming from?

[Duty281]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36463955

Not sure how Geoff has arrived at this conclusion!

[Crimey]

The FA probably just asked him to say it.

[GSC]

Milner and Vardy dropped for Sterling and Lallana apparently.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

So were gonna play Rooney AM then - what a fabulous idea that is Roy, worked so well didn't it

[Duty281]

So 4-3-3, then?

Oh the promise has all disappeared.

I think I'll empty my bank account and put it on Russia/draw double chance at 10/11. Think it will be a draw in truth, both teams will be happy with a point and England rarely get a positive result first up (in fact, England have never won their opening match at a European Championship).

[GSC]

4-3-3>>>>>>the diamond anyway.

Still crowbarring Rooney into the team, but I've accepted Roy can't bring himself to drop him.

[Crimey]

I don't think Kane and Vardy was going to work. Hopefully with Kane up front on his own he'll stay central and won't go out wide and won't take corners! Sterling and Lallana probably chosen for their good pressing high up the pitch, although Sterling wasn't great at that this season.

Agree with the consensus that the team's balance isn't going to be sorted out until Rooney is dropped. He's not good enough up front to warrant being selected over any of the other forwards. He's not got the pace to play out wide. He's not got the discipline to play in midfield. Think a free role behind the centre forward is probably best, but even then I'm not sure he's better at than Alli is. I think if from here on out he's played consistently in midfield for club and country, and becomes more disciplined then he could keep his career going longer.

[Guest]

----Dier----Rooney------Alli----
Lallana------------------Sterling
-------------Kane----------------

[Duty281]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3632231/England-boss-Roy-Hodgson-best-paid-manager-Euro-2016-coaches-France-earn.html#comments

No wonder Roy always looks so pleased - £3.5 million!

[Duty281]

I think I'll empty my bank account and put it on Russia/draw double chance at 10/11.

And breatheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

[Guest]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36516830

Saw Harry Kane at Euro 2015 for the under-21's & he was awful, if he does fail vs Wales, I agree, will probably see him dropped.

[Duty281]

This thread mustn't die!

England are only 4 games from glory you know...

[Stella]

This thread mustn't die!

England are only 4 games from glory you know...

The old Duty is back. Or a sarcastic one!!!

[Duty281]

No, no, my lad, England aren't going to do it!

They scuppered whatever meagre chance they had by finishing second in the group.

Or maybe, Roy can shock us all...

[Crimey]

No, no, my lad, England aren't going to do it!

They scuppered whatever meagre chance they had by finishing second in the group.

Or maybe, Roy can shock us all...

To be fair finishing second might end up giving England an easier R16, after that you're going to have to face a top side at some point anyway.

[compelling and rich]

four games on we'll prob be second in the group in 2020

[Guest]

I can't see it being Portugal, if you look at the group. I can't see Iceland having the firepower to beat Austria, so if Portugal beat Hungary, they win group. If Portugal draw & Austria win, which I think they can beat Iceland, then Austria would finish second. I can only really see Portugal having two options, either win group or come third.

[Duty281]

No, no, my lad, England aren't going to do it!

They scuppered whatever meagre chance they had by finishing second in the group.

Or maybe, Roy can shock us all...

To be fair finishing second might end up giving England an easier R16, after that you're going to have to face a top side at some point anyway.

Well, if England had won the group, a route to the final of Albania/Hungary/Croatia wasn't entirely out of the question (and isn't for Wales, provided Hungary win/draw v Portugal and Croatia 'shock' Spain tonight).

Instead, it's probably Iceland/France/Germany, which is infinitely harder.

[Guest]

For Portugal to come second, they would have to high score draw vs Hungary & Iceland would have to draw with Austria, then it would come down to GD, which would be equal & then goals scored, which favours Iceland currently, unless Portugal have like a 4-4 draw vs Hungary & they would through on goals scored. To me, looks very unlikely Portugal coming second

[compelling and rich]

im backing Portugal to win and Austria. which would mean portugal next round. im sure we'll help ronaldo come out of his funk

[Crimey]

No, no, my lad, England aren't going to do it!

They scuppered whatever meagre chance they had by finishing second in the group.

Or maybe, Roy can shock us all...

To be fair finishing second might end up giving England an easier R16, after that you're going to have to face a top side at some point anyway.

Well, if England had won the group, a route to the final of Albania/Hungary/Croatia wasn't entirely out of the question (and isn't for Wales, provided Hungary win/draw v Portugal and Croatia 'shock' Spain tonight).

Instead, it's probably Iceland/France/Germany, which is infinitely harder.

To be fair France haven't looked great. They've got host advantage, but I actually think England have played about as well, albeit France have managed to break through in the end. I honestly wouldn't be too scared of them. The fact that they will likely attack will also give England chance to counter, which is probably where they are strongest.

[Guest]

im backing Portugal to win and Austria. which would mean portugal next round. im sure we'll help ronaldo come out of his funk

If Portugal win, they will probably win the group, so can't play us, they would play Belgium. If Portugal & Austria win, Austria would need to tur around a four goal swing to Hungary, to get second. It's highly unlikely England will play Portugal in the second round, more likely Hungary

[compelling and rich]

i thought the second placed team play the winners of that group?

[Guest]

If Portugal win the group, they play Belgium. You said you were backing Portugal to win & that we would face them, which isn't true, unless Iceland beat Austria by more goals than what Portugal beat Hungary. If portugal came second, which looks highly unlikely, they would face us.

[compelling and rich]

i had it wrong, thought we played the winners

[Stella]

Doesn't a third placed team play the winner? Don't hold me to that!

[compelling and rich]

Doesn't a third placed team play the winner? Don't hold me to that!

they will in four instances, after that ive no idea how they work it

[Guest]

Groups E & F got done over with this format, winning their groups doesn't reward you with a third place team, like it does for winning groups A-D. That's why Italy will possibly have Croatia & the winners of group F, face Belgium.

[mikey_dragon]

Well done Wales, pool B winners .

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