England v Russia, 11th June, 8pm

[Vale on Trent]

We make quite a habit of drawing our first group game in tournaments don't we?

 

[JJH]

Like I said pre-match, it's absolutely baffling that he opted for a 4-3-3 given the one 'out and out winger' available to him.

Thought England looked pretty good in the first half, could have been two or three up, but the second half was absolutely pitiful. Russia had more of the ball and actually looked the more threatening, Hodgson didn't adapt to the situation of the game, made negative changes after going one up rather than bringing on Vardy to stretch the game and play on the break (like he has done for Leicester all season) or even changing the formation.

Stop fucking about Roy, you picked a squad to play a narrow diamond - stick to your guns.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Playing against a defence with a combined age of about 150 years old and not using Vardy. Especially when in front and you're forcing Russia out. Baffling.

Playing a formation that requires width and wingers, but only bringing one actual winger, also baffling.

But plenty of positives to take. Some nice periods of play, chances created. Typically Lallana of looking good until it actually matters with end product, but he does add a certain quality. Rooney did well and Id like to see him playing balls into Vardy at some point this summer.

But we need to be more cynical and hard headed. We're too honest. Whether that's because we have a young side, or because Roy himself is a nice honest grandfather type chap I'm not sure. But few other sides would have been sitting deep like that and attempting to play pretty football in the final 5-10 minutes of a game.

Then is the time to head for the channels and corners, Vardy in behind if the chance presents but first and foremost wind the clock down.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

We make quite a habit of drawing our first group game in tournaments don't we?

England's 1st matches at Euro Championships: 1968: L 1980: D 1988: L 1992: D 1996: D 2000: L 2004: L 2012: D 2016: D

 

[Stringy]

I liked the 4-3-3. I wouldn't have picked the same team as Roy but I thought it worked quite well. It was Roy's substitutions that cost us the game though. Vardy had to come on. Kane looked knackered, Russia were pushing forward, their defence pressing higher up the pitch. It was obvious what he needed to do. Did he not watch Leicester at all last season? Vardy might have got at least one chance that could have wrapped up the game. I read on here during the last tournament that someone thought Roy's in-game management was really poor. It's hard to disagree, he doesn't seem to know how to react to certain game situations.

Sterling looks completely out of form and confidence.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

How Sterling is starting I've no idea, Andros Townsend had a better end to the season. He can't finish, his final ball is poor and he looked scared to take on the full back. There's a player in there but no way he should be in this side at the minute.

 

[Kopper]

He came on in the 87th minute. You seriously think 6 minutes on the pitch makes you right for wanting rid of the player with the highest assist stats in the top flight since Christmas? Woy bringing him on in hindsight was the wrong substitution, but that is based on the type of player he is, not his quality.

He came on in the 87th minute. Why don't we dwell on that for a moment? A player who gets brought on so late in the game, generally isn't considered a starter.
This from a manager the Liverpool faithful couldn't wait to see the back of.
Milner can't play centre mid. He doesn't have the game for it. Which is what you were eluding to when you mentioned the type of player he is.
In 6 minutes of football he conceded possession which led to Russia's goal. Imagine what might've happened if he'd been on the pitch longer?
The fact of the matter is I'm not judging him on last night's performance, or even the season just gone. But on what I've seen of him throughout his career.

Milner won't feature for any team who has ambition.
That's the bottom line.

 

[SALTIRE]

He came on in the 87th minute. Why don't we dwell on that for a moment? A player who gets brought on so late in the game, generally isn't considered a starter.
This from a manager the Liverpool faithful couldn't wait to see the back of.
Milner can't play centre mid. He doesn't have the game for it. Which is what you were eluding to when you mentioned the type of player he is.
In 6 minutes of football he conceded possession which led to Russia's goal. Imagine what might've happened if he'd been on the pitch longer?
The fact of the matter is I'm not judging him on last night's performance, or even the season just gone. But on what I've seen of him throughout his career.

Milner won't feature for any team who has ambition.
That's the bottom line.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Milner can't play centre mid. He doesn't have the game for it. Which is what you were eluding to when you mentioned the type of player he is.

Odd, that, considering no one was even remotely interested in him until his season and half playing centre mid for Villa, following that, he got sold for £22million I believe. To Man City. Where he won 2 titles. Milner is/was a very average winger, he is a rather good centre midfielder though. But hey ho, go on believing what you wish.

 

[mente captus]

Why Hart? He had fuck all to do all game, made one reasonably smart stop and couldn't do much about the goal because Smalling was stood in the way with his thumb up his arse.

i think he had nothing to do all the time and still had two bloopers.

 

[SamScfc]

I thought we played well, which I expected because we have good players but didn't win because we have a shit manager.

Lallana isn't a natural winger, Wilshere is our best player and should start, and why is Kane on corners?

His subs were baffling, I'm not Rooney's biggest fan but he was great last night and got taken off for Wilshere who basically does the same job Rooney does. Sterling and Kane were awful and still, the 24 goal season premier league champion doesn't get on.

He's such a bad manager.

 

[This Charming Mike]

BREAKING: UEFA warns England & Russia they could be disqualified from European Championship if there is further violence.

 

[JimJams]

It's only Russia that are being punished isn't it?

 

[Veggie Legs]

It's only Russia that are being punished isn't it?

Yes. UEFA charges are all for stuff inside the ground, which was just the Russian fans.

 

[JoshBCFC]

I thought England were very good last night and it's a travesty we got robbed at the end, despite that blow at the end I'm now optimistic we'll make it through this group as winners. Dier is absolute quality, thought Walker, Rose, Rooney all had good games, Russia were absolute piss in that first half though and we needed to capitalise, it's a shame we didn't have our finishing boots on.

My only gripe with last night was Roy's decisions, it was glaringly obvious at 1-0 we needed Vardy on to get in behind a desperate Russia. So he brings on Milner and has us sitting back on a 1-0 lead when our defence is our weak point, no sense in that. Puts unwanted pressure on the Wales game now.

Over-statement that. He did well, but was by no means sensational.

 

[JimJams]

Yeah his own goal attempt is a slight blot.

 

[mistermagic]

Well that was fun.

Was in thick of it when it kicked off in Le Vieux Port and saw the incompetence of our police that treated serious hooligan attacks like a union strike. We went up to Notre-Dame de La Garde to do a bit of exercise and when we came back down, near enough all England fans had blood on their shirts and 3/4 of Marseille's commute wasn't working. We did manage to get in the ground on time though.

Basically the back four and Dier were ok, the rest weren't. Hart really isn't reassuring a rather assured defence (Smaling in particular was majestic), Lallan was terrible, Alli a bit underwhelmed by the occasion, Sterling looked like Aaron Lennon against Portugal ca 2006 (just legs, no end product) while Kane and Rooney were knackered and their presence on the pitch was a hindrance to England.

I'm not ashamed to say that I was shitting it when the riot erupted at the end of the game (did the ref end the game prematurely because of the riot or was the added minutes really played?). I reckoned more fightings would happen on the way back but no.

I'm not setting foot in Marseille ever again.

 

[Nath]

Why Hart? He had fuck all to do all game, made one reasonably smart stop and couldn't do much about the goal because Smalling was stood in the way with his thumb up his arse.

He was very dodgy.

Nearly slipped on his arse overthinking a clearance and hit Smalling with a kick out also.

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

I'm still annoyed about last night. It was an encouraging performance and I do like the way Roy set us up, but it all counts for nothing if we don't win. After all, I thought we played well against Italy and Uruguay at the last World Cup, but look how that turned out.

I mean, I don't think people realise how bad that Russia side are and yet we couldn't score from open play. From 60 mins onwards when it was still level, it was blatantly obvious something needed changing - yet Kane somehow stayed on, as did Alli, and Sterling lasted 20 minutes longer than he should have done. And not to bring Vardy on after we went ahead was just ridiculous - why even bother including him in the squad if he's not going to bring him on in that situation? 1-0 up against a slow side who are naturally going to push higher up the pitch - it's simple stuff.

Yes, this is very much what I felt. The lack of a sub on 60/65 minutes seemed quite baffling - it's a bit weird to to bring a load of attacking players along for the party and not shove any them off the bench when your side's misfiring. As much as I thought we played reasonably well I'd certainly agree than failing to score from open play against a mediocre Russian team is a rather disappointing effort.

 

[Nilsson]

There is a tremendous amount of character in this squad. If only there were the same amount of character in some sections of our support, we might actually band together for once: Lord knows, the mutual respect shown in Euro 96 was awful for all involved...

I agree with much of your post but what are you basing this on?

And as for Euro 96, I watched the BBC documentary on that the other week and it seemed that the general consensus in the country leading up to the tournament was that the England squad was full of unprofessional drunks after the whole Dentist Chair in Hong Kong incident. There was even a question mark on Shearer as he hadn't scored for England for 2 years prior to the tournament. But then they won the country over by playing well and beating Scotland and Holland.

 

[SALTIRE]

And failing again; but the way its reported its forgotten that Germany knocked them out and went on to win the competition.

 

[Nilsson]

And failing again; but the way its reported its forgotten that Germany knocked them out and went on to win the competition.

Must suck to hate England so much but having to support an English football team to get your kicks

 

[HarvSFC]

He supports a team in every country bar Scotland.

 

[SALTIRE]

Must suck to hate England so much but having to support an English football team to get your kicks

Paul from RedmenTV is a scouser and he's supporting Germany; I'm comfortable supporting a side that just happens to be in England, and despise the national team

 

[Nilsson]

Paul from RedmenTV is a scouser and he's supporting Germany; I'm comfortable supporting a side that just happens to be in England, and despise the national team

Paul from RedmenTV is probably German.

When is Scotland's first game anyway? Looking forward to your lot putting a smile on everyone's faces with your blokes in skirts and stuff.

 

[SALTIRE]

Paul from RedmenTV is probably German.

When is Scotland's first game anyway? Looking forward to your lot putting a smile on everyone's faces with your blokes in skirts and stuff.

We are too cool to go to UEFA™ tournaments and pick fights with everyone all summer; we'll just sit here in the pishing rain enjoying life, eating fish suppers and getting pished!

Also you should try a kilt on sometime, its a proper minge magnet.

 

[SALTIRE]

He supports a team in every country bar Scotland.

Not true, I'm a Dundee fan as well; the only glory hunting team I follow is Barcelona as I've got to have some sort of success as it sure isn't coming from Dundee or Liverpool these days!

 

[Nilsson]

We are too cool to go to UEFA™ tournaments and pick fights with everyone all summer; we'll just sit here in the pishing rain enjoying life, eating fish suppers and getting pished!

Also you should try a kilt on sometime, its a proper minge magnet.

Oh yeah, my bad, totally forgot Scotland were too shit to even qualify. One of the few positives about supporting England is knowing Scotland are always far worse.

 

[SALTIRE]

Oh yeah, my bad, totally forgot Scotland were too shit to even qualify. One of the few positives about supporting England is knowing Scotland are always far worse.

We know we are shit and are fine with that; you guys deep down know it, but when it comes to the tournaments you and the media constantly think its going to be '66 again. The world has moved on guys!!!

 

[Nilsson]

We know we are shit and are fine with that; you guys deep down know it, but when it comes to the tournaments you and the media constantly think its going to be '66 again. The world has moved on guys!!!

I'm just thankful we're not at Scotland levels of shitness, that would be horrible.