Slovakia v England, 20th June, 8pm

[JJ1532]

Well, Roy Hodgson got bailed out by the players he brought on against Wales. How it took 135 minutes for him to bring Vardy on, god only knows. How it took him 135 minutes to put 2 upfront, god only knows.

Can someone remind him that we are playing Slovakia next, not Germany, Spain or Italy, where keeping hold of the ball and having numbers in midfield really matters? Starting XI for this game should be simple in my mind:

Hart, Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose, Dier, Rooney, Alli, Lallana, Vardy, Sturridge, playing a diamond midfield with Lallana or Alli in the number 10 role, don't care who. Suits us much better than a 4-3-3 with 1 striker upfront. If Roy doesn't start 2 upfront in this game, then he is truly beyond hope. If he plays it safe, there is no hope. He's got to go for it and secure top spot, simple as.

Slovakia got themselves back into contention with a decent win over Russia, could hurt England with the likes of Weiss and Hamsik if they aren't careful. England should be winning this one, but could get caught out. So, what's your team, predictions etc?

 

[Pagnell]

A draw will guarantee our progress, a win will see us finish top of the group and theoretically an easier opponent in the next round. We should win, and if we start with the players that started the second half yesterday (as everyone knows we should), then we will win. We'll have too much threat up front. I can see Slovakia catching us out at least once so there will be no clean sheet, but we should bag at least two, especially if Skrtel puts on a display similar to what we have seen from him in a Liverpool shirt of late.

But unfortunately, this is Hodgson we're talking about. So I wouldn't be surprised to see Kane or Sterling make an appearance at some point, and perhaps one of them even start. Come on Woy, show us you have made the right observations from the first 135 minutes of England's football in this tournament and have come to the correct conclusions. In terms of a goal threat we were fucking terrible until Sturridge and Vardy made an appearance. Both Kane and Sterling should be benched and everyone knows it.

2-1 England.

 

[T.A]

Personally I don't think Vardy/Sturridge partnership would actually work from the start. I do think Kane with Sturridge or Vardy would work better. I agree Sterling needs to be dropped. Go back to the diamond with Dier, Ali, Lallana. I'd have Rooney at the peak.

Two up front though is a must. If we want to get further in the competition we need to finish top. It'd be typical England to fuck it up and scrape through.

 

[Pagnell]

Personally I don't think Vardy/Sturridge partnership would actually work from the start. I do think Kane with Sturridge or Vardy would work better. I agree Sterling needs to be dropped. Go back to the diamond with Dier, Ali, Lallana. I'd have Rooney at the peak.

Two up front though is a must. If we want to get further in the competition we need to finish top. It'd be typical England to fuck it up and scrape through.

As a pair I see Vardy and Kane as being more similar in terms of attributes than Sturridge and Kane or Vardy, so I don't see any advantage in breaking up what turned out to be a winning combination to bring Kane back in. I'd keep things as they were, and bring Rashford or even Kane on for Vardy or Sturridge if it isn't working by half time or slightly later.

 

[T.A]

As a pair I see Vardy and Kane as being more similar in terms of attributes than Sturridge and Kane or Vardy, so I don't see any advantage in breaking up what turned out to be a winning combination to bring Kane back in. I'd keep things as they were, and bring Rashford or even Kane on for Vardy or Sturridge if it isn't working by half time or slightly later.

Well tbf you probably watch these three more than me. I think the amount of football Kane has had has caught up on him. Don't forget he's been Spurs only striker for the majority of last season. I just hope people aren't too harsh on him if he does play again.

 

[smat]

Really think he's seen enough of Kane and Sterling for now. I hope Wilshere and Sturridge start.

 

[Pagnell]

Well tbf you probably watch these three more than me. I think the amount of football Kane has had has caught up on him. Don't forget he's been Spurs only striker for the majority of last season. I just hope people aren't too harsh on him if he does play again.

For me it's simply about what's more likely to result in goals, and at the moment for whatever reason Kane appears to be struggling. It's for this reason alone I don't believe he should start, he played 135 minutes of football and didn't look like scoring once. Whilst we have two other strikers who bagged a goal each with 45 minutes of play, although I'm aware the change of formation to two up front could have helped with that.

 

[JimJams]

Here's one for ya, RASHFORD TO START! Rash for Sterling, Vardy for Kane. Get the ballhogging trigger happy bastards off the pitch and get in the guys who play for the team. And probably Wilshere in for Alli too.

Oh and Forster for Hart.
Anybody else we can change?

 

[TomPNE94]

Here's one for ya, RASHFORD TO START! Rash for Sterling, Vardy for Kane. Get the ballhogging trigger happy bastards off the pitch and get in the guys who play for the team. And probably Wilshere in for Alli too.

Oh and Forster for Hart.
Anybody else we can change?

Gary Neville for Walker

 

[Reaper]

I think i would give the diamond formation a go the last game and see how we do now we have 4 points already which is almost certain to qualify, i think we have the squad to make alot of changes and still win and dominate the game by resting a few players, this would be my team for the last game.

Hart
Clyne Stones Cahill Bertrand
Dier
Henderson Wilshere
Barkley
Sturridge Vardy

 

[Leewilson]

----------------Hart
Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose
----------------Dier
-------Rooney Wilshere
Lallana----Vardy-----Sturridge

I'd make Sturridge's role more of a free one though allowing him to roam around like he did at times in the 2nd half rather than being shoehorned on the left. I'd also be tempted to give Alli a rest and give Wilshere a start to bring him properly into the tournament as he will likely be needed at some stage. Lallana is needed for balance and structure, plus he's played very well on that side with Walker so far.

 

[JJH]

Like I said in the other thread, I think England will find more joy against sides who are willing to have a go against them - and Slovakia have to do that.

Hart

Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose;

Dier,

Rooney, Wilshere,

Lallana;

Sturridge, Vardy.
​

I'll be fuming if Roy goes with either one of Sterling or Kane from the start given their 'performances' in the opening two. Big fan of Alli, but he's been pretty naff as well - Wilshere was deemed fit enough to travel, he's undoubtedly one of England's better players - would love to see him start in the middle.

 

[Stevencc]

So long as Sterling doesn't start we've got a chance.

 

[Veggie Legs]

----------------Hart
Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose
----------------Dier
-------Rooney Wilshere
Lallana----Vardy-----Sturridge

I'd make Sturridge's role more of a free one though allowing him to roam around like he did at times in the 2nd half rather than being shoehorned on the left. I'd also be tempted to give Alli a rest and give Wilshere a start to bring him properly into the tournament as he will likely be needed at some stage. Lallana is needed for balance and structure, plus he's played very well on that side with Walker so far.

This looks good to me. Kane's been disappointing, but I wouldn't be pissed off if he starts again, with Vardy/Sturridge in place of Sterling. Wilshere for Alli makes sense too, Alli can still come on and make an impact if needed.

We've generally played well in the first two games; a few individuals have underperformed so give some others a chance, but there's no need for wholesale changes.

 

[smat]

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...urridge-england-harry-kane-slovakia-euro-2016

RIP Jockney

 

[Jockney]

Play him in midfield. We can't afford to leave him out.

 

[Storzy]

Well, Roy Hodgson got bailed out by the players he brought on against Wales. How it took 135 minutes for him to bring Vardy on, god only knows. How it took him 135 minutes to put 2 upfront, god only knows.

The winning goal came when we were playing one upfront. Sturridge and Rashford were playing in the same position as Stirling and Lallana.

I'd be surprised if Roy decided to revert back to the diamond formation as his whole reason for going 4-3-3 was to put Rooney in the centre and that's been one of the success stories early on.

I think it might be as Leewilson suggests, hopefully Kane, Stirling and Ali are dropped as they haven't been great.

 

[Jarv]

Well tbf you probably watch these three more than me. I think the amount of football Kane has had has caught up on him. Don't forget he's been Spurs only striker for the majority of last season. I just hope people aren't too harsh on him if he does play again.

Indeed apparently the Wales games was his 63rd game of the season after 56 the previous season including 3 games for the Under 21s last summer where spurs took him to Australia for a pointless friendly before it.

Unfortunately Spurs lack of depth risks ruining him by overplaying him like Liverpool did with Owen

Unless we're going to play Sturridge in the middle he shouldn't play. he's awful as a wide striker, he's incrredibly ball greedy and wasteful. other than the goal he barely managed to find an England player in the entire half. Just shows how 1 goal make people overlook how awful he was.

If he's going to be central striker fair enough but he shouldn't play anywhere else. We're missing having many players suited to playing the wider role. we should have taken Townsend when Welbeck wasn't fit.

 

[Laker]

I'd be happy with finishing second. We'd play second in group F which doesn't seem likely to be Portugal (they'd have to win and Iceland win by more or draw and Iceland score less in a draw) - we should feel happy to draw Hungary, Iceland or Austria. So I'd be happy with a draw.

 

[Jarv]

I'd be happy with finishing second. We'd play second in group F which doesn't seem likely to be Portugal (they'd have to win and Iceland win by more or draw and Iceland score less in a draw) - we should feel happy to draw Hungary, Iceland or Austria. So I'd be happy with a draw.

If we win the group we'll most likely play Romania or Nortthern Ireland then the winner of F (Hungary?) and Runner up group E (Belgium)

 

[Laker]

If we win the group we'll most likely play Romania or Nortthern Ireland then the winner of F (Hungary?) and Runner up group E (Belgium)

Yep, it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. Obviously you always want to win the group but it wouldn't be particularly detrimental if we came second. Third, obviously, is a different matter!

 

[Veggie Legs]

If we win the group we'll most likely play Romania or Nortthern Ireland then the winner of F (Hungary?) and Runner up group E (Belgium)

Very unlikely to be Northern Ireland, it'll be third place in group A or D.

 

[Leewilson]

Very unlikely to be Northern Ireland, it'll be third place in group A or C.

Looking like group C at the moment as can't see 3rd in A making it. Albania will need a goal difference swing most likely (unless the Czechs draw against Turkey) and if Romania equalise, then both are screwed.

 

[JJ1532]

Can't believe people are going through the possibilities of who we could face in the last 16. My head hurts when I try to think about it.

 

[GodsGift]

Looks like we're making six changes for tomorrow's game (Sturridge, Vardy, Henderson, Wilshere, Bertrand and Clyne in for Kane, Sterling, Alli, Rooney, Rose and Walker).

Bit of a risk seeing as, technically, we can still be knocked out.

 

[Destruction]

Henderson FFS.

 

[JimJams]

I don't mind the changes so much and initially I thought the fullback swap was the least noteworthy, but assuming Vardy and Sturridge are to play as a front 2 and the rest form a diamond, then Walker and Rose are the more attacking options from fullback and we'd likely need that width. Wilshere will presumably be replacing Alli and so he can open up the defence, with Henderson just doing what he did in the qualifiers. Really Henderson for Rooney is the only call there that raises an eyebrow. Maybe Wayne is a bit knackered cos he's had to run about a bit more than usual.

 

[Super_horns]

Clearly Roy has a lot of faith in the whole squad..

Ofcourse it is natural to bring Vardy and Sturridge in but changing the full backs is a bold move..and how fit are Henderson and Wilshere?

Let's just hope it pays off!

 

[JJ1532]

If those are the changes, what sort of formation are we going to be playing? Seems silly to try and hammer Lallana and Sturridge/Vardy into wing roles in a 4-3-3. A diamond midfield would seem much more suitable. Have Sturridge and Vardy upfront, with Vardy playing off the last man and Sturridge coming short for the ball, Lallana in the number 10 role with Henderson and Wilshere infront of Dier.

Like swapping the full backs out, doesn't feel like we're weakening those areas which is good.

Saying that, it'll probably be 4-3-3 with a central striker and a central attacking midfielder playing in the wide positions. Don't see there being enough goal threat in that team bar Sturridge and Vardy, none of those midfielders make me think they can score a goal if needed.

 

[Vale on Trent]

Why make wholesale changes? Rooney is our captain and probably been one of our best players so far along with Walker.

Win the game, top the group, gain momentum. It's not a friendly.