Come on Poland , to my Polish friends

Guitarhero said:

Come on Poland , to my Polish friends

Gave my sparkies the afternoon off... taking them to the local hostelry

Hope I'm sober enough to enjoy the Wales -v- NI match

http://www.bbc.co.uk/spor...l/36630840

Another contender for goal of the tournament!

Connected said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/spor...l/36630840

Another contender for goal of the tournament!

Yes it was a cracker

"I just can't believe..." ... That Ireland are 1-nil up against the hosts ar half-time!!!

Connected said:

"I just can't believe..." ... That Ireland are 1-nil up against the hosts ar half-time!!!

They just gave up the lead in 3 mins sigh.

Bugger!

Oh well Ireland have had a good showing!

As an Arsenal fan...if we insist on keeping Giroud...then please lets buy Griezmann - as they played very well today as a pair

Onwards tomorrow!

thetimefan said:

England haven't set the Euros alight so I won't actually be surprised if Iceland win 2morrow. Vardy and Sturridge didn't really work as a strike force. England doesn't have the magic of a Gazza or a Three Lions spirit like the 96 squad. If they do manage to get past Iceland I can't see them getting past Germany. I'd like to be optimistic and if there was a 4-1 vs Holland performance like there was in 96 ID be more confident. So far it's more like Italia 90 were they are just scrapping through. I still can't look beyond Spain, Italy, Germany and the sleeper team Belgium. Plus like in 92 when Denmark won or when Greece won there might be a surprise team win it all. But right now I don't think it's England they seem to lack confidence and real tactical direction. A team like Germany will pull them apart tactical plus their players are more technically minded. If England beat Iceland tomorrow and they play with confidence and a shape to the team and defend effectively they should get into the quarter finals. From there, who knows. I'd like to see England win for sure, but I just thinking they are lacking on a number of levels but it's a case where I'd like to be proved wrong. Also I think England's best squad was in 96 - Gazza, Sheringham, Shearer, Ince, Adams, Pearce, Seaman, McManaman et AL plus they had Terry Venables and I think that team if they won it in 1996 would be hailed as heroes alongside the 66 squad. [Edited 6/26/16 11:20am]

Great times until we met Germany in the semis

[Edited 6/26/16 11:47am]

thetimefan said:

England haven't set the Euros alight so I won't actually be surprised if Iceland win 2morrow. Vardy and Sturridge didn't really work as a strike force. England doesn't have the magic of a Gazza or a Three Lions spirit like the 96 squad. If they do manage to get past Iceland I can't see them getting past Germany. I'd like to be optimistic and if there was a 4-1 vs Holland performance like there was in 96 ID be more confident. So far it's more like Italia 90 were they are just scrapping through. I still can't look beyond Spain, Italy, Germany and the sleeper team Belgium. Plus like in 92 when Denmark won or when Greece won there might be a surprise team win it all. But right now I don't think it's England they seem to lack confidence and real tactical direction. A team like Germany will pull them apart tactical plus their players are more technically minded. If England beat Iceland tomorrow and they play with confidence and a shape to the team and defend effectively they should get into the quarter finals. From there, who knows. I'd like to see England win for sure, but I just thinking they are lacking on a number of levels but it's a case where I'd like to be proved wrong. Also I think England's best squad was in 96 - Gazza, Sheringham, Shearer, Ince, Adams, Pearce, Seaman, McManaman et AL plus they had Terry Venables and I think that team if they won it in 1996 would be hailed as heroes alongside the 66 squad. [Edited 6/26/16 11:20am]

I have Poland at 50-1 so obviously I'd love a surprise team to win it!

I also have money on England and Italy but I think Germany'll clinch it.

Guitarhero said:

thetimefan said:

England haven't set the Euros alight so I won't actually be surprised if Iceland win 2morrow. Vardy and Sturridge didn't really work as a strike force. England doesn't have the magic of a Gazza or a Three Lions spirit like the 96 squad. If they do manage to get past Iceland I can't see them getting past Germany. I'd like to be optimistic and if there was a 4-1 vs Holland performance like there was in 96 ID be more confident. So far it's more like Italia 90 were they are just scrapping through. I still can't look beyond Spain, Italy, Germany and the sleeper team Belgium. Plus like in 92 when Denmark won or when Greece won there might be a surprise team win it all. But right now I don't think it's England they seem to lack confidence and real tactical direction. A team like Germany will pull them apart tactical plus their players are more technically minded. If England beat Iceland tomorrow and they play with confidence and a shape to the team and defend effectively they should get into the quarter finals. From there, who knows. I'd like to see England win for sure, but I just thinking they are lacking on a number of levels but it's a case where I'd like to be proved wrong. Also I think England's best squad was in 96 - Gazza, Sheringham, Shearer, Ince, Adams, Pearce, Seaman, McManaman et AL plus they had Terry Venables and I think that team if they won it in 1996 would be hailed as heroes alongside the 66 squad. [Edited 6/26/16 11:20am]

Great times until we met Germany in the semis

[Edited 6/26/16 11:47am]

96 was a classic Euros

But Italia 90...as a kid from the rave generation and the Nude tour was one hell of a summer!!!

I hope he plays Walker, Kane and Ali from the start...I a a Gunner...but they all had outstanding club seasons...and by fropping Kane in the last match, he hopefully is a bit rested

Ali is simply capable of some magic (our Payet if you like)...

And Walker has just been an absolute handful on the flank together with Lallana

Roy has done a bit of rotation, but now he has to put his best team out for the remainder of the tournament...that is hoping he now knows what it is

Sterling is a big question mark for me...I'd rather play Rashford who is in better form and has that fearless youth factor

What a great day tomorrow...Italy -v- Spain

And the the Lions in the knockout stages...come on!!!

Guitarhero said:

^
I'm liking this...for me Sturridge/Vardy...not fussed as they can be interchanged in the match

Happy with Smalling/Cahill...with Walker on the flank

Dier/Rooney deep...doing the dirtier work and bringing the attack from deep

and then the frontal assault of Lallana, Rashford, Kane and the flare of Alli

But word is out Roy is starting out with Sterling...

Forster for Hart is interesting and if there is to be a change...then this would be the game to do it...and might give Hart a bit of a kick up the butt.

And agreed about Italia 90... one other thing though - best football song ever by New Order!!!

And the classic Lineker to Bobby moment - "Keep an eye on him"...we just don't get this drama nowadays

Also, I'm not into computer/arcade games but spent a fortune in the pub on the Italia 90 footie game - superb overhead kicks

[Edited 6/27/16 9:34am]

WE are losing to Iceland I give up.

Well anyone doubting the result on Thursday...

If we weren't out of Europe then...We are NOW!

Gutted!

Why Rashford on at 85mins!?!?

Is there anything else 2016 is going to throw at us. This is a year to forget

[Edited 6/27/16 14:04pm]

Connected said:

Germany against Italy again... Never won against them in a tournament. But this year has to be the year! And, what a story for Iceland!

Go, Iceland. Go, Iceland. Go, Iceland.

"Well, thats all we have time for. On a night when England lost to Iceland - a country with more volcanos than professional footballers. Good night" - Gary Lineker, Match of the Day.

Connected said:

Rooney, the England team captain, when asked by the BBC if the team had any pride in the 3 lions he said "Lions? What lions? Oh these things [points to the 3 lions]. I thought it was mummy dragon, daddy dragon and baby dragon. So theyre lions are they? They look kinda shit if theyre meant to be lions". The reporter then apologised on Rooney's behalf for using the word "shit" live on air but was quick to point out that there really was no other word to describe the state of the national team.

Meanwhile, Moodys have just downgraded England to 2 lions.

After their shock vote to leave Europe, it has transpired that the England players finally googled the word "football" after their decisive Englexit decision. Joe Hart was later asked if he thought shopping in Iceland was cheaper than Poundland and he said "Well, maybe, but I didnt save anything". In the meantime, Woy has resigned as the superior leader citing his inability to spell "football" resulting in any google search for the term bringing up penis extension and viagra websites. Which begs the question, why didnt England have any penetration?

thetimefan said:

England were embarrassingly bad, the only plus side they had was when they brought on Rashford but it was too little, too late by then. Had a feeling they would lose to Iceland and Hart would mess up again. I know Crouchy said about the players had passion and was trying to stick up for them in the post match analysis but truly they were woeful. I mean Rooney is a great player, Vardy, Kane, Sturridge all these guys have scored tons of goals yet they couldn't hit the target. When the penalty went in I thought we can do this but 2 minutes later Iceland got a easy goal which England should have easily covered defensively. In some ways it's good that England are out because it would be horrible for the younger players confidence if they got through and lost big time to France. Iceland were tactically a better team and that shouldn't have been the case. England should have had the best manager and coaches available. Although it's a little Raw the talent is there. I'd definitely switch then goalkeepers up now, like I said. I think Hart is very good but he prone to mistakes and you need a world class level keeper in the international game. Another thing and going back to Peter Crouchs point, to me I didn't see any real passion or determination. It was more a "oh well we lost" attitude. Rooney and the boys should have been furious and said to each other we can never let this happen again. Apparently Alan Shearers throwing hisnhat into the managerial race and he was a great player in his time for England but managerially he doesn't have the experience. He tried tomsave his hometown club Newcastle but they were relegated and again he's somebody who I don't think is tactically aware. You need a Pep Guardiola type in the modern game , an old school longball style won't work. I think we'd get more of the same from Alan, Gareth Southgate is under 21 coach so he might get the nod. But again it's more of the same and he didn't really hit the heights as a club manager. Same with Alan Pardew, he got Palace to the FA Cup final but when he loses or is under pressure he loses his cool. Trying to headbutt a player and shouting abuse at Pellegrini don't hold him in good stead. So where does it leave England? I'd think outside the box and go for a coach with international experience and experience in club football. You'd really have to look outside of an English manager to get that experience though. Either that or throw caution to the wind and go for a younger English coach with understanding of the modern game. I don't know who you could say is the guy to lead England to greatness again. There isn't a Sir Alf, Sir Bobby or a Terry Venables available now. Harry Redknapp? He doesnt really fit in with the FA neither did Brian Clough and it was a huge mistake for them to not appoint Cloughie. I think you could have guaranteed a World Cup and/or a Euro win because of what he did with Derby and Notts Forest. Now theres a massive reduction in quality England managerial candidates. Who would I pick if I was head of the FA? To be honest, I don't know. But I would get the 66, 90 and 96 squads together and go and talk to the lads and instill that three Lions spirit again. Make them proud to wear the shirt and work 200% and try their hardest to win. Its a shame Paul Gascoigne's life fell into freefall after he retired because if he was healthy and he worked as part of the coaching setup he'd be great for England. If he had took his coaching badges I wouldn't have look beyond him as manager. Why? Because he has the passion by a ton for England, tactically he'd be on the ball and he's somebody the younger lads can look up to and respect. A guy like Gareth Southgate and he's a quiet nice guy but i don't think he would tear into them if they lost. Roy should have been fuming yesterday and he came out calm as a cucumber to announce his resignation. But congrats to Iceland, they played much better than England and were well organised tactically. England were woeful in comparison and you'd think and with all due respect to Iceland that some of their players were part timers. With the amount of quality players available you'd think England could have walked into the finals but nope, they fell at an even earlier hurdle. Fact of the matter is they should have replaced Roy ages ago but no one is coming forward and demanding the job. Shearer wants it but as I've said he's not ready. A Alan Shearer/Terry Venables combination I like though with Terry in an advisory hands on role with Shearer to learn from him. But I think Gareth Southgate will get the job. He might succeed but again I think unless they think outside of the box and manage to get the best out of the players the mediocrity will continue. As right now the team is still Raw and needs molding into a cohesive unit with an ingrained win at all costs mentality. I really England needs the flair of a Brazil, the machinesque tactical organisation of a Germany and above all they need to find their Three Lions spirit again. As without that together team all for one, one for all mentality they are defeated before they step onto the pitch. [Edited 6/28/16 0:08am]

I'd definitely consider Carlo Ancelloti

He is out of contract...managed the highest club level teams in europe...played internationally himself

I also think that English players need to go out and play for European clubs

They get caught up in this whole "we are superstars in the best league in the world...the Premiership"...don't belive the hype lads!

You are peripheral players in big clubs who play alongside the real superstars - Aguero, Sanchez, Ozil, Kompany, Yaya, Hazard, Mata, De Gea, Willian, Payet, Courtois, Schweinstieger and even Eriksen

So, get out in the worls, learn your trade by playing in different leagues and understand different football mentalities...styles of play...strategies...

Then you can bring something to the table when confronting International opposition...from knowing different languages...players...cultural mentality

We are just far to caught up in our own hype of the PL and have no idea of how to gel as a team...or switch our style of play...change and adapt...

The way we capitulated against Iceland was argh!...and Slovakia and probably the worst team of the tournament Russia - they need to keep their heads down now until the new season.

Yes!!! It was the Tecmo game - loved it!!!

Rebeljuice said:

Rooney, the England team captain, when asked by the BBC if the team had any pride in the 3 lions he said "Lions? What lions? Oh these things [points to the 3 lions]. I thought it was mummy dragon, daddy dragon and baby dragon. So theyre lions are they? They look kinda shit if theyre meant to be lions". The reporter then apologised on Rooney's behalf for using the word "shit" live on air but was quick to point out that there really was no other word to describe the state of the national team.

Meanwhile, Moodys have just downgraded England to 2 lions.

[Edited 6/28/16 5:07am]

Sorry for my Polish friends xxx