England - the future....

[Ian Royal]

Surely a group of in-form players are going to be more confident in themselves and likely to perform together better?

Never really seen a huge amount of quality that sets Henderson apart from other midfielders when playing for England. Flashes of quality for Liverpool but he even has vocal critics from Liverpool fans. Anyway, my point is I think it's harsh on Drinkwater (and Noble ftr) to dropped, especially considering he's taken 5 strikers. How else is he ever going to get into the England squad without moving to a bigger club?

Probably the worst squad we have ever sent to a finals.

When was the last time we took a squad with the two highest scorers in the Premier League? Euro 96? W10 D0 L0 in Qualifying too... and beat the world champions. Decent.

It's the difference between picking 11 eleven random individuals on solo quality and asking them to perform, and picking a group who know each other's game inside out and all compliment each other but aren't necessarily individually brilliant. Just think Chelsea this season for the first and Reading in 2011/12 for the second. One of them won a title, one of them didn't.

[genome]

Bit of an odd example considering that Chelsea squad won the title the year before. I know what you mean but you only have to look at Leicester to see what form and confidence can do to a side.

[BR2]

Probably the worst squad we have ever sent to a finals. Defensively it is a disaster waiting to happen and the midfield has been sacrificed to allow the FGS to get a game. If our front two get anything like decent service we might have a chance but I can't see anything other than another early exit.

It may or may not be the worst squad but the good news is that most of the leading nations seem to have weaker than normal squads so, because of that,I think we have a fair chance.

[Sanguine]

Media saying today that Rooney will be playing off Kane tonight in England's likely attack for the Russia game. Which either means no Vardy, or Vardy shanted out to the wing again.

Please Roy, prove the doubters wrong this tournament. Show people you get it.

[bcubed]

Media saying today that Rooney will be playing off Kane tonight in England's likely attack for the Russia game. Which either means no Vardy, or Vardy shanted out to the wing again.

Please Roy, prove the doubters wrong this tournament. Show people you get it.

No Vardy >>>>>> Vardy on the wing

[George_]

Media saying today that Rooney will be playing off Kane tonight in England's likely attack for the Russia game. Which either means no Vardy, or Vardy shanted out to the wing again.

Please Roy, prove the doubters wrong this tournament. Show people you get it.

No Vardy >>>>>> Vardy on the wing

Agreed. Rather Vardy coming on with 30 minutes to go & using his pace to hopefully finish off games.

[Ian Royal]

Kane & Vardy >>>>>>>>> Kane & Rooney

[bcubed]

Kane & Vardy >>>>>>>>> Kane & Rooney

Probably true but we wont get that if Roy goes 4231 like he did v Germany

[Silver Fox]

Vardy definitely to come on late and run at tired legs

[genome]

Leeds United have had 6 managers since Jack Wilshere last completed a full 90 minutes

[Hoop Blah]

Vardy definitely to come on late and run at tired legs

Agreed.

I'm sure the team will change a fair bit between the first game and whenever we get knocked out, or win it. Within the group games there are different strengths and weaknesses from the opposition and so I'd imagine Hodgson and co have some specific plans and selections up their sleeve to deal with them.

Interestingly*, I read that tonight's game against Portugal was set up specifically to have a look at how to deal with an average side built around a superstar winger, with the idea to help prepare for the threat of Bale. Portugal have given Ronaldo the night off though so all the best laid plans have been scuppered.

[genome]

Bruno Alves

[AthleticoSpizz]

Shame that no advantage was played....Kane was on for something there......understandable decision tho'

[genome]

Seriously, I'm in fits

[Ian Royal]

Is it me or is it quite blatantly obvious we're playing 4-3-3 despite Hoddle endlessly banging on about the two up front and diamond? Rooney is certainly not playing behind Vardy and Kane.

Vardy's been quiet - we're not really playing to his strengths... he does seem a little wasted as the inside forward.
Kane's been a little off touch
Milner started slowly but has grown into it a bit.

We could do with getting Alli on the ball a little more and sharpening the passing slightly. I'd like to see a few more raking switches from full back to fullback as well, really exploiting the full width as Portugal tuck in to defend in numbers.

Very impressed with Walker and to a slightly lesser extent Rose's reading of the game to make pacey interceptions. I think they've confirmed themselves as the full backs. Dier looks to have Wilshere locked out. Milner not doing enough to keep out Henderson for me. Alli a definite. Still not convinced by Smalling. Stones was quite good in the last game, not so good in the one before. Smalling just looks like he's got at least one error in him for every game. Just not quite sure what combination will work best upfront.

[Royal Rother]

One that doesn't involve Rooney?

[Ian Royal]

One that doesn't involve Rooney?

Thought he was easily the best of the three who started tonight.

We looked incredibly pedestrian. The game was screaming out for width and instead we played into the packed centre at walking pace. Wishere and Lallana injected some much needed pace and zip and pass and move.

I think Kane is most effective centrally and Vardy should only be used in the diamond where he's also playing reasonably centrally on the shoulder. Rooney either at the tip of the diamond (and I really don't think that's where he was tonight, he looked central of a three) or on the left/right of the three.

Alli was disappointing against 10.

Hmmm.

.......................Hart
..Walker..Cahill..Stones..Rose
......Wilshere..Dier..Alli
....Sturridge..Kane..Rooney

or

....................Hart
Walker..Cahill..Stones..Rose
.....................Dier
......Henderson..Wilshere
..................Rooney
...............Kane..Vardy

It's really tough though. There's lots of talent, but that means the team doesn't really pick itself and we may find the blend just doesn't quite settle in. The three friendlies have all been wins, tonight was a fairly good practice at patience and breaking down someone content to play out the draw, though we didn't make a great fist of it... but we could and should have put in much much slicker and more controlling performances in all three friendlies.

Lets hope they're keeping their powder dry.

[Sanguine]

Rooney was the best of the front three because he was the only one played in something resembling his normal position. Hodgson had clearly asked Rooney to push on, which, with the added defensive responsibilities on the Portugese full-backs, had our two centre-forwards (and they are as close to a centre-forward pair as we have had since Shearer and Sheringham) playing on the left- and right-wings.

Vardy in particular was wasted - the Times says he touched the ball only 9 times, and all on the left-flank. Vardy gets in behind the last man. He can't do that out wide. 49 goals between them this season and they were barely on the opposition penalty area.

Hodgson seems determined to fit Rooney into the team at any cost. This is our best opportunity in a major tournament since 2004. Roy says it is players, not systems, who win games, but I fear Roy may fail to even select the right team, nevermind get the tactics right.

[Sanguine]

“If you play with them both through the middle with Rooney central as well you can’t defend the wide areas. There were some moments where you might be right and Kane and Vardy were a little too wide but their job is to split and come together at the right times. If you play with a man in behind them, you have to make sure he has space in which to run.

I mean, ffs, Roy. The problem there is Rooney, not the front two. The midfield, indeed the front of the diamond (Alli, please!) needs to be astute and mobile enough to make runs wide and off the front two, and work with the wide players.

[Handsome Man]

If Rooney hadn't been there, Alli, Kane and Vardy could all have played more centrally and it would have been a lot better. If he had been replaced by Sturridge or Sterling, we would have had some pace on the wings as well. Roy has such a difficult decision to make!

The easy way out would be to save Vardy for the last twenty-five minutes. I thought Walker's final passes looked poor last night, while Willshire and Sterling did OK as subs, so:
Hart
Walker (or Clyne?)
Rose
Cahill
Smalling
Dier
Milner (or Willshire?)
Sterling
Alli
Rooney
Kane

We won though, and the defence played together again without conceding a goal, so there were some positives last night. Hoddle seemed a bit of an old moaner on the commentary, but I didn't think it was too bad overall.