Euro 2016 Thread

[tulip]

Please can someone take Robbie Savage out somewhere and lose him.

+1

[Ascotexgunner]

Think that is what happens in the knock-out rounds tbf...unless they fancy their chances in a penalty shoot-out

....and let's face, who wouldn't

TBH they'd be better advised to watch us huff and puff for 60 minutes then destroy us on the break when we get desperate. Or just score the first time they get a set piece as our defence falls over itself or Hart palms the ball into the net for no reason.

England players do seem to be worse tournament bottle jobs and chokers than Reading in a Play Off campaign.

I don't know what's happened to England. Didn't see the game tonight, but they were operating so much better when Rooney wasn't playing in other matches. I don't get why they decided to start changing things and making him a midfielder and building it all around him. I would have started Jack wheelchair personally.

[Ascotexgunner]

3 nights, 3 x 0 - 0 dull!

And are Wales so good or did Russia not try!

We could have had 6 or 7 easily if we had a bit more quality up front tonight. I was distraught after the England game. I just didn't get why we decided to defend so deep at 1-0 and not try to leave 2 up front for a counter attack like we did tonight. TBF it was Ashley Williams mistimed header to Vardy that undid the hard work. But England are a better team. Tonight Ramsay and Joe Allen were magnificent though and their defence splitting passes just opened the Russians up....time after time.

[Deadlock]

That's just bloody typical of Russia to find a way of avoiding expulsion from the tournament.

[Royal Rother]

Another good if slightly unlucky performance from England.

Totally dominant playing some nice football - they have exceeded my expectations and look like a better team than I've seen England produce for a good few tournaments.

Yes I could pick holes as seems to be the national obsession these days but really the reaction to what has been 3 decent performances is pathetic.

Good saves, amazing blocks, massed defences... we've been a little unfortunate so far but everyone has had a run out, it's a marathon not a sprint etc. etc.

I'm aware I'm going against the grain here and may have cause to reflect next Monday but I think it's all rather promising.

[LUX]

No, you have a point.

I was disappointed and surprised he did not start with his best 11 last night, whereas we had neither qualified nor topped the Group. Wilshere, Henderson and Bertrand are in my opinion nowhere near our best options. I'd have said the same about Clyne, but tbf he played very well.

Walker has been the revelation of the tournament, but was not picked.

Vardy had a very good first half, but was invisible in the second.

Slovakia were totally devoid of ambition, ruined any spectacle.

But we are through and the next game should be winnable. We owe Portugal one, if it's them.

We are going to need Kane to play himself into form.

Lux's eleven:

Hart, Clyne, Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Dier, Alli, Lallana, Rooney, Sturridge, Kane

Vardy and Rashford to come on as impact subs.

[Royal Rother]

Kane still looks out of sorts - I'd be tempted to put Rashford ahead of him at the moment.

Owen and Rooney were 18 when they burst onto the international scene looking like world beaters....

[Scutterbucketz]

Wilshere was utterly abysmal and Hendersons delivery was fukking shite. That was one of the most frustrating games I've ever watched. Slovakia played for the draw but if you haven't got enough ideas or ability to get past Skrtel you will not get very far in this tournament.

So fukking annoyed the next match is on Monday and not Saturday.

[Stranded]

Disappointed not to top the group, the last minute equaliser by a shocking Russian side is really the cause of that but I have to echo RR's comments.

That has been 3 actually pretty good performances by England that haven't quite had the rewards that they deserve - which unfortunately does happen in football. Last nights match should have been buried at Half time and I get the feeling that this side will click at some point and put 3 goals past someone.

Some people will focus on the changes last night, but the thing is I don't believe it weakened us particularly - only thing it really showed is that Wilshere is not fit enough to start a game. We would have started Vardy/Sturridge regardless after the Wales performance, the full backs are fairly interchangable - though Walker looks the best on current form, Clyne was first choice until a couple of months ago. Henderson, was well Henderson, did some very nice things but his final ball was shocking.

The only downside was the last 20 mins or so when Slovakia decided that they really, really wanted the point and put everyone behind the ball we didn't have the nouce to break them down - we managed it against Wales eventually so know they can do it, last night it just didn't happen.

Anyway, it does mean we have a "harder" run now but I don't think it'll be Portugal next - if they win they will be top if they don't 3rd - so a game against a Hungary or Iceland side is a very winnable game. QF against France is now looking probable though, which would have been good to avoid, best to avoid the hosts where possible but they haven't looked great so far - one or two great players the rest fairly average, so nothing to fear there except the inevitable penalty shoot out defeat.

[Winston Smith]

We could have had 6 or 7 easily if we had a bit more quality up front tonight

We would also have got a better result if we were a better team too.

[Winston Smith]

Only watched a little bit of last nights game. I will assume we flattered to deceive, struggled to beat a not very good team but came away saying we are great and soon enough it will all come together and we will batter someone.

[wingnut]

Only watched a little bit of last nights game. I will assume we flattered to deceive, struggled to beat a not very good team but came away saying we are great and soon enough it will all come together and we will batter someone.

Pretty much.

That second half was a bit like watching Reading these days, except without conceding the sucker punch goal at the death (although I was expecting that); loads of aimless possession with little or no movement off the ball, any interesting looking breaks quickly killed by backwards or overhit passes and absolutely dreadful set pieces.

[No Fixed Abode]

Woy should have listened to me. Andy Carroll should have been selected.

When you completely run out of ideas how to break a team down you need another plan. Thankfully we didn't need to score last night, but in the next round we do.

[Winston Smith]

in case you wondered

How are the teams who finish third ranked?

Uefa makes a league table that features the six teams occupying third place in their groups after all the group matches are finished. This table is initially ranked in order by: points, goal difference, and goals scored.
Euro 2016: what do England, Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland need?
Read more

If teams are level on points and have the same goal difference and same number of goals scored, further tie-breaking criteria are applied. First, the team with the better disciplinary record during the tournament would be placed higher.

Each team starts with 10 disciplinary points and loses one for each yellow card and three for each red card (a sending-off for two yellow card counts as three points; a player already booked who then commits a straight red card offence costs the team four points). Teams can end up with a negative number.

If both teams have the same disciplinary record, then the nation with the higher Uefa coefficient would progress.

[Pepe the Horseman]

As JMW said, I don't think it would have made much difference had Roy left the team the same. I would've liked to see Barkley get a game, being one of the few that can create something out of nothing.

Not sure why we should be worried about possibly getting Portugal, as it'll mean they'd have finished second in an arguably easier group than ours. Whoever we get, at least our full backs will be well rested.

[Winston Smith]

Reckon we will have Hungary in the next round, and if we get through that France in the QF.

[Winston Smith]

Portugal finishing 2nd in their group doesn't look all that likely at all.

[Maguire]

- Wilshere was a waste of time

- Henderson couldn't deliver a pizza

- Worst thing about it is that it's ruined the planned Saturday all-dayer. Roy, nobody wants to watch these things on a Monday night

- England utterly dominated the game in a way I don't think I've ever seen them do before at a major tournament. Sure, Slovakia welcomed us onto them but the side keeps the ball really well these days.

- We need more invention in the final third. Obvious comment is obvious. If Sturridge is going to play then I'd rather he played in the penalty box than trying to beat three players 40 yards from goal.

[Pepe the Horseman]

- Worst thing about it is that it's ruined the planned Saturday all-dayer. Roy, nobody wants to watch these things on a Monday night

Yeh, this. What night will the quarter final be?

[Maguire]

- Worst thing about it is that it's ruined the planned Saturday all-dayer. Roy, nobody wants to watch these things on a Monday night

Yeh, this. What night will the quarter final be?

Sunday