Just lost 5 years off my life expectancy.

Why is watching England so hard, even when we win?

Mrs Stephen Fry ?@MrsStephenFry

Are you watching Dolph Lundgren? Max von Sydow? Benny and Bjorn? Ace of Base? Swedish Chef? Your boys took one hell of a narrow defeat!!!!

lol 😆

… just me who thinks the 3rd goal was accidental ? 😐

… just me who thinks the 3rd goal was accidental

yup

Played for, and got!

yayage

wellbeck’s goal is the goal of the tournament so far. great move, fabulous finish.

rooney in for young who was poor, should help us keep the ball a little better. get the ox on for milner who has no form

i think we’re way off the pace of the real contenders at the moment. but it’s a real rollercoaster following us and i’ve got to say that i’m enjoying it.

Gerries or eyeties await if I have my facts right englishfolk.

Mmmmm. Torres vs terry could be tasty. Spain will romp that I think.

Funny with linear asking if england could win it? Pundit corner fell off their seats.

Parker was bobbins.

if that was scored by messi or ronaldo the press would be spunking over that for years

+1,000,000

He saw the ball was played behind him, and that flick was the only way to get it goal bound. Class finish.

Strange old game that ended well

Ashley young was terrible tonight, Parkers lack of creativity & composure on the ball is being highlighted, mind got to admire his commitment. Milner doesn’t look fully match fit.

nice selection dilemma at the top end for the next game at least!

Glen Johnson even had a decent game 🙂

I thought Joe Hart was back to his best – couple of good saves, came for crosses at the right time, would have saved Mellberg’s effort for the first but it then hit GJ and bounced in.

Can’t help thinking that Gerrard is a bit wasted lying quite so deep, Parker seemed to get into the forward positions more often and as said above doesn’t have the class of Gerrard in front of goal or for the final pass.

Cracking header by Carroll, was a great cross but still had a fair bit to do with his head from 15 yds out.

How slow did John Terry look though……

Having watched Spain, admittedly against an out of their depth Irish side, then watching England it left me shouting at the telly.

Still no sense of how a team should work, still very little vision, very little ability to take the ball, keep the ball, move the ball. Too reliant on passing back to the keeper; which demonstrates the lack of options in defence and midfield, and an inability to maintain possession for any length of time.

Watch Spain and count the number of passes acheived in a run of play; I stopped at 30 or so. England were managing 4 or 5…

We won, but there was little to cheer about.

defensively we were awful. does roy play zonal marking still ? looks like the players were not sure who/where to mark on this evidence…………..

it’s all good fun though. don’t expect anything so everything’s a bonus really.

I’ve a feeling it may be kicking off in a different style tonight!!

can’t say i’m happy with the talk that wellbeck will be dropped with rooney coming in and young playing in behind the front two.

surely rooney is the man for that role ? the only really creative player we’ve got and always willing to track back. young has done less than bugger all so far. keep wellbeck in and drop young. we’ll probably never have another chance to just go for it, no one’s expecting us to do anything anyway.

can’t say i’m happy with the talk that wellbeck will be dropped with rooney coming in and young playing in behind the front two.

You want to keep Andy Carroll in the team?

Just trying to get my head round who’ll be going through if the Dutch beat Portugal & Germany beat the Danes…..

confusing!

Cool as a cucumber… 😀

Holland looking as shit as Ireland. 🙂

Squeaky bum time for ze Germans

Perfect timing 😳

How disappointing have the dutch been… Portugal & Germany to make at least the semi’s

Along with Spain & Croatia?

Are you England?
Are you England?
Are you England in disguise?!!!

Was running through my mind watching Holland there

And can England be Greece in disguise???

Martin Kelner in the Guardian today. Worth a read. 🙂

It’s good to see that no-one is getting carried away with the limited success we’ve had so far in this tournament. It seems the lack of pressure this time is perhaps working in our favour.

Oh.

“I think we’re good enough [to win it],” [Rooney] said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/17/euro-2012-wayne-rooney-england-ukraine

I also think perhaps that despite Rooney’s obvious talents – messing up a reasonably successful team formula to bring in a sulky, petulant egotist is not the best plan.

Grum – I’d just spotted that myself. And thought exactly the same. Well done Shrek! He’s properly put the hex on it all now. 🙁

It’s good to see that no-one is getting carried away with the limited success we’ve had so far in this tournament. It seems the lack of pressure this time is perhaps working in our favour.

Careful now you may actually be having some expectations
There is no greater joy than watching England do well and watching hopes and aspirations grow and flourish knwing they will ultimately flounder when they meet a good team or a penalty shootout.

despite Rooney’s obvious talents – messing up a reasonably successful team formula to bring in a sulky, petulant egotist is not the best plan

ABU still even with your best player by a country mile*
Reasonable – one draw, a shambolic defence and some quality finsihing…. you call this reasonably succesful…christ your expectations were low 😀

“I think we’re good enough [to win it],” he said. “We’ve got the players to. I know, obviously, everyone doesn’t want us to build up expectations but I firmly believe that we’ve got the players. Obviously, you need a bit of luck as well but I believe we’ve got a good opportunity. We’ve always believed.

Yes he really needs to calm down he should have said we have no chance and I have booked my holidays for next seek after all i am sure his honesty would have pleased Grum for he has no axe to grind 8)

* Ok gerrard is up there too.

You want to keep Andy Carroll in the team?

Absolutely, play to your strengths. I bet there isn’t a centre half in the competition that saw carrol’s goal on friday and didn’t shit themselves.

I can’t see any reason not to play the same formation with rooney playing the free role that young wasted on friday.

JY – Binners is a United fan IIRC and he agreed with me so hardly evidence of the ABU conspiracy you are always on the lookout for. 😉

Reasonable – one draw, a shambolic defence and some quality finsihing…. you call this reasonably succesful…christ your expectations were low

Yup.

ABU still even with your best player by a country mile*

I agree he’s almost certainly our best player, but does picking the best players automatically make for the best team? One thing I have noticed in the last couple of games is the attitude has been better.

From the Martin Kelner article linked to above:

ITV’s Gordon Strachan came up with a reason why the nation’s incurable optimists might just get paid out. “There’s more to football than tactics and skill,” he said. “Spirit can get you to a lot of places.” He was encouraged by the esprit de corps in the England squad. “You can see it when players are substituted,” he said, pointing out that there seems to be good-natured acceptance rather than annoyance as players leave the field, with a handshake and good luck wishes for the replacement.

He feels this is because England have one of the younger squads, including a number of players who graduated to international football together, rather than the celebrity-studded groups who had gone to previous tournaments.

Whatever England might be lacking at the moment, it’s not really goals is it? Four in the last 2 games is decent enough – the main problem is our at times comical defending.

He feels this is because England have one of the younger squads, including a number of players who graduated to international football together, rather than the celebrity-studded groups who had gone to previous tournaments.

One thing thats struck me about Welbeck, Young, Johnson, Walcott and this young crop of England players is the lack of the Terry, Cashley style monumental and obnoxious arrogance and entitlement.

They all seem pretty grounded and modest. Working together for the team. Which doesn’t half show the likes of Terry up for exactly what he is. The problem with previous England squads filled with these enormous ego’s is that they thought all they had to do was turn up, and a grateful world would hand them a trophy.

A bit like Arjen Robben last night

binners – big +1 to all that. Much easier to support a team that doesn’t carry itself with such monumental arrogance.

Loved the way Walcott celebrated his goal for instance – John Terry would have exploded in a fit of chest pumping and badge kissing if he’d scored that goal. Can’t wait until we get shot of him.

binners – Member

One thing thats struck me about Welbeck, Young, Johnson, Walcott and this young crop of England players is the lack of the Terry, Cashley style monumental and obnoxious arrogance and entitlement.

Give them time…….

…don’t recall either JT or AC being arrogant when they were young hopefuls

Out of our midfield 4 only young can beat a man 1 on 1, and doesn’t even try most of the time.

Without this space gaining danger the better teams will easily cope with us.

Grum I thought binners was agreeing with the hex put on by Rooney and not your description of him as
– messing up a reasonably successful team formula to bring in a sulky, petulant egotist is not the best plan

I bet there isn’t a centre half in the competition that saw carrol’s goal on friday and didn’t shit themselves.

Aye everyone is scared of the long ball lumped in to the Big man…Spain are revaluating their whole approach to football as we type etc

It was a good goal for sure but you may be overstating it.

Aye everyone is scared of the long ball lumped in to the Big man…Spain are revaluating their whole approach to football as we type etc
It was a good goal for sure but you may be overstating it.

Don’t think i’m overstating anything, we haven’t got many things going for us but carrol’s ability in the air is one of them. if you think any defender in the competition would want to have to deal with it then i think you’re mistaken.

if anyone’s overstating anything it’s you claiming that i’ve suggested more than i have.

True Hilldodger. Cashley reached the ripe old age of 26 before he declared in the press how insulted he was that Arsenal offered him the derisory sum of ‘only’ £90 grand a week.

John Terry has always thought of himself as the best thing in the world ever though! He’s an ego the size of a planet!

But I kow what you’re saying. Will the youngsters be effected by fawning agents blowing smoke up their arses. Lets hope so eh?