The ONLY Euro 2016 thread

[gp543]

Great result - can't see 3 points being enough to go through for anyone mind.

If you have 3 points and a zero or positive goal difference your chances of going through as one of the third place sides are nearly 80%.

We (Ireland) wont qualify unless 2 points is enough to get us through - from the get go I had us down to draw 2 games and lose one and I cant see improving

Belgium are reeling from their first match and they're weak mentally. Put in a strong, organized performance and you will beat them.

[Nos89]

Did a predictor the other day and had England, Wales, N Ireland and Rep of Ireland all making it to the last 16.
It's a complicated system as the 4 best 3rd place team get through.
Got England v Spain and Germany v France in the semi's. If England finish top of the group, there isn't a team other than Spain on that side of the draw. Italy, Germany and France, if they finish top of their groups all end up on the same side of the draw.
Good day for British teams today. Good tournament so far.

[the playing mantis]

have to disagree been a shit tournament so far boring games and many teams looking average at best.

[nut flush gooner]

Reflecting on yesterday, don't have a lot of sympathy for Wales.

Bale tried to ratchet up the tension Fergie style and ended up looking like a prick. Perhaps that's what happens when you hang around with CR7 all the time. With the exception of Bale and Ramsey half their players are nothing more than average premier league players who raise their game in these sorts of tournaments.

On the subject of Ramsey, the geezer needs to up his game for Arsenal. We have seen 3/4 of a season in terms of the quality he displays when he plays for Wales, and that is not Wengers fault. I didn't see one of those stupid flicks he tries for Arsenal yesterday, just heart and application.

[storrmin571]

Reflecting on yesterday, don't have a lot of sympathy for Wales.

Bale tried to ratchet up the tension Fergie style and ended up looking like a prick. Perhaps that's what happens when you hang around with CR7 all the time. With the exception of Bale and Ramsey half their players are nothing more than average premier league players who raise their game in these sorts of tournaments.

On the subject of Ramsey, the geezer needs to up his game for Arsenal. We have seen 3/4 of a season in terms of the quality he displays when he plays for Wales, and that is not Wengers fault. I didn't see one of those stupid flicks he tries for Arsenal yesterday, just heart and application.

Kept a "superior" England team at bay until the last minute though didn't they?

[nut flush gooner]

Reflecting on yesterday, don't have a lot of sympathy for Wales.

Bale tried to ratchet up the tension Fergie style and ended up looking like a prick. Perhaps that's what happens when you hang around with CR7 all the time. With the exception of Bale and Ramsey half their players are nothing more than average premier league players who raise their game in these sorts of tournaments.

On the subject of Ramsey, the geezer needs to up his game for Arsenal. We have seen 3/4 of a season in terms of the quality he displays when he plays for Wales, and that is not Wengers fault. I didn't see one of those stupid flicks he tries for Arsenal yesterday, just heart and application.

Kept a "superior" England team at bay until the last minute though didn't they?

You could say that about the FA cup when a minnow plays a PL team. Over 90 mins anything is possible but to mouth off before as monkey boy did just makes him look a bigger prick. Should just shut up imo rather than try and lay into England after a bad result vs Russia. If Wales had any quality in depth they would have buried England. But they don't and that's why mind games is never a good strat.

[Herd]

I thought it wopuld end in a draw ,England were awful first half and not much better in the second even though wales visibly shrank for the challenge 2nd half . Ramsey was utter shite ,mind u rooney was much better !
Both goals were flukes we will through but this group has been much weaker than i thought it would be !
Gotta love the ulstermen though !

[armchair]

Even Roy has the balls to make changes at half time when things aren't working.

Imagine Wenger doing the likes of that? No?
Me neither.

[northbank123]

Think Woy's tactical genius is being overstated beyond reality.

The guy has four strikers who have hit 20+ PL goals at least once each in recent seasons against a side who have Spurs' reserve left-back at centre half and a lone striker who can't even find a Championship club willing to give him a contract. He could have had 8 strikers on the pitch and Wales would still have offered no threat as they had no intention of attacking.

Eventually one of those strikers made the difference with a bit of quality but over 90 minutes England created worryingly little against a side with little ambition to get out of their own half. Walker skinned Taylor every time he got on the ball but instead of trying to exploit that Hodgson watched on as England continued to try and play through the middle via Rooney and lumped shots well over the bar from 25 yards.

Wales are superbly organised and can be very difficult to break down but the way England played throughout qualifying they would have won comfortably. The knives would have been out for that performance had England not grabbed that late goal given that they completely and utterly dominated yet forced Hennessy into no saves of note. Woy even suggested that starting Kane and Sterling to put in even worse performances than against Russia was part of his grand plan!

Assures their qualification in reality with a game left but forget ideas of momentum - playing anything like that England won't beat a good side.

[Redarmy]

Think Woy's tactical genius is being overstated beyond reality.

The guy has four strikers who have hit 20+ PL goals at least once each in recent seasons against a side who have Spurs' reserve left-back at centre half and a lone striker who can't even find a Championship club willing to give him a contract. He could have had 8 strikers on the pitch and Wales would still have offered no threat as they had no intention of attacking.

Eventually one of those strikers made the difference with a bit of quality but over 90 minutes England created worryingly little against a side with little ambition to get out of their own half. Walker skinned Taylor every time he got on the ball but instead of trying to exploit that Hodgson watched on as England continued to try and play through the middle via Rooney and lumped shots well over the bar from 25 yards.

Wales are superbly organised and can be very difficult to break down but the way England played throughout qualifying they would have won comfortably. The knives would have been out for that performance had England not grabbed that late goal given that they completely and utterly dominated yet forced Hennessy into no saves of note. Woy even suggested that starting Kane and Sterling to put in even worse performances than against Russia was part of his grand plan!

Assures their qualification in reality with a game left but forget ideas of momentum - playing anything like that England won't beat a good side.

yes France Spain and Germany will be the test...not Wales, barring Williams who is ok the rest of the defence is dire

[augie]

Think Woy's tactical genius is being overstated beyond reality.

The guy has four strikers who have hit 20+ PL goals at least once each in recent seasons against a side who have Spurs' reserve left-back at centre half and a lone striker who can't even find a Championship club willing to give him a contract. He could have had 8 strikers on the pitch and Wales would still have offered no threat as they had no intention of attacking.

Eventually one of those strikers made the difference with a bit of quality but over 90 minutes England created worryingly little against a side with little ambition to get out of their own half. Walker skinned Taylor every time he got on the ball but instead of trying to exploit that Hodgson watched on as England continued to try and play through the middle via Rooney and lumped shots well over the bar from 25 yards.

Wales are superbly organised and can be very difficult to break down but the way England played throughout qualifying they would have won comfortably. The knives would have been out for that performance had England not grabbed that late goal given that they completely and utterly dominated yet forced Hennessy into no saves of note. Woy even suggested that starting Kane and Sterling to put in even worse performances than against Russia was part of his grand plan!

Assures their qualification in reality with a game left but forget ideas of momentum - playing anything like that England won't beat a good side.

To be fair I don't think anyone is claiming that woy is a tactical genius - I thought that engerland were doing ok in the first half and if it wasn't for joe hart they would have gone in level at the break. What I commend woy for was for making the changes straight away - a lot of managers would be very hesitant to do what he did (wenger for example) because in essence it suggests that he picked the wrong team to start, and no manager likes doing that. It wasn't so much that he made a change at half time, but the fact that he made TWO changes at half time - anybody who has ever managed any kind of team (be it kids, pub, or senior footie) will acknowledge that only having 1 substitute available to you in the second half greatly restricts your options, but woy went for it anyway

I still come back to the question of whether he should drop hart and go with forster and if he has the balls to make that move

[northbank123]

You must not have read the same stuff as me then Augie!

He was bold and ultimately it paid off. However despite his subs England continued to try and play through the middle and barely forced a save from Hennessy.

Walker had Taylor on toast all game and had he dragged Sturridge for example out wide right to double up during the second half then with nobody to help Taylor out England would have ran absolute riot.

[augie]

You must not have read the same stuff as me then Augie!

He was bold and ultimately it paid off. However despite his subs England continued to try and play through the middle and barely forced a save from Hennessy.

Walker had Taylor on toast all game and had he dragged Sturridge for example out wide right to double up during the second half then with nobody to help Taylor out England would have ran absolute riot.

Why bring sturridge out there and risk the probability that wales would also send a player out to track him ? Walker had destroyed taylor all game long and leaving him all the space to take taylor on 1 v 1 would be the way to go imo. Bring sturridge over there would only have crowded the area

[northbank123]

You must not have read the same stuff as me then Augie!

He was bold and ultimately it paid off. However despite his subs England continued to try and play through the middle and barely forced a save from Hennessy.

Walker had Taylor on toast all game and had he dragged Sturridge for example out wide right to double up during the second half then with nobody to help Taylor out England would have ran absolute riot.

Why bring sturridge out there and risk the probability that wales would also send a player out to track him ? Walker had destroyed taylor all game long and leaving him all the space to take taylor on 1 v 1 would be the way to go imo. Bring sturridge over there would only have crowded the area

Walker rinsed him for 90 minutes and nothing came of it because Walker notoriously lacks end product. It was a wasted advantage for England.

If Wales send a player out there you would still expect Walker and Sturridge to have some joy - and it would drag out either Ben Davies from CB or Joe Allen/Ledley from CM and create gaps in the middle for Rooney and Alli to play in rather than trying to run through Wales' six CB/CMs.

England were completely dominant but created very little and were a scrappy last-gasp winner away from chucking away another 2 points because despite personnel changes they kept plugging away with the same football all game.

[DB10GOONER]

I think Rooney has been our best player by a mile in the 2 games so far

Kills me to say it but I think that scumbag walker has been engerlands best player so far

Rooney has done well, but I agree the scum cúnt Walker has been better than the rest.

Little bit of vomit in my mouth now...