The Official *England's Passage to Paris 2016* Thread

by FootballLight Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:44 pm

First topic message reminder :

Sorry 24, I'm thinking of the World Cup again.

by compelling and rich Mon Sep 07, 2015 11:24 am

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:It's difficult because in reality I can't think of anyone who has had a better tournament than Rooney's 2004 for quite a long time. Certainly since Rooney has been established England have been pretty crud as a whole. Yet he's levelled Charlton's record in the exact same amount of games in a worse side. It's no easy achievement, regardless of people writing it off. So in a loose sense yes, in a more refined list then he's probably outside of it.

gazza in 96 and lineker in 90 were better, pretty difficult to name anybody else since because we've been so god dam awful. some of the defenders have played well but they dont grab the headlines. cole had ronaldo is his back pocket and barely put a foot wrong all tournament but wont get mentioned

by Hammersmith harrier Mon Sep 07, 2015 11:26 am

He had him in his pocket so much Ronny decided to jump out and jump straight into G Nevs on the opposite flank, the back four between 2002 and 2006 were generally superb.

by Stella Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:03 pm

Didn't Nicky Butt make it into the tournament XI for the 2002 world cup? Before Rooney's time, I know.

by Alistair Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:08 pm

Stella wrote:Didn't Nicky Butt make it into the tournament XI for the 2002 world cup? Before Rooney's time, I know.

So did Danny Mills and Trevor Sinclair.

by Stella Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:09 pm

Alistair wrote:
Stella wrote:Didn't Nicky Butt make it into the tournament XI for the 2002 world cup? Before Rooney's time, I know.

So did Danny Mills and Trevor Sinclair.

I never knew that.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:12 pm

Pele was quoted as saying Butt was his player of the tournament if i remember correctly?

by Stella Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:16 pm

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Pele was quoted as saying Butt was his player of the tournament if i remember correctly?

Pele was a great player, but he does speak some rubbish. Nothing against Butt, who did play well. Didn't Butt joke that he thought he was getting him mixed up with Scholes?

by Alistair Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:18 pm

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Pele was quoted as saying Butt was his player of the tournament if i remember correctly?

Yes.

by Hammersmith harrier Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:33 pm

Campbell was in the team of tournament as he always was and that was it for England, Butt got a lot of accolades for his performance against Argentina but that was about it from memory.

by GSC Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:34 pm

Ashley Cole had a habit of marking Ronaldo out of games. Remember the CL he started on the left against Essien.

by CFCNick Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:42 pm

We would have won Euro 2004 if that ref didn't think Sol was climbing on a Portugal player when he was actually climbing on JT. Would have had a weak Holland and Greece.

by Stella Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:45 pm

CFCNick wrote:We would have won Euro 2004 if that ref didn't think Sol was climbing on a Portugal player when he was actually climbing on JT. Would have had a weak Holland and Greece.

Rooney getting injured didn't help either.

by CFCNick Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:51 pm

I still think Owen would have done the job. Holland only had one win in the tournament against Latvia and Greece were, well, Greece.

by Hammersmith harrier Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:51 pm

CFCNick wrote:We would have won Euro 2004 if that ref didn't think Sol was climbing on a Portugal player when he was actually climbing on JT. Would have had a weak Holland and Greece.

There was a rather unpleasant trend in Urs Meier's decisions that game.

by Duty281 Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:39 pm

TEAM: 1 Hart 2 Clyne 3 Shaw 4 Shelvey 5 Cahill 6 Smalling 7 Milner 8 Delph 9 Sterling 10 Rooney (c) 11 Oxlade-Chamberlain

I'll go for a dull, laborious 2-0 England win.

by NickisBHAFC Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:51 pm

Be interesting to see how Shelvey does tonight, I know you can't judge against San Marino but he was probably the stand out. So interesting to see what we can do against a reasonably tough side.

by Fernando Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:11 pm

Switzerland starting XI: Sommer, Lichtsteiner, Klose, Rodriguez, Schar, Inler, Xhaka, Behrami, Stocker, Drmic, Shaqiri

by compelling and rich Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:48 pm

looks like city have signed the new darren anderton

by NickisBHAFC Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:49 pm

Didn't know snakes had hamstrings

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:51 pm

Glad we don't have to sit through the Milner/Delph midfield

by Hammersmith harrier Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:02 pm

Chuck in Shelvey and it's a depressing midfield three.

by Fernando Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:07 pm

Milner should of been scoring there but straight at the keeper. To be fair to Shelvey people complain never get picked on form, He has & deservedly so been a good start to the season for him.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:08 pm

Just why is Milner playing

by Hammersmith harrier Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:09 pm

No problems with one of them playing Nando but the three goes to show how thin our talent pool is at the moment.

by compelling and rich Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:09 pm

think people will soon realise how average milner is when he hasn't got silva and yaya to do the hard work for him

by Fernando Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:12 pm

Hammersmith harrier wrote:No problems with one of them playing Nando but the three goes to show how thin our talent pool is at the moment.

You could say that about pretty much the whole squad really bar goalkeepers & wingers. Id be surprised if we get out the group in Euro 2016 honestly if get some decent sides.

by NickisBHAFC Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:17 pm

Excellent keeping by Hart.

by Guest Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:17 pm

Swiss look better outfit, amazing how average we look vs decent sides. Sterling in Lichtsteiners pocket.

by compelling and rich Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:19 pm

were about switzerland's level these days, second tier nation.

this is probably the worst england team in my life time. no players who would get anywhere near a world 11

by Hammersmith harrier Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:19 pm

John wrote:Swiss look better outfit, amazing how average we look vs decent sides. Sterling in Lichtsteiners pocket.

We are average so it's hardly surprising or amazing.

by Guest Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:26 pm

That's me being kind, HH. I don't need anyone to tell me that England are dog****

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:37 pm

Not sure the Swiss look any better, seems a fairly cagey standoff at the moment.

by Duty281 Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:39 pm

Bit of a lifeless game, as expected.

England just need to raise the tempo and they will tear Switzerland apart. Smalling was impressive in defence. Rooney showed some decent movement early on, but that has quickly abated. Sterling and Oxlade need to be a little narrower in their positions; they're very isolated at their present width. Barkley needs to be further up the pitch when receiving the ball for him to have any effect.

Average half, but England should still win.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:41 pm

Least the team is changing from the World Cup. Of the team that played Italy, Johnson, Jagielka, Baines, Gerrard have all been replaced by younger options.

I'd hope Milner would never start were Henderson fit, let alone Wilshere.

Personally, in this game, I'd take Milner off, put Walcott in wide and Oxlade into the middle.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:44 pm

compelling and rich wrote:were about switzerland's level these days, second tier nation.

this is probably the worst england team in my life time. no players who would get anywhere near a world 11

We're not world class by any means, but I definitely prefer this England team to the Schteve or Capello sides.

by Hammersmith harrier Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:55 pm

Does Hoddle not have anything better to do than abuse my ears...

by westisbest Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:56 pm

compelling and rich wrote:looks like city have signed the new darren anderton

Heard he went off after 3 minutes.

Obviously not training properly at City Wink

by wheelchair1991 Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:57 pm

Can't wait for some of our delusional press to big this side up come 2016

by Hammersmith harrier Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:01 pm

Why do the commentators act as if Kane and Rooney can't play together, it's really simple Kane as the 9 with Rooney as the 10.

by NickisBHAFC Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:02 pm

Sterling has been garbage tonight.

Hope he doesn't go down the Walcott route of being class for club and absolutely useless for country.

(Await him to score now!)

by wheelchair1991 Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:08 pm

NickisBHAFC wrote:Sterling has been garbage tonight.

Hope he doesn't go down the Walcott route of being class for club and absolutely useless for country.

(Await him to score now!)

That's been the case for last 15 years England players being good dor their club and rubbish for their national team.
I happen to believe 'top' English players of that time period were not as good as the hype suggested with a couple of exceptions

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:10 pm

Why is Milner still on the pitch ffs

by NickisBHAFC Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:10 pm

Kane!!!!!!

#HatersKeepHating

by Duty281 Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:11 pm

Well done England. clap

Nice finish by Harry Kane, good interplay from England.

I hope Roy notices how much better England are going forward in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Rooney as ten, rather than the inflexible 4-3-3.

by wheelchair1991 Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:16 pm

Duty281 wrote:Well done England.

Nice finish by Harry Kane, good interplay from England.

I hope Roy notices how much better England are going forward in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Rooney as ten, rather than the inflexible 4-3-3.

I agree although i wont get my hopes up on Roy seeing that

by Duty281 Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:25 pm

San Marino 1-1 in Lithuania, by the way!

by Fernando Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:26 pm

Epic dive by Sterling Laugh

Easy pen for Rooney.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:27 pm

Well done Wayne Rooney clap

by NickisBHAFC Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:27 pm

Rooooooooooooooney

Many congratulations indeed.

by Fernando Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:27 pm

Top Corner, Keeper got nowhere near it - Glenn Hoddle.

Got a fairly large hand to it, Starting to wonder if he is high as a kite Laugh

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