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

[FootballLight]

First topic message reminder :

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

[NickisBHAFC]

It's been an awful game of football. If I didn't have work tomorrow, I could think of plenty of better things to do than spend my Friday night watching this snore fest!

[NickisBHAFC]

We're not playing badly, in fact defensively we've been brilliant. Just need to keep the ball a bit better in the middle and get the ball quicker to Kane.

[Steffan]

Wales v Nederlands isn't any better. Plus we are now losing 2-1

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Kyle walker is quite funny to watch - he's like a baby lamb out there

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Why has he brought on Dele Alli right midfield

[Fernando]

Spain 1-0 England - Mario Gaspar with the scissor kick

[NickisBHAFC]

What an incredible goal.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Does it make me a bad person to think that was just lucky

[Steffan]

2-2. Brilliant header by Huws

[NickisBHAFC]

Sterling is going down the Walcott route. Brilliant for club, awful for country.

[sportform]

Fantastic goal there by Mario Gaspar. Sublime technique.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Kyle Walker playing everyone onside there

[Fernando]

2-0 - Santi Cazorla

[NickisBHAFC]

2-0.

Wake up call. Spain are a lot better than us.

[Guest]

That's an understatement, but Woy/media will claim we had five or six key players missing. Totally outclassed & in the current climate, Spain are in transition themselves & not at the level of Germany.

Butland over Hart for the France game

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Can we get a manager who'll get us playing exciting football in - we've got the attacking talent to do it imo

[owen10ozzy]

All a little overshadowed now by at least 3 attacks in France; two gun attacks and multiple explosions near Stade De France.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Why are France and Germany still playing?

[Steffan]

We lost 3-2. I felt a draw would have been fair although Robben was the difference between the two sides

I know the Nederlands are not the best side at the moment but considering we apparently can't even kick a ball without Gareth Bale it was a solid performance even if the result did not go our way

As for the mighty world beaters England...Spain away was never going to be an easy game although considering you are all destined for Euro glory next year its not the best result

Ah well bring on the Euros

[Duty281]

All a little overshadowed now by at least 3 attacks in France; two gun attacks and multiple explosions near Stade De France.

They've cordoned off the Stade De France and prevented anyone leaving - 80,000 people must be absolutely terrified.

[Guest]

Auditions failed tonight for certain players. Barkley & Sterling just aren't good enough to produce on this stage. It was the expected reality check. As for Hart & his kicking, truly dire.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Came to see the meltdowns. Lost 2-0 away to Spain. Game broke down with an amazing goal. Should have scored ourselves a few times. Disappointed to see Delph, Lallana, Walker and Jones making it onto the pitch at all, let alone starting. Thought Kane showed why he has been awkward as hell for Spurs this year; touch awful but for Spurs he has found his finishing boots.

I like that Woy puts out the team with more than enough attacking players, but I'm not quite sure he knows the strengths of the side.

[Hero]

Fully expected result, Spain as a team are heading back from their World Cup pit of despair and will be one to watch next summer. Man for man there's very few if any England players that are equal to their respective player in the Spanish first eleven.

[Ent]

Story as usual for england. Great in qualifying Poopie when it counts.

If they can't do anything with 7 plus player who challenge for trophies at home and in Europe a la 06-10 they'll never win anything.

[owen10ozzy]

Some numbers to show just how ineffective and poor our passing was last night..

Fabregas completed 87 of 99 passes..no England player completed more than 31..
Busquets completed 100% of his passes...54/54
Cazorla 90.7%

In comparison....Carrick 86.1% & Delph 77.4%

And some Roy quotes;

"Hopefully, we won't lose confidence because there's still a lot more to come from our game. We weren't always allowed to show it this evening,"

"We hope we don't take it to heart that we lost to a good team after a good 70 minutes.

No team will let you just show it Roy; well the cruddy ones you face in qualifying will...but don't be expecting to rock up to the major tournaments and expect teams to allow you to ascert yourselves.

England will never be a possession based team, that's a given when it comes to playing the likes of France and Spain etc, however when we have the ball we can be a team who execute well and use the possession postively and more importantly don't give it away cheaply...which we did last night. All too often that occured at the back...with the full backs and a certain central defender trying to get the ball up top or into the channels all too quickly.

Phil McNulty of the BBC had this to say in his piece this morning 'England played like FA Cup minnows'...but in my view that's a little offensive to the minnows because they don't all sit back and wait for the game to come to them. Against the big teams, Roy always sets out not too lose...and clearly based off results against them it doesn't work. It's a sad state of affairs when our national team is turning up to friendlies with the plan being not to lose the game rather than going out to win it.

I said before the game who I thought would be focal points of the team next year and I stand by it; I fully expect to at least two of Delph, Walker & Carrick in the starting XI next summer...and it wouldn't completely shock me to see Jones starting in the center ahead of Stones who perhaps moves into midfield or right back.

[GSC]

I thought the minnows comment was spot on, which is odd considering Phil McNulty said it.

[Duty281]

I can't imagine any of Delph, Walker or Carrick in the starting XI next summer.

Delph and Carrick are behind Wilshere/Henderson/Milner in the pecking order, and Clyne seems to have the right-back spot nailed down. Jones, also, is behind Cahill/Smalling/Stones in selection terms.

I don't think too much can be learned from last night, simply because it was such a cobbled-together side. Bertrand, Jones, Walker, Delph, Carrick, Lallana, and Barkley will all be unlikely to start England's first game in June 2016.

In spite of this, for 70 minutes, England were good off-the-ball, hence why Spain failed to have a shot on target until the very-neat first goal.

"Against the big teams, Roy always sets out not too lose" - Typical myth about Roy Hodgson. Why was England's most positive and cavalier performance in over a decade churned out under Hodgson, against Italy in 2014? Why did he start the very-talented Oxlade against France in 2012, when far more comfortable and safer options were available to him?

[GSC]

Problem with referencing that Italy result is a. They reverted to type against Uruguay and got beat, and b. Italy's other results proved they were nothing special.

And Wilshere won't be fit for the Euros

[Dolphin Ziggler]

We had some injuries and there were some tryouts in that team too. We made chances and didnt give up too many until broken down but an absolutely world class goal.

I don't expect, nor do I really want to compete with Spain's passing figures. They have their way of playing, that doesn't mean it is the right way.

Phil McNulty is showing himself to be a moron. Not only did we make chances, but our game against the bigger teams looks more likely to be based on counter attacking. We have only really done that once in qualifying, our most impressive result away in Switzerland, and we have these friendlies to work on it now.

People see what they want to see, and I agree with Alvin Martin in that we were possibly too attack minded at the World Cup and tried to play too many attacking players. Last night we put out a team with Lallana, Sterling, Barkley and Kane in. A 4-2-3-1 isnt a defensive formation and it was not a defensive side with that personnel. With the bench available I'd have played Clyne, Stones, Dier and Rooney over Walker, Jones, Delph and Kane respectively, but I think he is looking at his options and how they fit the style change against two sides that are better than us.

Hodgson isnt my favourite manager, but he cant win. Plays a team better than his side and loses people moan, plays sides worse than and win, people moan. Away from home we didnt pass the ball as well as Spain. You could have written that 24 hours ago and known it would have been true. Woop de doo, Even with that, Spain didnt bully us and will know they could have as easily lost that game as won it.

Not having Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wilshere, Sturridge, even Welbeck and Shaw to call on certainly weakened the side too.

I can't agree, nor begin to argue with the set out "not to lose" point, and you cannot pick out a quote like "weren't always allowed" and suggest we didnt try. Sometimes your opponent will be better and do things better than you. It doesn't have to cause negativity and provoke insults. We learn and see what happens.

[owen10ozzy]

We've been learning for what seems like the past 10 years...and under Roy for almost 4 years Dolph....do you honestly hand on heart think we look better equipped now than then, both in terms of a settled and consistent XI and tactics, to deal with the top nations or have a proper good tournament run?

Whilst 4-2-3-1 may not be a defensive formation...the problem is that England look stiffled of creativity at times...now that could be down to the players & at times is...but it's also down to the managers way of wanting the team to play. You can line up with 4 up top...but if you tell two of them to consistently drop back into midfield the formation isn't as attacking as it appears on paper.

I can definitely suggest we didn't try as well....I can do so because I sat and watched the game...England did not go out and attempt to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and go for a win. We were happy to sit and ball watch in the hope that Spain coughed up possession and we capitalised on....clearly that's the tactic Roy want's to impose...but it is by no means one which sets pulses racing nor does it strike fear into the top nations. It works for Germany because they have clinical and technical players across the park who can influence play in the final 3rd...England have maybe one or two who can do that but even then they cannot do it consistently.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

With our players available to us (providing injuries don't strike too badly) would point to me that playing a sit in and counter attack style is the one to play. We're not gonna outplay the likes of Spain passing the ball, we simply don't have the talent.

And there's nothing wrong with a counter attacking style of implemented correctly. My fear is Roy isn't going to implement it correctly to work in the euros and end up playing the likes of lallana who just don't suit it.

Hopefully Jamie Vardy is fit for Tuesday and gets a chance up top.

[Duty281]

Unfortunately, though England may have the width and the pace to play a decent counter-attacking game in theory, the inclusion of a certain Wayne Rooney in the side will ensure that everything is slowed to a halt.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

My battery ran out with my reply on there. Basically, I think we have learned things, I think we're better than we were before he came in and thats why probably a more limited squad, but we also have pretty much lost our best pacey players and also a lot of Rooney has gone too.

I dont personally think we should match Spain with passing so those stats are of little interest to me. Firstly, we dont have the players, secondly their style isnt "right" in anyway.

[Guest]

Lingard called up to England squad. Vardy misses the France game, think that's a massive missed opportunity for him.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Think its a pisstake that Lingard makes an England squad

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Think its a pisstake that Lingard makes an England squad

Surely this isn't serious? What the actual flying f*ck has he done to get in there!

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Worn a Man United shirt

[NickisBHAFC]

Absolute joke.

[Guest]

Basically, play for a top 4 club, make an assist or score one goal & you get called up. Probably sums up how bad the actual squad is, for this to happen.

[Crimey]

I'm not a huge fan of Pardew, but the way he sets out the Crystal Palace side is exactly how England should be set out. Counter-attacking with pace.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I'm not a huge fan of Pardew, but the way he sets out the Crystal Palace side is exactly how England should be set out. Counter-attacking with pace.

Exactly Crimey. It suits our players too

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Watch how it goes. It curtailed at West Ham, it curtailed at Newcastle.

And I'm not quite sure counter-attack with pace like he plays it would work in the international realm.

[GSC]

Surreal atmosphere. Somewhat awkward for the England team I don't doubt.

[Fernando]

Youngest England side since the 1950's

[GSC]

Even though England are a 10 man team with him, you do have to factor Rooney into that equation Nando.

[Fernando]

Aye would be lower without him, Just nice to see a youthful side for once even if we're crap

[GSC]

Jon Stones showing the flipside of having a CB who likes to step forward with the ball.

[GSC]

Clyne has a habit of overlapping well then looking a bit lost when he gets the ball.

Better touch from Rooney and a good chance.

[Duty281]

England look clueless every time they get into the middle third with possession.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Any logical reason why Jack Butland hasn't been given a game in either of these friendlies?

He's only been the best keeper in the prem so far this season

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