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

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

Onwards, we go. Latest England squad has been named for the friendly against Norway, and the opening qualifier versus Switzerland.

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City)
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Everton)
Midfielders: Jack Colback (Newcastle United), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

You know, such a squad does not fill me to the brim with optimism!

Best side we can muster out of that, assuming Roy takes a 4-2-3-1 shape, would probably be:

Hart, Stones, Jagielka, Cahill, Baines, Henderson, Wilshere, Sterling, Rooney, Oxlade, and Sturridge.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well Craig, I've been to Scotland matches and heard many a provocative and unpleasant song/comment so it seems you just have selective, rose tinted hearing.

Do you think Strachan cares about a song? Of course not, why would anyone SCottish take offence to a song about Independence or the lack of it?

Grow up Craig, you sound like a berk.

Of course he doesn't and sorry but your first comment is just BS. Many? If you say you have been to games can you name them please I am all ears. My views are backed up by the awards our fans have won but yours is backed up - how?

I must be one of millions of berks around the world then who hold the same opinion about England football fans.

[super_realist]

You seem keen to ignore the "knuckle draggers" in the tartan Army who insert "w*nker" into flower of scotland. Is that not provocative and unpleasant?
Isn't the entire song provocative, sneering, backward looking, insular, negative and flag waving designed purely to laud one over England for an ancient victory?

By the way, England have won awards and plaudits for their fans too as have other countries. Stop being so one eyed.

[CaledonianCraig]

You seem keen to ignore the "knuckle draggers" in the tartan Army who insert "w*nker" into flower of scotland. Is that not provocative and unpleasant?
Isn't the entire song provocative, sneering, backward looking, insular, negative and flag waving designed purely to laud one over England for an ancient victory?

Nope you are way off the mark. Some will chuck in 'Guess who' I can post up a video of it if you wish recorded at the game the other night as evidence. Flag waving? Every nation does it. As for the anthem - it is what is is - some fans love it and some fans don't but again I say we have awards for our behaviour so please leave it out eh? Our fans are welcomed around the world. Sure our team has some way to go before being first class but the supporters are right up there.

Anyway I am done here and just remember if you wish to carry on painting me as a bitter anti-English Scot I have named Barmy Army best cricket supporters in the world and they are English and wish Hamilton all the best on Sunday (and he is English).

[mystiroakey]

Oh do behave, are you seriously complaining cos England fans gave strachan some stick? The English fans did well, they were loud all night and good on them. I do find it odd that a song that denigrates terrorists causes such a fuss. Frak the IRA

I don't really have a problem with it per se but explain the relevance of it please to a game between Scotland and England other than it sung to be provocative as is the Strachan stuff and the independence stuff - all anti-support and nothing at all to be proud about. No doubt if a German flag had been in evidence 'The Dambusters March' would have been wheeled out. I have been to international games for many years and England are the only support to behave in such a manner and it just harbours nastiness and won't win friends inside and outside the ground. They should be sent on a training course on how to behave with members of The Barmy Army teaching them.

Just because they sing in a posher tone doesnt mean they are much better. As a big Cricket fan I know how these fans brutalised Mitch..

quite funny- if you are not mitch

[super_realist]

You seem keen to ignore the "knuckle draggers" in the tartan Army who insert "w*nker" into flower of scotland. Is that not provocative and unpleasant?
Isn't the entire song provocative, sneering, backward looking, insular, negative and flag waving designed purely to laud one over England for an ancient victory?

Nope you are way off the mark. Some will chuck in 'Guess who' I can post up a video of it if you wish recorded at the game the other night as evidence. Flag waving? Every nation does it. As for the anthem - it is what is is - some fans love it and some fans don't but again I say we have awards for our behaviour so please leave it out eh? Our fans are welcomed around the world. Sure our team has some way to go before being first class but the supporters are right up there.

Anyway I am done here and just remember if you wish to carry on painting me as a bitter anti-English Scot I have named Barmy Army best cricket supporters in the world and they are English and wish Hamilton all the best on Sunday (and he is English).

Ha ha, are you really suggesting they don't sing "wan*er" in Flower of Scotland?

I couldn't care less if the English sing songs about the IRA etc. It's just a bloody song. Why is it people are looking to be offended at the slightest thing these days. There's plenty of derogatory things people could quite rightly level at the Scottish nation, just accept it as banter and stop being such a Wawrinka Cry Baby.
If you can't handle having the urine taken out of you with a bit of banter then watch at home with mute on.

[GSC]

The amount of ****s Craig would give if Scotland weren't comfortably outplayed?

[super_realist]

I've never seen someone try so hard to argue a non-point.

[GSC]

Craig is the king of that

[hornbloweroafc]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/social/some-scotland-fans-trolled-england-by-turning-up-to-celtic-park-as-diego-maradona-pictures/

Above is the best well behaved fans in the world who do nothing to provoke other fans haha

As an England fan, I actually think its quite funny

[Duty281]

Duty do me a favour eh? The England support are the pits. True the hooligan element has been suppressed but the support still reeks of obnoxiousness. I have witnessed support from Ireland and England in the past week and Irish supporters stick to supporting their team vocally whilst the English spent most of the night singing mainly non relevant provocative stuff like anti-Strachan songs, anti-IRA songs perhaps densely believing it would provoke trouble being it was at a ground with Irish connections and juvenile independence vote songs interlaced with the only chant you seem to have to support your team - Eng-er-land.

In terms of team-wise you have strongest in the British Isles but your Neanderthal support still live in the dark provocative ages and are the worst in the British Isles for obnoxiousness.

Incredibly ironic given the game was being played at the home of Celtic football club.

Anti-Strachan songs? Do you mean the one that goes:

Cheer up Gordon Strachan,
Oh what can it mean?
To a...sad Scottish ba*tard and a
Sh!t football teammmmmmmmm.

You know the Barmy Army, who you seem to like, used to sing a song incredibly similar to that about Ricky Ponting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lmgj6H16n4

[GSC]

Cardiff fans brought a Germany flag to the CG after the 2010 WC

We beat them and laughed at them

[VTR]

I'm genuinely confused - are the events on the pitch actually secondary to the main event which is some sort of X-Factor style fan sing-off, with the least provocative crowd chanting declared the winner? So it was 1-3 on the pitch, 10-0 off it, is that 11-3 on aggregate then?

[GSC]

Arsenal are readying a world record bid for Beyonce in January

[mystiroakey]

In this market place One Direction must be worth 10billion, only Real Madrid can afford them.

But Barca countered them with this song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWQ9hJfSDRk

[VTR]

So it is true then! Joking aside, arguing you have the best fans is a bit of a small club mentality. I think Scotland are a bit better than that these days, and have a good chance of qualifying. Personally I would love to see them, Wales and NI there alongside England, it would be great for the country!

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I just find it funny that a football fan is offended by cheer up Gordon Strachan. Like football fans wouldn't usually sing something so inflammatory or negative.

I'm gonna go up to Scotland for a game. "You're playing quite well, you're playing quite well, I hope we play better, you're playing quite well"

[Steffan]

Cardiff fans brought a Germany flag to the CG after the 2010 WC

We beat them and then sang songs about sheep and pro-English stuff that 90% of our fans didn't have a clue about

Changed that for you

Thank me later 

[Duty281]

The gulf is pretty big mate- we are the equivalent of a top level pl team and Scotland are a top championship team at best.

so as i have said as a palace fan who supports a team on a very similar level to Scotland(and yeah we can score goals against better teams- that happens every week in the PL- i dont understand what you are talking about in fairness, and heck i think you used Barry Bannan for more minutes in that one game than we have all season!!)- You need to understand who you are and play accordingly if you want to out score a better team or draw against a better team.

you are just making excuses up. "oh we played rubbish", oh we were tired, oh it was a friendly" . No its Reality check time pal..you are just not good enough to try and play expansive football against us.

If you try and play football against a better footballing side you will get beaten 9 out of 10 times if not more.

It is you who needs a reality check.

We narrowly lost away to the world champions (something England can only dream of being) we have beaten Croatia twice and won away in Macedonia and Poland (friendly) so spare me the lecture on our crapness as our recent results and performances (last night aside) suggests otherwise. Is it an excuse saying we played crap when we did? The friendly excuse was already being lined up pre-match by one of your own (Duty) so spare me that one eh?

If your team puts in a sub-par performance against a decent international side - invariably you lose and that is what happened last night. We have our weaknesses in areas that need working on (who doesn't) such as finding more options up front as we missed Fletcher last night, also need to cut out sloppy defending as that costs you games. However, to try to judge us on the back of one friendly and disregard the past year and a half of form is wholly wrong.

Your logic is rather all over the place, Craig.

Last year when England played poorly against Scotland, and only narrowly won, you were saying how this proved that England were a poor international side, and how they would struggle to qualify for the World Cup on the basis of that friendly.

Now Scotland have played poorly, apparently you are not allowed to judge on the back of one friendly, and it does not matter in the wider context?

It would be the latter example I agree with, but an abundant lack of consistency on your part is clear to see.

Well it would seem you are not one to offer logic here - if you are trying to take something out of what you called yesterday 'a meaningless friendly'. Have you ever seen Rooney celebrate a goal in a friendly with a cartwheel? That alone shows how much it meant to the England players. Did make me laugh - the delusional England supporters last night claiming this was our cup final. Really? That was last Friday and we won.

You won comprehensively last night I have said that but some here are jizzing off on it which I find odd. Yesterday on this thread we were minnows so why so delirious with a win over such minnows that were well below their recent par. I cannot say how well England played as I don't follow them but by all reports I have read this was their best performance since the World Cup whilst I do follow Scotland and you may say I am biased (as England fans are) but results and previous performances back things up when I say we were way below par for us hence the scoreline. It is not rocket science is it?

I think Rooney celebrated in an exuberant fashion simply because it was a near-perfect passing move and he timed his run perfectly. That was a superb goal to score: regardless of whether you are playing Spain, Scotland or Estonia.

Or maybe not. He actually celebrated with a cartwheel because of his five-year-old son.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2844371/Wayne-Rooney-son-Kai-asked-celebrate-cartwheel-against-Scotland-s-doing-lot-lately.html

[CaledonianCraig]

Just a quick post here to apologise for comments I made a few weeks ago regards England fans. I made the error of posting when feelings/emotions were still running high following the Scotland V England match. I attended the match and concede being too thin skinned about chants and I can honestly say I never saw any violence or arrests at the match which was very good to see. It is clear the England support is much-improved behaviour-wise from the dark ages of the 80s and 90s.

Sorry again to anyone offended and enjoy the rest of the Euro campaign whoever you support.

[mystiroakey]

Thanks Craig.

[Duty281]

Chiles and Townsend gone from ITV!

[Guest]

Don't know why your celebrating, his replacement is hardly brilliant in Mark Pougatch. Okay, Chiles weren't great, but at least he had some character & produced some memorable presenting moments & gaffes to enjoy. Not surprised they are all leaving, seeing as ITV will lose even more football next year.

[Guest]

Pougatch is just a safe, reliable option. I'll miss Chiles, even though he was a clown, still entertained me, especially with Keane. ITV losing the F.A Cup & more of their Champions League programming next season, meant Chiles & Townsend were clearly leaving sooner, rather than later.

[mystiroakey]

SO are BT taking every single CL(uk) home and away game?

Watch the price crank up for that soon.

Chiles didn't really have much of a job left

[Guest]

SO are BT taking every single CL(uk) home and away game?

As far as I understood, ITV won the rights to only show Champions League Highlights from the 2015/16 season, through to 2018. BT & Sky will share the rights on Tuesdays & Wednesdays.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Name to remember for the future - Alex Pritchard

Excellent young player, very clever movement and good on the ball. Hopefully doesn't get lost in the Spurs vacuum when he returns from his loan at Brentford

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Name to remember for the future - Alex Pritchard

Excellent young player, very clever movement and good on the ball. Hopefully doesn't get lost in the Spurs vacuum when he returns from his loan at Brentford

Another goal today for Alex

[GSC]

Harry Kane making the England will make for an awkward void between talking about why he should be in the England squad, and what happened to his form next season.

[mystiroakey]

It's quite obvious why kane deserves an england call up. Forget about next season , and don't assume he will fail.

[NickisBHAFC]

Buzzing for Kane, fully deserved. Already feel for him, he has one bad game and the media and football forums are going to be sharpening there knifes. Let's all get right behind him ...

[super_realist]

Seems like a decent bloke (unusual for an England player) and actually looks like a proper player (also unusual for an England player)

[NickisBHAFC]

As for team id go for

GK Hart
RB Clyne
LB Gibbs
CB Cahill
CB Jagielka
RDM Henderson
LDM Carrick
ARM Milner
AM Rooney
ALM Sterling
ST Kane

[NickisBHAFC]

Seems like a decent bloke (unusual for an England player) and actually looks like a proper player (also unusual for an England player)

This. Great post.

[Guest]

Harry Kane making the England will make for an awkward void between talking about why he should be in the England squad, and what happened to his form next season.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Dolphin Ziggler]

This squad has lowered my support for Woy by about 20%

[Guest]

This squad has lowered my support for Woy by about 20%

Finally coming around

That backline Nick has posted is so bad, can already see the tears. Milner aswell

[NickisBHAFC]

Who would you pick instead then? I'd love to know who. Our defense is shocking par Clyne and Cahill.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

In bold are the players who should not be in an England squad currently. In red are the ones I'd say are a bit lucky but either youth or lack of options has got them in

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)

Welbeck makes it on past England form but I feel for Saido and Danny Ings. Delph gets a pass cos hes been better lately and I liked him when he played for England before. Three left backs is baffling

[Guest]

Luke Shaw wtf???? Picked because Woy wasn't wearing his glasses at the Spurs game & couldn't see that it was Blind, instead of Shaw, who had Andros in his pocket.

Phil Jones wtf??? Can't control, can't pass, can't do the basic skills of a five year old + tries to break someone in half with every challenge.

Kyle Walker wtf?????? Horrifying

Unfortunate Ox is missing with injury, defence is major worry for me.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Smalling has had some very good games for us this season Dolph, he's not a consistent top drawer defender by any stretch but he's a lot better than people give him credit for. However Jones has really failed to live up to his billing, had a lot of potential at Blackburn but injuries have curtailed his career to the extent that he's only in the squad because he plays for Man United.

Personally i'd have dropped Baines, he's been awful every time i've seen Everton play this season as have the majority of that Everton team, the Moyes effect has worn off for them. It's a shame he'll be remembered for his stint at us but this season has really shown how good a job he did at Everton, he would never have prioritised the Europa league over the premier league.

Townsend, Walker, Walcott and Jagielka are baffling selections, alongside Jones they shouldn't be anywhere near the England squad on current form.

Welbeck as mentioned before was always going to be in the squad and his form for England is actually very very good.

[Stella]

In bold are the players who should not be in an England squad currently. In red are the ones I'd say are a bit lucky but either youth or lack of options has got them in

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)

Welbeck makes it on past England form but I feel for Saido and Danny Ings. Delph gets a pass cos hes been better lately and I liked him when he played for England before. Three left backs is baffling

I'd have Walcott, if fit.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Smalling has had some very good games for us this season Dolph, he's not a consistent top drawer defender by any stretch but he's a lot better than people give him credit for. However Jones has really failed to live up to his billing, had a lot of potential at Blackburn but injuries have curtailed his career to the extent that he's only in the squad because he plays for Man United.

Personally i'd have dropped Baines, he's been awful every time i've seen Everton play this season as have the majority of that Everton team, the Moyes effect has worn off for them. It's a shame he'll be remembered for his stint at us but this season has really shown how good a job he did at Everton, he would never have prioritised the Europa league over the premier league.

Townsend, Walker, Walcott and Jagielka are baffling selections, alongside Jones they shouldn't be anywhere near the England squad on current form.

Welbeck as mentioned before was always going to be in the squad and his form for England is actually very very good.

Which is why hes in red. Hes fine, but any decent competition and he'd be out of there. Or if he didnt play for United...

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal) - Dropped for Monreal, MONREAL FOR GOODNESS SAKE, and should not be in ahead of Bertrand or Cresswell

Phil Jagielka (Everton) - If you're gonna take a defender who is playing for a side looking lost in defence then you take young Stones, the best of their three anyway and the one with potential. Shawcross and Dier both having better seasons.

Phil Jones (Manchester United) - Has at times been very good for United but also equally poor. Young and good to have in the set up so gets a red not a bold, ie a chance rather than a WTF.

Luke Shaw (Manchester United) - Young and full of potential, is better than hes shown and its consistency not ability hes lacking.

Chris Smalling (Manchester United) - I'd have had Shawcross over him but Smalling has grown into his place a bit lately

Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - HE ISNT VERY GOOD. Carl Jenkinson is spinning in a grave he isn't even in yet just thinking about being shunned for the English Eboue

Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur) - 30 mins at United show he aint up to scratch. Downing has been awful since Christmas but showed in one good game against Chelsea more than Townsend has shown in two years. Jason Puncheon will never win a cap. He ain't great, but if Townsend can play for England so can he (and so can I).

Theo Walcott (Arsenal) - Not fit or firing, nothing to learn about him, waste of time. Get another striker in over him or look at some of the other midfield options like Noble. Hell, I'd have thrown Scott Sinclair a bone as a reward for his return to form and starts but England dont reward anyone outside the big clubs.

Ross Barkley (Everton) - Lucky he's young because this season has been a waste of time for him.

[Hammersmith harrier]

I may be biased but Townsend over Young is ridiculous on their current form.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Say I picked a team of

                    Rob Green
Jenkinson Shawcross Stones Bertrand       -----------  OR                     Same backline and keeper but with Noble Colback in the middle, Young Downing Ings behind Berahino        
                        Noble
             Shelvey      Colback
                    Downing
                Ings     Berahino

to take on

              Hart
Clyne Cahill Jagielka Baines
     Henderson Carrick
 Sterling Rooney Welbeck
               Kane

I'd honestly think the top one might do enough to win

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I may be biased but Townsend over Young is ridiculous on their current form.

I forgot Young! He should be above Townsend and Walcott

[Hammersmith harrier]

Say I picked a team of

                    Rob Green
Jenkinson Shawcross Stones Bertrand
                        Noble
             Shelvey      Colback
                    Downing
                Ings     Berahino

to take on

              Hart
Clyne Cahill Jagielka Baines
     Henderson Carrick
 Sterling Rooney Welbeck
               Kane

I'd honestly think the top one might do enough to win

I can safely say I have faith in none of those players at international level, we've always been flawed but I can't ever remember us being so short of genuine quality before.

[mystiroakey]

I am actually much more positive . and feel it has been one of the most productive years for English players in ages.

But not much matters until 2016..

[GSC]

The top one would get soundly beaten

[mystiroakey]

The top one would get soundly beaten

Agreed.

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