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

[FootballLight]

First topic message reminder :

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

[Duty281]

So that should be Theo and Sterling on the wings, Kane up front, Barkley just behind, and Lallana and Milner in the middle, yes?

Roy's on for nine competitive wins in a row - is there a record in the offing?

[Guest]

Clyne is so bad, Milner is terrible & how long can Lallana pull the wool over Roy, with these cruyff turns that end up going nowhere? I won't even begin with how a £49m winger, is unable to do anything against a full back, who is currently playing in the Norwegian second league. Truly awful stuff.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Cresswell should be playing. Much better going forward than Bertrand.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Ross Barkley

[Duty281]

Theo! You gorgeous thing.

We are England, we're gonna win the Euros...

[Steffan]

We are England, we're gonna win the Euros...

I really hope not

[NickisBHAFC]

Ross Barkley made that goal, outstanding vision. What a player

[sportform]

Would like to see Barkley and Lallana hold their position in midfield more in the second half and get closer to Milner. They seem to be bomibing forward too much in the first half and losing the team shape.

If Barkley and Lallana stayed a little bit closer to Milner, Milner wouldn't get isolated so much and England would find it easier to move the ball from side to side and get the full back pushing forward more.

Don't mind Barkley and Lallana move forward when they have the ball but they are running on too much without it.

Watch Spain, Germany etc and their midfields play together as a midfield.

[Duty281]

For the love of...please, Roy, take Kane off.

[Guest]

For the love of...please, Roy, take Clyne, Milner & Lallana off.

[Duty281]

Poor Barkley, making all these decent forays forward, whilst the centre-forward makes no competent runs into space.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Bertrand, Clyne and Milner can get off.

[Guest]

As can Sterling, who has been absolutely awful. How on earth people claim this lad has world class potential. Total & utter delusion.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Hes been sh*t but hes not in great form. Id say it might be a tad mad to just write someone off because hes not in form.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

People can slag Vardy off all they want, but I fancy he'd have had a better game than Kane

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I want Shelvey and Vardy on for Milner and Kane now

[owen10ozzy]

Agreed with Dolph; how Cresswell is getting a look in is beyond. Sterling has been dire...and as always with England in games like this it's a case of having possession but doing naff all with it. These types of matches flatter the side and Roy into thinking they are beginning to become a team who take control of games but the truth is the big teams watch & are not fussed about sitting and allowing us time on the ball as they know we have very little impact in the final 3rd.

Postives; Theo showing he can finish (hope he gets a real run in that forward role for Arsenal & forces Roy into deciding between him/kane/rooney) and Barkley showing that while frustrating at times, technical players have the ability to unpick teams & win matches hence fans and Roy should perservere with him

[Dolphin Ziggler]

You watch Milner's performance and you know Delph, Henderson and Carrick are not losing any sleep over their place above him. And the fact Woy won't bring Shelvey on just suggests hes there to fill space.

WHY IS KANE STILL ON THE PITCH AND THEO OFF?!

[Duty281]

Vardy contributes more in one touch than Kane has all game.

And Sterling gets a very undeserved goal.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Credit Vardy, couldnt blame him for wanting an England goal.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Now Milner remains. Jesus

[Guest]

tap in for raheem, papering over his abysmal display

You'd imagine Leighton Baines set piece attributes will make him regain the LB slot, as England have absolutely no set piece takers.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Roy would know that Cresswell can take them if he'd called him up rather than giving Gibbs another trip to England's little camp.

[Fernando]

Ive no idea how Gibbs gets in England squads, He's ass has been firmly stuck to the Arsenal bench the last 10 months minimum.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Well, we do know really. Its cos of the Arsenal bit in that sentence.

[Fernando]

Pretty much, Not sure how Andross Townsend gets in though Spurs aren't a big club

[owen10ozzy]

Roy Hodgson confirms that James Milner, Michael Carrick, Gary Cahill, Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart will be rested for Lithuania and won't travel.

Literally what was the point in taking them then...let alone playing 3 of them tonight. Leave them at home and give others a chance if you have already qualified & only plan on using them in one game.

One of the key things we always talk about is how England players lack tournament experience (i.e. youngsters on the periphery/players who show form and get called up just before major) and when you can give them a taste of it Roy chooses not too. Wouldn't have hurt to have played Vardy, Butland & Shelvey tonight & Sunday.

Well organised, good possession & clean sheet....3 quotes used throughout these qualies but I fear won't be repeated during the finals. With games against Germany, France, Spain & Netherlands (though less so them atm) to come between now and Euro's I can see at least 2 football lessons coming our way before we even get to next summer.

[sportform]

Thought Lallana and particularly Barkley played well but they are not out and out midfielders. They are more number 10s, more of a Silva or Mata type than a Iniesta, Xavi.

I don't think either player help the team shape tonight. That could possibly be down more to Hodgson's tactics than the players though. By all means play Barkley further forward but not in a midfield three.

Any midfield, a two or a three needs to play as a unit, though there was too much space between Barkley, Lallana and Milner tonight.

I would go with Wilshere, Carrick, Henderson as a midfield three in the Euros either as a 433 or the base in a 442 diamond.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I dont mind him playing the "first choice" in the qualifier. I am happy hes not taking those 5.

If i'm honest I haven't enjoyed qualifying since we became far too good for the crud teams so I cant really blame Roy for any of this.

You'd be naive to think we can do this against the best sides in Europe. I would hope Roy has a plan to deal with the different needs in those games.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Thought Lallana and particularly Barkley played well but they are not out and out midfielders. They are more number 10s, more of a Silva or Mata type than a Iniesta, Xavi.

I don't think either player help the team shape tonight. That could possibly be down more to Hodgson's tactics than the players though. By all means play Barkley further forward but not in a midfield three.

Any midfield, a two or a three needs to play as a unit, though there was too much space between Barkley, Lallana and Milner tonight.

I would go with Wilshere, Carrick, Henderson as a midfield three in the Euros either as a 433 or the base in a 442 diamond.

Barkley played that role well tonight. You cant really judge how adept someone is at the role or the functions of a midfield in a game like that.

[sportform]

Thought Lallana and particularly Barkley played well but they are not out and out midfielders. They are more number 10s, more of a Silva or Mata type than a Iniesta, Xavi.

I don't think either player help the team shape tonight. That could possibly be down more to Hodgson's tactics than the players though. By all means play Barkley further forward but not in a midfield three.

Any midfield, a two or a three needs to play as a unit, though there was too much space between Barkley, Lallana and Milner tonight.

I would go with Wilshere, Carrick, Henderson as a midfield three in the Euros either as a 433 or the base in a 442 diamond.

Barkley played that role well tonight. You cant really judge how adept someone is at the role or the functions of a midfield in a game like that.

Which role did Barkley play well tonight? I thought he did well individually but the midfield three wasn't tight enough like say Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi are for Spain. Barkley and Lallana played more like a Silva or a Mata.

I fell had Barkley and Lallana played closer to Milner and kept a tighter midfield unit, England would have played better. Too many gaps between the defence and Milner and the other five.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Really no idea how you see that considering the tightness of their unit would have been an issue defensively and we didn't have a defensive issue and, as I said before, you cannot really judge a functioned midfield against an 11 man defence. Barkley was notably deeper than Lallana in starting position and his best work came from the fact he started a little deeper than a Mata or Silva.

Also, stop comparing a makeshift midfield to arguably the best 3 any of us will ever live to see.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I'd like to see Vardy given a proper shot. If we're gonna play counter attack in the euros (I hope we do against the better teams fyi), he would be perfect for the striker role in that. Seeing him live has kinda changed my opinion on him, think he might be worth a go

Although if James Milner starts centre mid none of it matters anyways cos we'll lose

[compelling and rich]

would love it it england started playing to there strengths rather than this awful concentrate on keeping possession football, far too many managers have gone daft after barcas recent success playing that football, only problem trying to replicate that is that we and many others dont have a certain mr messi, who can unlock any defence no matter how many infront.

possession football with england just usally evolves around passing it between the defender to midfield then back again. what england have is pace and boat loads of it, we have a midfield with energy but not particularly that great technically so we should be playing a fast closing down play with quick breaks. the tempo of this current england team nulifies most of the strengths we have, and i dont just mean the rubbish qualifiers against ten man defences. all the recent friendlies against the top sides have all been awful

we aint going nowhere under roy, i appreciate the current talent pool isnt the greatest. three games at club level is now good enough to earn you a call up. wonder if it was the same for spains team trying to break into a team with xavi, ineista and alonso. some how i doubt it and to earn a call up you really had to be a great player (as it should be). but the football and progression is going nowhere with roy. he's far too negative.

[Guest]

would love it it england started playing to there strengths.

we aint going nowhere under roy.

Only way we will have success, or attempt to get success, is returning to counter attacking football, it's suits the managers DNA & the attributes of the players like Sterling, Barkley, Walcott etc. Why try & be something you're not & getting continually embarrassed every other summer, usually in the first week of the tournaments.

As for the other comment, we knew that a long, long, long time ago.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

To be fair to Roy, what games do you suggest we counter attacked in qualifying?

No danger in learning to play with the ball too.

Need a team with Sterling, Walcott and Rooney on the move with Carrick, Henderson and Barkley/Delph/Ox, either good ball worker or energetic to complement the two. Sadly the Ox gets no game time. I suppose Wilshere would be the third really, just hard to plan for him.

Least with some sensible midfielders ahead of them it means we don't have to worry about the defensive frailties in our full backs.

Conundrum comes if Sturridge stays fit.

[Holymiky]

Personally i would rather that we played with the ball than being potentially under pressure for most of the game if we play like that against Germany etc we could be in real trouble in a match like that being pinned behind the ball.

Plus again IMO i don't see anything wrong with the football Barcelona were/still are playing. Look how successful they have been by using it.

[Duty281]

England have played on the counter-attack in the one game they had the opportunity to - Switzerland away. The other eight games have seen the opposition pack players behind the ball.

I think the friendlies against Spain/France/Germany will, strangely enough, give us a better idea of how Roy's England will aspire to play, and perhaps what expectation levels we should all hold when the tournament finally arrives.

I'm also hoping Roy comes to his senses, and strips Rooney of the captaincy and doesn't pick him in the squad for Euro 2016.

England might have a chance then!

[compelling and rich]

barca have got players who can do it we haven't

were trying to play it out between smalling and jags, then to a poor ball playing midfield, playing like barca is never going to happen. the likes of usa and costa rica have had better showing at recent tournaments by simply having a work ethic and playing to there strengths. but were england and think we are better than we are even though we finished bottom of our group. our work ethic is half those of the teams i just mentioned

fact is we have a poor team now and need to accept like many smaller nations do that to beat the big boys we will have to soak up pressure and our best weapon will be our pace on the break

[compelling and rich]

England have played on the counter-attack in the one game they had the opportunity to - Switzerland away. The other eight games have seen the opposition pack players behind the ball.

I think the friendlies against Spain/France/Germany will, strangely enough, give us a better idea of how Roy's England will aspire to play, and perhaps what expectation levels we should all hold when the tournament finally arrives.

I'm also hoping Roy comes to his senses, and strips Rooney of the captaincy and doesn't pick him in the squad for Euro 2016.

England might have a chance then!

thats been our best performance for some time

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I'm also hoping Roy comes to his senses, and strips Rooney of the captaincy and doesn't pick him in the squad for Euro 2016.

England might have a chance then!

The hyperbole is incredible

[Hammersmith harrier]

Sadly it's true Dolph, Rooney is a spent force, he's in the United and England teams on reputation alone.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

fact is we have a poor team now and need to accept like many smaller nations do that to beat the big boys we will have to soak up pressure and our best weapon will be our pace on the break

"Poor team" is harsh. We are better than a lot of the teams who will qualify. We aren't world beaters, but we only were for that period from 60s to early 70s. Even when Bobby took us to the semis in 1990 he had been attacked for a good while before then. We are what we are, a nation who can produce but hasn't consistently.

We're in a slightly awkward position in that we will have to take the game to some teams, and would probably prefer to counter attack others. If Woy can work it out then I'd love him to pass on the secret to Slav because its a conundrum down at Upton Park too.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Sadly it's true Dolph, Rooney is a spent force, he's in the United and England teams on reputation alone.

His current England goalscoring form is the best its ever been. His Man United form is form, at the moment, there is no proof of him being a spent force yet.

[Guest]

He's a spent force, it's misleading to think he's still class, scoring taps ins & penalties against minnows. That's all thats keeping him going.

[Duty281]

I'm also hoping Roy comes to his senses, and strips Rooney of the captaincy and doesn't pick him in the squad for Euro 2016.

England might have a chance then!

The hyperbole is incredible

Yes, you're right.

An outside chance, if Rooney is jettisoned, as opposed to the living-on-a-prayer chance if Rooney is guaranteed his selection.

[compelling and rich]

rooneys been awful for united this season

[compelling and rich]

we havent beaten a top tier nation for quite some time, beating swizerland away has been our best performance. last time we beat a top tier nation was 2013 when we beat brazil in a friendly. after that you have to go to 2011 when we beat spain, again in a friendly.

we haven't done anything in competitive fixtures against decent sides, qualifying shouldn't be seen as a decent achievement for a footballing nation our size. look at this euros, likes of n.ireland and iceland can get there

[Dolphin Ziggler]

we havent beaten a top tier nation for quite some time, beating swizerland away has been our best performance. last time we beat a top tier nation was 2013 when we beat brazil in a friendly. after that you have to go to 2011 when we beat spain, again in a friendly.

we haven't done anything in competitive fixtures against decent sides, qualifying shouldn't be seen as a decent achievement for a footballing nation our size. look at this euros, likes of n.ireland and iceland can get there

Again, that doesnt make us poor. We are behind the elite. Not poor.

[compelling and rich]

depends on the context, for me we are a big footballing nation, therefore we should be challenging with the big boys.  second tier nation only beating the likes of switerzland and getting knocked out in the groups of tournemnets without winning a game is poor in my opinion

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