England v Russia, 11th June, 8pm

[JJ1532]

Even then he was making fucking nonsensical calls: didn't he push Rooney wide for that game? Our performance deserved more, though. Italy didn't dictate the play at all. We had most of the pressure but our finishing let us down in the first half and our final ball was poor in the 2nd. We were more positive in those first two games than we had been in a decade before that. I blame Hodgson for a lot of things but his options were limited in that tournament. The approach was correct but we lacked quality overall. This year he has no excuses. We have good players in every department (if no genuinely world class players) and we should be looking at QFs at least, IMO.

Fully agree, said the same for a while now. There is zero excuses for not getting out of this group. All 3 teams with us are tricky, but if we play to our potential, we can win all 3 and go through as winners. Anything less than that and I think it could and probably cost Hodgson his job.

 

[JimJams]

Well given you can get through the group in 3rd it'd take an absolutely abysmal set of performances to not get through the first stage.

 

[Jockney]

The important question is...


...is it possible for us to meet Portugal in the QFs?

 

[Pagnell]

mcclaren?

I assumed everyone wanted to forget about that 12 months or so.

 

[JJ1532]

James Olley ‏@JamesOlley 1m1 minute ago
#eng team: Hart, Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Rose; Alli, Dier, Rooney; Sterling, Kane, Lallana.

As expected. If England play well and win(or probably just the latter), nobody will care. But if they don't, Hodgson get will get ripped apart. I think its the wrong team in the wrong formation. Lets hope its not.

 

[JJH]

Hodgson selects one winger in the squad and plays 4-3-3. You couldn't write this shit.

 

[Storzy]

Hodgson selects one winger in the squad and plays 4-3-3. You couldn't write this shit.

Was going to say the same thing myself.

You get a 25 man squad, that's more than enough to allow the manager some flexibility with selection and he's gone full hog on the diamond and now it looks like we're starting with wide players?

Whoever the other winger is going to be, is going to be wasted.

 

[JJ1532]

Hodgson selects one winger in the squad and plays 4-3-3. You couldn't write this shit.

Will it even be 4-3-3? I know the plan will be for Rooney to drop into midfield, but I can easily see him turning into a number 10 when we're on the ball. Same with Alli. Could easily turn into a 4-2-3-1, with 2 of Dier, Alli and Rooney sitting deep at any one time.

 

[Storzy]

4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 it's not really any different is it?

Either way you've got two wide players and there is only one natural wide player in the squad.

 

[JimJams]

Ok fuck it Roy, in a way you've chosen a brave lineup because nobody can get their fucking heads round it. If we win though, who gives a shit. In fact I don't even mind a draw if we play well and just don't get the luck. But we better score some bloody goals.

 

[Jockney]

Where's RavenBish gone to. He seemed to have the answers in the Shoutbox, maybe he can give explaining it a go.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

It's a typical Hodgson formation. There's no thought to penetration through the middle or controlling the ball in there. You've got a striker and a AM as CMs basically just so you can shoehorn Rooney into the side. I predict we'll be poor until either Wilshere comes on or Rooney is taken off.

 

[JJH]

Where's RavenBish gone to. He seemed to have the answers in the Shoutbox, maybe he can give explaining it a go.

The point still stands. Whether Lallana is going to play as an 'out and out winger' or not, you could've still had a 'natural' winger out there who can perform that role.

 

[Jockney]

The point still stands. Whether Lallana is going to play as an 'out and out winger' or not, you could've still had a 'natural' winger out there who can perform that role.

I neither agree nor disagree with your assessment. A formation can only tell you so much, I was just looking for another perspective.

 

[JimJams]

He's left Vardy and Wilshere out so they can have a discussion about the formers future. Chav besties.

 

[JimJams]

A CB partnership of Berezutsky and Ignashevich is probably both the oldest and slowest back pair in the tournament. And we don't go with the fastest man in the world. Usain Vardy?

 

[Leewilson]

I'm pissed off that despite beating the World Champions on their patch 4 games ago, we come into this tournament without a clue what the best team is. It's a problem caused by Rooney. No individual should be bigger than the team but Roy has made Rooney so.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I've seen talk elsewhere of it being to do with sponsorship deals behind the scenes but I've no idea how true that could be.

 

[JJ1532]

Ok fuck it Roy, in a way you've chosen a brave lineup because nobody can get their fucking heads round it. If we win though, who gives a shit. In fact I don't even mind a draw if we play well and just don't get the luck. But we better score some bloody goals.

I understand his logic. He wants width which he thinks Sterling and Lallana can provide, suppose he doesn't want a diamond clogging up the middle of the pitch, which would probably suit Russia.

He will see it as Rooney and Alli supporting the front 3 in attack, giving us 5 going forward, plus the full backs. Off the ball, he'll expect Rooney and Alli to drop in alongside Dier and give him some support and keep things tight down the middle. Then, he'll want Lallana and Sterling to track back to cover their full backs. Biggest issue is, when we get pinned back, we'll end up with 9 men behind the ball and Kane all on his tod upfront. We'll struggle to get it up to him and if Russia press us, we might have a hard time building through midfield. Not sure what our out ball is.

I understand his logic, just don't agree with it.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

A mind boggling selection from Roy, no wingers in the squad and reverts back to the 4-3-3. Come on England get us off to a good tournament start for a change!

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Inb4 Rooney does what he likes and makes it a de facto 4-4-2.

 

[JimJams]

I've seen talk elsewhere of it being to do with sponsorship deals behind the scenes but I've no idea how true that could be.

It's a theory that's been going round for numerous years not just on Rooney but England call ups in general.

 

[Veggie Legs]

Not convinced by Rooney in midfield but we'll have to wait and see how well it works. Apart from that I'm happy with the team.

 

[Jockney]

Imagine having Glenn Hoddle as a brother-in-law. Spending Sunday afternoons with that humourless narcissist picking your every word apart...

 

[cufc17]

Hopefully a good result and performance tonight. 3-1 England.

 

[JimJams]

Roy talking about Rooneys experience. How much experience does he have in that position?

Just admit you had to shoehorn him in and hope it pans out. Which it probably will.

 

[Stevencc]

Gwannnn England!

 

[JimJams]

Sterling gonna put his meh season behind him and get people excited again. Rooney with a worldie from distance. Kane double. Alli no bookings.

 

[Storzy]

So it's totally coming home, right guys?

 

[mente captus]

Bloody english c***. Shame on you