England'S Official 2012 Euro Discussion Thread

[StevieH]

As for your positive and complimentary words about England prior to this competition, yes i have noticed them. It's a familiar chestnut to me. Talk a team you don't like up before they play, and then on the off-chance they do play well, you look the smart one who knew it all along, and if they play crap (as is more probable in this instance) you can still enjoy your bit of "schadenfreude". All bases covered so to speak.

ah well, i tried. you're reading something into it that simply isn't there though. you should maybe lay off the weed.

Edited June 9, 2012 by StevieH

[MrRed]

Stevie can i ask you what team you will be supporting in this tournament being English like!!

Just a question? no bolitics please.

[nev]

Stevie can i ask you what team you will be supporting in this tournament being English like!!

Just a question? no bolitics please.

Mate i think stevie is a ABE, goes well with his ABU'ism.

[rixalex]

As for your positive and complimentary words about England prior to this competition, yes i have noticed them. It's a familiar chestnut to me. Talk a team you don't like up before they play, and then on the off-chance they do play well, you look the smart one who knew it all along, and if they play crap (as is more probable in this instance) you can still enjoy your bit of "schadenfreude". All bases covered so to speak.

ah well, i tried. you're reading something into it that simply isn't there though. you should maybe lay off the weed.

Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting you were making up your thoughts on England's chances as part of an elaborate plan to stick it in our faces. I don't doubt you are sincere in what you say. I question however that any positive pre match views on the England team you offer indicate you will take any less satisfaction than you normally do in England's failings - which is a lot from what i have observed.

[skybluestu]

The route to England's surprise Euro 2012 win = France, Sweden, Ukraine, Croatia, Italy, Russia. Job done!

[nev]

The route to England's surprise Euro 2012 win = France, Sweden, Ukraine, Croatia, Italy, Russia. Job done!

Or route home France Sweden Ukraine plane home.

[carmine]

The route to England's surprise Euro 2012 win = France, Sweden, Ukraine, Croatia, Italy, Russia. Job done!

Or route home France Sweden Ukraine plane home.

England will take two points from those three matches. I do ofcourse hope i'm wrong!

[StevieH]

As for your positive and complimentary words about England prior to this competition, yes i have noticed them. It's a familiar chestnut to me. Talk a team you don't like up before they play, and then on the off-chance they do play well, you look the smart one who knew it all along, and if they play crap (as is more probable in this instance) you can still enjoy your bit of "schadenfreude". All bases covered so to speak.

ah well, i tried. you're reading something into it that simply isn't there though. you should maybe lay off the weed.

Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting you were making up your thoughts on England's chances as part of an elaborate plan to stick it in our faces. I don't doubt you are sincere in what you say. I question however that any positive pre match views on the England team you offer indicate you will take any less satisfaction than you normally do in England's failings - which is a lot from what i have observed.

thing is i want to see the liverpool lads in the england squad do well, a good euros could see them hitting the ground running next season. for the same reason i want to see suarez have a good olympics with uruguay. i don't particularly take any 'satisfaction' in england's failings unless they've bigged themselves up ahead of the tournament as they usually do - best league in the world, golden generation, 200 years of hurt or however many it is now, all that garbage - but this time around they haven't really done that, so it's easier to feel better-disposed towards them.

that said, what do you and other england fans make of hodsgson's comments yesterday? because those are exactly the kind of expectation-setting and buck-passing comments that so annoyed liverpool fans when he was with us.

[smokie36]

Best of luck tonight chaps.

I'm confident you'll need more than that though.

[StevieH]

rumours from france that yann m'vila is fit now and might still play. france's other main questions about who will play left-back out of evra and clichy and who will play with ribery and nasri off benzema. probably malouda, with menez, ben arfa, giroud and martin options on the bench.

[skybluestu]

And looks like Chamberlain might start too, gonna run rings round the French if he does!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbqBpcIhD_A

[smokie36]

Steong side isn't it Stevie?

[carmine]

Best of luck tonight chaps.

I'm confident you'll need more than that though.

I think we've already gathered the fact we're underdogs! But just like "every" team in the tournament we will need some luck.

[StevieH]

Steong side isn't it Stevie?

france? yes and no i think mate. their centre-back pairing isn't the strongest and their centre mid, while talented, is pretty inexperienced at the top level. if england countered them with a rival 4-2-3-1 and pressured them a bit higher up the pitch i think england could make quite a few chances against them. but roy will play his two flat banks of four which really invites opponents on, something that ribery and nasri will love. they'll cut inside from wide and encourage debuchy and clichy/evra to get up outside them, meaning milner and downing (probably) will both be detailed to defend first. it'll be backs to the wall, look to nab something off a dead ball stuff. think welbeck is in for a lonely match.

[Exsexyman]

So finally we have Roy's explanation regarding the Rio Ferdinand saga. Basically the gist of it is that he didn't call him up as a replacement because he is too good! Don't think he really thought that one through somehow. Maybe just to enter into the spirit of the thing, Laurent Blanc could be persuaded to leave Ribery out to make things a bit fairer!

[carmine]

So finally we have Roy's explanation regarding the Rio Ferdinand saga. Basically the gist of it is that he didn't call him up as a replacement because he is too good! Don't think he really thought that one through somehow. Maybe just to enter into the spirit of the thing, Laurent Blanc could be persuaded to leave Ribery out to make things a bit fairer!

Perhaps Benzema instead but hey ho!!

[SantiSuk]

2-1 or 2-0 to France. England will beat Sweden and Ukraine to go through to lose in the quarters. Same pattern as per usual in tournaments, start crap, suddenly find form, qualify and build expectations, dump out.

Edited June 11, 2012 by SantiSuk

[StevieH]

what makes you so confident that england will beat sweden santi? they have an awful record against them.

i still think england - france is going to be a draw anyway. neither side will want to lose its opener as they won't want to face the sort of uphils facing the dutch, ireland etc.

[smokie36]

Nah Stevie. He's been fooling everyone with this defensive stuff for twenty years.

Come the moment, and with superstar players at his disposal, come the man.

England three nil.

[Exsexyman]

So finally we have Roy's explanation regarding the Rio Ferdinand saga. Basically the gist of it is that he didn't call him up as a replacement because he is too good! Don't think he really thought that one through somehow. Maybe just to enter into the spirit of the thing, Laurent Blanc could be persuaded to leave Ribery out to make things a bit fairer!

Perhaps Benzema instead but hey ho!!

Can't you just imagine Laurent's response! "Well Roy, an interesting concept. Tell you what, you play Downing, Milner and Carroll and we'll play with nine men to even things up"!

On a more serious note i find it insulting that we supporters are expected to swallow this crap. Footballing reasons my arse. No doubt in my mind that this is one of the reasons Roy got the nod. Once the FA had persuaded the courts to delay the Terry case until after the Euros, he had to be picked, come what may. Otherwise they would have looked even more stupid and inept than they are. Roy is obviously happy to go along with this interference in team selection matters, a yes man. It's an open secret that JT divides the dressing room, hardly surprising considering his history, shagging a team mates lady in his team mates bed when he was away etc. Plus the doubts over his fitness. i'm not necessarily a huge fan of Ferdinand but you will never convince me that he is not a better player than the ones called up.

[SantiSuk]

what makes you so confident that england will beat sweden santi? they have an awful record against them.

i still think england - france is going to be a draw anyway. neither side will want to lose its opener as they won't want to face the sort of uphils facing the dutch, ireland etc.

Sweden have had some good teams in the past, Stevie. I don't rate their current line-up and even our much-reduced defensive outfit should not be intimidated by their attack. England do well as long as they are not in panic mode at the back*. Also I'm not a great believer in past-result analysis and bogey-team claims (except when it comes to Germany of course).

Let's not forget, we are rated fifth in the world (with Rooney, Barry and Cahill) How the hell did the ratings bods come up with that? You can judge diddly squat from friendlies, if they are included in the maths.

*They will be in panic mode tonight!

[davejonesbkk]

I really have no idea whats going to happen tonight, I could see it being a very dull 0-0 or 1-1 but after they way I saw France play in their last friendly I wouldnt be surprised if they trounced us either!

[StevieH]

I really have no idea whats going to happen tonight, I could see it being a very dull 0-0 or 1-1 but after they way I saw France play in their last friendly I wouldnt be surprised if they trounced us either!

i think england are going to win 1-0. against the run of play and possession but nobody would care and rightly so.

[StevieH]

bbc reporting that oxlade-chamberlain is set to start instead of downing. interesting.

[skybluestu]

bbc reporting that oxlade-chamberlain is set to start instead of downing. interesting.

skybluestu reported that earlier today, contacts!

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

[StevieH]

bbc reporting that oxlade-chamberlain is set to start instead of downing. interesting.

skybluestu reported that earlier today, contacts!

hah, fair play if so mate. it's an unusual departure for the hodge.

[rixalex]

i don't particularly take any 'satisfaction' in england's failings unless they've bigged themselves up ahead of the tournament as they usually do - best league in the world, golden generation, 200 years of hurt or however many it is now, all that garbage -

I don't think there is anything much wrong with describing the English league as the best in the world - it's there or there abouts, when you take into consideration not just the top two teams, but right up and down the table...

And i don't think there is much wrong with talking about the golden generation - it was a time when for once we didn't just have one world class player, but a handful - Beckham, Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Owen, Great potential. Unfulfilled sure, but lots of "great" teams suffer that fate.

And the years of hurt, well what's wrong with wanting something badly? That's all it means.

Fact is, whether you go to France, to Spain, to Germany, to Portugal, to Italy, right now, it makes little difference, all the media and all the people on the streets and everywhere, they are all getting excited, all talking about past performances, the good ones, those bad ones. Bigging themselves up as well. Hoping. Wishing. Praying. We English supporters are no different. Media might get carried away in the UK more than other nations, but whose cares about them? It's the supporters that count, and we are realistic and under no illusions about our team.

Feels though that in your eyes, any talk that deviates from how crap we are or anything that might dare express something bordering on positivity and we are cocky bolshy and arrogant and deserving of a spanking.

[mrbojangles]

Best of luck tonight chaps.

I'm confident you'll need more than that though.

I flew out from Saudi last night and just arrived at my hotel in Portsmouth 30 mins ago. Perfect timing to watch the match and at least if we do lose, I'll be drowning my sorrows on real beer. Might start off on the black stuff. Off to Manchester tomorrow for meetings and Boddington's It's <deleted> p1ssing it down here too. Nothing changes eh.

[mommysboy]

I fear the worst but never have been an optimist. We can't keep possession against Norway or Belgium, what chance then against France? We got away with it in the friendlies, but France have a couple of class attackers. Hopefully France will have an off day as Holland did, but if all goes to form then we'll lose for sure.

[Chonburiram]

So far, everything ok,

1-1 and the French look like winners...