THE England thread

[StevieH]

StevieH knocking Rooney playing Midfield saying that its against poor teams.

So what about the other midfielders that play there all the time and haven't been as good as him.

Just cause a player doesn't play there all his career doesn't mean he can't play there.

Giggs moving from left wing to a central position. Scholes from a attacking cm to a deeper playing cm position. Mihajloviv from midfield to defence. Hoddle from cm to sweeper. Chris Sutton from forward to cb.

Just a few that come to mind but I could go on

you're totally ignoring the point about a manager experimenting with it during a tournament then? and that being a stupid time to do so?

and dier just played the entire season for spurs in that position.

[BangrakBob]

Lallana has played well, and i'd have thought it better to leave him on with Studge rather than bringing on RAshford.

We mugged City off for 49M quid for that other lad

You did mug City, and got all mardy about it at the time.

Personally, I told youse he was one dimensioned and we wouldn't miss him. Now he's playing worse than that. Must be the City curse

I'm not a Stirling fan, he doesn't look like a naturally talented footballer to me like say KdB, the ball always seems to take a while to control, he doesn't hit it cleanly, and I'd rather play a less talented hardworking nongoalscoring team player like Navas ahead of him (you don't win anything if you don't have a fair share of grafters in your team), but before his injury Sterling was ok (occasionally excellent like Sevilla away), after his injury he looks a very nervous unconfidant player. Sometimes City need to play him rightside, just playing left he's a bit predictable. In the middle he's ok but he'd never keep Silva, KdB, Yaya or Nasri out.

Big season coming up for Sterling.

Nailed it there BB, that's exactly how I seem him. The natural talent isn't abundant, he's done a lot of hard work to get where he is, but he is limited and predictable.

You never know though, I thought Ibe would be his successor at Liverpool, but he'll be sold in the summer and we won't miss him either.

[jellydog]

I'd be very tempted to play Barkley in the hole, Vardy as a winger on the left, and Sturridge up front. Especially against a side intent on doing little but defending.

OTOH Sturridge and Vardy as subs against tired legs is tasty.

[mommysboy]

Stevie, who would you like to see in the role Rooney is playing currently? I think he's done ok so far, been one of our better players, though I don't agree he's a top class midfielder. You and Red are poles apart, I'm in the middle on this point.

to me it's insane BB. hodgson is the only manager who has gone into this tournament moving his most senior player, his captain, from his usual position - that he's played his entire career - into a position on the field that he does not know and that he has played about half a dozen times at club level. what kind of top manager does that? has del bosque thought "tell you what, david silva could probably do a job in defensive mid"? or as i mentioned above, would france crowbar payet in there? or germany stick goetze in defensive mid? or portugal shifting ronaldo back there?

so this is on top of england having had a properly great qualifying campaign. they won their group undefeated. so why is the tournament when you would start experimenting with players in strange positions they have never played? he even did it in the last qualifier against portugal, harry kane on the right wing and vardy on the left wing - what kind of manager is still experimenting with his team when you've won the group so well? it's just bizarre.

me? i'd play players in the positions they are used to playing at club level and play the lads who are on the back of a good season in the premier league. so probably a midfield three of dier, drinkwater or milner alongside him and alli as the furthest forward of the three, where he had such a good season for spurs. then probably kane with lallana right side of him and sturridge the other. vardy and rooney would be good options off the bench if you were chasing a goal.

Also by your thinking Dier would of never been able to play DM as he was always played as he mostly played CB for Sporting Lisbon and when first joining spurs he played RB.

Drinkwater isnt in the squad so forget that. Anyways that is such a defensive midfield. Who is gonna create there. I thought Woy could be defensive but that team takes the biscuit.

When I first saw Rooney I thought he was an attacking midfielder, but I could see a bit of the Shearer in him too. I was surprised when he became a centre forward.

There's no doubt in my mind he can do the job, and who else is there anyway? Wilshere and Berkeley sadly seemed to have tailed off. Henderson doesn't excite- me anyway.

Yes, he might be undone when we play Spain, but that goes for the whole team.

Ok stevie, we get the message you are fanatical about zonal play.

I completely agree about formation needing to be sorted out prior to the tournament. And to me, I couldn't understand not playing Sturridge from the start, as he is a mercurial talent. i also agree about square pegs round holes. But no rule is absolute, indeed that's when the problems start.

[mommysboy]

I'd be very tempted to play Barkley in the hole, Vardy as a winger on the left, and Sturridge up front. Especially against a side intent on doing little but defending.

OTOH Sturridge and Vardy as subs against tired legs is tasty.

Barkley appears to be off form, otherwise I'm sure he would be playing.

[rijit]

When 'woy' took the job the 'moaners' knocked him, saying he only plays with one formation and is far too predictable for top level footie. So, he's got better players who can adapt he uses that and plays with a variety of formations they knock him for that , I guess moaners will be moaners will be moaners :huh:

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[Bredbury Blue]

Talking of moaners, I'm sick of listening to Gary Birtles moaning whining whinging nothing-positive-to-say comments. Why oh why do they employ him?

[StevieH]

Talking of moaners, I'm sick of listening to Gary Birtles moaning whining whinging nothing-positive-to-say comments. Why oh why do they employ him?

is he on the telly? someone should remind him that he's football's biggest ever waste of money.

i'm in the uk watching it at the moment and have to say that slaven bilic is absolutely fantastic as a tv pundit. intelligent, funny, engaging and tactically really astute. he's great.

[Bredbury Blue]

^Unfortunately Birtles has been on the commentary team for many of the games here in the Thailand. When he's on a Premier game I always switch over. Has nothing to contribute.

[mommysboy]

Talking of moaners, I'm sick of listening to Gary Birtles moaning whining whinging nothing-positive-to-say comments. Why oh why do they employ him?

is he on the telly? someone should remind him that he's football's biggest ever waste of money.

i'm in the uk watching it at the moment and have to say that slaven bilic is absolutely fantastic as a tv pundit. intelligent, funny, engaging and tactically really astute. he's great.

And in truth an ideal candidate for the England job if/when it becomes available, and if we have to go for a foreign coach, which seems likely.

[Bredbury Blue]

^Garry Birtles for England coach job. You avin a larf? Who's he coached?

[Bredbury Blue]

I know this is an England football forum. Woy should put on a repeat of the 2nd half of England's rugby win just now over the Aussies. Awesome display. Amazing amazing defense. Our boys wanted it so much. Watch the repeat if you get the chance.

[mrbojangles]

^Garry Birtles for England coach job. You avin a larf? Who's he coached?

I think he was referring to Slaven Bilic BB

[Bangkokhatter]

Apologies for going back to the Rooney debate but just caught up with the thread.

I think some people's club loyalties are showing. I think after his MOM performances in our opening 2 games show he can definitely play that role and it means England can select the younger and faster strikers we have at our disposal to play up front. Rather that option than Rooney up front + another.

[smokie36]

I know this is an England football forum. Woy should put on a repeat of the 2nd half of England's rugby win just now over the Aussies. Awesome display. Amazing amazing defense. Our boys wanted it so much. Watch the repeat if you get the chance.

Its a Football Forum...nothing about your beloved hooligans in the title so wind it in.

[Bredbury Blue]

Apologies for going back to the Rooney debate but just caught up with the thread.

I think some people's club loyalties are showing. I think after his MOM performances in our opening 2 games show he can definitely play that role and it means England can select the younger and faster strikers we have at our disposal to play up front. Rather that option than Rooney up front + another.

Wasn't Walker MoM in the 2nd game, not Looney.

[Bangkokhatter]

Apologies for going back to the Rooney debate but just caught up with the thread.

I think some people's club loyalties are showing. I think after his MOM performances in our opening 2 games show he can definitely play that role and it means England can select the younger and faster strikers we have at our disposal to play up front. Rather that option than Rooney up front + another.

Wasn't Walker MoM in the 2nd game, not Looney.

i was going on the BBC ratings, but would agree if others had Walker as MOM.

[rijit]

at the end.of the day its just another opinion. Someone at the.guardian had dier down as mom.

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[SantiSuk]

I know this is an England football forum. Woy should put on a repeat of the 2nd half of England's rugby win just now over the Aussies. Awesome display. Amazing amazing defense. Our boys wanted it so much. Watch the repeat if you get the chance.

+1 (just to wind Smokie up).

But it does emphasise just how much a top coach can turn around a team through motivation and brilliance and is in stark contrast to Uncle Shambles. That top coach is Australian btw, for those considering the future of the England team and whether the FA should look overseas again. You have to go back to my boyhood to find one of those types in the England job. Alf Ramsey looked like a bit of an Uncle Shambles, but the steel and determination shone through

[Sparkles]

^I have not been the one continually slagging off Hodgson and Rooney and when he turns it around with 2 good substitutions not a word from you and Rooney has been our best player in both games in MIDFIELD....You also said he is never a midfielder!!

I think it is you who hasnt got a hang of this football thing!?

Anyway keep on keeping on with your hatred of all things Hodgson.

you're so united blinkered you can't see that rooney's just played fairly well against two really quite rubbish teams and that doesn't suddenly make him a top midfielder. first decent opposition england come up against he'll get exposed.

he isn't a midfielder - why are you maintaining that he is? it's the managerial equivalent of spain playing david silva in defensive midfield, or france playing payet there, or germany putting goetze there. it makes no sense, it's poor management and england have created very few real chances against two weak teams.

sturridge got hodgson out of jail yesterday, because he's really good. scored his goal from the inside left position, helped set up vardy's equaliser from the inside left position, where does hodgson put him on at half-time? right wing.

england are playing alright so far against two poor teams, they're not exactly playing well. but you keep telling yourself rooney is and that hodgson isn't a total spoofer.

StevieH Your criticism of Rooney is seriously flawed. I posted 2 years ago that I considered,along with others in the football world,that Rooneys days as a striker, or playing wide left, were coming to and end and it was a natural progression for him to move to a midfield role.Never blessed with pace he wwas obviously less effective as time went on.LVG saw that too.

You apparently have not taken into consideration that Rooneys days at a high playing level are reaching a conclusion. II would suggest he only has a couple of seasons left at the current level.

Why ? He started if memory serves me right in the top level at the age of 17.Fifteen long seasons has taken its toll on a player who was never a natural athlete but made up for it with other attributes, giving 100% every time he plays ,a good football brain,skill and a leader.

This is a young English team that needs a leader and Rooney is just that person.He's respected by the younger players for the reasons I mentioned.

Playing in the midfield also gives him closer contact with his fellow players.

You say that his 2 consecutive MOM performances ,taking all pundits views,not those biased into consideration, were against weak teams.If that's the case why didn't another player pick up the award ?

Rooney's best games last season came in a midfield role,maybe you didn't notice,but Hodgson and LVG did.

[Chicog]

I'm not fan of fatty, but he's doing a decent job as a midfield playmaker.

[smokie36]

He's only had 12 years not 15 playing at the top level and you can hardly accuse SAF of flogging him in his early years....he learnt that lesson at Aberdeen.

[BangrakBob]

I know this is an England football forum. Woy should put on a repeat of the 2nd half of England's rugby win just now over the Aussies. Awesome display. Amazing amazing defense. Our boys wanted it so much. Watch the repeat if you get the chance.

Its a Football Forum...nothing about your beloved hooligans in the title so wind it in.

Yes but Eddie Jones is an absolute <deleted> genius, we should ask him to take over the football team too

[Bredbury Blue]

^I agree, with Farrell and Ford in central midfield. ;-)

[SantiSuk]

Rooney to be rested against Slovakia and many other changes per Grauniad:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/19/england-roy-hodgson-wayne-rooney-slovakia

Vardy and Sturridge to start

Full backs to be rotated out. Clyne and Bertrand in as are Wilshere and Henderson.

Vardy and Sturridge is nailed on. The rest? Positive move against a team that should be easily conquered on any normal day. Reckless? I vote the former. Wilshere/Henderson is the biggest gamble - two-thirds of your midfield who have not played together for aeons and are injury come-back kids; however Roy now has the appetite for fixing stuff early on in the game (which I salute, coming from supporting a club where substitutions only start after 65 minutes!)

Am looking forward to see whether Jack can get his 1-2 game with the forwards working to great effect. We haven't seen enough of that from England so far. However I'm not sure that Sturridge, or certainly Vardy are much into tippy tappy!

[smokie36]

I see it's tripe for breakfast!

[Chicog]

I see it's tripe for breakfast!

Perhaps a bit of light relief will improve your mood.

"Clearly if you get to semi-finals, that's success," Dyke told Sportsweek.

[mommysboy]

Oh dear! I don't think so many changes are at all advisable. If we finish third we could play Spain, or one of the other likely winners. If we finish top it could be a more doable trip to the quarter finals to play Portugal or Belgium, both of whom England can beat on a good day. Why risk it? Slovakia are a strongish team.

[smokie36]

Any way you look at it England are going home soon.

[StevieH]

england's starting XI tonight according to press reports. making changes for change's sake seems strange during a tournament. one thing if you're already on 6 points perhaps but not when you're only on 4.