The Euro 2016 Thread

[Chicog]

Well it all starts here:

BREAKING NEWS:

ENGLAND SQUAD ANNOUNCED

Goalkeepers: Hart, Forster, Heaton

Defenders: Bertrand, Clyne, Cahill, Rose, Smalling, Stones, Walker

Midfielders: Alli, Barkley, Dier, Delph, Drinkwater, Henderson, Lallana, Milner, Sterling, Townsend, Wilshere

Strikers: Kane, Rashford, Rooney, Sturridge, Vardy

[SantiSuk]

Can't argue with Townsend replacing Walcott, having seen how well he performed yesterday and knowing how inconsistent Theo has been this season (when able to play).

[Bredbury Blue]

Reading the Newcastle fan's review on the Guardian review of the season, Townsend was noted as "Andros Townsend was the pick of the January bunch - he ran his socks off".

[mrbojangles]

Sterling must have paid someone off.

[StevieH]

Think Mark Noble might have been worth taking. Otherwise it's all pretty predictable. Lacking a bit at the back though.

France squad is pretty strong. Maybe lacking a bit of midfield creativity.

[wilai]

^ Like France myself...unless they self-combust with Home pressure etc. Not worried about their midfield, when Coman, Griezmann... and Payet are named as forwards.

Pogba/Kante could be immense at protecting the back 4!....they may have to be as that is where the weakness lies

[Bredbury Blue]

Sterling must have paid someone off.

Hopeless since his injury...even Navas can keep him on the bench.

I'd also take Noble...great spirit and you need some players who will give it 100%.

[Bredbury Blue]

Delph, another one fortunate to be picked. Too often out with niggles.

[Bredbury Blue]

So what would your starting 11 be?

[StevieH]

^ Like France myself...unless they self-combust with Home pressure etc. Not worried about their midfield, when Coman, Griezmann... and Payet are named as forwards.

Pogba/Kante could be immense at protecting the back 4!....they may have to be as that is where the weakness lies

matuidi will start man. no doubt. pogba is ahead of that. matuidi and kante with pogba above them is pretty handy.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Delph, another one fortunate to be picked. Too often out with niggles.

True. Same can be said about Wilshire.

I'd have given Mark Noble a chance over Delph or Wilshire.

[StevieH]

can't recall a weaker italy squad in my lifetime.

Goalkeepers: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Armando Izzo (Genoa), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), Lorenzo Tonelli (Empoli);

Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Davide Zappacosta (Torino);

Forwards: Fabio Borini (Sunderland), Citadin Martins Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Graziano Pellè (Southampton).

[carmine]

What on earth is Delph doing in the squad?!!

France on paper look very handy.

Compared to past Azzurri this lot look like a pub team.

[sawadee1947]

why talking so much about it? England will be kicked off in the first match. But don't worry. Then you can watch real matches.....very relaxed....55555

[StevieH]

What on earth is Delph doing in the squad?!!

France on paper look very handy.

Compared to past Azzurri this lot look like a pub team.

delph is one of them hodgson 'big' club picks. noble's clearly had a much better season but delph plays for the big monied teams and hodgson sees these as safer bets for some reason.

[NoshowJones]

why talking so much about it? England will be kicked off in the first match. But don't worry. hen you can watch real matches.....very relaxedT....55555

"But don't worry. then you can watch real matches.....very relaxed".

Yes, the Republic of Ireland are there.

[mrbojangles]

What on earth is Delph doing in the squad?!!

France on paper look very handy.

Compared to past Azzurri this lot look like a pub team.

delph is one of them hodgson 'big' club picks. noble's clearly had a much better season but delph plays for the big monied teams and hodgson sees these as safer bets for some reason.

I think you guys are being a tad unfair about Delph. Up until his injury (which he got by playing for England BTW which ruled him out of City for months) Delph had played in 6 (I think) England qulaifying matches, with his debut being against Switzerland in 2014. So Roy had been playing him regularly whilst he was at Villa. Therefore, it's nothing to do with him being at a "big" club.

He's probably picked him for his contribution he made for England before getting injured.

[StevieH]

belgium's squad isn't bad. but then probably said that last world cup as well.

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Jean-Francois Gillet (Mechelen), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool).

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Jason Denayer (Galatasaray), Bjorn Engels (Club Brugge), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit St Petersburg), Jordan Lukaku (Oostende), Thomas Meunier (Club Brugge), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham).

Midfielders: Mousa Dembele (Tottenham), Marouane Fellaini (Man United), Radja Nainggolan (Roma), Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg).

Attackers: Michy Batshuayi (Marseille), Christian Benteke (Liverpool), Yannick Carasco (Atletico Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Divock Origi (Liverpool).

[MrRed]

They look a bit light in midfield though.

[nakhonandy]

Don't understand the selection of Delph or Sterling, both doing nothing at the moment.

I would prefer Noble and Carrick (getting on but still very good).

[StevieH]

They look a bit light in midfield though.

yeah agree. they tend to play 4-3-3 as well with hazard and de bruyne either side of a striker.

[surfinglife]

Look out for the dark horses. Poland, Austria and a couple of other teams will embarrass some big guns.

[StevieH]

spain have left out diego costa and juan mata. fernando torres and santi cazorla also omitted.

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, David de Gea, Sergio Rico.

Defenders: Juanfran, Dani Carvajal, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Bartra.

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Thiago Alcantara, David Silva, Koke, Saul, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, Isco, Bruno Soriano, Mikel San Jose.

Attackers: Alvaro Morata, Aritz Aduriz, Nolito, Lucas Vasquez.

[Bredbury Blue]

spain have left out diego costa and juan mata. fernando torres and santi cazorla also omitted.

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, David de Gea, Sergio Rico.

Defenders: Juanfran, Dani Carvajal, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Bartra.

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Thiago Alcantara, David Silva, Koke, Saul, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, Isco, Bruno Soriano, Mikel San Jose.

Attackers: Alvaro Morata, Aritz Aduriz, Nolito, Lucas Vasquez.

Wished they'd left Silva out. Wee man needs a decent holiday to get his dodgy ankle sorted.

[sawadee1947]

why talking so much about it? England will be kicked off in the first match. But don't worry. hen you can watch real matches.....very relaxedT....55555

"But don't worry. then you can watch real matches.....very relaxed".

Yes, the Republic of Ireland are there.

Oh possum, I'm not a nationalist.......in this case. The best team should win......unless it is not UK......55555

[SantiSuk]

spain have left out diego costa and juan mata. fernando torres and santi cazorla also omitted.

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, David de Gea, Sergio Rico.

Defenders: Juanfran, Dani Carvajal, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Bartra.

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Thiago Alcantara, David Silva, Koke, Saul, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, Isco, Bruno Soriano, Mikel San Jose.

Attackers: Alvaro Morata, Aritz Aduriz, Nolito, Lucas Vasquez.

Cazorla only just back from injury. Always struggles to find a place in a national team with so many classy midfielders. He is being used as a DMF at Arsenal now, which I doubt is his favoured position even though he does it well in our line up when paired with a decent clatterer like Coquelin.

The forwards line up looks very lightweight. Just looked it up and La Ligas top 6 scorers this season are all foreign!! Aduriz is no 7 with 20 goals and Nolito no 17 with only 12.

Morata has only scored 7 league goals in 34 appearances for Juve this year.

No doubt that midfield line up will be scoring as many goals as the forwards, but I suspect there will be some low scoring games in the Spanish portfolio - awseome keepers and hugely experienced defence. How many times could you have said at the start of a European/World tournament that you fancy England's forwards more than Spains?!!

[uptheos]

Sterling must have paid someone off.

Agree wholeheartedly, ridiculous inclusion!

[SantiSuk]

What on earth is Delph doing in the squad?!!

France on paper look very handy.

Compared to past Azzurri this lot look like a pub team.

delph is one of them hodgson 'big' club picks. noble's clearly had a much better season but delph plays for the big monied teams and hodgson sees these as safer bets for some reason.

I think you guys are being a tad unfair about Delph. Up until his injury (which he got by playing for England BTW which ruled him out of City for months) Delph had played in 6 (I think) England qulaifying matches, with his debut being against Switzerland in 2014. So Roy had been playing him regularly whilst he was at Villa. Therefore, it's nothing to do with him being at a "big" club.

He's probably picked him for his contribution he made for England before getting injured.

I may be wrong and it's only based on seeing a run-down of good goals of the last two seasons, but isn't Delph one of the most prolific scorers of out-of-the-box screamers.

Good to have someone like that in your bench team for the last 15 minutes.

Is he fully fit? - I don't recall seeing him much this calendar, but I thought he was good in the qualifiers (doesn't mean much when you are lined up against nations the size of Swindon).

[StevieH]

Cazorla only just back from injury. Always struggles to find a place in a national team with so many classy midfielders. He is being used as a DMF at Arsenal now, which I doubt is his favoured position even though he does it well in our line up when paired with a decent clatterer like Coquelin.

The forwards line up looks very lightweight. Just looked it up and La Ligas top 6 scorers this season are all foreign!! Aduriz is no 7 with 20 goals and Nolito no 17 with only 12.

Morata has only scored 7 league goals in 34 appearances for Juve this year.

No doubt that midfield line up will be scoring as many goals as the forwards, but I suspect there will be some low scoring games in the Spanish portfolio - awseome keepers and hugely experienced defence. How many times could you have said at the start of a European/World tournament that you fancy England's forwards more than Spains?!!

does that surprise you? i'm going to have a guess that the six includes suarez, messi, neymar, ronaldo, bale and griezmann? or maybe benzema?

[NiwPix]

Well, I am looking forward to the Euro as well. Today Löw announced his 27 man lineup. In 2 weeks he will have to send 4 players home to get the official 23 player squad.

I also went ahead and highlighted who I assume will be our starting line up.

Goal: Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern), Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen)

Defense: Jerome Boateng (FC Bayern), Jonas Hector (1. FC Köln), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Höwedes (Schalke 04), Shkodran Mustafi (FC Valencia), Emre Can (FC Liverpool), Sebastian Rudy (1899 Hoffenheim), Antonio Rüdiger (AS Rom)

Midfield / Attack: Sami Khedira (Juventus Turin), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Özil (FC Arsenal), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Draxler (VfL Wolfsburg), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray Istanbul), Thomas Müller (FC Bayern), Karim Bellarabi (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United), Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund), Mario Gomez (Besiktas Istanbul), Mario Götze (FC Bayern), Leroy Sané (Schalke 04), André Schürrle (VfL Wolfsburg)

Note how we don't have a real striker...except maybe Gomez, but I was never a fan of him. The only thing I am slightly worried about is our defense. Since Lahm retired from the national team, we are still looking for somebody to fill that spot half as good as he did.