Well placed sources inside the England camp indicate the plan is to have a different left back for every match to confuse the opposition and counter criticism that the team should be more interesting and creative.
I honestly dont think having to select the next manager will be an issue for a while. GS will be in the job until after the WC imo. Getting out of the group and then losing to a top side will be seen as success in the FA
Will be there tonight. Very excited, missed out on Scotland but made Croatia so hoping to have seen both wins! Really want us to go for it tonight. Top the group and have a ro16 against the Germans in front of 40k+ at Wembley, will be biblical should we win. Also sets up a more favourable run to the final then coming 2nd or 3rd would.
I'd prefer to go with Bellingham in CM, but I do feel Rice and Phillips need to get some gametime/experience of playing together. So I'd go with: Pickford Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw Rice, Phillips Sancho, Foden, Grealish Kane
Well this is a game I would prefer not to be happening. Anyway, here's a perspective with a Czech input.
First thing to say is that the Czechs are delighted they got through. They won't care too much whom they meet, as most teams look difficult now. England looks difficult. England is a scalp, as you will have seen in the 2-1 victory in Prague. However at the back of their mind is the 0-5 at Wembley, and that was the game that mattered more to both teams at the time.
Everyone has suddenly decided that they all love Patrik Schick. Well they didn't until the Scotland game. At the start of the tourno, my neighbour was slagging him off, saying he refused to commit to tracking back, etc. You can hear similar comments, in less stark terms, from the pros. (Good article on Schick, reflecting that, here) He was pretty anonymous in the Prague win against England and was subbed in favour of 'the Cobra", Zdeněk Ondrášek, who had been plying his trade in the USA and immediately bagged the winner. Ondrášek joined Viktoria Plzen but was only intermittently effective (as were Viktoria) and is not in the squad. And that is the big problem. There is no decent strike partner for Schick. The obvious alternative to him is Michal Krmencik, whom I know from Viktoria, but after opting to stay there rather than go to Newcastle,allegedly for £12m, he suffered an ACL. Before then he was a formidable combination of power and pace, but the pace has gone a bit, and he has not really fired at a succession of European clubs. His performance when he came on against Croatia was pretty typical, sadly.
So they tend to try and support Schick with attacking wide men, starting with Jankto. The other notable one is Hlozek, who has similar attributes to Foden, but is only 18, and Sparta is not Man City. I don't think he is quite ready to make an impact here.
The positives for the Czechs are that the Wembley 5-0 happened before Coufal and especially Souček went off to transform the Hamsters, and when Schick wasn't having the happiest of times. Now Schick is clearly on a personal mission to prove a lot of people wrong, and has the country reminding themselves of Baroš powering them to the Euro 2004 final. That makes Schick very dangerous today. But for all that when I look at the two squads, and the greater (public) pressure on England to win, I can't see past an England win, and probably two goals for Harry Kane.
2004 Final? You mean 96, don't you?
I meant 2004 but it was the semi they lost against Greece. Watched it on holiday in France. Absolutely gutted they lost to a sucker punch from that anti-football team. That was the high water mark of Baros career too.
Well this is a game I would prefer not to be happening. Anyway, here's a perspective with a Czech input.
First thing to say is that the Czechs are delighted they got through. They won't care too much whom they meet, as most teams look difficult now. England looks difficult. England is a scalp, as you will have seen in the 2-1 victory in Prague. However at the back of their mind is the 0-5 at Wembley, and that was the game that mattered more to both teams at the time.
Everyone has suddenly decided that they all love Patrik Schick. Well they didn't until the Scotland game. At the start of the tourno, my neighbour was slagging him off, saying he refused to commit to tracking back, etc. You can hear similar comments, in less stark terms, from the pros. (Good article on Schick, reflecting that, here) He was pretty anonymous in the Prague win against England and was subbed in favour of 'the Cobra", Zdeněk Ondrášek, who had been plying his trade in the USA and immediately bagged the winner. Ondrášek joined Viktoria Plzen but was only intermittently effective (as were Viktoria) and is not in the squad. And that is the big problem. There is no decent strike partner for Schick. The obvious alternative to him is Michal Krmencik, whom I know from Viktoria, but after opting to stay there rather than go to Newcastle,allegedly for £12m, he suffered an ACL. Before then he was a formidable combination of power and pace, but the pace has gone a bit, and he has not really fired at a succession of European clubs. His performance when he came on against Croatia was pretty typical, sadly.
So they tend to try and support Schick with attacking wide men, starting with Jankto. The other notable one is Hlozek, who has similar attributes to Foden, but is only 18, and Sparta is not Man City. I don't think he is quite ready to make an impact here.
The positives for the Czechs are that the Wembley 5-0 happened before Coufal and especially Souček went off to transform the Hamsters, and when Schick wasn't having the happiest of times. Now Schick is clearly on a personal mission to prove a lot of people wrong, and has the country reminding themselves of Baroš powering them to the Euro 2004 final. That makes Schick very dangerous today. But for all that when I look at the two squads, and the greater (public) pressure on England to win, I can't see past an England win, and probably two goals for Harry Kane.
2004 Final? You mean 96, don't you?
I meant 2004 but it was the semi they lost against Greece. Watched it on holiday in France. Absolutely gutted they lost to a sucker punch from that anti-football team. That was the high water mark of Baros career too.
He might suggest that 2005 was his high point, not many people play in a final like that.
Question: Our worse ever Euros was the 1988 debacle under Bobby Robson when we lost to the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Russia and our best was Euro 96 when Gazza had a pair of boots on one size too small and we came so close to beating our Nemesis.
Have we ever got to the Quarters or Semi's of the Euro's any other time over the 9 or 10 times we have qualified. I sure I would know or remember if we had ?
Question: Our worse ever Euros was the 1988 debacle under Bobby Robson when we lost to the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Russia and our best was Euro 96 when Gazza had a pair of boots on one size too small and we came so close to beating our Nemesis.
Have we ever got to the Quarters or Semi's of the Euro's any other time over the 9 or 10 times we have qualified. I sure I would know or remember if we had ?
We lost in the quarters on pens to Portugal didn't we?
Edit: And Italy those are the only times since 88 we have even got to the quarters.
Question: Our worse ever Euros was the 1988 debacle under Bobby Robson when we lost to the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Russia and our best was Euro 96 when Gazza had a pair of boots on one size too small and we came so close to beating our Nemesis.
Have we ever got to the Quarters or Semi's of the Euro's any other time over the 9 or 10 times we have qualified. I sure I would know or remember if we had ?
We lost in the quarters on pens to Portugal didn't we?
The must've have been the Rooney red card match.
Edit: the Rooney red card was in WC quarter final. We lost to Portugal at 2004 Euro Q-final.
Pickford Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw Rice, Phillips Sterling, Grealish, Saka Kane
I dont mind it, but how is Sancho not ahead of Saka, i rate Saka just feels like we have one of the best wingers in the last couple of years for dortmund who cant seem to get a look in.
Question: Our worse ever Euros was the 1988 debacle under Bobby Robson when we lost to the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Russia and our best was Euro 96 when Gazza had a pair of boots on one size too small and we came so close to beating our Nemesis.
Have we ever got to the Quarters or Semi's of the Euro's any other time over the 9 or 10 times we have qualified. I sure I would know or remember if we had ?
We lost in the quarters on pens to Portugal didn't we?
The must've have been the Rooney red card match.
Edit: the Rooney red card was in WC quarter final. We lost to Portugal at 2004 Euro Q-final.
Pickford Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw Rice, Phillips Sterling, Grealish, Saka Kane
I dont mind it, but how is Sancho not ahead of Saka, i rate Saka just feels like we have one of the best wingers in the last couple of years for dortmund who cant seem to get a look in.
Rice and Philips. That's what we all wanted to see
Pickford Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw Rice, Phillips Sterling, Grealish, Saka Kane
I dont mind it, but how is Sancho not ahead of Saka, i rate Saka just feels like we have one of the best wingers in the last couple of years for dortmund who cant seem to get a look in.
Rice and Philips. That's what we all wanted to see
Yep lots of excitement there, we could have tried out Bellingham (not saying the team is setting stone), Walker i dont think fills me with much confidence. On the face of it we can probably pick it apart but be nice for a few changes i guess, cant be no worse than Scotland can it? hold my beer...
Most have been wrong if i remember right, although i think it was spot on for the Scotland game and the first game, depends where you search i guess as they get banded around. I am not sure how confident i am this is 100% but thought i'd post as semi- reliable
Most have been wrong if i remember right, although i think it was spot on for the Scotland game and the first game, depends where you search i guess as they get banded around. I am not sure how confident i am this is 100% but thought i'd post as semi- reliable
Comments
However I fear the normal Souhgate boring, defend defend defend
Well placed sources inside the England camp indicate the plan is to have a different left back for every match to confuse the opposition and counter criticism that the team should be more interesting and creative.
The problem with the FA is that the manager's failure is ultimately their failure.
Pickford
Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Shaw
Rice, Phillips
Sancho, Foden, Grealish
Kane
Our worse ever Euros was the 1988 debacle under Bobby Robson when we lost to the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Russia and our best was Euro 96 when Gazza had a pair of boots on one size too small and we came so close to beating our Nemesis.
Have we ever got to the Quarters or Semi's of the Euro's any other time over the 9 or 10 times we have qualified. I sure I would know or remember if we had ?
Edit: And Italy those are the only times since 88 we have even got to the quarters.
No unfortunately the Czech's have parked two buses but we have hit the bar and post more times than Cafc.
The must've have been the Rooney red card match.
Edit: the Rooney red card was in WC quarter final.
We lost to Portugal at 2004 Euro Q-final.
Pickford
Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw
Rice, Phillips
Sterling, Grealish, Saka
Kane
I dont mind it, but how is Sancho not ahead of Saka, i rate Saka just feels like we have one of the best wingers in the last couple of years for dortmund who cant seem to get a look in.
Do people actually support the national team or just like to get upset about things?
I just don’t think we should be playing Sterling out of position over two players that would do a better job there.