England at the Euros

[cromwell]

Well it wasn't very impressive, but job done and I think we deserved it, just.

First impressions are that Bellingham lived up to the hype and Saka looks good.
Apart from that we are playing a right back (Trippier) at left back, a right sided attacker (Foden) on the left and a novice midfielder (Trent Alexander-Arnold).

We'll have to see how it goes. We are not in a strong group so should qualify OK, but playing a team like Germany, Italy, France, Spain or the Dutch might be a very different story.

[Workingman]

Trippier did OK, he's no worse than Luke "back pass" Shaw.

Saka ran himself into the ground so it is not a bad idea to rotate him and Bowen as they will be playing games with short recovery times between them.

Foden had a stinker but to be fair he is not a left winger. He is more suited to a number 10 role.

TAA and Kane both had poor games as well.

The system looked all lopsided. Drop TAA and put Bellingham next to Rice as a box-to-box midfielder. Have Bowen / Saka on the right and Gordon on the left with Foden at number 10. Then make it clear to Kane that he is not to come anywhere near our half except for oposition free kicks and corners. He has to stay in the final third, come what may. If he fails bring on Toney or Watkins.

Oh yes, and put crosses into the box.

[Workingman]

Well, that was woeful.

TAA useless, again. Kane just wandering about, and too deep. Rice well off the pace. The whole team looks out of sorts and void of ideas.

The forward pass is illegal in Rugby (both codes) but not in Football.

[cromwell]

It was poor. Denmark should have won that.
We were all over the shop.
We should still qualify out of the group, we only have Slovenia to play, but when you compared how we played last night to how Spain played?
Night and day.

[Workingman]

If Slovenia beat us, and it is not impossible as they drew with Denmark, then England could end up third in the group.

[cromwell]

Tonight we will take on the mighty Slovenia. I expect we will win solidly enough and learn very little.

Croatia v Italy was a thriller last night. Poor Croatia, to concede in the last fifteen seconds! Cracking goal though.

[cromwell]

Well that's two hours of my life that I'll never get back!

[JoM]

I watched Denmark v Serbia on my iPad while John watched England, that wasn’t any better.

[Workingman]

Jo, I kept flipping the channels and there was not much to choose between the two crap games.

Well, we are through as group winners, God alone knows how, and now we are in the "easier" half of the draw. That bugs me as there should be no 'easy' or 'hard' routes to the final, which are pre-ordained before the competition starts.

The qualifiers from the groups should all go into the hat and a new draw made. The first eight out are the 'home' teams and the others the 'away' teams. The eight winners then go into the hat again and the first four out are the 'home' teams etc... That process continues, a bit like "normal" cup draws.

[cromwell]

The Georgia v Portugal match was a good one.
The Georgia number 7 is a player. No wonder Napoli bought him.