Goldman Sachs' predictions for the tournament has France winners. I personally think that's une load de merde. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-forecast-french-soccer-win-on-home-advantage please log in to view this image
Given they have Italy as 11th and us as 4th, I'm not sure they know their harris from their elbow! Bah!
I think France are favourites with the bookies too, strong squad and home advantage. Always capable of imploding though! Other than Italy being out of place I don't think that list is too far off.
I still think France are lacking up front and it's the germany players to lose! I know that every team from Russia downwards is being classed as rank outsiders, but I'm not sure Russia are top of the outsiders and could see even Gareth Bale......................I mean Whales beat them and see them go out in the group stages. Unfortunately I could see the same happening to England! Bah!
I just can't get excited about the Euro's this time. It's hardly been mentioned in the circles I move in and I'm a football coach! After so many disappointments over the years the expectation and excitement has disappeared for not only me but many of the people around me. Maybe this will help the team feel less pressure and perform better? Who knows. I was pretty disappointed with the performance against Portugal the other night though. With that attacking 3 and our wide players we reverted back to England of old. Slow, predictable and really boring in our build up. I hope that we can do better this tournament but my fear is that as soon as we come up against a team that is of a decent standard we will be destroyed on the counter. That's what happens when play slow, side to side attacking football.
That makes two of us. Partly the hangover from NCFC's relegation, which has soured my appetite for football in general but also the formulaic way Roy H sets his teams up, predictable, as you say. And if he insists on playing Rooney and reshaping the team to accommodate him, I might watch some cricket instead! But once it gets under way on Friday I'll probably get a 'second wind' and end up glued to every match!!
It's been a while since an England team and a major championship got me excited too. I don't know if it is the increasing distance between the football stars of today and the common man (Though I'm far from common, Bah!) But in the past they felt like our heros trying to win it for us and the country, these days it feels more like a hassle inorder for them to increase the reaches of the image rights and further fatten their already bulging coffers. I'm sure all the players want to win, but it's not the same glorious priority it once was. I'm with Cromer though. If Woy, tries to crowbar Rooney in and unbalances a side that has a degree of potential I may switch off for this tournament and maybe forever! (Who am I trying to kid, it already feels like forever since the season finished and there'll be plenty of good footy to watch, maybe not from us, but those Germany players are pretty useful!) Bah!
If the bookies are right, I'd take that. A semi-final after recent debacles in Brazil and SA and that awful performance against Italy to drop out in the QF last Euro's. 4th would represent progress and some hope with a promising generation of younguns. Bah!
That's my main issue with the England team as it is. Heard Roy going about them not being the finished article again and all that **** that all the England managers say before a tournament. It just puts me off. As a National team you are never going to be the "finished article". These players are professional footballers and the manager needs to be pragmatic and adjust his approach to suit players that have not played all that much together. Vardy looked a shadow of the player he is when he plays for Leicester against Portugal. Roy needs to figure out a way to get him and the attacking 3 in the game and involved. Not simply throw them on the pitch and say "there you go".
I guess thats the difference between some managers. Woy "just do your best", Jose "You are the best, now go out and win". I think I know which one most players will respond best to. Bah!
I'm going to buck the general trend on here and say that I am actually quite looking forward to the Euros. It will be nice to go into a tournament with a young and exciting team, unlike the last 3 or 4 tournaments where the team has almost been the same old players. This team has got some bright young prospects, who are coming off the back of excellent seasons. Although I will say I fully expect Roy to try to fit Rooney into the team in some way and that will destroy our chances. The England friendlies that we played before the most recent set, back when Rooney was injured, were some of the best England games that I have seen for a while - because the young players were trusted to go out and play and the attacks were not slowed down or laboured over by Rooney. The team I would like to see us play: Hart Walker Smalling Cahill Rose Dier Wilshere Lallana Alli Vardy/Sterling/Barkley Kane
In fairness to Vardy, that appeared to be down to the tactics that Roy decided to impose on him, he and Kane ended up doing a lot of tracking back whereas Rooney stayed pushed up the majority of the time, the complete opposite of how they should have worked that system in my opinion.
I get that Suffolk, But if you are going to go out in the press and say we are going to this tournament and attack then it's your job as a manager to get the attacking players on the ball in the right areas. I want us to go and have a real go this time. I don't want Vardy, Kane and Rooney to an extent defending the flanks on the edge of our own box, it's stupid. Not to mention that they will probably end up giving pens away. If we go out then fair enough, but lets go out playing fast, exciting, attacking football. Roy has ALL the tools he needs at his disposal he just has to get them firing and in the right places. No more excuses.
Pretty much the team I was thinking of although I wouldn't play Lallana since moving to Liverpool he's not really looked good enough. Would consider Sturridge there to add some pace. It would be he perfect role for Walcott On Vardy I say leave him on the bench. If were playing one up front it has to be our best and that's Kane. Vardy only works in a single style of play and I doubt we're going to play like that.