I think semi finals we're good enough for most sides but will struggle against truly world class teams. However having said that we beat Germany in March
last 16 as I think we have screwed up the best chance we have had in 50 years, with some of the key players dropped, to win something since 1966 when we were world champs, so in 2016 lets hope it is not world chumps
The management is too scared to lose for us to win anything.. Wales have gone there with a 'what have we got to lose' attitude. Good bye Roy!
Drew with Russia, if I know England, we will lose to Wales and then put pressure on ourselves to win the last game which I think we will. We will then get a group winner in the last 16, do ok, but not enough and come home.
Let's spice this up, who will progress the furthest, England, N Ireland or Wales..?~ I still think England will still do best... 1) England 2) Wales 3) N Ireland Team.............Points......Played.. Wales............03..............01........ England.........01..............01....... NIreland........01..............01.......
Doom-mongers out in force again - one minute we ought to be capable of winning the Euros/World Cup, but are held back by the manager/player A playing instead of player B etc.; the next, we're supposed to accept that we're just not very good and have NO chance of ever achieving anything. The evidence would suggest that England usually have a pretty good side that will make the quarters or so, but aren't quite on the same level of the top nations (Germany, Spain, France, Italy etc.) - not necessarily anything wrong with that; and who knows, maybe one day we'll spring a surprise and get to the semis, or even sneak into a final in my lifetime. How far each country will go is so determined by the draw for the last 16, it's hard to predict. Northern Ireland were always going to have a hard time given the tough group they were drawn in. At least they only lost by a single goal to a talented Poland side, but they'll probably need to beat Ukraine to go through. Wales' win was a good one and they may already have enough points to be in the last 16. I've said elsewhere that I think they will be treating the England game as the match of their life, so I'll say a draw is the most likely result. They're a really unpredictable side - capable of winning against really good sides, but also more susceptible to a bit of a tonking (it may have only been a friendly, but a 3-0 defeat to Sweden recently). That isn't usually a quality associated with successful tournament sides, so I expect them to lose in either the last 16 or quarters. England - who knows? The fallout of the last minute draw with Russia shows the level of scrutiny they're under and I think contributes to the nerviness the players often show. Lose to Wales and I think they'll be criticised so much (regardless how well Wales might have played) that they'd struggle to be at their best for Slovakia, so could crash and burn. At this point, I'll still say though that we'll make it through the group and go out as soon as we face either a big name or a dark horse who is playing well (such as Croatia). In such a case, and if Hodgson leaves, hopefully he'll be replaced by whoever's flavour of the month with the 'experts' who know exactly why England are 'failures', just so he can achieve much the same as any other manager over the past few decades, or do even worse, and show them that they know next to f##k all.
THATS 4 POINTS .... Wales beat Slovakia ..6pts Russia beat Slovakia ... 4 pts and lose to us = 4 pts we qualify, but should they draw what time is the plane ...... again
But with the best third place team qualifying 4 out 6 groups you can draw all three games and go through to the next 16. So no need to panick.
Finish 3rrd we would likely get Spain or Germany. No prizes for guessing who would win that one on penalties
Wales, will be last 16 but go out with their heads held high NI could struggle as I believe they could come third in the group but could be one of the two that fail. England could get to the semi's but that will depend on where they get placed in group stage, as they will come unstuck against one of the bigger teams.
have you read the rules on third place, I looked at them and after the sixth "and if they are still" ... then gave up should we draw all 3 = 3pts Wales would be on 4 pts with 1 to play Russia be on 1 pt 2 to play Slovakia on 1 pt 2 to play worse scenario Russia and Slovakia BOTH WIN A GAME
