The Official Euro 2016 Megathread

[slink]

Played ok without having enough cutting edge. Clyne, Dier and Lallana were all good, Henderson is a joke of an international footballer, so poor in possession it's untrue.

I'm going to continue to stick up for him because i think it's far too easy for people to criticise and not see what actually happened. His crossing in the main was poor but he really shouldn't be on set pieces however after that he really wasn't poor in possession, he gave the ball away 7 times all night and while stats don't tell you everything the fact that he created or best chances does. The Vardy chance in the first half made by Henderson's pass, the Lallana chance made by Henderson's pass in behind to Clyne, Alli's chance made by Henderson's run and cross to the back post.

Now if that's poor in possession fuck knows what good is. Does this mean i think he's that good, no but i think he's just a ready made target that you can criticise and most people will just agree because it's Henderson. Does it mean that another midfielder could not have created these chances and maybe even got on the end of a pass and scored, no but he played and actually played quite well, in fact our best chances and they were good chances were created by him.

 

[The Bear]

Cannot blame Slovakia at all. Shows up the weakness of a 24 team format though (as predicted pre-tournament), under normal circumstances they'd have had to try to win the game. UEFA's fault rather than Slovakia's.

On the flipside though, every final group game has teams with something to play for. Usually there'd be a few dead rubbers.

 

[Tony Towner]

I'm going to continue to stick up for him because i think it's far too easy for people to criticise and not see what actually happened. His crossing in the main was poor but he really shouldn't be on set pieces however after that he really wasn't poor in possession, he gave the ball away 7 times all night and while stats don't tell you everything the fact that he created or best chances does. The Vardy chance in the first half made by Henderson's pass, the Lallana chance made by Henderson's pass in behind to Clyne, Alli's chance made by Henderson's run and cross to the back post.

Now if that's poor in possession $#@! knows what good is. Does this mean i think he's that good, no but i think he's just a ready made target that you can criticise and most people will just agree because it's Henderson. Does it mean that another midfielder could not have created these chances and maybe even got on the end of a pass and scored, no but he played and actually played quite well, in fact our best chances and they were good chances were created by him.

I think the balance would be some of our best positions were fucked up by him as well. I would agree he had a better game than Wilshere, as you say he delivered some decent through balls and at least was there to over hit a number of crosses. I went to the England vs Turkey friendly and I wouldn't normally trust a friendly as a judge of a player, but in that Alli looked knackered, Kane like a player who's dad manages an U11 side and Wilshere woefully unfit. A month later these all remain the case.

 

[jd1981]

The biggest floor in this competion is you've got Albania sat around until Wednesday waiting to see if they are staying or going.
Preparations for them must be fun against imaginary opposition.

 

[PuntsWolf]

The biggest floor in this competion is you've got Albania sat around until Wednesday waiting to see if they are staying or going.
Preparations for them must be fun against imaginary opposition.

It's park the bus for 90 mins. Nothing has and nothing will change that.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I think the balance would be some of our best positions were fucked up by him as well. I would agree he had a better game than Wilshere, as you say he delivered some decent through balls and at least was there to over hit a number of crosses. I went to the England vs Turkey friendly and I wouldn't normally trust a friendly as a judge of a player, but in that Alli looked knackered, Kane like a player who's dad manages an U11 side and Wilshere woefully unfit. A month later these all remain the case.

Which begs the question. Why take an unfit player to a tournament. Wilshere has barely kicked a ball all season. And it showed this evening.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'm going to continue to stick up for him because i think it's far too easy for people to criticise and not see what actually happened. His crossing in the main was poor but he really shouldn't be on set pieces however after that he really wasn't poor in possession, he gave the ball away 7 times all night and while stats don't tell you everything the fact that he created or best chances does. The Vardy chance in the first half made by Henderson's pass, the Lallana chance made by Henderson's pass in behind to Clyne, Alli's chance made by Henderson's run and cross to the back post.

Now if that's poor in possession fuck knows what good is. Does this mean i think he's that good, no but i think he's just a ready made target that you can criticise and most people will just agree because it's Henderson. Does it mean that another midfielder could not have created these chances and maybe even got on the end of a pass and scored, no but he played and actually played quite well, in fact our best chances and they were good chances were created by him.

I certainly don't think he played well tonight and I'd be surprised if many agreed with you on that front.

I still haven't seen him have a single good game (to my eyes) for England, 27 caps now in nearly six years and it's ranged from humdrum to downright poor from him. I don't think he's good on the ball, I don't think he offers much defensively bar legwork and effort, he doesn't make or exploit space, he has no goal threat whatsoever, what is he actually supposed to be?

 

[Tony Towner]

Which begs the question. Why take an unfit player to a tournament. Wilshere has barely kicked a ball all season. And it showed this evening.

A gamble on what he could do I suppose, the Slovenia away game being a great example. A fully fit Jack Wilshere walks into our first 11. I do fundamentally agree with you though and we seem to do it every tournament. I also think tonight we missed an option to stretch things out wide. Other than full backs there isn't a genuine wide option in the squad. Tonight a Townsend could have given them something different to think about as opposed to Barkley who I cannot see getting a game in any eventuality.

 

[slink]

I certainly don't think he played well tonight and I'd be surprised if many agreed with you on that front.

I still haven't seen him have a single good game (to my eyes) for England, 27 caps now in nearly six years and it's ranged from humdrum to downright poor from him. I don't think he's good on the ball, I don't think he offers much defensively bar legwork and effort, he doesn't make or exploit space, he has no goal threat whatsoever, what is he actually supposed to be?

If they can back that up with facts rather than i don't think he played well or is poor in possession then fair enough but i've seen nothing yet to say any different. The only thing that was poor was his crossing, which admittedly was pretty bad. You say he doesn't make or exploit space but for the Alli chance that is exactly what he did.

As far as people not agreeing with me that's fine, i'll stick to seeing what is actually happening rather than basing everything on pre conceived ideas which is how Henderson has been rated by many tonight.

 

[jd1981]

Full week of might do them some good and work on a few things in training. I have a feeling it'll be Hungary next Monday in Nice who'll do exactly the same as tonight.
Personally I'd go back to the side that finished against Wales.

 

[darlowolf64]

The changes fucked England... Why? It's not as though they are going to play again in two days. Never change a winning team

 

[slink]

The changes fucked England... Why? It's not as though they are going to play again in two days. Never change a winning team

Changes didn't make a difference, Vardy 1 on 1, Lallana effort at he keeper, Clyne shot saved by the keepers shoulder, Alli shot cleared off the line and Sturridge missing the ball from Dier's chip. All very good chances and not half chances either, we take 1 or 2 of them and everyone is saying well done Roy, great changes. Let down by the finishing again tonight much like the Russia game.

 

[Tony Towner]

The changes $#@!ed England... Why? It's not as though they are going to play again in two days. Never change a winning team

I disagree, 3 of the changes were due to form, Clyne was our best player, Rooney was poor when he came on which brings it down to whether Danny Rose would have been our match winner. As against Russia we were dominant, but failed to convert good positions into decent chances forcing the keeper into only one decent save in 90 minutes.

 

[darlowolf64]

All momentum was lost with half fit Wilshere and rubbish Henderson playing...Clyne didn't have the pace or product of Walker. Sturridge again trying to shoot from 35 fucking yards or stupid flicks. It goes on

 

[darlowolf64]

Rooney shouldn't of come on for Wilshere, it should of been Alli for Henderson, the subs were as bad as the initial changes

 

[Tony Towner]

Unsurprisingly Russia's manager has resigned. It will be even less surprising if he chooses not to go back to Russia for a few weeks.

 

[Tony Towner]

All momentum was lost with half fit Wilshere and rubbish Henderson playing...Clyne didn't have the pace or product of Walker. Sturridge again trying to shoot from 35 $#@!ing yards or stupid flicks. It goes on

Most people would have played Vardy and Sturridge instead of Kane and Sterling. Much as Walker was our best player in the first 2 games, Clyne was today. Wilshere was poor, Henderson patchy, but Alli has had two poor games and Rooney went down more blind allies tonight than Lenny Peters (one for the kids) when he came on. Finishing second doesn't really disadvantage us, so we can only really judge whether it's a mistake in a couple of weeks.

 

[darlowolf64]

I would never want Sturridge ahead of Vardy and Kane... NEVER

 

[darlowolf64]

A couple of tactical changes, fair enough but "resting" 6 players from their massive schedule, fuck off Woy

 

[ROVERT47]

Looking forward to this being all over, then they'll only be one team to whinge about instead of two.