The Official EURO 2012 thread

[chancer]

How you feeling about Ireland?

We are very, very limited* - by far the least technical non-home team there - but there is a strange paradox about our draw. We have Croatia, Spain and Italy. On the face of it, that's a terrifying group. But in a weird way we don't have to think too hard about how to play: Park the bus against Croatia and Spain - praying for a miracle on the break - and then hope to pinch a win against Italy. If we'd been drawn against, say, England, Denmark, Poland, Russia or teams like that, you'd have a tough decision about how to set-up. You're kind of stuck in the middle with those teams and could get lulled into false hope and get spanked. But as it is, park the bus, hope Dunne's fat arse can get in the way of Modric and Xavi, and pray Italy bottle it. Pretty straightforward!


*
Keepers: Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall)

Defenders: John O'Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Stephen Ward (Wolves), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Sean St Ledger (Leicester), Darren O'Dea (Leeds), Kevin Foley (Wolves)

Midfielders: Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Keith Andrews (West Brom), Keith Fahey (Birmingham), Darron Gibson (Everton), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Stephen Hunt (Wolves), James McClean (Sunderland)

Forwards: Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Shane Long, Simon Cox (both West Brom), Jon Walters (Stoke).

So, 5 or 6 good players, but a lot of dross, albeit decent lads who try hard. Oddly, our forwards are good, which is nice but isn't much use since we'll be parking the bus!



Ed: I've taken this discussion to the general Euro thread rather than clogging up the private grief of England fans here.

 

[chancer]

How many of this squad gets in the England squad? I would say Given is the only shoe-in. Perhaps Doyle. Dunne > Terry? How about McClean > Downing? It's probably 4 absolute tops.

.........


Republic of Ireland squad:

Keepers: Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall)

Defenders: John O'Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Stephen Ward (Wolves), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Sean St Ledger (Leicester), Darren O'Dea (Leeds), Kevin Foley (Wolves)

Midfielders: Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Keith Andrews (West Brom), Keith Fahey (Birmingham), Darron Gibson (Everton), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Stephen Hunt (Wolves), James McClean (Sunderland)

Forwards: Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Shane Long, Simon Cox (both West Brom), Jon Walters (Stoke).


...........


Sample team:

GK: Given

RB: O'Shea
CB: Dunne
CB: St. Leger
LB: Ward

RW: Duff
CM: Whelan
CM: Gibson
LW: McClean

S: Any 2 from 5
S: Any 2 from 5

.........


If you don't like the look of St. Leger at CB, you could stick O'Shea there and play Foley RB. That's an experienced and solid pair of CB's. The strikers look pretty good to me. But the central midfield is a brickhouse, even if Duff and McClean are good out wide. There's only destruction and mediocrity in the middle sadly. Although, I must say that sample team looks a wee bit better than I would have imagined could be cobbled from the squad.

The most important thing Ireland will be taking to the Euros: The keys to the bus.

 

[Leeds Spur]

And I forgot to mention that Downing has had more arrests this season then goals and assists put together. #-o

Tim Howard has more goals and assists FFS. I want England to get fudging murdered.

 

[Leeds Spur]

Guys I tell you this has to be easy money, betting against England notto make the next round. That midfield looks to much like the one that got owned by the Germans during the WC. Downing 3 penalty misses, no goals and no assists but he makes the England squad. Lennon must be glad he was not picked, why would he want to be a part of this shower?

Johnsen makes the England squad but Micah Richards does not and we are expected to believe that Hodgson picked the team on footballing reasons. There is a very good chance that Parker will not make the Championship, and if does not Jordan Henderson, and yes that was not a typo, I repeat Jordan Henderson will make the squad.

So in essence there is a good possibility that the best of England may include Gerrard, Johnsen, Downing, Henderson and Carroll, 5 players that helped get their manager the sack today, only in England

It's only 13/8 for England not to get out of the group!!

 

[chancer]

So in essence there is a good possibility that the best of England may include Gerrard, Johnsen, Downing, Henderson and Carroll, 5 players that helped get their manager the sack today, only in England

Good post, and this observation is well spotted. To state it slightly differently: England are likely taking 5 players coming off the back of each of their personal worst seasons ever as professionals.

Henderson and Downing are the two transfer flops of last year. I suspect Henderson has ability, but we really haven't seen it apart from that well-taken goal the other week. But Downing is an irredeemable donkey. And IMO Johnson hasn't been much better than that in several years. Carroll I've always thought had a chance to be international quality. But his mentality is shaky so he might get sent off or tinkled off, and he mightn't be nimble enough for good defenders. Gerrard, great and talented talisman for Liverpool over the years, but is it possible he's even close to fully fit and healthy? Can you be sure he'll play 5 games? I very seriously doubt it.

Oh, and the irony of Roy leaning on a bunch of Liverpool second-raters. Poor Roy. Such a nice chap and there'll be turnips coming out of his head and umbrellas over it before too long.

 

[Roy1983]

It's only 13/8 for England not to get out of the group!!

Decent odds. I honestly don't think we will.

 

[Jordinho]

Haven't been able to cheer for England since the days of Sven. The team is just full of ****s and bottlers.

edit: To be more precise, since the inclusion of Wal****. That killed any remaining interest.

 

[Raziel]

Uninspired manager by uninspired FA produces uninspired squad, what a shocker.

Have to say, whatever semblance of respect I may have had for Hodgson went with that squad selection, it is so much a yes man selection. In my opinion while you weren't going to get an England team that was going to win (or even scare anyone seriously) the Euros, there should have been some logical guidelines

- Chose players who can grow into/significantly influence England's chances in the WC (counts out Terry/Lampard/Rio/Gerrard/Scholes/etc.)
- Pick players who have form and were part of some type of success this season (rules out almost anyone from Pool)
- Look for the obvious areas that could improve England (technical ability and pace)

The only two players that are a unquestionable pick are Hart & Rooney
Midfield, Parker and Carrick (and I'm not a Carrick fan) would seem obvious, see comment below
Front line, not completely upset, choice wss obviously either Crouch or Carroll, Defoe to make something from nothing.

Richards, Sturridge, Carrick, Lennon (3 of which would add considerable pace to the team) are just really questionable decisions

While teams don't always play how they look on paper, if that team plays slow unimaginative football and struggles to keep posession, Hodgson should be shot.

 

[awesome dawson]

I guess all you can say is when we had a supposedly amazing squad, we did terribly.

Maybe now we've got a terrible squad we can do amazingly well?

 

[T-C]

its amazing isnt it, Hodgson has just taken over the job, has decided to stick with the majority of players who got England to the Euros, and yet he is being bashed from every corner
England will be lucky to get out of that group, i dont know why there are so many high fcuking expectations. There is a major dearth of talented England footballers!!!

even if he selected Carrick, Richards, Lennon, Crouch etc its not going to make that much of a difference is it??.....these arent game changers, they are not world class players, they are average just like the majority of players eligible for England.

England have had far better players, far better squads, and still flopped at tournaments.

Exactly! The naming of the squad was always going to get the same reaction... people are acting like they're disappointed when Roy had already said he was going to pick the majority of players who had got the team to the Euros.

People are just crying out for change, yet nobody can but forward a squad that would be significantly better.

 

[markysimmo]

I actually feel that Redknapp wouldve picked a similar squad to Hodgson too

 

[1882]

I actually feel that Redknapp wouldve picked a similar squad to Hodgson too

Except HIS team would've had more of a Spurs flavour rather than a Liverpool one, with players such as Crouch (instead of Carroll) and Lennon (instead of Downing)... still, count yer blessings, imagine if Roy had've delved into his Fulham/WBA allegiances, we'd have had the likes of Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and Chris Brunt most pwobably!

 

[yiddo2786]

I might take Walters or Doyle over Carroll, Dunne over Terry, Given over Green or Ruddy, McClean over Downing, and fudging anyone over Walcott.

 

[Mumorn]

Chris Brunt's Northern Irish

 

[Raziel]

People are just crying out for change, yet nobody can but forward a squad that would be significantly better.

Disagree, that is a terrible squad, and while no one is going to name a Euro winning side, seriously?

add Richards, Carrick, Lennon, Sturridge to that squad and drop Downing, Henderson, Terry + one of Lampard/Gerrard and you do have a squad that is significantly quicker, as well as a bit more technically skilled. That in my opinion translates into a noteably better team.

 

[Heda SPURSCZ]

Czech Republic (Provisional squad)
Goalkeepers: Petr Čech (Chelsea FC), Jan Laštůvka (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Jaroslav Drobn?¢ (Hamburger SV), Tom?íš Grigar (FK Teplice).

Defenders: Roman Hubn?¡k (Hertha BSC Berlin), Michal Kadlec (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Tom?íš Sivok (Beşiktaş JK), Daniel Pudil (AC Cesena), David Limbersk?¢ (FC Viktoria Plzeň), František Rajtoral (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Theo Gebre Selassie (FC Slovan Liberec), Marek Such?¢ (FC Spartak Moskva).

Midfielders: Tom?íš Rosick?¢ (Arsenal FC), Petr Jir?íček (VfL Wolfsburg), Daniel Kol?íř (FC Viktoria Plzeň), V?íclav Pilař (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Jan Rezek (Anorthosis Famagusta FC), Jaroslav Plašil (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Milan Petržela (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Tom?íš H??bschman (FC Shakhtar Donetsk).

Forwards: Milan Baroš (Galatasaray AŞ), Tom?íš Pekhart (1. FC N??rnberg), David Lafata (FK Jablonec), Tom?íš Necid (PFC CSKA Moskva).

 

[uksb]

Apparently Carrick ruled himself out as he wanted to guaranteed a starting place.

Explains why he hasn't been included - although he would be one of my first names on the team sheet.

 

[spurspinter1]

Pekhart looked decent in the U21 championships last summer, not surprised that he's had a good season

 

[charlietheyid]

I might take Walters or Doyle over Carroll, Dunne over Terry, Given over Green or Ruddy, McClean over Downing, and fudging anyone over Walcott.

It this a joke? Dunne over Terry?:ross:

And Doyle is not good, id rather have Carroll.

 

[DubaiSpur]

People are just crying out for change, yet nobody can but forward a squad that would be significantly better.

Goalkeepers;

Joe Hart
Ben Foster
John Ruddy

Defenders:

Micah Richards
Phil Jones
Chris Smalling
Phil Jagielka
Gary Cahill
Joleon Lescott
Ashley Cole
Leighton Baines

Midfielders;

Aaron Lennon
Adam Johnson
Paul Scholes
Michael Carrick
Scott Parker
Tom Cleverley
James Milner
Ashley Young
Theo Walcott
Frank Lampard

Forwards;

Wayne Rooney
Danny Welbeck
Jermain Defoe
Grant Holt


There. A squad with only three old boys (Lampard, Cole and Rooney). And even Lampard just barely made it. This squad, while young, inexprienced and in all probability average, would have made England fans a wee bit more proud of their team, imo. Why? Precisely because England are so bad. England are NOT going to win this tournament. Probably won't make the semi-finals. Have a decent chance of not making the quarter-finals. Most fans know this, and have altered their expectations. They just want to see an England side that tries to entertain them, that has a lot of new faces, and that doesn't contain c*nts. Sure, Cole's still in there, but other than that, most of the c*nts of the 'Golden Generation' don't make the cut in this squad.

And that would probably have pleased most England supporters. Still, good luck Roy, hope you do well.