PW Euros 2012 thread

[Ah Well]

Shaping up to the Yawnfest that was predicted/obvious to the rational headed

Qualification for this Irish team was the pinnacle of their collective potential achievements ... sadly it was extremely likely to be all downhill from thereon in and so it unfolds right from 2 1/2 mins into the first game in Euro 2012

Still ... gotta look to the positives ... LOI Premier League action again in 12 days and live footie where it counts

[Slim Buddha]

Doesn't matter if there is an Irish Modric or not with this manager. As Brian Kerr correctly pointed out, if Modric was Irish he wouldn't be selected.

And so it is with Wes Hoolahan, possibly the best Irish midfielder playing at the top level. I am not saying Wes is as good as Modric but he is better than anybody else in the Irish midfield.

[Slim Buddha]

If Wallace was conspicuous by his absence from the defeat in Posnan, at least one Irish celebratory bankrupt made it there and flew the flag for the men in green. Bankrupt he may be, but still living it large!

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...l-3134076.html

[DCon]

If Wallace was conspicuous by his absence from the defeat in Posnan, at least one Irish celebratory bankrupt made it there and flew the flag for the men in green. Bankrupt he may be, but still living it large!

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...l-3134076.html

Nice of Mrs Fitz to use 'her' considerable assets to fund Seanie!

[Slim Buddha]

Ingerland today and the expectations are low. Hodgson puzzles me. He said he is looking to the World Cup in 2014 and not really at this competition. Fair enough. If leaving out Rio Ferdinand was a sign of change, he should have gone the whole hog and left Terry at home too. And Lampard, even though he is injured anyway. In fact, this would present a great opportunity to blood some new players for tournament football so that the experience would stand to them in 2014.

Managing change is something English managers have traditionally been poor at doing but Hodgson has an international pedigree and I would expect him to be at least aware of what is required. But with the intense gaze of an unforgiving press on him, erring on the side of the conservative is understandable. But wrong.

Having said that, he does produce teams that are hard to beat and if he survives France, England could easily get to the quarter final. His main task is to get performances from those of "the Golden Generation", as they were once dubbed by the tabloid press, and hope that Wellbeck and Young are shooting straight. With Rooney to come in, England can be a threat and with expectations so low, the players may feel less inhibited and play with a little more freedom than is usual for an England team.

[Slim Buddha]

Under way in the Donbass Arena. Great stadium. Hot as hell there though
This place is a difficult city to like. Saw Shakhtar play there last year.
Milner had a good effort and England are containing the French quite handily
so far. Apart from a good Cabaya effort, France have played within themselves.
Not a bad game overall so far.

[Slim Buddha]

As they say in football, form is temporary, class is permenant. And Andrii Shevshenko proved that this evening with immense pressure on him and his team to do well. Ukraine's 2-1 win and Shevshenko's two goals is something that was needed after Poland wilted under the pressure last Friday. (Poland were not alone in wilting under pressure!)

Russia v Poland tomorrow - oh dear!

[5intheface]

Idiots, that pairing will never work.

[Andrew49]

Idiots, that pairing will never work.

Trappatoni will continue to use the Long & Ball combination. In a desperate situation - I could (almost) imagine him making use of Cox to spearhead the forward thrust of the team.

[Andrew49]

The gulf in class is going to be badly exposed, I'm afraid. Robbie Keane is a few years past his best at this stage.

Robbie had a 'best'? I missed that. I think his best is yet to come. I predict he'll score twice against Spain.

Who's the English 'keeper? I hadn't realised that Peter Shilton had retired!

[Slim Buddha]

I think tomorrow will see the end for Hiberno-Cattenacio and possibly of its creator. This has brought us to a Euro championship but we have been shown to be woefully short on the sort of class needed for this level of competition.

There are players there who should get the chance to play an intelligent game and use what skill they have. They may not qualify but it would be better than watching this.

McClean, Pilkington, McCarthy, Tierney and even Ireland, if he is serious about getting back, should be there with Wesley Hoolahan when Ireland start the qualification for the 2014 World Cup. With many of the present lot, we are at the end of the road.

[Andrew49]

Ingerland today and the expectations are low. Hodgson puzzles me. He said he is looking to the World Cup in 2014 and not really at this competition. Fair enough. If leaving out Rio Ferdinand was a sign of change, he should have gone the whole hog and left Terry at home too. And Lampard, even though he is injured anyway. In fact, this would present a great opportunity to blood some new players for tournament football so that the experience would stand to them in 2014.

Managing change is something English managers have traditionally been poor at doing but Hodgson has an international pedigree and I would expect him to be at least aware of what is required. But with the intense gaze of an unforgiving press on him, erring on the side of the conservative is understandable. But wrong.

Having said that, he does produce teams that are hard to beat and if he survives France, England could easily get to the quarter final. His main task is to get performances from those of "the Golden Generation", as they were once dubbed by the tabloid press, and hope that Wellbeck and Young are shooting straight. With Rooney to come in, England can be a threat and with expectations so low, the players may feel less inhibited and play with a little more freedom than is usual for an England team.

France / England wasn't a good match - 3 or four good breaks from England produced one goal. Pity the French weren't a bit more spritely just outside the penalty area.

Terry shouldn't be on the pitch - and the fact that Ferdinand was overlooked in favour of Terry is an obscenity. Hodgson couldn't make it at Liverpool - a club with a rich footballing tradition - so the England job should be right up his street. England apparently were looking for a draw with France .... says it all really about England.

[Andrew49]

I think tomorrow will see the end for Hiberno-Cattenacio and possibly of its creator. This has brought us to a Euro championship but we have been shown to be woefully short on the sort of class needed for this level of competition.

There are players there who should get the chance to play an intelligent game and use what skill they have. They may not qualify but it would be better than watching this.

McClean, Pilkington, McCarthy, Tierney and even Ireland, if he is serious about getting back, should be there with Wesley Hoolahan when Ireland start the qualification for the 2014 World Cup. With many of the present lot, we are at the end of the road.

I still have hope. Call it delusional, blind faith or maybe the nurse has put a bit extra in my tea to keep me calm - but I still BELIEVE

[Slim Buddha]

France / England wasn't a good match - 3 or four good breaks from England produced one goal. Pity the French weren't a bit more spritely just outside the penalty area.

Terry shouldn't be on the pitch - and the fact that Ferdinand was overlooked in favour of Terry is an obscenity. Hodgson couldn't make it at Liverpool - a club with a rich footballing tradition - so the England job should be right up his street. England apparently were looking for a draw with France .... says it all really about England.

"Hodgson couldn't make it at Liverpool" because the senior players didn't want him (Carragher more or less admitted this on ITV), the club was in ownership chaos and the fans had and retain, to a large extent, utterly unrealistic expectations. He was better off out of it. I am interested to see how much time Rodgers will be given to wake this so-called "sleeping giant". Tradition wins you nothing in football.

I agree with your comments about Terry. Both he and Ferdinand should have been omitted. Ferdinand's comments about been "disrespected" sound like the whinings of a teenager who has seen to many "Gangsta Rap" videos.

England were not great but nor were France. Nice, though, to see Shevshenko head Ukraine to the top of the group. He made his people very happy.

[Slim Buddha]

I still have hope. Call it delusional, blind faith or maybe the nurse has put a bit extra in my tea to keep me calm - but I still BELIEVE

Spain and Italy? Good luck with that Andrew. I never like seeing Ireland lose but if they do, and it looks like they have a mountain to climb with these two opponents, my disappointment will be tempered with the hope that Signor Trappatoni with be thanked for his services and wished the very best on his retirement.