****official england v ukraine thread****

[Im_Spartacus]

Wonder if mario will still be allergic to the grass in kiev on sunday?

[kinkylola]

Wonder if mario will still be allergic to the grass in kiev on sunday?

that's actually a fair point and I'll be interested to see what happens.

Remember that it didn't stop him from playing ... but the fucker couldn't stop rubbing his face. Probably made it worse.

[Dubciteh]

Well done England getting through but i said it after the France game there just a slightly better version of Ireland with a bit of luck going there way, same tactics concede possession for the whole game rely on keeping it tight and nicking a goal from set piece of long punt up the field, for the players you have its very disappointing but it can be effective as Ireland have shown to get there and as England have shown to win the group but when it goes wrong its horrible. Wouldn't surprise me to see England go all the way to the final now.

[Green & Blue]

Well done England getting through but i said it after the France game there just a slightly better version of Ireland with a bit of luck going there way, same tactics concede possession for the whole game rely on keeping it tight and nicking a goal from set piece of long punt up the field, for the players you have its very disappointing but it can be effective as Ireland have shown to get there and as England have shown to win the group but when it goes wrong its horrible. Wouldn't surprise me to see England go all the way to the final now.

Well done England getting through but i said it after the France game there just a slightly better version of Ireland with a bit of luck going there way, same tactics concede possession for the whole game rely on keeping it tight and nicking a goal from set piece of long punt up the field, for the players you have its very disappointing but it can be effective as Ireland have shown to get there and as England have shown to win the group but when it goes wrong its horrible. Wouldn't surprise me to see England go all the way to the final now.

I have felt England being an under dog for once is a blessing in disguise.The usual pressure from the hype and the media is not hanging over them and that must make a huge difference in the camp.The defence looks solid and that's so important in international football.Think they have the beating of Italy but both Spain and Germany look to be on another level but you never know.With Englands very own Pele back anything is possible ;-)

[Ted Hughes]

Well done England getting through but i said it after the France game there just a slightly better version of Ireland with a bit of luck going there way, same tactics concede possession for the whole game rely on keeping it tight and nicking a goal from set piece of long punt up the field, for the players you have its very disappointing but it can be effective as Ireland have shown to get there and as England have shown to win the group but when it goes wrong its horrible. Wouldn't surprise me to see England go all the way to the final now.

I don't think Rooney & Wellbeck are supposed to concede possession, they are supposed to control it, pass it, & start counter attacks. The problem is that they were shite & couldn't trap a bag of fucking cement.

[Goaters 103]

Still give the ball away too much but look organised and harder to beat.

Gerrard's been very good but is carrying the rest of the midfield - Milner's grafting hard and basically protecting the substandard defensive abilities of Johnson behind him, Young has been shit sandwich without the bread whilst Parker's main talent appears to be to block things - his other contribution is to either give the ball away, or run forwards 5 yards, turn around, run back and pass it 5 yards sideways or back - thats it. Rooney was dogshit & looked very rusty, balding and fat. Back line did well, and Cashley though a total shitbag is one hell of a full-back.

We have a punchers chance against Italy at least; cue the tabloids running the "We can win this" crap for the next 4 days, only to slag them off when we do lose in this tournament. England have done well to get out of the group considering the squad we have, the managers new and the way we've played - anything else now is a bonus, so we might as well see where it takes us. Still painful to watch at times

[london blue 2]

James Milner is fast becoming the new England scape goat. Anyone else noticed this?

Yes he's played shit but he's certainly not the only one.

[Wonderwall]

Milner has to work twice as hard as the rest to protect that useless twat of a right back.

[Sister of fu]

James Milner is fast becoming the new England scape goat. Anyone else noticed this?

Yes he's played shit but he's certainly not the only one.

I feel so sorry for the lad because he is being asked to do a job which is basically doing doggies up and down the touch line covering Johnson. People don’t seem to grasp that all the problems England had last night came down the left side where Cole wasn’t getting the same protection from Young as Milner was giving Johnson. He stats show that he has done more ruining than anyone else and crossed the ball more.

Every team needs a Milner, sacrifices his own game for the good of the team, never moans just gets on with it. Top professional that lad, a few others should take note. We all know what he can do so I needn’t bother with all the haters, hating.

If England get past Italy wouldn’t they then meet Spain who love to have there full backs bombing on. Surely people would prefer Milner patrolling the right wing area then the more attacked minded Walcott as England will get murdered if they don’t get it right in these areas.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

England = Greece. Organised,working hard and the ability to squeeze a goal and a win.

But the football is dire and some of the individual talent on show has been abysmal.Young had his best game of the tournament last night and he was shocking (one cross excepted),Rooney was in the right place when it mattered but showed the touch of a donkey on the evening but gets excused because he is rusty!Wellbeck worked quite hard and threatened but really he offered little,Milner is shackled on the right side and does an ok defensive cover role. Parker offers nothing at all going forward.Cole has been poor and isnt allowed forward much,same with Johnson.

So we are left with Gerard who has played really well (plenty of mistakes still though) and is the real deal as captain plus he does manage crucial assists when most needed.

[Mike J]

England have been extremely poor with the exceptions being Hart and (imo hes been superb) gerrard.

[Bianchi on Ice]

Anyone waiting for England to produce free flowing cohesive football is going to be waiting a long time for it, but most of us on here are realists though. Expectations were low...but the team have emerged from the second most difficult group(after the one the dutch were in) with credit. Anything from here is a bonus. I wont criticise the shortcomings of the team because its hardly a revelation..the same faults have been there since...well...since the sixties really, once everyone else caught up. All I would say is there is a good case for walcott and carroll starting instead of welbeck and Milner...if only so we get their full backs in two minds about bombing on. young can deliver a cross and hairpiece boy missed one carroll would have eaten for breakfast.

[Ted Hughes]

England = Greece. Organised,working hard and the ability to squeeze a goal and a win.

But the football is dire and some of the individual talent on show has been abysmal.Young had his best game of the tournament last night and he was shocking (one cross excepted),Rooney was in the right place when it mattered but showed the touch of a donkey on the evening but gets excused because he is rusty!Wellbeck worked quite hard and threatened but really he offered little,Milner is shackled on the right side and does an ok defensive cover role. Parker offers nothing at all going forward.Cole has been poor and isnt allowed forward much,same with Johnson.

So we are left with Gerard who has played really well (plenty of mistakes still though) and is the real deal as captain plus he does manage crucial assists when most needed.

We have to accept that the liklihood is we are going to fuck up & give the ball away, therefore the 1st name on the sheet should be Carroll who at least causes the oppo defenders to face toward their own goal or have to fight before they come away with the ball. The true shiteness of Wellbeck was evident v Ukraine & he has no excuse of being rusty, he is a mid table player, at best. All mid table strikers have an occasional moment of brilliance or a good day & that is what Wellbeck occasionally has. That is seen as top quality because he plays for Utd. It's not.

Carroll has always been unfairly criticised for lack of football skills which is more down to nerves/bad lifestyle than lack of ability. Compared to Young, Rooney & Wellbeck, he looks like Marco fucking Van Basten & I can guarantee that if he'd played for Sweden next to Ibra, Lescott & Terry would have shit themselves. He is a fucking monster who nobody wants to mark.

Watching Oxlade Chamberlain charge head first into Ukraine's defence with England players free all around him just showed how ridiculous was the decision to leave AJ at home. He is not in the same class. Nor is Walcott. They are just fast.

[zuricity]

the tactical genius that Woy is , he'll leave Parker where he is, instead of putting Milner in the middle to free up Gerrard. Parker should be right back.... in the dressing room and should not play against Italy , they will chew him up.
get rid of Young too and let wooney spearhead or wig it alone up front :-)

[Ted Hughes]

the tactical genius that Woy is , he'll leave Parker where he is, instead of putting Milner in the middle to free up Gerrard. Parker should be right back.... in the dressing room and should not play against Italy , they will chew him up.
get rid of Young too and let wooney spearhead or wig it alone up front :-)

If Roy wasn't such a 4-4-2 man, you could play Milner in a 3 with Gerrard & Parker, thus giving some legs to the area, Drop Rooney deeper to link midfield & attack but with a free role also then use Carroll as a lone front man with Walcott supporting Carroll whenever possible but also encouraged to drift wide on either side.

Then you've got runners to join Carroll in Rooney, Gerrard, Milner & Walcott but can easily have 8 men behind the ball in an instant.

[SteveHPage]

If Roy wasn't such a 4-4-2 man, you could play Milner in a 3 with Gerrard & Parker, thus giving some legs to the area, Drop Rooney deeper to link midfield & attack but with a free role also then use Carroll as a lone front man with Walcott supporting Carroll whenever possible but also encouraged to drift wide on either side.

Then you've got runners to join Carroll in Rooney, Gerrard, Milner & Walcott but can easily have 8 men behind the ball in an instant.

This.

I have been saying this since the France game when Parker was blowing out of his arse.

The only flaw with this is the lack of protection it will give our waste of space right back.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Can't argue with results. People need to stop complaining.

[Ted Hughes]

Can't argue with results. People need to stop complaining.

Why ?
Just because we won 1-0, we are supposed to accept top Premier League players unable to control a football ?

[bobadji]

the tactical genius that Woy is , he'll leave Parker where he is, instead of putting Milner in the middle to free up Gerrard. Parker should be right back.... in the dressing room and should not play against Italy , they will chew him up.
get rid of Young too and let wooney spearhead or wig it alone up front :-)

Parker has been excellent these opening games IMO, much better than Gerrard who now pretty much offers a decent set piece and not a lot else.

[Alioune DVToure]

Well done England getting through but i said it after the France game there just a slightly better version of Ireland with a bit of luck going there way, same tactics concede possession for the whole game rely on keeping it tight and nicking a goal from set piece of long punt up the field, for the players you have its very disappointing but it can be effective as Ireland have shown to get there and as England have shown to win the group but when it goes wrong its horrible. Wouldn't surprise me to see England go all the way to the final now.

Sorry, mate, but even though England are miles behind Spain and Germany in terms of technical ability and being able to control possession, we're still fucking miles better than Ireland. Only Given would make England's 23.