Euro 2016 - hype, anticipation and general excitement

If James McCarthy can score an important winning goal that gets Ireland through to the second-round I'll have a shitey piece of trivia about how every momentous Irish tournament goal is scored by someone from Castlemilk to wheel out

Never easy for Ireland to win from the smallest football countries, wouldn't take this draw too seriously.

For me, personally, I would take Rashford. I think me and him and our belief and youth could be a match for anyone.

Never easy for Ireland to win from the smallest football countries, wouldn't take this draw too seriously.

What does this mean? Wouldn't place much credence in the apparent spirit shown by Netherlands to salvage a late draw? Agreed.

I was being sarcastic, Ronan. Didn't even watch the match but felt like calling our national team "one of the smallest football countries", as that's what we're heading towards rapidly with our FA tools and managerial fools. And apparently our equalizer was celebrated as if we actually will participate this summer, as if it matters. Wasn't taking anything away from Ireland, au contraire tbh.

Tl;dr: the shoe is on the other foot. Holland is disgrace. It is a crying shame we're even playing these dumb friendlies.

Holland looked totally disinterested in the first half but they perked up a bit once they brought some subs on later in the game

I don't know if it's inspiring or depressing that we're going to the Euros with a striker who made his club debut three months ago.

I'm assuming Studge is out here but at this rate of injuries when it comes to squad culling time Roy will just be sending Andros Townsend off like a banished medieval villager.

sturridge left in, townsend and drinkwater left out of the 23

kein trink wasser

Reus out of the Germany squad yet again, poor bastard.

did wonder if he'd take all 5 forwards given Rooney's multitasking ability. probably a shade harsh on both mids given Milner and Henderson get to go

I don't know if it's inspiring or depressing that we're going to the Euros with a striker who made his club debut three months ago.

Amusing is the word you're looking for.

remind me anything about the scotland team

100% behind our fellow Brits at this summer's tourney.

Reus out of the Germany squad yet again, poor bastard.

and yet schweinsteiger is in after a really ropey season

Shit calls from woy

Rooney so obviously will be fat weight in any xi this tournament

I'm not sure what Barkley brings to the table given that Alli, Lallana and Sterling are all in the squad. He feels like the classic squad player who will come on in the 70th minute of a 1-1 draw in the first game, then not appear at all until extra time of the final game when England are staring down the barrel of imminent elimination on penalties. Doing nothing of note in either.

yeah

proud to have been an early barkley is shit adopter

I for one am disappointed Drinkwater isn't in the 23. He had a good run, and has a Giggsian stubble.

He probably should be in the likely event that Wilshere and a CB or two get injured and suspended and we have to player Dier back there. Sending back any player who can provide some additional solidity strikes me as short sighted when there's a glut of attacking midfielders. At the very least Drinkwater should be in there over James Milner.

real talk, but you forget that Rooney is a top class DM

Milner has a good second half of the season and is relatively versatile. And as much as I hate the little one, Wilshire is obviously England's best midfielder. Hendo is the real mystery. Literally hasn't done anything in about two years

Italy squad is horrendous btw

: Portieri: Buffon (Juve), Marchetti (Lazio), Sirigu (Psg); Difensori: Barzagli (Juve), Bonucci (Juve), Chiellini (Juve), Darmian (Manchester United), De Sciglio (Milan), Ogbonna (West Ham). Centrocampisti:Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Candreva (Lazio), De Rossi (Roma), El Shaarawy (Roma), Florenzi (Roma), Giaccherini (Bologna), Sturaro (Juventus), Thiago Motta (Psg), Parolo (Lazio). Attaccanti: Eder (Inter), Immobile (Torino), Insigne (Napoli), Pellè (Southampton), Zaza (Juve). Riserve: Zappacosta (Torino), Rugani (Juventus), Benassi (Torino)

devil's advocate: the defense and goalkeeping aspect is decent eough, strikers are mediocre but not awful. that midfield really is mince though.

For the first time in a decade or so not thát impressed with Germany's squad, especially the forwards. Muller is there, but not sure Mario Gomez and Podolski ar still of any real use. (I say this fully aware that Podolski lives for these tournaments, but still). Also puzzled at why Reus was left out. Even with one leg he's still better than Schweini.

lol

Wayne Rooney wants to play as a holding midfielder for England at Euro 2016, Sky sources understand.

Rooney was named by Roy Hodgson in a 26-man England squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Turkey, Australia and Portugal on Monday morning.

Rooney has been used both as a striker and as a central midfielder by Louis van Gaal this season but it is understood Hodgson will use him on the left wing in a 4-3-3 system, following conversations between the two.

Another option would be to use England's all-time leading goalscorer at the top of a midfield diamond or as a 'number 10', where he has also been used by Manchester United this season.

Sky sources understand Rooney has told the England manager than he would prefer to play at the bottom of the diamond, effectively as a holding midfielder.

you heard it here first, folks

"since i can't score anymore, i need to play in a position where i'm less likely to score"

with any luck he can get an injury before the first match and take up the beckham 2010 world cup on the bench wearing a suit

FYI
England's midfield etc

rooney should play left wing.
― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 3 August 2004 13:52 (11 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

he used to quite a bit for Utd. And he was good

called it 11 years ago

spain's squad made me a bit sad because quite a few of the veterans of their great triumphs are gone: torres, xavi, xabi alonso, david villa

and yet Casillas is still there

altho he has been gaffe prone at times i can't say I've seen him play for porto at all and so can't really comment on the form he's in

can't say I have either but this happened a few months back

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/porto-president-slates-iker-casillas-7566556

For the first time in a decade or so not thát impressed with Germany's squad, especially the forwards. Muller is there, but not sure Mario Gomez and Podolski ar still of any real use. (I say this fully aware that Podolski lives for these tournaments, but still). Also puzzled at why Reus was left out. Even with one leg he's still better than Schweini.

― Le Bateau Ivre, Dienstag, 31. Mai 2016 19:53 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm. One can only assume Reus' injury is way worse than reported, though Löw's general stance towards the fitness of players compared to their assumed moral value is rather inconsistent.
Doubt Schweinsteiger is able to repeat his impact on the latter games in 2014 after such a terrible season, Podolski, Schürrle, Götze, Draxler all with underwhelming performances this year plus still literally all wing-back options after two years of trying to find a successor to Lahm are improvisations with varying degrees of shakiness.

Still, the axis Neuer - Boateng - Khedira/Kroos - Özil - Müller seems in good shape and might make for up it as long as they stay healthy.

This Belgium Finalnd friendly is pretty terrible. Not sure if playing Jan and Toby as fullbacks is the biggest problem but it certainly seems strange. Wilmots also apparently has said that Fellaini is their biggest goal threat. They now seemed destined to be another golden generation that doesn't win anything.

I hate myself and am therefore watching the Poland vs Holland friendly. Holland leading by an easy peasy header from Janssen (who will be scooped up by a 5-10th place PL side this summer, underperform terribly and to never be heard of again), and both sides don't seem to have a clue what football is. Loving it.

Wilmots doesn't know what to do with them but it seems the Belgian FA can't get or afford anyone else atm (not even better domestic coaches)

Cantona on Deschamps suing him: "It's the first time he will go from a defensive position to an offensive position."

lol this England formation is fucked

Other than Hodgson and TWP himself there isn't a single person who thinks that Alli wouldn't be better suited to playing behind the front two.

how the fuck can this be allowed to happen

wtf!

(Bruno Alves sent off for a HEAD HIGH kung fu kick on Harry Kane)

No easy games in international football:

Croatia 10 San Marino 0
France 3 Scotland 0 (at half time)

holland dispatching former tournament dark horses austria makes me feel 3% better about poland's shit performance the other night

Ryan Maxwell ‏@TheeRFS Jun 4
2016 Ridiculous Soccer Almanac.pdf - Google Drive #CopaAmerica #EURO2016 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-UyhZNN6pi2MUZCbG16QzhkWlk/view …

Ryan Maxwell ‏@TheeRFS 1h
@Zonal_Marking @jonawils

Michael Cox ‏@Zonal_Marking 1h
@TheeRFS what is this?!

Ryan Maxwell ‏@TheeRFS 1h
@Zonal_Marking Euro and Copa Almanac I put together. Thought you might enjoy it.

wow

Mixu Paatelainen! WTF? How did he get that gig?

deeply resent me having to be the one to point out that krychowiak pissed over everyone but kroos

defenders defender award goes to domagoj vida