Come anticipate Roy Hodgson's three months in charge og England with me.

It was a very decent England front 6 which leaves some decisions down the Woy

Sounds like a river

looks like a combination of trying to post from a phone after i've been in the pub for 10 hours

this has been a really good performance from England irrespective of what happens in the last ten minutes. They look faster and more creative with Alli, Kane and Welbeck than I can recall seeing them in a long time. Putting Rooney back in to gum up the works would be criminal.

Putting Rooney back into the team would be an act of wanton vandalism at this stage, to the extent that I'm actually wondering if it will even happen. In general, there was a distinct lack of the kind of surliness you used to get from England players, a sense that this group actually want to play for England. The problem is that expectations were relatively low and will now be ratcheted up in the usual tedious way, probably getting to a few of them. OTOH most of them seem like a decent crop of kids, personality-wise, so maybe that won't happen.

Hodgson has been extremely fortunate to have had both Pochettino and Klopp managing in the Premiership at the same time, with a couple of players who have been managed by both. It means that there's a ready-made footballing philosophy that can be imported wholesale. There's a decent argument to be made for building the midfield entirely out of Spurs and Liverpool players because they'll outrun most teams at the tournament - getting through England's midfield could be a lot more difficult than its been for a while. It'll need to be because the defence looks really suspect.

The movement and interplay in advanced positions was better than I've seen from England in a very long time, refreshing to see an England team not just chugging up and down the field in tramlines. The lol golden generation contained several very good players but it wasn't overburdened with pace, so that's another thing this lot have in their favour.

Sterling and Sturridge might yet come into the equation (a fully-fit Sturridge is still England's best striker, although Kane is gaining ground), but it's very difficult to see a serious argument to be made for including the likes of Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Townsend and Ashley Young.

yeah mostly otm. there is still going to be a tedious pundits and old lags debate about Rooney from now until the tournament, Hodgson shd get it over with and announce his absence from the squad now just for the lulz/clarity

Expecting Hodgson to come out and reassure people that Rooney is still the first name on the teamsheet.

i fear that and want it in almost equal measure

https://twitter.com/WayneRooney/status/713844935875760135

"What a result well done boys. Great spirit and to come back from 2 down in Germany 👍👍 buzzing"

The responses to this are predictable and good.

Was it, thinking of LFC/spurs attack contingent, coincidence that welbeck slowed moves down a lot by wanting an extra touch all night?

I like welbeck but

Hodgson has already said that Rooney isn't an automatic starter. The chances are he will be.

:-(

at right-back

Clyne played pretty well there so I wouldn't say Rooney was nailed on even in his natural position.

Worth discussing

Kyle Walker possibly ahead of him too.

though to many he's shite, glen johnson can move at a running pace so that puts him at an advantage to rooney

What happened to Leighton Baines by the way? Is it just persistent injuries or has he dropped out of the reckoning altogether?

I mean maybe the group stages clash with that Cast reunion gig, who knows?

he was exposed as a hilarious Sacha Baron Cohen character iirc

https://twitter.com/Vondopoulos/status/714396713017020416

Marcus Rashford

Done enough for Roy to take him with him?

lol

Extra CB might actually be worth taking.

Shane Long

Harry Arter

England team to play Portugal: Hart; Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Rose; Dier, Milner, Alli, Rooney (c); Kane, Vardy

No fucking around there.

Apart from the obvious?

This looks almost exactly like a potent attacking side pulled completely out of shape to allow Rooney to play in a position he isn't even any good in.

Kane taking free kicks is complete bullshit.

I've never seen a higher foot

Not since cantona anyway

Good point

Been watching man u all season and this is still one of the most boring games I've seen all year

Something common to spurs and england is almost total lack of ambition off the ball from the midfield. Really conservative in what theyll offer the man on the ball ito options.

Smalling has looked a total mess at every instance

Nice finish though.

Last 3 goals for England have all been scored by united players iirc

OG?

aye, you can have that one.

still not totally convinced by smalling's worth as a player, but he has turned a little corner in my affections this season on account of his surprisingly squeaky voice and his oddly guileless twitter game: https://twitter.com/ChrisSmalling/status/722346925610168320

djpd25 ‏@DJ0725 Apr 19
@ChrisSmalling tell van gaal fuck off

just got a weird pang of nostalgia

Yeah that was one of transvision vamp's better songs

Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy were split far too wide with the captain thrust up between them like an eager wet dog plonking itself in an unwelcome lap

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/jun/02/england-roy-hodgson-wayne-rooney-out-of-shape

This is surely, surely obvious to everyone apart from Rooney himself now. If he must start it has to be in place of Vardy.

The point about pulling Kane and Alli further apart is a good one. How many goals did that partnership lead to this season?

Obviously Alli is getting sent off in our disastrous final game, that much is a foregone conclusion.

Would be interesting to see kane in a two tbh

More interesting to see him in an xi tbh

RIP

“I don’t remember Roberto Martínez holding a major conference when he left Everton,” he complained.

can't believe he actually said this in 2013.

Hodgson said: “I defy anybody to come up with 240 names. I don’t think, quite
frankly, you would be able to come up with 30 or 40.

danny murphy - there should be something in place so ex-players can skip coaching badges, it's too much trouble with too many hurdles in the way. I could have passed my 'b' license at 14, i knew it all at 12".

the same danny murphy who said england did really well in the group stages and that england would have no problem vs iceland or portugal.

where did he say this?