Euro 2016

[wacmedia 277]

Hi.

 

Ireland need a win against Italy to make the last 16. They must hope that Italy are more focused on the upcoming match v Spain. Italians don't like to waste bullets and they may not be up for this match. I hope Iceland make the last 16.

[groover 248]

Some remarkable facts :

 

 

All English speaking countries go to the next round.

 

After 40 free-kicks from Ronaldo in the national team he still didn't score from one. For comparison : Bale took 3 free-kicks and scored with two of them.

 

Iceland goes to the next round : a country that in total has only about 100 professional footballplayers from which 40 are semi-professional players.

[atlas2 4,329]

And England have drawn them in the last 16.

 

I would have supported Iceland against almost any other team........England can beat anyone on a good day........and lose to anyone on a bad day.

 

Chickens should not be being counted.

[Fatboyfat 361]

Some remarkable facts :

 

 

All English speaking countries go to the next round.

 

After 40 free-kicks from Ronaldo in the national team he still didn't score from one. For comparison : Bale took 3 free-kicks and scored with two of them.

 

Iceland goes to the next round : a country that in total has only about 100 professional footballplayers from which 40 are semi-professional players.

 

Northern Ireland only has a total of 40 professional footballers to pick from! The other 17 must feel really dejected!!!

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

Great victories for Ireland and Iceland. Looked like a Portugal v England game until Iceland score winner in last minute. Some great games in the round of 16.

[Nightrider 340]

Yes i am looking forward to the weekend , some good matches coming up now we are out of the group stages and it's a dream come true for Iceland to get England as they worship the premiership back home and it's a once in a lifetime event for most of their players..........

[atlas2 4,329]

I'm no more hopeful (or pessimistic), as if we'd drawn Germany

 

Watch out for the Ice Wall!

 

Let's hope it's not a 'Game of Moans' for our pampered professionals.

Edited June 24, 2016 by atlas2

[Fatboyfat 361]

Mixed thoughts on N.Ireland drawing Wales in the round, I would have preferred them separate, but at least it guarantees one of the British Isles through to the quarterfinals. I can't see England failing, but Republic will need a minor miracle.

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

For me the most interesting games are Croatia v Portugal and Italy v Spain.

[groover 248]

Croatia v Portugal was disappointing . Both teams can do better than they did in this game. Portugal was lucky this time.

To bad that Croatia is going home. This was by far the most talented and best Croation team ever.

 

For objective spectators Wales-N Ireland was a pain to the eyes.

[Fatboyfat 361]

Croatia v Portugal was disappointing . Both teams can do better than they did in this game. Portugal was lucky this time.

To bad that Croatia is going home. This was by far the most talented and best Croation team ever.

 

For objective spectators Wales-N Ireland was a pain to the eyes.

Yes, all three matches were tedious to say the least! Hard to understand why Croatia decided to play like that, but N. Ireland and Switzerland were just playing to "type" really. At least the rugby matches through the day were excellent entertainment (unless you are Welsh of course! )

All three matches today could do with the "favoured" teams scoring early as both Slovakia and Hungary, and possibly Ireland will be "parking the bus" for at least the first 80 minutes, if they can get away with it.

[groover 248]

All three matches today could do with the "favoured" teams scoring early as both Slovakia and Hungary, and possibly Ireland will be "parking the bus" for at least the first 80 minutes, if they can get away with it.

 

Your wish is fullfilled

Ireland-France : 1-0 after 2 minutes and Ireland nearly scored 2-0 in the 21th minute.

Let's see if this game is going to be the surprise of the tournament.

Edited June 26, 2016 by groover

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

Some of the star players came to the party, at last ! Hazard and Griezmann were good for Belgium and France and Draxler showed why Wenger wanted to buy him in a great display for Germany. It looks to me like a star performance from a player will swing it. Will it be Ronaldo, Hazard, Griezmann, Draxler or Iniesta, or some new star who wins the Cup for their country ?

[Nightrider 340]

The 3 leading contenders to win the tournament all had good wins yesterday and are starting to shine......

[groover 248]

It looks as if the Spanish team have been boozing and whoring in a gogobar till late last night when I look at how they play in the first half of the game.

[Gawd Elpus 798]

Shocking. England out after losing to Iceland 2-1. Roy Hodgson announces his resignation.

 

Iceland played well I thought, but a shame the England are out, but they were a lacklustre on the night

Edited June 27, 2016 by Gawd Elpus

[Fatboyfat 361]

Iceland were grossly underestimated by the media in particular, let's not forget that the reason a team better than England, namely Holland, are not at the Euros is due to Iceland beating them home and away in qualification. However, England were absolutely appalling last night and reflected the state of the country at the moment, totally disjointed and rudderless. Horribilis Sabbati indeed!

Hope Wales don't buckle under the likely "silly" expectations that will now be heaped on them, and at least put on a good show at the end of the week.

[Bushcraft 2,572]

Many of us watching were stricken with disbelief when England once again proved clueless - they rarely fail to disappoint when it counts. No imagination, no idea what to do, passing the ball around in the hope that somebody else will come up with something - horrible to watch. Well done Iceland, a well-deserved win against a lacklustre bunch of overpaid sluggards.

[atlas2 4,329]

Well done Iceland...Showed us all too painfully what a sensible organised team can do against opposition that rely, in the main, on moments of brilliance.

Credit to England for not giving up..........But when things go against us the weight of the morning headlines has usually proved too much and the team work falls apart. I have some sympathy for how they will be feeling this morning.

 

Our Rugby has risen from the ashes, perhaps with a new manager we will have more to cheer about in two years time........If I'm still here to watch....then I'll be supporting and as hopeful as always that we can get it right for once.

 

Good luck to worthy winners Iceland.

 

On the bright side I'll be getting more kip.

[Nightrider 340]

England totally outplayed by little Iceland last night and i hope they are feeling the embarrassment of the situation on there way home today , the best move Hodgson as made in a long time was to quit after the game last night and good riddance to him , i for one have never liked the way he sets the team up and the stupid mentality he has ( I know what i'm doing attitude ) as got us nowhere since he's been in charge .

The only good to come out of this disaster is the feeling i had yesterday that Iceland would beat us so i had a wager on them at 9/1 to win in 90 mins , that softened the blow somewhat..........

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

The caravan roles on to Paris, without a disappointing England. Italy put in another great display to end the Reign of Spain. Belgium seem to be improving so I'm still hopeful.

[groover 248]

England totally outplayed by little Iceland last night and i hope they are feeling the embarrassment of the situation on there way home today , the best move Hodgson as made in a long time was to quit after the game last night and good riddance to him , i for one have never liked the way he sets the team up and the stupid mentality he has ( I know what i'm doing attitude ) as got us nowhere since he's been in charge .

The only good to come out of this disaster is the feeling i had yesterday that Iceland would beat us so i had a wager on them at 9/1 to win in 90 mins , that softened the blow somewhat..........

 

It's always easy to blame the coach but for this game Hodgson hadn't done his homework imo.

One of the Iceland goals was an exact copy of goals they scored earlier so Hodgson should have known.

Also it was a bit sad to see Rooney struggle.

Hodgson should have had the guts to replace him for another player.

 

Maybe England needs a coach like the Italians have : tactically very strong against the Spanish who in fact have much better players

But Iceland and Italy have shown that you don't need necessarily worldclass players to win a game.

A good tactical plan ,teamspirit and the will to fight like a lion can get you far in the tournament is proven.

[midlifecrisis 4,030]

A bad week for many in England.

[Fatboyfat 361]

 

Maybe England needs a coach like the Italians have : tactically very strong against the Spanish who in fact have much better players

But Iceland and Italy have shown that you don't need necessarily worldclass players to win a game.

A good tactical plan ,teamspirit and the will to fight like a lion can get you far in the tournament is proven.

England have gone through the whole gamut of managerial attributes in recent times, and have had the same results every time. It just has to be the player's attitude coupled with the fact that certain good ones are totally drained after playing nearly every game for a successful club (ie not "rotated") Kane and Alli definitely fell into that last category, just as Lampard etc. did in the past.

I cannot seethem being able to appoint an English manager this time, without downgrading the position. The favourite Southgate is already an epic failure at club level (and boy's teams do not operate in the same way), they might just as well bring back his mentor, Mary Poppins IMO. Pardew, is both unversed in European football and does not posess the decorum required for the appointment, nor does Fat Sam. A proven "tactician" would be the way to go IMHO, as I cannot think of any "shake 'em up" types such as is prevalent in the rugby world, available anywhere. So, in the absence of any available suitable English candidates, I might feel inclined to try one of the more "Anglicised" continental managers (unless article 50 is ever initiated ! ); Rafa Benitez, depending on Newcastle tie-ins, would be my choice, but DEFINITELY NOT Wenger!

[atlas2 4,329]

https://youtu.be/rgByLZZfgQA

 

 

I won't be supporting Wales in the next round.