R2OK!

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6851

And here is the team who will lead England to glory (or not) Twisted Evil

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley).

Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).

Now the team has been named there will (I would think) be endless discussions where Roy has got it wrong...All I can say is what's done is done..

Good luck to them all....

....and that includes all the other home countries (except when they're playing England.) Wink

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

A big mistake to take two unfit players but fail to include Drinkwater who has been a fantastic player for all of the last season

That's sadly IMHO why England are simply always going to be 'also rans'

We should be taking players in form and not those who live on their reputations but spend more time on the treatment table than on the pitch
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oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

Yes, Drinkwater...if only he did.

Anyway, we got there in the end. Well done Gareth and the lads. We'll be the underdogs on Sunday, but at least they've given us some light, hope and pride in these darkest of times.
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19380 Location: Cheshire

Yes, it's going to be a difficult one Raver!

H
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oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

In Gareth We Trust, H!!

My eldest daughter works in City Hall. They had 6 tickets for the final up for grabs. She won one of them - was notified yesterday afternoon. They wouldn't let her husband have it, so she was persuaded by the girls she works with that she should go and experience it, so she is at City Hall right now (been working from home since Covid) to pick up her ticket. She's going until half time and will leave, to beat the crowds and will listen to Five Live on the way home. I think the last match she went to, was when I took her and her sister to Charlton v Leicester, when they were at school. Martin O'Neill was manager of Leicester and Emile Heskey was playing, which will give you an indication of how long ago it was!
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becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6851

Still coming to terms with last night's loss but will never come to terms with the racist abuse hurled at the black players in our team. It is horrifying and sickening to see.

Gary Neville spoke very eloquently (and for me) on this subject on Sky News this morning.

Gareth Southgate said in his press conference, this morning, that he felt like his stomach had been ripped out. He will feel this loss as keenly if not more than most but should remember he took England to a European Cup Final and should be very proud of himself, his backroom men, and the entire England squad, because I am.

Thanks to them all. It was a brilliant ride while it lasted. Cool

xx

Fog on the Tyne · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Posts: 1094

Bizarre decision to bring on Rashford and Sancho with less than two minutes to go so they could take penalties, should have had them on much earlier so they weren't cold. Also not the best move to give the responsibility of the 5th penalty to the baby of the team, I'm sure that giving the job to a more experienced player was a better option
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This fool made it round.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19380 Location: Cheshire

That's what we thought as well Fog on the Tyne.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

It was baffling, that's for sure. We had them reeling and worried for most of the first half. It was ours to lose.

Mancini desperately made substitutions, which put a different spin on things. Gareth's big weakness is substitutions - he doesn't make them early enough, if at all. Our forwards are our strength. A lot was written and spoken about not conceding goals throughout the tournament, which gave the impression that we had a stronger defence than what we actually had. On the other hand, we've never been so gifted with skillful forward players as we are now. They hardly got a sniff throughout the weeks.

We were reduced to booting the ball a couple of times, where no England players were. Harry Kane never had the ball once in the penalty area, during the two hours. We've had a nasty habit of dropping too deep in nearly all the games.

Jack Grealish got what, 20 odd minutes? Insane. Declan Rice, who for me, was the best player we had on the night, was whipped off and replaced by Hendo. Who in turn was replaced for one of the penalty takers. It was all a bit farcical. I didn't even get upset during the penalties, as it seemed inevitable somehow. We'll never get a better chance of joining the boys from 1966. We'll probably be up there for a few years, given the talent we have, but they have to be given licence to play, or even get picked.

That said, I would like to see Gareth carry on for a few years, for the good things he's done. Compared to Eriksson, the Italian bloke who looked like Postman Pat, and Steve McClaren, along with a few others, he's Matt Busby.
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oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1189 Location: London

It was baffling, that's for sure. We had them reeling and worried for most of the first half. It was ours to lose.

Mancini desperately made substitutions, which put a different spin on things. Gareth's big weakness is substitutions - he doesn't make them early enough, if at all. Our forwards are our strength. A lot was written and spoken about not conceding goals throughout the tournament, which gave the impression that we had a stronger defence than what we actually had. On the other hand, we've never been so gifted with skillful forward players as we are now. They hardly got a sniff throughout the weeks.

We were reduced to booting the ball a couple of times, where no England players were. Harry Kane never had the ball once in the penalty area, during the two hours. We've had a nasty habit of dropping too deep in nearly all the games.

Jack Grealish got what, 20 odd minutes? Insane. Declan Rice, who for me, was the best player we had on the night, was whipped off and replaced by Hendo. Who in turn was replaced for one of the penalty takers. It was all a bit farcical. I didn't even get upset during the penalties, as it seemed inevitable somehow. We'll never get a better chance of joining the boys from 1966. We'll probably be up there for a few years, given the talent we have, but they have to be given licence to play, or even get picked.

That said, I would like to see Gareth carry on for a few years, for the good things he's done. Compared to Eriksson, the Italian bloke who looked like Postman Pat, and Steve McClaren, along with a few others, he's Matt Busby. Or Alf Ramsey.
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