Football Focus

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Alan Pardew has advised his players not to worry about the furore surrounding the Wonga shirt sponsorship deal. He told them to continue as normal and go out there and give it 4251%

[Mick Mac]

Very good RC. :)

[????]

Anyone doing international predictions? I have one. San manriono 8 Spurs 0

[red devil]

San Miguel 8 Stella 0 = good night

[Mick Mac]

ROI 1 Germany 4 :(

[Alan Medic]

Yeah well it's all of Germany since the wall and all that v part of Ireland. FIFA should introduce a handicap system,or enforce a united Ireland.

[maxxi]

Usual timid and clueless 1st 20 minutes for England. Looks like Uncle Roy has told them they're not allowed to score unless they take it right through the middle and make 17 passes first.

Against a better side (like Bury for example) they'd be in trouble.

Maybe it's the fact that San M. have a (4th div Italian league) pro in their ranks.

I know they'll go on to win by a hatful but this is unimaginative and even looking a little panicky.

[maxxi]

Ha! England need a goal to get going so Wellbeck goes down... again. There was contact and yes it was a pen but even Owen might have been a little ashamed of that one.

Still now they're off and running so it's alright. They'll get the hatful now and the first half hour will be forgotten. Until they get slaughtered by a team that can play.

[????]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> ROI 1 Germany 4 :(

Looking optimistic that one Mick

[Mick Mac]

Indeed. Thankfully I'm watching Have I Got News for You..... And am not suffering the pain.

[????]

That's a bit painful tonight, the normally reliable Balding not very good!

[Jah Lush]

Did anyone else spend most of last night's England match screaming at the telly, well, at Kyle Walker actually, to 'TAKE THE BLOODY FULL-BACK ON AND PUT A BLOODY CROSS IN' instead of playing it back inside?

[Mick Mac]

The modern way is to make the simple pass and keep possession whatever you do don't try to run past anyone with the ball, that's far too risky.

[red devil]

Roy needs to make a big decision tonight, Defoe or Welbeck...or maybe Carroll?

Defoe is a better finisher than Wellbeck, but Wellbeck's all round play and linking-up with Rooney makes me think he'll get the nod. Either way, after the luxury of Friday's turkey shoot, expecting a typical England nailbiting performance, with honours even...

[maxxi]

He'll need Wellbeck to dive for a penalty if thigs are tight.

The interesting thing will be whether, if England look ineffective again, he will abandon the idea of passing the ball into the net via the crowded midfield and tell Lennon and Ox-C to put in the crosses and bring Carroll on to head them in.

[red devil]

maxxi Wrote:

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> ...tell Lennon and Ox-C to put in the

> crosses and bring Carroll on to head them in.

Glad to see you're succumbing to the new West Ham way...

ETA Typo

[maxxi]

red devil Wrote:

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> maxxi Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > ...tell Lennon and Ox-C to put in the

> > crosses and bring Carroll on to head them in.

>

> Glad to see you're succumbing to the new West Ham

> way...

>

> ETA Typo

Unlike England, when Carroll was out injured the rest of the team upped their game knowing that when he was fit BFS would go route 1 a lot of the time (not always surprisingly) and they might be sidelined. I just wonder whether Hodgson can sacrifice his vision (blurred and myopic though it is) of England as a passing side (even if there's too much bloody passing) in favour of Carroll's robust approach - I think to be successful he has to be able to play both ways.

You're right about it being one of the West Ham ways - did you never see Hurst's first goal in the '66 final? The long free kick floated in by Moore onto his head?

[red devil]

I'm not sure that the rest of England needed to 'up their game' in Carroll's absence, it's not like he's ever been an automatic first choice striker, like Shearer. The position alongside Rooney has been up for grabs for a while, in time I expect Welbeck will fill the role, with Carroll a Plan B option a la Crouch...

[maxxi]

red devil Wrote:

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> I'm not sure that the rest of England needed to

> 'up their game' in Carroll's absence, it's not

> like he's ever been an automatic first choice

> striker, like Shearer. The position alongside

> Rooney has been up for grabs for a while, in time

> I expect Welbeck will fill the role, with Carroll

> a Plan B option a la Crouch...

Yeah I didn't mean England - the 'up their game' thing was just about WH and to repudiate the idea that they only play the long ball option - they don't but they have it in their arsenal (doh) and I think it's the reason Jarvis was bought.

I do think though that England are in danger of becoming one dimensional the other way - like a poor man's barca swansea.

[Parkdrive]

Farcical scenes in Poland tonight, can the game really be played on THAT pitch? Whats going to happen to those poor sods whom are booked on planes home tonight? Anyway I'll be watching Spain v France.

[Otta]

Looks like some nasty scenes in Serbia.

[Parkdrive]

Just watched 15 minutes of Belgium v Scotland, and Scotland are having a new one made for them. Not really surprised.

[maxxi]

ok who had 'game postponed' at 10/1? No, wait, the stadium had a roof... who had 'game postponed' at 50/1?

[Mick Mac]

Northern Ireland lead Portugal with 15 mins to go. Can they defend it.

[Mick Mac]

Well done the boys in green. 1-1 away to the the 3rd ranked team in the world. Ronaldo and all.