The Round Ball Game

[jayne lee wilson]

(halftime tune: waltzing matilda)

We want a striker
we want a striker
we want a striker
to give us a goal...

Alli & Kane off, Vardy & Sturridge ON - PLEASE...! (Vardy flanks, Sturridge goal-box)...

THERE I was munching my croissant & cappuccino, thinking, trouble is, we haven't got someone like Bale on the pitch to turn the game in a moment, and then....

Sloppy Joe in goal, but quite a strike. Gareth's real eye-candy isn't he? Strutting about a-la-Zlatan with his man-bun...

[EdgeleyRob]

(halftime tune: waltzing matilda)

We want a striker
we want a striker
we want a striker
to give us a goal...

Alli & Kane off, Vardy & Sturridge ON - PLEASE...! (Vardy flanks, Sturridge goal-box)...

THERE I was munching my croissant & cappuccino, thinking, trouble is, we haven't got someone like Bale on the pitch to turn the game in a moment, and then....

Sloppy Joe in goal, but quite a strike. Gareth's real eye-candy isn't he? Strutting about a-la-Zlatan with his man-bun...

You should be manager Jayne

[Nick Armstrong]

You should be manager Jayne

Well at least Roy clearly listens to Jayne...

[jayne lee wilson]

OH. MY. GOD...!
Quite exciting, wasn't it?

Goodness goodness me. Screams and leaps THIS side of the TV...!
Don't know whether I need a lie-down or a run round the garden...

God, this can be a wonderful game!

[teamsaint]

Very impressive contribution from Rashford.

Thought Lallana played well , but him being our best player in the first half tells its own story.

[Beef Oven!]

Forza Azzuri!!!!

[teamsaint]

Bad day at the office for Ronaldo yesterday. ( does he have another name ?)

Anybody remember the three v the six at wemberley when we joined the common market ?

http://www.11v11.com/matches/british-three-v-common-market-six-03-january-1973-232278/

Don't fancy our chances in a Brexit game against the 27.

[aeolium]

Bad day at the office for Ronaldo yesterday. ( does he have another name ?)
Anybody remember the three v the six at wemberley when we joined the common market ?

Perhaps Ronaldo is being punished by the football gods for his sour grapes after the Iceland game. I was so sorry Iceland couldn't hold on yesterday - I liked the comment that 8% of their population were in the stadium to support them.

Some hard men in that British team, ts - Hunter, Storey and Giles. How do you remember these things?

[teamsaint]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=istb5QQRGz8

Bit of the old Bobby Charlton Magic for Beefy to enjoy.

[EdgeleyRob]

How are England not out of sight ?

[teamsaint]

How are England not out of sight ?

England just blew a really decent route to the semis,if my wall chart is right.
Now facing possible game against Portugal, and a QF against Italy.

Distastrous selections again from roy. henderson no better than average,Wilshere not really ready.

[Alison]

Spot on Sainty.

[EdgeleyRob]

Strange decision not to start with Rooney.

[jayne lee wilson]

In fact the winner of our next game, Match 8, plays winner of match 4 in the quarters, which France are already in as group A winners - so it's more likely to be them, rather than Italy, who travel a different route through Match 7 if they win Group E. Some consolation...

Slaven Bilic was saying that only one team wanted to play i.e to attack, and I DO have some sympathy with England in that. Slovakia really parked the bus in this one. Vardy and Sturridge should have taken their two clearest chances, yes, but how many shots rebounded off Slovakian heads and bodies? VERY frustrating. And Skrtel was extraordinary, a true hero for them - almost always first to corners and crosses.

I felt that substituting Kane for Sturridge was a poor decision though. If you need a goal in the last 15, you need Sturridge in a packed area. Even Rashford would have been better choice as Kane still looked quite spent tonight. And Wilshere looked far from match-fit too, from the start. Did Rooney really "need a rest"? . I thought Henderson did well though, tirelessly probing, trying to create something...
I don't think the defensive changes made much difference as there was virtually nothing to defend, not even from the stylish and much-vaunted Hamsik. (But he still looks like a player you'd want to watch didn't he? He draws the eye, like Bale (having more fun tonight) or Ibra.). Nathan Clyne played well in his advanced role too.

AS for Match 8 - Portugal are definitely in our oh-god-anyone-but-them category, and the first team order should be: above all, never give Ronaldo any winking opportunities...

[EdgeleyRob]

Not sure about Henderson Jayne,his corners and crosses were poor.