UEFA Euro 2012 - Group D - ** spoilers ** (England, France, Sweden, Ukraine)

[Kenai]

We have to put a fair few past the ukraine otherwise we're getting spain

It's not as if we'd fare much better against Croatia or Italy though really.

The main saving grace if we didn't get Spain would be the world wouldn't get to see us do worse than the RoI did against them

2. I have them as group winners in an accumulator with Russia, Germany and Spain

Were you high when you made this bet?

 

[zpos]

Why is it never pleasant watching England play!

 

[Twinblade]

Even if we somehow win the group I wouldn't fancy our chances against either Croatia or Italy either.

One positive from the England performance is that under any of the previous "foreign" managers once Mellberg's 2nd went in we would have thrown Downing on and played for the defeat as we would have just given up.

However, Roy kept him off the field and they actually tried to get back in and then win the game.

 

[Andybtsn]

Downing is a good crosser he's just had an awful season but look at RVP and Huntelaar they were about as in form as you can be before the tournament xD
I think he'l start young and milner as widemen with wellbeck and rooney upfront.

I've watched Downing since he started at Boro, crossing was never his strong point, he could never beat the first man. Unfortunately he's never got better at it and slower in pace.

 

[Icm76]

I know Chelsea proved you can defend and win but England just won't manage that.

Andy Carroll ain't no Didier Drogba that's for sure, and barring the Chelsea players in the England squad, I just don't think the England players have the absolute determination and winning mentality of the Chelsea squad that it would require to play that way.

 

[cm1179]

Wasn't it gerrard's pinpoint cross that set up carroll's header goal?

it was and like i said, he's our best/only option but what else does he give? he's fast turning into only being good with a dead ball/pinging pass when we need him to get stuck in. obviously his pace has dropped off but his leadership should have risen and it hasn't.

 

[Robbo]

I thought Ashley Cole was poor as well, anyone else?

Considering we think he's more or less the best LB in the world, he hasn't done very well in the last 2 games.

 

[Andybtsn]

He was great first half, all the players were poor second.

 

[LOAM]

you said arrows instead of appears. nice edit

Silly phone auto correct of fail

 

[Icm76]

We just have to better France's result.
...win by more goals than them if they win.

To win the group I think it's not that easy? If France win we have to win by two more goals than France?

direct result between the two sides
goals difference
goals for
goals conceded
disciplinary record
​

France already have a better goal difference by 1, England have conceded more, so we need to improve our goal difference +2 to go ahead of France

 

[Icm76]

I thought Ashley Cole was poor as well, anyone else?

Not his best, but if there's one player in the England squad I don't worry about it's Ashley Cole...

 

[topher]

could stick Baines at LM, gets a fair amount of good balls in and can take a free kick..

 

[Greavesy]

If only we'd taken becks

 

[Icm76]

They've got a one better goal difference. If they win by a one goal margin, and we win by a two goal margin, then our goal difference is even and it goes to a goals scored tiebreaker... which we win.

that's more like it, thought I had overlooked something Anyway, I found the regulations pdf document on UEFA website: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2012/format/index.html

Equality of points after the group matches
​

8.07

If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied, in the order given; to determine the rankings:
​

a) higher number of points obtained in the matches among the teams in question;
b) superior goal difference in the matches among the teams in question (if more
than two teams finish equal on points);
c) higher number of goals scored in the matches among the teams in question (if
more than two teams finish equal on points);
d) superior goal difference in all the group matches;
e) higher number of goals scored in all the group matches;
f) position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system (see Annex I,
paragraph 1.2.2);
g) fair play conduct of the teams (final tournament);
h) drawing of lots.​

8.08

If two teams which have the same number of points, the same number of goals scored and conceded play their last group match against each other and are still equal at the end of that match, the ranking of the two teams in question is determined by kicks from the penalty mark (Article 16), provided no other teams within the group have the same number of points on completion of all group matches. Should more than two teams have the same number of points, the criteria listed under paragraph 8.07 apply.​

 

[Spenty]

The pessimism on here is unbelievable. A few of you seem to be expecting us to be at the heights of Spain/Germany.

Roy has won 3 out of 4 in a short space of time. His tactical decisions were spot on today and no international game is an easy one. When Greece won it in 2004 did they never have **** poor moments or what about Denmark in 1992?

Have a bit optimism ffs and get behind the team instead of joining the media in your criticism which won't make any difference anyway as Roy and his team are the only people to make the decisions.

 

[Icm76]

His tactical decisions were spot on today

That I cannot agree with at all, this was an absolute dog's breakfast and we scraped through on a bit of luck and Sweden being slightly worse than us on the night. In my opinion this is the first sign of Roy letting the pressure get to him and reverting to cliché 'England' tactics because somehow that feels safe.

A few of you seem to be expecting us to be at the heights of Spain/Germany.

No England aren't anywhere near the top sides in terms of quality, we've no right to expect to thrash any team or win the tournament, but the players are better than barely scraping through every match and the regular, humiliating Keystone Cops performances.

 

[Spenty]

Cliche England tactics? I'd put anything on it that Capello wouldn't of brought Walcott on. We scraped through because Sweden made it difficult for us. They were playing to guarantee staying in the competition.

Another thing is at least you can see the players are giving it a real go unlike South Africa. We would have never bounced back from being 2-1 down a few years back.

 

[Danthus]

Lots of positives tonight but defensively we are woeful although I thought on an individual level Glen Johnson had a really good game.

Milner and Young were really poor.

 

[Neil79]

I hope England go out personally, all it's doing is giving people in this country an excuse to be violent and disgusting. Saw three people with england shirts cheering on the way back from the pub only to chuck their food in someones garden and urinate on garden gates!.

 

[Danthus]

I hope England go out personally, all it's doing is giving people in this country an excuse to be violent and disgusting. Saw three people with england shirts cheering on the way back from the pub only to chuck their food in someones garden and urinate on garden gates!.

That happens when England don't play.