UEFA Euro 2016

[Soxoffender]

This is one thing I don't really get. Wales are mad happy over winning the group, but they lost their only tough game, so what are they expecting when they get to actual good teams? Same applies to Slovakia, are they hoping to go further on penalties?

Just watched the highlights and they seemed to walk all over Russia tonight (which we failed to do). I'm going to repeat that there are no *great* sides in this tournament, so while Wales won't expect to win the whole thing for obvious reasons, they've got a chance against anyone (as do plenty of sides).

[Xanjori]

Just watched the highlights and they seemed to walk all over Russia tonight (which we failed to do). I'm going to repeat that there are no *great* sides in this tournament, so while Wales won't expect to win the whole thing for obvious reasons, they've got a chance against anyone (as do plenty of sides).

Well they created a few more chances than we did against Russia, had less possession than we did but had a lot more shots on target than we did. Obviously they were a lot more clinical than we were. We should have walked all over Russia but our best chances fell to a couple of our players who have been real suspect. And maybe none of the teams are great, btu we had 70% of the ball against Wales, we're most definitely not at Spain/Germany and possibly even Frances level right now, so it doesn't need to be a great team, there are plenty of teams at this tournament better than England. I just think winning the group is a bit pointless when you lose the only relevant game.

[Sughs]

It is heartbreaking how salty you are. I almost hope you win the whole thing because I couldn't bear to see the meltdown if you get knocked out.

Lol, English talking about Portugal being salty about teams parking the bus when you do it for entire seasons about Chelsea. LMAO. Not this season tho.

[Xanjori]

Lol, English talking about Portugal being salty about teams parking the bus when you do it for entire seasons about Chelsea. LMAO. Not this season tho.

A Portuguese manager...

[durrtygoodz]

Lol, English talking about Portugal being salty about teams parking the bus when you do it for entire seasons about Chelsea. LMAO. Not this season tho.

A Portuguese manager...

"Congratulations you played yourself"

[INVASMANIXOXOXO]

As a half Slovakian I want to mention a couple things. Russia had a bigger possession advantage over us than England did, the only match where we had a possession advantage we lost. As for some of the stuff I've seen on social media/here about "not being able to put away a shit team," I understand. It would be a national scandal in Slovakia if the hockey team lost to a team like England for example.

What comes across as really nasty however is when you blame the 24 team format for not winning your group, are you F'ing serious? Sorry that your elite storied team, has to rub shoulders with plebeian countries like Slovakia or Iceland. Yes Slovakia parked the bus hard, and it worked. They had a totally different mentality/goal than when they faced Russia or Wales. And why wouldn't they? Against a undeniably superior opponent 3 points=pretty low chance of going through 4 points=they are almost in for sure now. I sincerely believe that if England faced a similar situation against an opponent like Germany and there wasn't some sort of focus on defense the team leadership would be tarred and feathered in the event of a loss and subsequent tournament elimination.

[Valeron]

Pedro is starting to be a wee bit whingey. Says there is "no point" in being there if he doesn't play.

Pedro is lucky he is even on the squad

[Hypasonic]

I'd love it if wales drew germany in the next round, that would just make my year. England should have won all 3 games, we had the possesion, we had the chances, but we just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Tonight the pressure was somewhat off, we had players who would not get into champtionship teams based on their first half performance (wilshire/henderson) it was pathetic lol.

[Sughs]

A Portuguese manager...

WTF? I admit i am salty, no problem, never said i wasn't but i am starting to be disappointed about how you (you English and England supporters) can change side so quick about one topic when it goes from happening to another NT to England. I mean, i knew you usually do that but this is ridiculous. I am starting to get laughs out of it.

We are talking about "weak" teams parking the bus against strong teams, Portugal and England, not the one single Portuguese coach at high level that played defensively a few seasons in command of a strong team against other strong teams. I was just using Chelsea for the example of saltyness.

[Deleted]

They have a team packed with Premiership quality, getting through was always going to be easy. They also lost to a mediocre England team and weren't even in the game apart from Bales free-kick beating a dodgy Hart.

Robson Kanu is a championship player, so is Church so is Vokes.

Ramsey Bale Ledley and Williams are all regulars for their clubs sure but Allen can hardly get a game and the rest of the squad is thin.

Hardly 20 goal a season PL strikers that are mysteriously shite when it comes to England duty.

No need to be salty England fans, you got dicked by a team far inferior on paper to yours. Blame your awful manager, don't try and paint wales as some worldbeating team - they aren't.

- - - Updated - - -

Lol, English talking about Portugal being salty about teams parking the bus when you do it for entire seasons about Chelsea. LMAO. Not this season tho.

Chelsea haven't parked the bus since the famous Slippy G game.

Playing counter atacking football with a solid defence is not parking the bus.

[Deleted]

They have a team packed with Premiership quality, getting through was always going to be easy. They also lost to a mediocre England team and weren't even in the game apart from Bales free-kick beating a dodgy Hart.

Erm... You're talking about Wales. A below average team under all standards.

[caervek]

When I woke up and saw England failed to beat Slovakia my heart sank, then I saw we destroyed Russia and all was good <3

- - - Updated - - -

They managed to get through group stages as a small nation. That's already a MAJOR success for them.

getting through was always going to be easy.

England: #11 in the world
Slovakia: #24 in the world
Wales: #26 in the world
Russia: #29 in the world

The only team that had an easy group was England.

[Xanjori]

WTF? I admit i am salty, no problem, never said i wasn't but i am starting to be disappointed about how you (you English and England supporters) can change side so quick about one topic when it goes from happening to another NT to England. I mean, i knew you usually do that but this is ridiculous. I am starting to get laughs out of it.

We are talking about "weak" teams parking the bus against strong teams, Portugal and England, not the one single Portuguese coach at high level that played defensively a few seasons in command of a strong team against other strong teams. I was just using Chelsea for the example of saltyness.

Lets be honest, most of the salt about Chelsea came from foreign fans who watched them win the CL being defensive against Barca. At the start of Mourihnos second reign Chelsea played ridiculously attractive attacking football in the EPL, delivering results like 6-3 away against Everton. Nearly all the hate Chelsea get from English fans is due to the fact they have dumped ridiculous sums of money into winning their titles and then Terry gets a lot of hate for being Terry.

Robson Kanu is a championship player, so is Church so is Vokes.

Ramsey Bale Ledley and Williams are all regulars for their clubs sure but Allen can hardly get a game and the rest of the squad is thin.

Hardly 20 goal a season PL strikers that are mysteriously shite when it comes to England duty.

No need to be salty England fans, you got dicked by a team far inferior on paper to yours. Blame your awful manager, don't try and paint wales as some worldbeating team - they aren't..

Hennesey, Davies, Williams, Ledley, Ramsay, Collins, King and then Bale on top. That's 7 of the starting 11 at PL clubs and then the worlds most expensive player to cap it of. To claim this squad is poor is beyond naive, they have some very very good players. 3 of those starting 11 finished in the top 3 of the PL. Ashley Williams not only captains his club but is one of the most sort after defenders in the league. And yeah this team is inferior to Englands on paper, that's why we beat it??? I mean it's pretty obvious that England has the superior team on paper.

And on Vardy, he is never going to do that great against teams that sit back, look at how Leicester play and compare it to how England play, it's a very very different system. As for Kane he should fit a lot better, and hopefully we play him and Vardy up front in the future. But strikers don't score goals without creative players, and England have had very few of those so far. (Kyle Walker and Wayne Rooney probably our best two creative players lol.)

The only team that had an easy group was England.

Sure England had an easy group, and because of how it was it highlighted how badly England lack creative wingers and how disjointed our attack can be. It did also highlight even further how lucky we are in having that Spurs core that really play well together, because outside of Rooney no one else has been impressive for us. That doesn't change what I'm saying that Wales had an easy group too, if they'd replaced Sweden and had Italy and Belgium now that'd be a tough group for Wales, but this one wasn't tough for either of us.

Going forward Wales should get an easier draw, which gets them one more round, but surely their performance against England is worrying for Welsh fans? To let a mediocre English team have 70% of the ball is not a good sign, even Russia and Slovakia kept us to 52% and 56%. Yeah England suck, English fans know it, but to pretend that any team is coming out of this group looking good is a misnomer.

[Soxoffender]

Lol, English talking about Portugal being salty about teams parking the bus when you do it for entire seasons about Chelsea. LMAO. Not this season tho.

My Team don't play in the Premier League, so I couldn't care less if anyone in that division parks the bus. Chelsea have a reputation for doing that because of a few CL games against the likes of Barca but it's really not how they play in the league.

What comes across as really nasty however is when you blame the 24 team format for not winning your group, are you F'ing serious? Sorry that your elite storied team, has to rub shoulders with plebeian countries like Slovakia or Iceland. Yes Slovakia parked the bus hard, and it worked.

Anyone who complains about Slovakia's tactics is an idiot. 4 points is very likely to get you through to the next round, so setting up defensively was the percentage play. As an England fan, watching players as good as Hamsik sit deep while Jordan Henderson knocked crosses either into the first man or into touch was pretty dull but that's on us.

[Deleted]

It isn't Slovakia's fault that they could park the bus and still go through, that's UEFA's fault by allowing 3rd places teams go through. The point stands that if only the top 2 of each group would go through, Slovakia (and other teams of course, we'll see Northern Ireland do the exact same thing this afternoon against Germany) would necessarily need to attack, they would need to win to go through. This, in turn, would open more space for England to score, which I believe they eventually would. They already had an enormous opportunity by Vardy when Slovakia was trying to attack in the first half.

[caervek]

That doesn't change what I'm saying that Wales had an easy group too

No, but the fact it's wrong does change it ^^

Wales were drawn against a marginally better team, a significantly better team and a marginally worse team. We managed to beat the marginally better team, narrowly lose to the significantly better team and convincingly defeat the marginally worse team. Each game was a better than expected result and the team have done great work but it was not an easy group, it was very well matched for us.

[Xanjori]

No, but the fact it's wrong does change it ^^

Wales were drawn against a marginally better team, a significantly better team and a marginally worse team. We managed to beat the marginally better team, narrowly lose to the significantly better team and convincingly defeat the marginally worse team. Each game was a better than expected result and the team have done great work but it was not an easy group, it was very well matched for us.

The rankings are a pretty poor way to base it on. Weren't Wales in the top 10 last year, above England? I mean going by that you were the best team in this group as your squads achieved a higher ranking than ours.

Slovakia haven't looked very good in these groups, sure they've got one or two quality players but Wales look a far better team. The Welsh team should easily beat whoever they get next and then this tournament is so confusing I don't even know who you might have after that.

England should beat whoever get next (unless we get Portugal, at which point we draw 2-2 and lose on penalties, unless Ronaldo takes all 5) and then we'll probably get lose 2-1 in the round after to someone decent.

[Deleted]

The premiership is not the end all of European football. Having 7 people playing in it isn't much of anything really. Wales is a below average team with a great striker.
For Wales, passing group stages is an incredible result.

[Tommy T]

Some really good games tonight.

Northern Ireland v Germany at 17:00
Croatia v Spain at 20:00

I miss the 2pm kick offs though.

[Deleted]

So, has Putin alread issued a statement how it's unfair, that the evil West doesn't let Russia proceed to the Ro16?