Ukraine v England

So, will we get through to the quarter finals?

Unless Sweden somehow beat France by a couple of goals, we're going home if we lose.

The way they've played so far, you can't help feeling they're due a bit of bad luck.

Engand have raised our expectations by not losing so far, therefore they are due to let us down big time very soon.

However, I want to be positive so I'll say we'll draw 1-1 and go through.

Ive got every faith we will go through.

They will destroy Ukraine who will huff and puff but go down 2-0.

England with hatfulls of missed chances.

They'll win comfortably. Wellbeck and Walcott will be challenging Rooney for a game -so there's going to be real competition for a game. I'd expect 3-0 to England

Do we get a good show tonight or will it be typical England (and by that I mean, can't pass, can't shoot, boring to watch, uninspiring, etc - a bit like Bolton).

I have a dark feeling that we could get hammered just as everyone starts to believe. 3-1 Ukraine.

Seems not to matter anyhow cos it would be Spain next. Oh dear.

Must win, and must win big I reckon. If we really have ambitions to go far I still think we need to avoid Spain at this point, so win by a 2 goal margin and I think we should top the group, think France will beat Sweden by a goal, or possibly draw the swedes won't want to go home with nothing.

I'm quite excited for it, Rooney and welbeck is quite a strong partnership. So long as the wingers up their game I think we'll do well tonight.

I expect a win tonight, Rooney SHOULD be really up for this game and prove he is one of europes best which everyone keeps claiming.

It sounds daft but in a way I would rather play Spain than Italy, I wouldn't expect sod all against either of them but for some reason I would fancy us more against the spanish.

We'd only be slight underdogs against the Italians, I'd much rather play them. They have a real problem scoring goals.

Italy have looked no better than England, we'd have a good chance against them. Spain were woeful last night, but I can't see them playing so poorly again.

Italy have been better than England for me, i think they've created more and have more dynamism in the middle of the park.

but in a one off game favourites go out the window.

The biggest problem for England is not their individual skills, nor even getting them to paly together, (although that doesn't always work), but getting them to buy into the game in the first place. Everyone seems so laid back and disinterested so often. I think that once they get out of that mind-set, they should do reasonably well. If they go through tonight, but don't 'switch on', then they will get their arses kicked.

The situation demands we are more attacking but I can't see Woy buying that. He comes across as a first things first kinda guy i.e. don't concede and if we score it's a bonus.

I'd reckon it's about 50 -50 for Rooney to start. Woy comes across as a guy who is loyal to those who perform and both Carroll and Welbeck have done well so far. Maybe he'll play Rooney for "squad rotation" reasons but I don't think that's nailed on.

After the last game, I'd be inclined to perhaps put Rooney in for Young who was pants. If he does that, he'll go narrow at the start again and then introduce either Oxlade C or preferably Walcott if we need width later.

But I'd be amazed if he goes attacking from the start. Doesn't appear to be Woy's style. Think he's done a great job with limited resources so far.

If he doesn't start Rooney and something goes wrong....

he'll have his head inside a cabbage on tomorrows front pages.

Rooney will start.

Hodge bugged me after the France game when he said posession and shots on target mean nothing to him and it won't affect what we try to do in future games. For me, if the opponents have 70% of the ball and have 20 shots to your 2 shots you need to be seriously looking at changing something. It just seemed a very boring and English thing to come out with.

JayJay I think your taking it a bit too literately.

Basically what he ment is the amount of possession doesn't matter, its what you do with it, which is true.



And yeh Rooney will start, Carroll played because of Swedens dismal goals conceded from the air stat + Rooney does a lot more for the team than Carroll/most forwards (or at least he does at Utd)

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

but in a one off game favourites go out the window.

You sound like a bad ITV pundit hyping coverage of Accrington Stanley v Chelsea in round 3 of the FA Cup.

Of course favourites don't go out of the window, the favourite usually wins, particularly if they are strong favourites. If we played Spain 100 times, Spain would win far more than 50 of those games.

i know it's a cliche but...

Well i should say in cup competitions, there's that element of surprise, on a one off occasion, the FA cup, the Worlds, the Euro's.

You just never know.

Rooney.......................!!!!!!!!