englandtilidie

Germany waltzed pastGreeceto qualify for the semi final of the Euros 2012 inWarsaw- where they will mee either Italy or England.  The Germans pass the ball with speed and accuracy and have strong athletic players. Greece scored two goals against them.  They are completely confident of making the final – it is an assumption that is disrespectful.

Italy are capable of beatingGermany. They know enough about how to get a result, how to manipulate games and how to defend and how to attack. They would be a real test and they know how to maximise every tiny advantage. If Germany were to meet them in Warsawthey have no right to expect victory.  How dare they.

Italy have to beat England first. It is a game that should be close, with two evenly matched teams of skilful and accomplished professionals.  Englandhave ability and now a closely bonded method and shape. They play with the familiarity of a league team where the understanding between the players is greater than the sum of the individual.

There are options for England. They can try throwing Carroll at the Italians – and then switching to Welbeck or bringing on Walcott or trying Oxlade-Chamberlain instead of Young.  Defoe upfront can play alongside anyone or on his own. England can break quickly and are good from set plays. Some of the crossing into the box has been excellent.

The possibilities for both teams are fantastic. Italy can rebuild their reputation and step into the shoes of the great teams that have represented their nation and won all those World Cups.

England can get to Warsaw and play Germany.

The weather in England is wet, blustery and not warm. It is the longest day and the summer has not arrived. The country is indoors watching the football on television .

It is the Euros in 2012 and England are winning.

Come On England.  Come On.

Italy have won the World Cup 4 times. They are one of the great footballing nations of Europe with a footballing philosophy that has very little in common with the way the game is played in England. Their once proud Serie A is mired in allegations of corruption.

They always produce high quality professional footballers and are always producing teams capable of getting results and winning games and winning tournaments. Italy is a nation that holds football close to its heart, and has enjoyed victory upon victory for the national team.

In Kiev they will meet England.

England will not fake injury or try and get opposition players sent off. England will not shirk the physical challenge and will try and win the game fair and square. It does matter how the result is gained. We do not admire underhand or devious play.

So here come England.

Suddenly the team, trophyless since 1966, this England of Rooney and Gerrard, of Cole and Lescott, of Carroll or Welbeck has a certain presence. Now the stadiums will be flying the flags of St.George and English voices will be loudly heard.

Before there was an air of mockery in any conversation that said England could reach for the prize, that the white shirts could this year deliver the longed for glory. Now there are hushed tones as the possibilities are revealed. The quest is truly on.

Now here come England.

Suddenly it is being said everywhere. Come On England.

Winning the Euros in 2012

Unconvincing though England were they won the group. They are just two games from the final and face Italy in Kiev. A fortunate deflection, or two, on a Steven Gerrard cross saw the ball sitting up for Rooney to had into an empty net from 6 inches.

It happened after 3 minutes of the second half. In the first half Ukraine had huffed and puffed while England were slack and ineffectual. Later the ball was just over the line for a Ukraine goal as Terry cleared it away. It was Terry who caused the difficulty by getting the wrong side of the attack.

By the end of the game England looked comfortable and likely to score again. Hodgson could have changed the midfield earlier and with Rooney short of match, time England repeatedly fluffed breakaway opportunities. At set pieces they always looked dangerous.

Slowly the journalists and commentators who gave the Three Lions no chance are beginning to choke on their words. It is a sickening spectacle to watch the confident doom mongers of just a week ago dragging there pathetic egos and second hand opinions onto the bandwagon.

It was one nil to the England – it was another victory for those who believe our players are always good enough, that England can go all the way. For those who been behind the team from the beginning, who have always believed, it is another step forward.

Now it is the Azzuri, Italy, serial world cup winners who wait for England in Kiev

This website has backed the boys since the beginning.

Now we go on – Come On England …..

We Are Winning the Euros in 2012.

England need to win or draw against Ukraine in the Dombass arena in Donetsk. The place will be full of very hyped up locals believing that their team can win the game and qualify for the quarter finals. This, of course, is a totally possible outcome.

There are no mug teams in the 2012 Euros and all the groups have gone to the last game and the last minute. Even when Spain scored in the 88th minute a goal from Croatia would have sent them home. It’s a gripping and unique competition. England cannot let Ukraine within sight of victory as a home crowd and UEFA appointed referee can combine to take a goal at anytime.

It’s a nightmare situation and Gary Lineker could ony squeak “Come On England” as he wrapped up a television preview. Home advantage always means a lot and there is no replacement for the extra ounce of energy the supporters give their team.

It will be a great challenge – and true test.

England have to learn to leverage their advantage in player ability and experience. They have to enjoy their increasing confidence and prowess. In an atmosphere of intense national pride they have to overturn the dreams of a country.

England have to put away Ukraine – competently and without doubt.

They can.

Come on, England – we are winning the Euros in 2012 .

England stand on the edge of elimination. In their last game England demonstrated a remarkable incompetence to hand the opposition two goals. One moment like that in a stadium packed with Ukrainian fans and England could be on the plane home.

In Charleroi in 2000 England only needed to draw against Romania in their last group game. It was 2-2 with a minute to play when Phil Neville gave away a penalty. England went home.

While the British press hypes up Rooney it is hoped that Hodgson is paying attention to the fact the most effective tactic against his defence is a long high ball lobbed into the box. It worked for Sweden – twice. Somehow warrior Terry was just not there.

Ukraine are a better team than Sweden and their situation means there is no room for compromise. They need to win and they are not shy of the dark arts of modern European football. England will have no security unless they are leading the match. A drawn scoreline in the final quarter will mean that the referee will come enormous pressure as Ukrainian players throw themselves to the ground in and around the box.

Russia only needed a draw against Greece. Now they are gone.

Across England the flags are just beginning to fly. Hodgson needs to wipe the smile off his face and get down to some serious focus. Its all very well puffing up Rooney Roy, but whats going on at the back? Its all very well dropping Carroll or Welbeck or Young but is it not time for Jagielka – JT is beginning to look like a goner.

It might be entirely sensible to start with an established eleven and introduce Wayne Rooney later – but that seems unlikely.

England are now on the edge. They will need a two goal cushion. The heat is on.

Come On England – winning the Euros in 2012.

The footballers and fans from Sweden graced the Euros 2012 with their presence. They battled England in a game of football where challenges were fairly met and combat was physical and exhausting. In this game men did not roll around on the grass and scream like babies everytime there was contact in the tackle.

There was no time wasting or attempting to influence the referee, no cynical cheating or parading of girlish egos just a match where Swedens heros were suddenly leading two goals to one. Their fans were ecstatic and jubilant and the yellow and blue stadium rocked with joy.

Maybe the finest sight in football is the the headed goal and Andy Carroll had delivered a stunning first half aerial strike from Steven Gerrards strong cross. There was grace and athleticism as the England player planted the ball powerfully into the back of the net with his body several feet above the ground.

Sweden equalised after a free quick chaos saw Hart parry a shot from Mellborg onto Johnson who then saw the ball bounce off his thigh and desperately drop off a post into the back of the net. Disaster followed as a trembling England then stood and watched a Swedish free kick drift into their box and be duly nodded past the keeper into the back of the net. Two one to the magnificent Swedes.

Walcott came on and smashed a swerving shot into the middle of the Swedish net. 2-2 He then broke down the right, flashed in a low cross and Welbeck hooked a back heel past their keeper . 3- 2 England.

The five thousand England fans began to party and the England players had finally found their feet. Our friends from Scandinavia are out but at least they had played like men. No cheating, no trainers and a desire to win.

Someone said it was a game between two average team and there is perhaps a truth in that. But it was a beautiful game and England move on.

Now you can see it.

England are winning the Euros in 2012.

England have just one point in the 2012 Euros and they need all three when they take on Sweden in Kiev on Friday evening They also need to show what they can do, to maybe reveal a little of the power and talent that the squad is so full of.

It has been suggested that perhaps Andy Carroll might be leading the line or that perhaps Walcott will allowed to run free. These are options but the real thing England
need is a change of mentality, they need to find an attacking momentum and a confidence that they have the ability to take the opposition apart.

The England fans will be outnumbered in Kiev where Sweden will be the best supported team. Around the towns and cities of England there is only an occasional display of the flag of St George, The British newspapers and media are deriding those Englishmen who think a team from here can win the competition.

Hodgson sounded tetchy reminding a stupid journalist that the England players play in the strongest league in the world and are as good as any others in the competition. It was an obvious truth and one that needs proving.

Spain beat a poor Ireland team 4-0 and Germany are very pleased with 6 points from 2 games. Both teams clearly fancy themselves. Neither the national or international press give England a chance. Supporters of Spain and Germany are quite openly patronising the English. A Swede called us delusional.

It is how we like it.

We are England – no-one thinks we can do it.

But we can ,

Come On England – winning the Euros in 2012.

Germany are not quite as good as they think they are and Holland missed the opportunity to put them away and lost 2-1. Russian and Polish fans re-enacted scenes of hooliganism from 30 years ago while Portugal just nicked the points in a 3-2 thriller with Denmark.

The tournament is truly up and running and now Ireland face the challenge of staying awake while Spain pass the ball around in circles. An idiot journalist started deriding Englands pass completion rate as statistics show the French players passed the ball “successfully” twice as many times.

This is because English players have not yet picked up the habit of spending long periods of the game passing the ball backwards and sideways in their own half. Keeper to full back to centre back to keeper to full back ad nauseum is not a game that is admired in the English leagues. It does create nice pie charts for newspapers to publish.

On Friday England need to get the points. Pass completion statistics will not mean a thing if the scoreboard does reflect a positive goal tally. Sweden are no mugs and a single error can leave the whole campaign floundering. The group is tight and uncertain.

It is international sport at the highest level and some of the players are just teenagers. The pressure to perform, to succeed is almost absurd as historical national rivalries are transmuted into sport. But it remains a game – just.

Most England fans probably were wishing for a Dutch victory and most Engalnd fans would crave a final with Germany. We all know why.

But for now the horizons are limited. Three points against Sweden.

Come On England – we’re winning the Euros in 2012.

England spurned the chance to crush France a with negative display against the walking pace football of an over rated French side.

Once Lescott had forced England ahead with a close range header they seemed intuitively to go onto the back foot and stopped pressing on. Milner’s early miss had shown how easily the French would buckle under a bit of pressure and on the occasions when England did get after them they looked vulnerable.

There was rigid mindset about England, a lack panache and a tedious caution that might ultimately prove destructive. France were nothing special and you felt that if really unleashed the English could have taken them apart. Redknapp you felt might have let the dogs out.

Nasri scored a good goal to equalise and France won the possession statistics. It was a fairly awful game and by the end of the game young Henderson was providing the legs in midfield and Defoe was roaming around up front. You could not overlook an Italian referee giving England nothing.

Hodgson was clearly well satisfied with the result and there is much talk of France being a good team. They’re not and an always competent Sweden, and Ukraine backed by vociferous hordes, might make things messy or worse.

A little bit more self belief would go a long way. It does not look like Hodgson has found it but that isn’t what matters. What matters is the players playing with confidence and belief in their ability. Roy is probably is no help with this – but lets hope some of Englands players can start upping the pace and getting after the opposition.

Those who have said England have no chance will start revising their opinion soon.

If you are an England supporter you have no choice, you have to believe. This is our time.

Come On England – winning the Euros in 2012.

England is being lashed within unseasonal rain. Wales has been hit by floods and Ireland crashed to a 3-1 defeat by Croatia. Hodgson says he feels the weight of history on him as Englands footballers prepare to take on France.

Sir Alf Ramsey really did have a weight to bear as he guided England to their only ever victory in a major tournament – he was playing at home. Far away in Donetsk the England team have slipped off the hype of supra expectation and need to simply play well and to progress. Easily said but the young men who wear the England shirt inevitably carry the expectation of a footballing nation on their shoulders and it’s a weight that can inhibit performance.

England have not won the opening match in the Euros in the last seven attempts. A win against France is almost a necessary result, something to ease off the strain of the qualifying group, to allow the players to relax into their game from here on.

Steven Gerrard looked drawn and tense sitting beside Hodgson for Sundays press conference. He has to lead out England to play France. There will moments in the game when fortune hangs on a split second chance, when all depends on a moments decision on a single strike of the football. There are no certainties, no guarantees and no safe options.

It is Steven Gerrard who will be leading the England players out in their quest for victory.It will be the players who face up to the responsibility of performing for their country, who will be winning the game, the young men from here that carry all that hope.

In England it is raining, but the country will go quiet to follow the fortunes of
the team in the Ukraine. Now is the time for the great story to begin.

In Donetsk at 5pm it starts – England vs France.

Come On England – winning the Euros in 2012.