englandtilidie

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.

All the football writers and commentators have predicted a victory at the Euros 2012 for Germany, Spain, Holland, for France or for Italy. Not one of the experts, not a single journalist on a national newspaper has come out and stated the obvious – England can win the tournament.

Yesterday Stuart Downing told the press that they do not fear France. Why should they ? France are not Brasil or Argentina. And then Joe Hart stated that as professional footballers they are in the tournament to get results and win. Then Rooney talking to Alan Shearer seems calmly confident about winning “there’s no reason why not.”

The writers for the national press are always looking for the negative, for the downside – the scandal and the bad news, the reason for defeat. Those who really know their football know that “there’s no reason why not”, that we have as many talented players as any other country, that we are in it to win it and that there is no reason to fear France.

The tournament starts today, the games start coming thick and fast and England wait until Monday to play. It is wet and windy in London but the outlook for the weekend is better. Now England are at the Euros, our finest professional footballers are representing their country, and the great game begins.

You heard it here, there is no reason why not, there is no reason to doubt that
England are winning the Euros in 2012, that football will be coming home.

Prepare to celebrate.

Come on England – Winning the Euros in 2012

Cahill Out.

England centre-back Gary Cahill will not be going to the Euros.

Cahill broke his jaw playing against Belgium.

Hodgson has called up Martin Kelly aged 22 who has made just over a total of 40 appearances forLiverpoolover 2 seasons .  Well why not ?

Englandhave a core functionality and shape in the squad and good players can slot in. Knowing the way a tournament can rip a team up with suspensions and injuries there any member of the squad may find themselves called onto the pitch.  This of course includes Kelly as well as 19 year old Butland the 3^rd keeper.

England will fly out hoping that some young players can come to the fore and grab some of the English glory on offer.  Welbeck, Ashley Young, Carroll, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott have a platform.  With Rooney and Gerrard pulling the strings it can go well.

The planners at UEFA have sent England so far out East it is barely reachable for England supporters.  They have added in the vindictive suspension of Rooney which means he will not be available until the last group game when he will be way off match fit. They will be picking interesting officials for us. There seems to a run of injuries.

All good signs really.

The whole footballing world will be watching the Euros and they will have the privilege of seeing the professional footballers from England represent this country with their skill, speed and athleticism.

We watch them every week, they are plenty good enough.

Come On England, Winning the Euros in 2012.

A relaxed and friendly Wembley welcomed a talented Belgium team and ten thousand of their magnificent supporters. After 36 minutes Ashley Young put Danny Welbeck through for a classy chipped finish and England played out the rest of the game for an effective 1-0 win. Hodgson said he was pleased with the “defensive shape”.

It was not an entertaining display. Parker and Gerrard both worked hard in the midfield defensive hub and Cahill and Terry and then Lescott looked solid. Rooney got almost 30 minutes and looked like he needed it. Oxlade-Chamberlain got some international experience. It was all worthy and dull.

Winning a friendly at Wembley means nothing but losing, or drawing a game like this would have dented confidence. A job well done sees England now preparing for their game against France with competence, if nothing else, in place.

The Premiership is an international league drawing the players in the world to top 20 English football clubs. The England players play against the best in the world every week. The uber talent of the big Spanish, Italian and German have a lot of soft games.
Hodgson has loads of options with players who have all made the grade in the toughest league of all.

If England can get points on the board early in the group stages, if they can get their noses ahead against France their position will strengthen immeasurably. If England can show real quality up front there are no worries.

The German press are happily enjoying the apparent struggles of the England team. From here it looks like something is taking shape. Building from the back there is an emerging platform for all the young talent to shine going forward.

It will be great to see how this lot perform when the heat is on and when the intensity of the tournament comes alive. Parker is in the habit of conceding free kicks in his own half and a an injured keeper and one sent off would leave the England back four in front if a 19 year old between the sticks. Losing an injury prone Steven Gerrard at any point would be tough.

But its looking good.

Come On England – Winning the Euros in 2012.