The rolling Football Thread (including EURO 2016!).

[BelfastBloke]

In the spirit of previous rolling Football threads, would posters sign in with:

1. What country/countries you support
2. What country teams you particularly dislike (Euro or world)?
3. What things your family are doing to get your kids excited about the Euro 2016 tournament?
4. A comment about a player or two, or an issue or two.

Fans of history will be pleased to note that it was Pan who first started a rolling Footie thread in 'Sports'. That was when I was AWOL and he went renegade.

The sisterhood ? In the stands with you Iona.

Ha! Changing with the times BB.

There have been two threads in Dadsnet and two previous threads in the 'Sports'-which-should-be-called-'Sport' section.

This is the third rolling Football thread in 'Sports'-which-should-be-called-'Sport' section.

Well that was a sarcastic 'apology'. 'Sorry, jumped the gun, shouldn't have assumed it should be on the dads forum' would have sufficed.....

To commemorate the sad moving of our thread out of the AIBU section, shall we conduct an AIBU anyway? Play bingo?

'It's called a football thread ... why should women post here?'
"Well, why shouldn't they? YABU"
'I like the presence of women on this thread. They have a perfect right to post, no matter what their genitals...'
'I don't like those posters whose nicknames deliberately reference the fact that they're women...'
"I hate it when their posts begin 'Evening gents; female perspective here ...' Why can't they just make their point without the gendered preamble?"

Bingo?

Hello lads.
Well, for a female perspective, YABVVVVVU.

The Portuguese subs have beaten Norway 3-0 and I'm to report that I had to ask DS who a player is. It's Quaresma. I should recognise him. In my defence he's gone bald and bearded. Meh.

We've just noticed that England has a very young team by comparison. Do you think it will do better than an older group?

It is a young team, but I think better than the previous team in terms of attitude - they all seem very keen to play, rather than having a sense of entitlement about it...I often felt the Gerard/Lampard/Rooney/Terry team of yesteryear turned up and expected to be given a place.

Having said that, I think we do need to take Rooney or one of the older players purely for their experience.

As to how they'll fair - difficult to say. Defence is looking resoundedly shaky and whilst we may get away with that against Australia and Turkey, I don't think we will in the actual competition.

When does the final team get named? Is it three they're dropping? Hope Drinkwater stays - he knows how to play with Vardy which I think is important.

I think the final team is named Tuesday, isn't it?

They are planning to observe Sturridge re-entering training today, I believe. If he's not up to it, they'll take Ashford instead of him. If he is, they may drop an extra midfielder.

I'm quite pissed off about the defence.

Quite. Who needs 11 midfielders for 3 games? If Sturridge were a Lebandowski for eg then he would be worth the punt, but he isn't and he is as likely to break down as not. Even if he is 'fit' today. RH needs to have a Dear Daniel talk shortly.

Defence? A bit like OJ. There was no defence but he got away with it. If the full backs remember their defensive duties it would help. Is it only full backs in footie who ever and always 'bomb on'? And for the major teams, RH plays two holding midfielders to protect the Snowflake Defence.

I was under the impression that if sturridge wasn't fit enough to play all three friendlies RH wouldn't take him.

I may be confusing what I think ought to happen with what RH has actually said - I tend to do that! Either way, too much of a risk.

I'm torn on Ashford. He had a good debut - but they usually tend to, don't they?

That's it onyerbike...I'm not sure much has been revealed in the previous friendlies. Twas ever thus, I guess.

I think what I mean is even if he is 'fit' today then he likely as not to get injured again during the tournament, which RH can't predict but generally the odds are not good.
For Rashford he cant help scoring in the Prem home and away, in tight games, in the FA Cup, in the Euro league away, and now at international level. Right now even with a 'fit' DS he'd be in there. Other international teams will not know much about him atm.

Defence? A bit like OJ. There was no defence but he got away with it. If the full backs remember their defensive duties it would help.

That's why Dier merits a starting place, despite his own goal against Australia. Spurs play with two very attacking full backs and he does a great job of dropping into the back line. It would give them far more solidity.

Is it only full backs in footie who ever and always 'bomb on'* it does seem to be. Wingers don't 'bomb on' they tend to come in jinking or flying varieties in football parlance. Just like you only get midfield schemers. No other positions seemingly scheme.

Ha!

I realise I don't really have any sense of whether Sturridge or Rashford would be better to take, as I've barely taken notice of either of them this season. All I know is that they've scored a few good goals - and Rashford's accelerated rise is a great narrative...

I do think one of them should be dropped, and will be. Seems like Drinkwater will be dropped, and Barkley will make it. That sounds wrong.

Even though the Arsenal fans' song for the ex-Spurs Andros Townsend is "You're just a shit Theo Walcott', I think he has always played rather well for England, and I think Woy will take him.

I reckon he will have to leave sturridge behind - too much of a liability.

I would be considering leaving Delle Alle (sp) behind, I can just see him getting sent off in a tough match. Don't think he will do though as admittedly he is a good a player. Wou needs to have a bloody stern word with him though.

I'd also leave Henderson behind over Drinkwater. Drinkwater is very good at dropping back to defence, but can also get the ball behind the defenders.

Haven't seen much of Rashford either - liked what I saw when he played, but am wary of the hype surrounding super young players. However, with no Sturridge and Rooney possibly playing more of an attacking midfield role another nippy forward would be useful.

Is Delph injured? I'm sure I read he was. If Sturridge is not fit and Delph injured, that's only one to be left behind.

In other football news, AFC Wimbledon have been promoted. They will take 6 points from MK Dons next season.

England (+ Wales) - Tragicomical
England (+ Wales) - ClashCityRocker
England - FrogletinaBallerina
England (+ Spain) - laylabelle
England (+ RoIreland, + Spain) - KenDoddsDadsDog
England (+ Belgium, + Spain) - missbishi
England (+ Belgium) - ForalltheSaints
England (+ Germany) - BadLad
England - SeriousSteve
England - JacquesHammer
Netherlands (+ England) - ilovesooty
Portugal (+ England) - Lweji
RoIreland (+ England) - BelfastBloke
Scotland - OnYerBikePan
Scotland - LikeDylanInTheMovies
Wales - BranTriLlygaid

England squad announced!

Rashford and Sturridge in, Drinkwater and Townsend out.

As Gary Lineker just tweeted, "Match fitness of Wilshere, Henderson & Sturridge is a concern. 1? yes. 2? Maybe. All 3? Hmm! History tells us such gambles invariably fail."

Add that to the too-few centre-backs.

Stuart James has a point: "Wilshere not completed a league game for Arsenal since September 2014. Drinkwater superb for Leicester all season."

Of course I would have taken Wilshire, but I'd've had better cover in the defensive midfielder role as well. What happens when Dier gets an injury or card? What is Ross Barkley going to do there?

1. Being Dutch, I would normally support The Netherlands but this year I will be supporting England and cheering for Rep of Ireland. DS is going for Germany.
2. I hate Germany when they play against The Netherlands but otherwise no dislike for any team.
3. Nothing really, we like football so looking forward to watching the Euro's
4. Shani Tarashaj as he will be playing for Everton next season and I don't know anything about him, yet

When you look at England squad in the cold light of day, you'd suspect whoever plays up front will spend inordinate lengths of time stood on the half way line, looking back at Joe Hart and wonder what the hell is going on in between them.

Oh Woy.

Risky, very risky.

Id have taken either Townsend or Drinkwater over Henderson or Barkley.

I can understand why he took Sturridge, but I don't know why we need 500 forwards given how shakey our back end is. I'd rather have seen a good defensive midfielder and Sturridge or Rashford staying home.

Still, I'm sure he knows what he's doing. It will be interesting to see them in a competitive match.

Even us Mackems are saying he's wrong to leave Townsend . So he must be.

Joe ledley included for Wales, pleased for him after that nasty injury. Surprised that Danny Drinkwater was left out of the England squad.