So England made it out top of the group, not sure how many people predicted that with France looking dangerous in the opening game but they managed to slip up royally in the final game meaning England, and a rusty, returning Wayne Rooney could sneak a 1 - 0 win in the final group game and come out on top of group D.
The performances did vary in the group stage, with a solid defensive performance vs. the French and a threatening performance against Sweden, which was also a solid defensive performance with some unfortunate set-piece defending marring an overall good performance. The game against Ukraine was a tense affair with the first half showing no real England threat, even with the returning Rooney who looked a little out-of-sorts and off the pace. The second half saw Rooney's return marked with a goal, his performance didn't really merit a goal as many passes and touches went astray but it was good to see a goal from England's main man.
So what should we expect from the Italians? Well, their main defensive asset in Giorgio Chiellini has been ruled out through injury which is a huge boost to England but that is not to say the Italians will roll over easily, with Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo and Antonio Cassano still posing a major threat to England's chances of progressing through to the semi-finals. We can still expect to see the Italians put in a resolute defensive performance as it has almost become a national football stereotype for them. I am also looking to catch a glimpse of the Premiership's favourite footballing bad boy, Mario Balotelli in this game as it will be seen as a huge game for both his country and him personally if he is given the nod ahead of Antonio Di Natale.
If England do beat Italy they will face the winner of tonight's quarter final between Germany and Greece, it should be the Germans.. but let's hope for Greece to blow the Euro wide open (not for the first time this year)
Friday, 22 June 2012
Saturday, 16 June 2012
England Vs. Sweden reaction
So, have you recovered yet? No, me neither. Yesterday night's game saw England take on a Sweden team of a reasonable pedigree with Premiership experienced players in Andreas Isaksson, Seb Larsson, Anders Svensson, Johan Elmander, Olof Mellberg, Jonas & Martin Olsson and the class of talismanic captain and striker in Zlatan Ibrahimovic; however you look at it, this is a tricky game but is one England should expect to win.
It started off well and England took a 1 - 0 lead with their pony-tailed striker Andy Carroll climbing above Olof Mellberg to send England into the lead and the whole country in raptures. After half-time the game took a shocking turn as Glen Johnson scored an unfortunate own goal and England's hopefully momentary frailty in dealing with set-pieces was exploited as Mellberg rose to meet Larsson's cross and power a header into the England goal.
England at this point thought, as a whole, 'here we go again'.. and don't say you didn't because everyone's optimism after the France result seemed to diminish as we stared at a scoreline reading England 1 - 2 Sweden. Cries to bring off James Milner were echoed across the country and the people in the venue I was at seemed to shout it so loud Roy Hodgson himself probably heard it. Theo Walcott entered the fray for Milner and made almost an instant impact, thundering a swerving volley past Isaksson from outside the area. Then 14 minutes later came the moment of genius from Danny Welbeck (of course he meant it) which sent England into delirium; so much delirium that pint upon pint were thrown into the air. England were then able to shut the game out, to the relief of everyone.
The game for England in the first half seemed relatively comfortable with solid defending and hard-work in retrieving the ball culminating in a half-time lead, Carroll's first start in the Euro's and his audition to play alongside Wayne Rooney on his return went well with Carroll doing what he was assigned and grasping the chance with both hands, causing the Swedes trouble with his height, scoring a goal and chasing down defenders and Carroll carried on his end of season form with another fine display which will have also done wonders for his confidence. Welbeck yet again impressed, grabbing a goal and continuing from his hard-working display against France. Ashley Young was switched to the left wing as Carroll came in for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and slotted upfront alongside Welbeck and Young gave a performance we came to expect from him, causing trouble with his pace and working hard to support Ashley Cole in defence. Hopefully Walcott's injury worry isn't serious and he can recover because his impact in the game will have given him some confidence and whether he will be used as an impact sub or from the off is probably yet to be decided but either way he looks as if he can do some damage.
During the second half, everyone's confidence from set-pieces had disappeared as we conceded two goals from two free-kicks, but after these blips England went back again to being solid at getting rid of crosses as Sweden didn't really cause much trouble after England took a 3 - 2 lead.
In the Ukraine game I expect to see Wayne Rooney come into the team and maybe a couple of other changes to be made but at least where we finish in the group is in our hands.
And wasn't it quality seeing Ibra's face after the full time whistle?
It started off well and England took a 1 - 0 lead with their pony-tailed striker Andy Carroll climbing above Olof Mellberg to send England into the lead and the whole country in raptures. After half-time the game took a shocking turn as Glen Johnson scored an unfortunate own goal and England's hopefully momentary frailty in dealing with set-pieces was exploited as Mellberg rose to meet Larsson's cross and power a header into the England goal.
England at this point thought, as a whole, 'here we go again'.. and don't say you didn't because everyone's optimism after the France result seemed to diminish as we stared at a scoreline reading England 1 - 2 Sweden. Cries to bring off James Milner were echoed across the country and the people in the venue I was at seemed to shout it so loud Roy Hodgson himself probably heard it. Theo Walcott entered the fray for Milner and made almost an instant impact, thundering a swerving volley past Isaksson from outside the area. Then 14 minutes later came the moment of genius from Danny Welbeck (of course he meant it) which sent England into delirium; so much delirium that pint upon pint were thrown into the air. England were then able to shut the game out, to the relief of everyone.
The game for England in the first half seemed relatively comfortable with solid defending and hard-work in retrieving the ball culminating in a half-time lead, Carroll's first start in the Euro's and his audition to play alongside Wayne Rooney on his return went well with Carroll doing what he was assigned and grasping the chance with both hands, causing the Swedes trouble with his height, scoring a goal and chasing down defenders and Carroll carried on his end of season form with another fine display which will have also done wonders for his confidence. Welbeck yet again impressed, grabbing a goal and continuing from his hard-working display against France. Ashley Young was switched to the left wing as Carroll came in for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and slotted upfront alongside Welbeck and Young gave a performance we came to expect from him, causing trouble with his pace and working hard to support Ashley Cole in defence. Hopefully Walcott's injury worry isn't serious and he can recover because his impact in the game will have given him some confidence and whether he will be used as an impact sub or from the off is probably yet to be decided but either way he looks as if he can do some damage.
During the second half, everyone's confidence from set-pieces had disappeared as we conceded two goals from two free-kicks, but after these blips England went back again to being solid at getting rid of crosses as Sweden didn't really cause much trouble after England took a 3 - 2 lead.
In the Ukraine game I expect to see Wayne Rooney come into the team and maybe a couple of other changes to be made but at least where we finish in the group is in our hands.
And wasn't it quality seeing Ibra's face after the full time whistle?
Friday, 15 June 2012
England team vs. Sweden
Joe Hart
Glen Johnson
John Terry
Joleon Lescott
Ashley Cole
James Milner
Steven Gerrard
Scott Parker
Ashley Young
Andy Carroll
Danny Welbeck
Glen Johnson
John Terry
Joleon Lescott
Ashley Cole
James Milner
Steven Gerrard
Scott Parker
Ashley Young
Andy Carroll
Danny Welbeck
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
England Vs. France reaction
So after months of anticipation and predictions, England finally got their Euro 2012 campaign underway and the majority of the country were subdued about their expectations for the national team.
However, Roy Hodgson's team were a typical Hodgson team, they were not spectacular but concentrated more on defensive solidity which for the opening 35 minutes was coming to the fore. After Joleon Lescott headed in the 30th minute opener, England not only jumped up and down as a whole but actually started to believe that Woy's boys could start to ruffle some European feathers. Despite coming out of the game with a draw after taking the lead and being put under a lot of pressure throughout the game, England have a lot of positives to draw upon after their opening game.
Joe Hart (after a shaky start) showed why he is England's number one stopper and produced some good saves and also came to meet a lot of crosses which will instill confidence into England's back four. The back four also performing admirably with Ashley Cole, John Terry and Joleon Lescott replicating their best club form and the much-maligned Glen Johnson also performing well after what seemed to be a shaky start for the Liverpool right-back. The centre of midfield looked solid in the tackle and Steven Gerrard's passing was incisive while Scott Parker's defensive shielding abilities shone once again as he put in vital tackles and blocks, his passing however left much to be desired in the first half but did improve greatly after the interval. James Milner did the job he set out to do on the right side of midfield with a hard working performance which showed as towards the end of his game he looked absolutely knackered, he probably won't be seen as a more permanent fixture in the first 11 by Hodgson though. Despite it being his first start and only his third cap, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain once again was able to show what a talent he is with some good runs and a solid performance down the left wing. Danny Welbeck was the candidate chosen to replace Wayne Rooney as the man to lead England's line and I thought he performed well in his audition - holding up the ball when necessary, making all the right runs and making the French defence unsettled, the only shame about Welbeck's performance is he wasn't able to utilize his pace more against two centre-backs who were clearly lacking in speed.
The performance is what the country should have expected from a Roy Hodgson team and despite missing the likes of Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, England still performed well. The major negative of the game was how lacklustre England were going forward, creating very little chances and in the second half especially not being able to get much of a foothold in the French half.
It was a promising start for England and let's hope this is a good foundation to build on for the rest of the championship.
However, Roy Hodgson's team were a typical Hodgson team, they were not spectacular but concentrated more on defensive solidity which for the opening 35 minutes was coming to the fore. After Joleon Lescott headed in the 30th minute opener, England not only jumped up and down as a whole but actually started to believe that Woy's boys could start to ruffle some European feathers. Despite coming out of the game with a draw after taking the lead and being put under a lot of pressure throughout the game, England have a lot of positives to draw upon after their opening game.
Joe Hart (after a shaky start) showed why he is England's number one stopper and produced some good saves and also came to meet a lot of crosses which will instill confidence into England's back four. The back four also performing admirably with Ashley Cole, John Terry and Joleon Lescott replicating their best club form and the much-maligned Glen Johnson also performing well after what seemed to be a shaky start for the Liverpool right-back. The centre of midfield looked solid in the tackle and Steven Gerrard's passing was incisive while Scott Parker's defensive shielding abilities shone once again as he put in vital tackles and blocks, his passing however left much to be desired in the first half but did improve greatly after the interval. James Milner did the job he set out to do on the right side of midfield with a hard working performance which showed as towards the end of his game he looked absolutely knackered, he probably won't be seen as a more permanent fixture in the first 11 by Hodgson though. Despite it being his first start and only his third cap, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain once again was able to show what a talent he is with some good runs and a solid performance down the left wing. Danny Welbeck was the candidate chosen to replace Wayne Rooney as the man to lead England's line and I thought he performed well in his audition - holding up the ball when necessary, making all the right runs and making the French defence unsettled, the only shame about Welbeck's performance is he wasn't able to utilize his pace more against two centre-backs who were clearly lacking in speed.
The performance is what the country should have expected from a Roy Hodgson team and despite missing the likes of Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, England still performed well. The major negative of the game was how lacklustre England were going forward, creating very little chances and in the second half especially not being able to get much of a foothold in the French half.
It was a promising start for England and let's hope this is a good foundation to build on for the rest of the championship.
Monday, 11 June 2012
England team to face France
Joe Hart
Glen Johnson
John Terry
Joleon Lescott
Ashley Cole
James Milner
Steven Gerrard
Scott Parker
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Ashley Young
Danny Welbeck
COME ON ENGLAND!
Glen Johnson
John Terry
Joleon Lescott
Ashley Cole
James Milner
Steven Gerrard
Scott Parker
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Ashley Young
Danny Welbeck
COME ON ENGLAND!
Friday, 8 June 2012
Transfer Update 1.
With money bound to be thrown around this summer as clubs look to stay in the league and also keep up with Manchester City, it's hard not to see some major signings being made.
Chelsea have made big strides to build on their Champions League success by signing Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard from Lille for a fee believed to be £32million, this is added to the signing of German winger Marko Marin who was signed from Werder Bremen for £8million a few weeks ago. Chelsea are also reportedly set to add Porto forward Hulk to bolster their front-line for a fee in the region of £38million. While releasing fringe players such as Florent Malouda, Jose Bosingwa and Salomon Kalou, Chelsea are also waving goodbye to their talismanic forward Didier Drogba who after 7 years, 157 goals and 12 trophies has bid farewell to Chelsea and the Premiership and it is likely he will be seeing out his playing career in China.
Arsenal have already signed German striker Lukas Podolski from F.C. Koln for a fee believed to be around £10million and they are also reportedly interested in Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud who was the French league's top scorer last season and he is valued at £9million. The Gunners interest in Giroud will be swayed with what happens to the future of strikers Marouane Chamakh and Park-Chu Young who mustered two goals between them last season, also the future of captain Robin Van Persie needs to be resolved soon if Arsenal are to have a steady foundation with which to build on for the new season Arsenal have also been heavily linked with Rennes defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila who is reportedly set to sign for the Gunners for a £15million fee which could rise to £18million depending on add-ons. Johan Djourou is a player who has become frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities at Arsenal and he is reportedly set to leave the Emirates this summer for a fee of around £5million with Juventus noteworthy suitors for the Swiss centre-backs signature. Carlos Vela has been in touch with three Spanish clubs in order to secure a move away from Arsenal where after multiple loan spells he has still found it hard to break into the Arsenal first-team. Andrey Arshavin looks set to make his loan move back to Zenit St. Petersburg permanent after the Euro 2012 Championships. Manuel Almunia and Gavin Hoyte have not had their contracts renewed.
Manchester United are playing catch-up to Manchester City after just narrowly losing out to their rivals on the Premiership title. They have completed the signing of Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa for a £15million fee from Borussia Dortmund and are also reportedly set to land £15million rated Polish striker Robert Lewandowski who finished last season with 30 goals in 46 games. Manchester United have also released striker Michael Owen and 'keeper Tomasz Kuszczak and striker Dimitar Berbatov looks set to leave after a tough season at Old Trafford.
Liverpool have sold workhorse Dirk Kuyt to Fenerbache for a £2million fee and have also sold Fabio Aurelio to Gremio for free. Newcastle have made their first strides in the transfer window by signing Romain Amalfitano from Reims on a free transfer. The only movement so far from champions Manchester City is the releasing of defensive midfielder Owen Hargreaves. And probably the biggest news of the summer so far... Aston Villa have released Emile Heskey.
The start of what should be a busy summer for the Premiership!
Chelsea have made big strides to build on their Champions League success by signing Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard from Lille for a fee believed to be £32million, this is added to the signing of German winger Marko Marin who was signed from Werder Bremen for £8million a few weeks ago. Chelsea are also reportedly set to add Porto forward Hulk to bolster their front-line for a fee in the region of £38million. While releasing fringe players such as Florent Malouda, Jose Bosingwa and Salomon Kalou, Chelsea are also waving goodbye to their talismanic forward Didier Drogba who after 7 years, 157 goals and 12 trophies has bid farewell to Chelsea and the Premiership and it is likely he will be seeing out his playing career in China.
Arsenal have already signed German striker Lukas Podolski from F.C. Koln for a fee believed to be around £10million and they are also reportedly interested in Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud who was the French league's top scorer last season and he is valued at £9million. The Gunners interest in Giroud will be swayed with what happens to the future of strikers Marouane Chamakh and Park-Chu Young who mustered two goals between them last season, also the future of captain Robin Van Persie needs to be resolved soon if Arsenal are to have a steady foundation with which to build on for the new season Arsenal have also been heavily linked with Rennes defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila who is reportedly set to sign for the Gunners for a £15million fee which could rise to £18million depending on add-ons. Johan Djourou is a player who has become frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities at Arsenal and he is reportedly set to leave the Emirates this summer for a fee of around £5million with Juventus noteworthy suitors for the Swiss centre-backs signature. Carlos Vela has been in touch with three Spanish clubs in order to secure a move away from Arsenal where after multiple loan spells he has still found it hard to break into the Arsenal first-team. Andrey Arshavin looks set to make his loan move back to Zenit St. Petersburg permanent after the Euro 2012 Championships. Manuel Almunia and Gavin Hoyte have not had their contracts renewed.
Manchester United are playing catch-up to Manchester City after just narrowly losing out to their rivals on the Premiership title. They have completed the signing of Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa for a £15million fee from Borussia Dortmund and are also reportedly set to land £15million rated Polish striker Robert Lewandowski who finished last season with 30 goals in 46 games. Manchester United have also released striker Michael Owen and 'keeper Tomasz Kuszczak and striker Dimitar Berbatov looks set to leave after a tough season at Old Trafford.
Liverpool have sold workhorse Dirk Kuyt to Fenerbache for a £2million fee and have also sold Fabio Aurelio to Gremio for free. Newcastle have made their first strides in the transfer window by signing Romain Amalfitano from Reims on a free transfer. The only movement so far from champions Manchester City is the releasing of defensive midfielder Owen Hargreaves. And probably the biggest news of the summer so far... Aston Villa have released Emile Heskey.
The start of what should be a busy summer for the Premiership!
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