England

[Uncle Leo]

No,only the top two automatically but third place might be good enough for a play-off place.

Yes, no matter how good (or bad) we are, it is almost impossible for us - or indeed many of the 'leading' teams - not to qualify. This upcoming qualification process is going to be pretty dull.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Yes, no matter how good (or bad) we are, it is almost impossible for us - or indeed many of the 'leading' teams - not to qualify. This upcoming qualification process is going to be pretty dull.

Yeah about half of the teams taking part in the qualification process will quailify for France 2016.Yawn.:zzzzz:

 

[Rob Noxious]

Maybe he has.But if we lose on Monday (highly likely in my opinion)then there will be strong calls for Roy to step down.

I think we may do surprisingly well on Monday. The Swiss are going to have to come at us and with a bit of luck will leave a few Gruyere-like holes for our mobile SAS lads to exploit and then roll them over.

 

[Rob Noxious]

Yes, no matter how good (or bad) we are, it is almost impossible for us - or indeed many of the 'leading' teams - not to qualify. This upcoming qualification process is going to be pretty dull.

Call me a silly old fool but I'm quite looking forward to Monday's game. It's the most difficult one and we'll have to be on our game. I think we will this time (perhaps more than any other time).

 

[londonblue]

I think we may do surprisingly well on Monday. The Swiss are going to have to come at us and with a bit of luck will leave a few holes of Gruyere for our mobile SAS lads to exploit for us to roll them over.

Indeed.

I have to say it did surprise me that Norway came to Wembley for a friendly and spent pretty much the entire match with 11 men behind the ball. I'm not really sure what they were hoping to achieve or even learn from that approach. It would have made more sense to me for them to actually give it a go.

That said, we were poor and didn't really look like getting in behind them regularly. It's actually very similar to us (Southend) last season. We struggled to break defensive teams down, but were very good against teams that came at us.

I also expect Switland (as my youngest calls them) to give it more of a go than Norway did.

I guess, at least we didn't lose, like Germally did.

 

[londonblue]

Call me a silly old fool but I'm quite looking forward to Monday's game. It's the most difficult one and we'll have to be on our game. I think we will this time (perhaps more than any other time).

You're a silly old fool.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Call me a silly old fool but I'm quite looking forward to Monday's game. It's the most difficult one and we'll have to be on our game. I think we will this time (perhaps more than any other time).

Both Switzerland games should be interesting enough; but the qualification process as a whole doesn't look like it is going to be very exciting.

That said, I'll still watch every England game on the telly and maybe even attend one or two* because even if we are pony these days, I'm not going to give up on my country



*Also going to see Ireland v Gibraltar next month. C'mon the Rock Apes!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

We have an uninspiring manager who only selects from the biggest clubs,True the PL has been overwhelmed by imports but we have not won nothing for 48 year's.

We need a bloke in charge who can inspire the player's make them feel ten feet tall fill them with pride wearing the 3 lions and Roy ain't that man.

From wiki "Keegan won only 38.9% of his games in charge, the lowest such percentage of any permanent England manager"

Both Switzerland games should be interesting enough; but the qualification process as a whole doesn't look like it is going to be very exciting.

That said, I'll still watch every England game on the telly and maybe even attend one or two* because even if we are pony these days, I'm not going to give up on my country


*Also going to see Ireland v Gibraltar next month. C'mon the Rock Apes!

Switzerland are a decent side and this will be a tough encounter.

I hope Gibraltar stuff the Oirish.

 

[Uncle Leo]

I hope Gibraltar stuff the Oirish.

Me too. I'm not hopeful though!

 

[ozzie]

Eh? If we're including friendlies then it's three wins from the last ten games. If we're only including competitive fixtures, which is surely a far clearer indication of an international manager's ability, then its four wins from the last ten. Remove the tough World Cup group fixtures and it's six from the last ten and no losses.

Statistic manipulation is fun, isn't it?

tough world cup group!!!!!THe only "good" team was Costa Rica, we came 4th,behind 2 other poor teams.I think the biggest difference was the managers.From the 4,ours was by far the worst

 

[dloman]

tough world cup group!!!!!THe only "good" team was Costa Rica, we came 4th,behind 2 other poor teams.I think the biggest difference was the managers.From the 4,ours was by far the worst

You mean two teams ranked above us and one just below, one of the tougher groups at the World Cup.

 

[ozzie]

yes, and these" tough" teams done well !!!

 

[BrettieAngell]

Both Switzerland games should be interesting enough; but the qualification process as a whole doesn't look like it is going to be very exciting.

That said, I'll still watch every England game on the telly and maybe even attend one or two* because even if we are pony these days, I'm not going to give up on my country

*Also going to see Ireland v Gibraltar next month. C'mon the Rock Apes!

News flash, we have been pony for years!

 

[EastStandBlue]

tough world cup group!!!!!THe only "good" team was Costa Rica, we came 4th,behind 2 other poor teams.I think the biggest difference was the managers.From the 4,ours was by far the worst

That's awfully revisionist. Prior to the tournament's start I can't think of a single person - either on here or in the press - that didn't think we'd do enormously well to qualify from a group that contained a very dangerous Uruguay side and a team that won the competition as early as eight years ago.

Revisionism seems to be a recurring trait among those keen to knock Hodgson. Games we'd be lucky to win suddenly become easy after we haven't won them (the Italy game at the World Cup in particular), and tournaments earmarked to focus almost solely on the development of a young side in transition become those we really should've performed better in. It's all very odd.

More than anything though I think people lose sight of what England are when Hodgson's task and performance are taken into consideration. We're a national football team that sacrificed its identity chasing a tournament win under the 'Golden Generation', losing its way in the process. We're rebuilding and catching up with the rest of the continent, but it's taking time and patience is needed while that transition occurs.

 

[ozzie]

we live in Germany,my son saw (this morning?? or last night),a little clip on German tv,taking the "pee" out of England,but most of all Hodgson..I did not see it,but it was about Milner (shot),fans laughing at the Englands "efforts",Hodgson not being happy at some of the reporters questions.In general,how poor we are(and i think,still falling).I am a very proud Brit,living here, but its driving me too drink:omg:

 

[ozzie]

That's awfully revisionist. Prior to the tournament's start I can't think of a single person - either on here or in the press - that didn't think we'd do enormously well to qualify from a group that contained a very dangerous Uruguay side and a team that won the competition as early as eight years ago.

Revisionism seems to be a recurring trait among those keen to knock Hodgson. Games we'd be lucky to win suddenly become easy after we haven't won them (the Italy game at the World Cup in particular), and tournaments earmarked to focus almost solely on the development of a young side in transition become those we really should've performed better in. It's all very odd.

More than anything though I think people lose sight of what England are when Hodgson's task and performance are taken into consideration. We're a national football team that sacrificed its identity chasing a tournament win under the 'Golden Generation', losing its way in the process. We're rebuilding and catching up with the rest of the continent, but it's taking time and patience is needed while that transition occurs.

very true,we all thought it was a hard group,but it was not.We have loads of catching up to do,we all know that,but we are not doing it under Hodgson.Im no fan of "Arry",i think Hodgson is the "best" of a very poor bunch of english manager,our managers seem to be even worse than the players,but i would rather have a foreign manager(i know some people dont),a better foreign manager than a not as good one,just because he is English.Would not mind the Everton manager,cannot spell his name:omg:,but he speaks great english,seems to improve everyteam he has managed

 

[EastStandBlue]

It doesn't matter whether the manager's English, foreign or not of this world, as long as we have a short-termist footballing culture in this country we won't win a damn thing. Every time it's not working we become obsessed with the idea that changes need to be rung at management level, scrap the plans and start again. All the while, the likes of Germany and Spain abide by a carefully and methodically constructed plan pieced together with the help of internal and external expertise.

Look at the Germany side you're quick to vaunt. Klinsmann accepted the job not to win anything, but to lay the groundwork for someone else to. He travelled the world identifying best practices and settled on the sports management firm EXOS to oversee elite level planning and preparation. Widespread changes rang around the Bundesliga and the national set up, all designed to put into place a plan that future squads would all abide to. It took years to yield results, but patience and perseverance paid off. It's very similar to the vision LVG is currently selling Man United... there'll be initial pain as the former rule book is torn up but there's light at the end of the tunnel.

We've started down the same path. Hodgson's been brought in under the guise of being a safe pair of hands to bring through the next generation of players while a long-term system is put into place. Key hires have already been made with Southgate installed as overseeing youth funnel, while I'm utterly convinced Neville will end up taking over from Hodgson after 2016.

Do we have the same patience as the Germans to stick with the plan and not deviate from it because of a few bad results and performances? I'm not convinced.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The level of expectation is ridiculous.

England actually won last night (and deservedly so) and are still getting slammed.

 

[EastStandBlue]

The level of expectation is ridiculous.

England actually won last night (and deservedly so) and are still getting slammed.

Precisely. And if England beat Switzerland those on here suggesting we'll lose will be among the first to say we should be winning against these teams anyway.

 

[mrsblue]

The level of expectation is ridiculous.

England actually won last night (and deservedly so) and are still getting slammed.

What level of expectation !

Deservedly so ! Pah poo I watched a different game then as I thought we shaded it that is all.

We are rubbish and Roy has made us worse !