France v England (Group D) - Match Thread

[Jaspa]

I was worried about Johnson but he surprised me, looked comfortable on the ball and never really got beaten.

Not the whole game he wasn't

Very odd decisions made by him in the first half, bad passing and disrupting organisation

Second half he found himself and did very well in a few situations and improved.

But carried on his weird habit of chasing the ball down for the strikers, leaving RB uncovered

Keep him a s a starter tho

[Tielemans63]

I was worried about Johnson but he surprised me, looked comfortable on the ball and never really got beaten.

He was much better in the second half. He was dreadful in the first, always seemed to be 10 yards adrift of his man. Second half he was a lot more solid.

[Daggers]

Most of their shots were 25-30 yards out, I didn't feel like France would get beyond our back line at all.

Playing with eight men inside the box is always going to make that a bit difficult.

[Fox92]

As mentioned, the referee was totally one sided. Cabaye must have committed about 10 professional fouls all game!

Impressed with Ribery though. Actually, his close control, skill and ability to keep the ball is better than I though.

[shen]

Decent first half, second half was turgid. England proved as defensive a unit as always with the odd counter. I don't really blame them for taking that approach against France because Ribery and Co. are far far superior on the ball. Very strange that France chose to play the same way as Spain with no strikers, as Benzema plainly refused to stay inside the box. It looked utterly ridiculous the amount of times they just poured six men to the right/left and completely ignoring the other side. Debuchy had so much space and got a cross in almost every single time, but to what use? Very strange from the French, and just why they kept insisting to play that way I really don't know. Beautiful delivery by Gerrard and a lot of promising movement by Young, Ox, Welbeck and Milner, who I thought was the most threatening player. He get's so much stick from England fans, but he makes so many good runs, almost scored today and delivered a clever hard cross towards the end. A point each was a fair result, but I sincerely hope England will be a tad more adventurous against Ukraine and Sweden, while I hope France will actually use the width of the pitch.

Oh and for the record, I thought the game was generally played in good spirits. I understand the irritation that Cabaye didn't get booked after a series of small fouls, but I didn't think there was much bias. Where Ribery went down clutching his face, Milner stayed down at the other end too after having looked up first. Where England played on as Ribery (or was it Nasri?) was down, France kicked it out when Milner stayed down. But all in all, I thought it was a pretty clean game considering the game and the importance of it.

[Guest shearfox]

Playing with eight men inside the box is always going to make that a bit difficult.

It's called being organised and solid, some people don't realise if you do the basics right you can shock a few. Greece, Denmark even in club football Chelsea for example against Barcelona and Munich.

Not only that we have suffered injuries, have one of the best players in the world out and playing in really harsh conditions. Great result for the lads and I will take that then get beat 3 or 4 like we did against the Germans, played far too open and suffered for it.

[Corky]

Will take a point, France are on a superb run and clearly a better side than us so a draw is a positive.

Thought the ref was very poor, namely with the amount of niggly fouls overlooked one way and given the other.

Do hope we are a bit more expansive in the next two games, but organisation and commitment was there.

[AyewJoking]

Hart 6

Johnson 7

Terry 6

Lescott 6

Cole 7

Milner 7

Gerrard 6

Parker 7 (mom)

Chamberlain 7

Young 5

Welbeck 7

[Webbo]

Hart 6

Johnson 7

Terry 6

Lescott 6

Cole 7

Milner 7

Gerrard 6

Parker 7 (mom)

Chamberlain 7

Young 5

Welbeck 7

feck off.

[Fox in the North]

Very content with that point, happy with the performance against that French side. It seemed they had a bit of the pressure to win themselves. For me, England feel more like a collective team this year and with that point I think if we play the same against Ukraine and Sweden well be fine

[Guest ttfn]

7s for Gerrard, Terry and Lescott. 6 for everyone else.

[shen]

Very content with that point, happy with the performance against that French side. It seemed they had a bit of the pressure to win themselves. For me, England feel more like a collective team this year and with that point I think if we play the same against Ukraine and Sweden well be fine

From what I've seen of 45 minutes of Ukraine, you'll get torn a new one if you play the same. Notice the threat Ukraine pose down BOTH wings, and how France never had anyone in the box, but Ukraine always have two or three in there? England HAVE to impose themselves against Sweden and Ukraine and shut down their midfields to have the best chance of winning, IMO.

[Matt]

We played ok. Not amazing, not poor, could have done with winning, but we didn't lose.

Think we'll finish 2nd now though (Unless the Ukraine v Sweden match finishes as it is (0-0) then we still stand a chance of finishing top.

What's the update on our patriotic hero Leicesterpool? Been a cringeworthy twat? Been ok? Been asking if any Irish have cheer for us? People like him kind of hope England do fail.

Oh ok my 2nd paragraph is now pointless 1-0 Sweden, think we'll finish the group 2nd (As it stands)

[Leicester Rule!]

We played ok. Not amazing, not poor, could have done with winning, but we didn't lose.

Think we'll finish 2nd now though (Unless the Ukraine v Sweden match finishes as it is (0-0) then we still stand a chance of finishing top.

What's the update on our patriotic hero Leicesterpool? Been a cringeworthy twat? Been ok? Been asking if any Irish have cheer for us? People like him kind of hope England do fail.

Oh ok my 2nd paragraph is now pointless 1-0 Sweden, think we'll finish the group 2nd (As it stands)

Your 4th paragraph is now pointless.

[Fox in the North]

From what I've seen of 45 minutes of Ukraine, you'll get torn a new one if you play the same. Notice the threat Ukraine pose down BOTH wings, and how France never had anyone in the box, but Ukraine always have two or three in there? England HAVE to impose themselves against Sweden and Ukraine and shut down their midfields to have the best chance of winning, IMO.

Yeah they probably will have to impose more against ukraine, but I think the Ukrainian defence could be more vulnerable than the French. It's all swings and roundabouts really. Well just have to see what English side turns up.

[Bert]

Thought Welbeck lead the line well. We had to be more cautious against the French as they're a dangerous side. Can't really remember them breaking us down which for me says we defended well. Most of their attempts were long range.

I'm happy with a point, but there's room for plenty of improvement.

[accessory]

Some players struggled in the hot conditions. France bossed the midfield but lacked a cutting edge in the penalty area.

In the circumstances a point was a decent result, but we need to follow this up with a win over Sweden. A group decider away to Ukraine will be tough, especially if Shevchenko remains in form.

[ACF]

I think we need a quicker transition from an interception, need a threat for a counter attack. If we can get Young, the Ox, Wellbeck and even Theo moving the ball quickly in final third, we'll be in the quarters no doubt.

[Jordan]

England had a game plan and stuck to it pretty well. Aside from Nasri's goal and maybe a couple of times Hart was tested, England's defense was well-organized and did a great job keeping Ribéry and Benzema too get away from goal to threaten.

Hodgson managed this game very smartly, but I cannot say the same for Blanc. Having three skillful forwards does not automatically make for creative attacking play, and France were woefully one-dimensional. Their forwards and midfielders were running into each other 25 yards from goal, and they simply refused to make probing runs off the ball or get someone--anyone--in the box when they had possession on the wings. It was as if the French game plan was, "Wait for one of your teammates to do something."

I like this French squad; they are loaded with talent. But there is one thing missing in their skillful attack: a target man up front. If they had anyone that could hold up the ball or win headers, I'd have stuck him on top of the box to post up on Lescott all game long to not just try to play Nasri and Benzema running through but also try to get Terry in a foot race with either of them.

I don't know if the heat bothered France, but if it did, they weren't trained properly because this didn't affect England. Perhaps France decided early on to take the draw, which is stupid when you have so much possession. While France had all of the possession, they played right into England's strength, so kudos to Hodgson for getting the point today.

I think Welbeck, Young and Ox did well considering the lack of support they had. Service will improve in the next two games, when Parker and Gerrard won't have to sit so far back until England have a lead.

[Finnegan]

I resent what England did (the same way I was disappointed in Chelsea's CL final) but I completely understand Hodgson for doing so. He's got a hugely underwhelming squad, he's been attacked by his own media from the moment he was appointed, he's got a deceptively tough group and a point against the French would put him in great stead to get through.

It'll be interesting to see if he adopts the same strategy if you get to the knock out stages!

It was boring, yes, but man for man France were much, much stronger on paper and sometimes you've got to play to your strengths. What infuriated me about Chelsea was that they had a wealth of attacking talent that they could have beaten Bayern's crippled defence with without the need to be so defensive that Drogba was playing at full-back. I don't think the same can be said of England, I think as much as it killed the spectacle they did what they had to against a side that hasn't lost in how many internationals? Twenty two now?

Fair play.

As an aside, by the way, Benzema's accuracy for range is terrifying. Never quite managed to get enough venom on it to truly worry Hart but he was like a marksman with some of his thirty odd yard pops even though he never quite seemed balanced or set up for a strike. Fantastic ability.

As if. I've seen you lose your rag with people on here plenty of times, and not years ago. Calling people this that and the other is common in your posts.

In fact it's you who got irritated with my post in the first place, sunshine.

I can see where you might be getting confused, now.

Bad language does not equate to being deeply upset. If I was verging on a nervous breakdown every time I told someone to **** off for being a moron I'd have been committed years ago.

[davieG]

Decent result awful game that seemed like no one really wanted to win or at least take the risk worst match so far I was bored watching it.

[Finnegan]

Think we'll finish 2nd now though (Unless the Ukraine v Sweden match finishes as it is (0-0) then we still stand a chance of finishing top.

You should certainly be the favourites to finish second but if you don't beat Sweden and need to beat Ukraine to go through, with them only needing to draw, in front of their own fans and on something of a high after a good win yesterday?

I wouldn't be overly confident just yet. I think this is a really potentially dangerous group. You should get out, definitely, but eh. Must beat Sweden.

[Nick]

'England', the 'Stoke City' of international football.

[marbelladave]

England did well, deserved a point and could possibly have nicked the win.

Given his resources, Hodgson set us up in the only possible way that would get us a point. France are better technically and would probably have won a more open game so England played it tight and pretty defensively.

A few years ago we could have taken them on in midfield but that is not now an option, the kind of midfield battle that England could have entered into will simply give away free kicks every time contact is made in the tackle and we will be lucky to finish the game with 9 men.

This was clear in yesterdays game, virtually any English tackle of any note was given as a foul, a 'robust' tackle of any kind is now considered as 'violent' or 'dangerous' play if there is any contact with the ball carrier whatsoever.

I am not a dinosaur and have no wish to return to the brutality of the 70's and 80's but outlawing tackling (as appears to be the intent of both Fifa and Uefa) has turned football into a one dimensional, possession game that is often tedious in the extreme.

[BlueSi13]

Hart 6

Johnson 7

Terry 6

Lescott 6

Cole 7

Milner 7

Gerrard 6

Parker 7 (mom)

Chamberlain 7

Young 5

Welbeck 7

I do agree that Young was certainly the most ineffective of our attacking options yesterday. He must improve against the Swedes if we are to have a chance of beating them on Friday.