England v Montenegro and Poland.

[Jimothy]

Was hoping I'd get to see pretty much every minute of every game of this World Cup, but noticed a few games kicking off at 1pm local time, so 5pm our time, the time I'm gonna be travelling back from work. Bugger.

[Guest ttfn]

Makes sense in my opinion. The only possible logic.

You mean like last time when we were put with the footballing giants of USA, Slovenia and Algeria? Or the time before where we faced the legendary Sweden, Nigeria and Trinidad & Tobago?

Paraguay.

And the time before we had an horrendous group. Our Euro groups in 2000, 2004 and 2012 were hardly a cakewalk either.

[Dan]

Paraguay.

And the time before we had an horrendous group. Our Euro groups in 2000, 2004 and 2012 were hardly a cakewalk either.

 

So it was, my point still half stands.

 

2012 we were paired in probably the second easiest group - we could've ended up in a group with both Germany and Portugal yet our only major challenger appeared to be an under-performing France.

 

I genuinely cannot wait for this cup.

[LCFC FOX]

I think the last World Cup was our best chance yet! If Rob Green didn't make the mistake against USA we would of won our group and the route all the way to the final was actually easy!

[Leicesterpool]

For me the November friendly's we should to give some game time to england fringe players,

 

My potential team for England v Germany

 

Forster, Walker, Dawson, Cahill, Baines, Barkley, Lampard ©, Townsend, Agbonlahor, Defoe & Sturridge.

 

BENCH: Foster, Ruddy, Smalling, Jenkinson, Jagielka, Carrick, Wilshere, Lennon, Welbeck, Lambert, Gerrard & Rooney. 

 

Gerrard hasn't been dropped, we just need to look for other options in that position for if Gerrard picks up an injury.

[Guest MattP]

For me the November friendly's we should to give some game time to england fringe players,

 

My potential team for England v Germany

 

Forster, Walker, Dawson, Cahill, Baines, Barkley, Lampard ©, Townsend, Agbonlahor, Defoe & Sturridge.

 

BENCH: Foster, Ruddy, Smalling, Jenkinson, Jagielka, Carrick, Wilshere, Lennon, Welbeck, Lambert, Gerrard & Rooney. 

 

Gerrard hasn't been dropped, we just need to look for other options in that position for if Gerrard picks up an injury.

 

Bollocks to that, start picking the team you want to play in the World Cup now and give it as much time to gel as possible.

 

What's the point of dropping Joe Hart?

 

Defoe has always been a bench player so he shouldn't start and I presume Agbonlahor is a joke?

[Leicesterpool]

Bollocks to that, start picking the team you want to play in the World Cup now and give it as much time to gel as possible.

 

What's the point of dropping Joe Hart?

 

Defoe has always been a bench player so he shouldn't start and I presume Agbonlahor is a joke?

Hart is being dropped, we just need to look to giving the other four goalie's a chance. We also need to look for a plan B, we need to start these so called bench warmers and get them prepared give them game time. Otherwise we'll have that problem in bringing on players in the tournament who haven't had much game time and haven't gelled into the team.

 

The time for finding out the best eleven isn't now, it's finding the players and see if they fit in. It's okay saying pick the team that you want in the world cup, well what if we do that and come end of the season we've got Rooney out, Gerrard out, Hart Out, Cahill out, Baines out, Lampard out, Sturridge out. 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I think the last World Cup was our best chance yet! If Rob Green didn't make the mistake against USA we would of won our group and the route all the way to the final was actually easy!

 

Have a word. We got spanked as soon as we faced anyone even approaching half-decent and were gash ourselves throughout.

[Guest MattP]

Hart is being dropped, we just need to look to giving the other four goalie's a chance. We also need to look for a plan B, we need to start these so called bench warmers and get them prepared give them game time. Otherwise we'll have that problem in bringing on players in the tournament who haven't had much game time and haven't gelled into the team.

 

The time for finding out the best eleven isn't now, it's finding the players and see if they fit in. It's okay saying pick the team that you want in the world cup, well what if we do that and come end of the season we've got Rooney out, Gerrard out, Hart Out, Cahill out, Baines out, Lampard out, Sturridge out. 

 

If we have got Rooney, Gerrard, Hart, Baines, Lampard and Sturrudge out then so be it. We need to plan on a first eleven and play it. You can't plan for things that might happen.

 

We seem to be the only country in Europe who seem to think we should try different things and fill the team with people who shouldn't even play a lot of the time, how about this time we plan properly and play a first choice side every single match, I don't think it will do us any harm.

[Corky]

For me the November friendly's we should to give some game time to england fringe players,

 

My potential team for England v Germany

 

Forster, Walker, Dawson, Cahill, Baines, Barkley, Lampard ©, Townsend, Agbonlahor, Defoe & Sturridge.

 

BENCH: Foster, Ruddy, Smalling, Jenkinson, Jagielka, Carrick, Wilshere, Lennon, Welbeck, Lambert, Gerrard & Rooney. 

 

Gerrard hasn't been dropped, we just need to look for other options in that position for if Gerrard picks up an injury.

 

Why are you so desperate for Agbonlahor to be in England squads?

[Jimothy]

Why are you so desperate for Agbonlahor to be in England squads?

He's a Villa "fan".

Only part of Leicesterpools posts I agree with is giving one if the back up keepers are game. In previous tournaments we've had 2 or 3 keepers with vast amounts of premier league, European and international football, but now our back up have literally none of that. Wouldn't hurt to just let someone like Ruddy or Forster get rid of some first game nerves.

[Uncle Albert]

Yeah Euro 2004 was the tournament we should have won, as well as Euro 1996, obviously.

 

I can still remember that Portugal as if it was yesterday, such a good game and certainly a game England never deserved to lose. Campbell climbing over Terry to score his header and the Ref disallowing it, you knew it was disaster after that.

 

Trying to remember back to the start of that tournament, did people back us to do well in Portugal? I can't remember there being a lot of pre-tournament hype surrounding England, not as much as Germany in 2006 that's for sure with the 'Golden Generation'.

[ADK]

I thought we played very well and if welbeck and sturridge improve a little in the time until the tournament then we could be in with a shot.

[GingerrrFox]

I just woke up from a vivid dream of England qualifying for the 2018 world cup. 

 

Hart

 

Walker

Smalling

Jones

Shaw

 

Wilshere

Ravel Morrison

Barkley

 

Townsend

Rooney

Zaha

 

Battered France 4-1. At least I've still got my imagination.

[Dan]

I think the last World Cup was our best chance yet! If Rob Green didn't make the mistake against USA we would of won our group and the route all the way to the final was actually easy!

 

We didn't turn in a single good display. We struggled to draws against USA & Algeria, beat Slovenia marginally and as soon as we faced a decent side, we were absolutely turned over. The last world cup campaign was simply indefensible from England and I really do think we'll avoid a repeat, can't imagine us being that useless.

[Dan]

If we have got Rooney, Gerrard, Hart, Baines, Lampard and Sturrudge out then so be it. We need to plan on a first eleven and play it. You can't plan for things that might happen.

 

We seem to be the only country in Europe who seem to think we should try different things and fill the team with people who shouldn't even play a lot of the time, how about this time we plan properly and play a first choice side every single match, I don't think it will do us any harm.

 

I agree in experimenting in certain games but not the pre-WC friendlies. They should be genuine preparation for the cup with the players that you intend to use.

 

Credit to Hart also, he didn't do badly in either of the games in the last week.

[Uncle Albert]

Yeah exactly, not pre-World Cup it's all about installing a winning mentality. Trust me right now Hodgson will probably know his 23 man squad already, obviously players can play their way into form and push for a place but until then you need to be playing your best eleven as much as possible, the more the lads play together the more understanding they have with each other.

 

It's going to be a test for Hodgson in trying to find the right balance in these pre-World Cup friendlies.

[Uncle Albert]

The English media haha, absolutely embarrassing.

 

Roy Hodgson has apparently aimed a racist remark towards Andros Townsend, Townsend has come out and said he doesn't know what all the fuss is about and has taken no offence.

 

Not surprising though that this 'story' has come from the biggest bellend in journalism, Ollie Holt.

[davieG]

The English media haha, absolutely embarrassing.

 

Roy Hodgson has apparently aimed a racist remark towards Andros Townsend, Townsend has come out and said he doesn't know what all the fuss is about and has taken no offence.

 

Not surprising though that this 'story' has come from the biggest bellend in journalism, Ollie Holt.

You have to wonder how it got out of the half-time dressing room to Ollie Holt.

[Captain...]

You have to wonder how it got out of the half-time dressing room to Ollie Holt.

 

I kind of wonder what Roy's point was, the joke doesn't really seem to fit the point the he was trying to make and seems a very long winded way of saying to Smalling pass it to Townsend, he's our best outlet.

 

The joke in full:

 

“NASA decided they’d finally send a man up in a capsule after sending only monkeys in the earlier missions,†the joke goes.

“They fire the man and the monkey into space.

“The intercom crackles, 'Monkey, fire the retros.'

“A little later, 'Monkey, check the solid fuel supply.'

“Later still, “Monkey, check the life support systems for the man.'

“The astronaut takes umbrage and radioes NASA, 'When do I get to do something?'

“NASA replies, 'In 15 minutes - feed the monkey.'â€

 

 

It's clearly nothing like racist, but it is an odd thing to say.

[davieG]

I kind of wonder what Roy's point was, the joke doesn't really seem to fit the point the he was trying to make and seems a very long winded way of saying to Smalling pass it to Townsend, he's our best outlet.

 

The joke in full:

 

“NASA decided they’d finally send a man up in a capsule after sending only monkeys in the earlier missions,” the joke goes.

“They fire the man and the monkey into space.

“The intercom crackles, 'Monkey, fire the retros.'

“A little later, 'Monkey, check the solid fuel supply.'

“Later still, “Monkey, check the life support systems for the man.'

“The astronaut takes umbrage and radioes NASA, 'When do I get to do something?'

“NASA replies, 'In 15 minutes - feed the monkey.'”

 

 

It's clearly nothing like racist, but it is an odd thing to say.

 

 

Maybe it's a story he liked to tell from way back and it became part of what Roy is, plenty of people are known for using specific phrases beyond their normal life span. I guess there's loads of things older people say that younger people 'don't get' and can appear out of context/tenuous.

[purpleronnie]

the media love to do everything they can to scupper England's chances.

[notnow john]

Clearly an injudicious remark, Should be sacked and banned for life

And while we're at it, Hartlepools United should be thrown out of the league!

[Hirsty The Blue 94]

I kind of wonder what Roy's point was, the joke doesn't really seem to fit the point the he was trying to make and seems a very long winded way of saying to Smalling pass it to Townsend, he's our best outlet.

 

The joke in full:

 

“NASA decided they’d finally send a man up in a capsule after sending only monkeys in the earlier missions,†the joke goes.

“They fire the man and the monkey into space.

“The intercom crackles, 'Monkey, fire the retros.'

“A little later, 'Monkey, check the solid fuel supply.'

“Later still, “Monkey, check the life support systems for the man.'

“The astronaut takes umbrage and radioes NASA, 'When do I get to do something?'

“NASA replies, 'In 15 minutes - feed the monkey.'â€

 

 

It's clearly nothing like racist, but it is an odd thing to say.

Makes perfect sense to me. Simply saying 'Smalling you're fvcking useless pass the ball to Townsend'

[Corky]

I'm amazed they've released the story now, usually they'd wait until a couple of days before our first game in the finals.

 

This is a non-story, Hodgson went the long way around telling the team to pass the ball to Townsend, most understood it, weren't offended in the slightest but, of course, we have to make a story out of it.

 

Townsend isn't offended, he's tweeted that, so it should be the end. Doubt it will be though.