[Lord Snooty]

What's all this "We dominated the game" shit?

Dominating a game is not having sixty odd percent possession and not scoring. Dominating a game is scoring three goals to nil and making your opponent look shit.

[0762]

Aye! It's a team game and there's definitely something amiss with England in that respect. I'm surprised at the number of changes in Woy's starting lineup but I think he's dealing with a lotta tired players, some of whom are poss looking forward to the holiday beaches - a long season!

[St Charles Owl]

I don't for one second believe any are longing to be on a beach, but I do think we have a number who are tired after a long season. We are through to the next round, that was the goal, let's see what happens from here. Ironically we beat the team that was supposed to be our hardest game, but in the end we dominated all three games and played three teams that parked the bus, and maybe we will actually do better against teams that will attack us rather than those who will sit back. We are better built for counter attack but that wasn't possible in all three games.

[Stairs]

I agree that this was a disappointing game but we, and hopefully Roy have concluded a number of things.

Sterling and Wilshere are only good enough to carry bags and help the real England players in training sessions.
Henderson in particular needs to learn how to cross a ball (or have new contact lenses). Too high, too long etc - practice, practice, practice.

We are still in in and as the football pundits will say, "a team develops through a tournament", and so there is still a chance that we can kick on and make it happen. After all the talent is there. It just needs to gel.

[SHEP_HTAFC]

Slovakia celebrating like they had won the cup after drawing 0-0 with England....deary me.

England aren't used to breaking down 10 defenders.....we are normally the ones defending.
We did dominate all 3 games, but we aren't clinical enough yet.
Surely in the next round we will come up against opposition that will want to win the game.....therefore it should be to our advantage.

So it's either Iceland, Portugal, Hungary or Austria in the next round.....except for Portugal I think that's a given we are through to the quarters.
After that it's the winners of France against 3rd place in groups C, D or E.....again one we could potentially win.
Semi's would probably be Italy or Germany. And then Spain in the final. Easy!!!!

It'll be good to see Rooney lift the trophy just as we are gearing up for leaving Europe.

[Devongone]

First Vardy's success has come as part of a team which thrived on very limited possession and space created by opposition attacks. Why are we surprised he didn't succeed against a team prepared to surrender possession in search of a clean sheet? Secondly, Lallana creates loads of danger when winning back the ball in the opponent's half. This is absolutely nullified when the opponent sits as deep as Slovakia. We won back the ball and immediately lost it again to the three Slovakian defenders expecting just such an eventuality. Third we played Handerson who clearly forfeited all his creativity when building extra muscle in the gym. He has zero and near-miss written over his every attacking move. Fourth Wilshere is an addict of the penetrative-looking forward dink which never actually creates anything more than an ooooh or an aaaah, and he combines this nicely with an ability to surrender possession at inopportune moments. Fifth and last Sturridge works best with a player who creates confusion, like Suarez did at Liverpool. He needed not a predictable Kane, or ball-over-the-top Vardy, but Rashford still trying out the extent of his skills, for whom Slovakia couldn't have been prepared.

Like all managers Mr Hodgson makes mistakes. He did last night. If I were him I'd be worrying about Joe Hart who suddenly looks like a rabbit in the headlights, keeping the magnificent Eric Dier fully-fit and whether I had the bottle to start Rashford with Sturridge (leaving Vardy and Kane's goals on the bench) and fit Rooney in behind them against a team like perhaps Portugal. I'd have tried it last night! If we play a good team that will really press us then Kane and Vardy become realistic options. If we can get to a good team that is.

[SHEP_HTAFC]

What a very good and well written assessment of England that was Devongone

[Terrier1987cas]

Personally think people are massively overreacting as per. The margins are very thin:
1. We deserved to beat Russia, we played very well and created enough chances to win 3 games only to concede to a late sucker punch. They parked the bus.
2. We deservedly beat Wales, we played okay and created enough chances to win the game. We conceded to their only 'chance' and made positive changes to win. They parked the bus.
3. We made unnecessary changes and despite playing okay didn't create enough to beat Slovakia. That said we could very easily have won but for 2/3 good saves and a goalline clearance. They parked the bus.

Now Hodgson is a buffoon who needs sacking but had the coin landed the other way he'd have been a hero with 9 points. English folk always have been and always will be fickle.

[Lord Snooty]

That's football for you.

[hibeejim21]

England have a virtual bye to the quarters anyway,with the way the tournament is set up. No hugely enjoying it to be honest.

That england defence/goalie will gift up at least one howler in a game,thats their biggest obstacle to going any further.