OT: I think England will do quite well at the 2016 Euros

Nothing to do with the group results. The youngsters look like quality and they're new enough that they haven't had an opportunity to develop a habit of failure.

Most people now assume that simply pulling on an England shirt is enough to make a player, or group of players, ****e. It's not necessarily true.

 

I wasn't that confident, but we might stand a chance when you realise that one of our rivals is managed by a cartoon!!

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The issue is the same as it always has been... the expectation off the pitch.
Before long the Sun will have the 'young lions' headline, the Mirror the 'world beaters' headline and players will fall into one of two categories.....

1- Those who believe the hype and swagger around like they've won the world cup
2- Those who buckle under the weight of expectation

England needs Pardew at the helm to guide the team forward.

 

just thought I'd bump this.

yesterday of course means nothing but I doubt very much they'll be outclassed by Italy on Tuesday. in fact, I quite fancy us for the win.

quarter finals at least at the Euros

 

I wouldn't expect too much, it will be experimental due to timing. We are going ok and have some good signs. Until our centre backs improve though we have an achilles heel.

 

No doubt the team isn't perfect. What everyone in England forgets, though, is that neither are any of the other teams out there.

If England had Germany's results since the World Cup (Losing to Poland, drawing the ROI and Australia, barely scraping a injury time winner against Scotland) everyone would point to the as proof that we're 3rd rate at best. We're so focused on our own faults that we assume everyone else is much better than they really are.

 

We are a million miles are away from
Success however credit where it's due I can see small steps of encouragement, still unsure that Kane will be the star it's been talked about but fingers crossed, granted it was a weak opposition but at least we put on a performance for a change.

 

I think we will do quite well too.

 

hard to say what yesterday taught us, if anything. once they got the formation sorted, an off strength England side was a match for an off strength Italy side.

friendlies against Germany and spain next autumn - - maybe learn more then

 

We often choose not to learn anything from friendlies. If we beat the best we get "it is only a friendly and doesn't matter" whereas if we lose to them its "look we are crap and they are so much better".

I don't like the amount of changes we have made in the past for many of our friendlies but like that players like Rooney were kept in for the Italy game. To use friendlies to their best advantage surely keep most of your best team (it's not like they get much of a chance to play with each other) and either try a new formation or 2-3 new players. When you see teams change most of their team for friendly it defies the point, they wont learn from playing alongside their international colleagues.

As for our chances in 2016, we just need to get there and then keep it tight and we have a chance. Denmark 1992, Greece 2004, [insert outsider here] 2016. They weren't the best groups of players in their tournaments but they won them and have done nothing before or after. It's possible, unlikely but possible.