Euro2012

France 2 up against Ukraine after 60mins. France look a decent side.

Andy Carroll with a cracking header 1- 0 England

I'd rather have had Crouch than Carroll, but fair play, play to his strengths and Carroll must be a nightmare for defenders.

Edited to add: 42 mins, a case in point. Welbeck turned just inside the Swedish half and was away, but Carroll, being the lumbering oaf that he is, was about 40 yards behind him, and Welbeck was inevitably tackled after having to try and beat the entire Swedish defence on his own.

Two different players. Wellbeck has masses of talent but Carroll has got to be the best big man with a head running onto a ball for many a decade. His style reminds me of the strongest hard man header of a ball in history, Frank Lord. Once some players get a head of steam up, there really is no stopping them ... Tony Hateley was another one ... Crouch is a man for the hanging header off his heels being about a 9ft 3 pike staff.
If you try to beat an onrushing Carroll to the ball you basically lose your head... he's a tough guy who rarely gets involved with the niggle..

It's like watching two mid table Premier League teams, lots of running about, a few tackles flying in but precious little quality. Having said that I'll take 1-0 at half time.

Indeed Penz, Crouch and Carroll are entirely different 'big men'.

And if Carroll gets a regular run, and matches Crouch's ratio of 22 goals in 42 England games, I may even change my opinion on him...

Walcott & Welbeck, take a bow.

What a goal.

Oh, and Mark Lawrenson is an utter, utter, cock.

From the dullest game of the tournament so far to the most exciting, in the blink of an eye. Just a draw against Ukraine now, easy innit.

Full credit to that England team tonight.

Before it all started I didn't give a flying one, I don't need to name the reasons.

The game against France was all about not losing, England done it well. Tonight is just fekn ecstatic for me, it reminds me of Bobby Robson's spell.

All I really wish from here on is for the nation to remain low key but supportive. I think we have a decent team whom could actually do this if we remain low key. We're not brilliant but we're English. We do know how to win!

England have been bloody awful, but as it stands, will win the group.

Sweden beating France...

Ok I clearly know nothing about football as I support Argyle and Scotland, but why did England change the team and play Rooney tonight, when they've been doing well without him?

Apart from scoring a goal my Nan would have put away, he was piss poor and England were obsessed with getting the ball to him.

England have been gifted Italy instead of Spain now and knowing my luck will end up winning this thing now. Wankers

God bless Sir Wayne and all the Motherlands Glory Boys. ( did that just for you jock)

Not really a convincing performance as such and darned lucky with the Ukraine "goal"[although it was offside in the build up and nowhere near as blatant as the Blatter/Uruguayan linesman scandal in 2010] but bottom line is that England are unbeaten and have won what could have been a tricky group.It'll be interesting to see if England have enough about them to make sufficient improvement as the tournament progresses and become genuine contenders.Italy will provide stiff opposition-they haven't looked good either,but they didn't when they won the world cup in 2006.Very pleased that England are through,i'm beginning to get interested again after not giving a toss at the start of the tournamnet.

Wooooo whooo! England in the quarter finals!!

I thought I would post this again!

Sorry GreenJock!

Greenjock wrote:

Ok I clearly know nothing about football as I support Argyle and Scotland, but why did England change the team and play Rooney tonight, when they've been doing well without him?

Apart from scoring a goal my Nan would have put away, he was piss poor and England were obsessed with getting the ball to him.

England have been gifted Italy instead of Spain now and knowing my luck will end up winning this thing now. Wankers

Rooney was always gonna start this game - imagine the furore if England went out, and Hodgson didn't start with Rooney, after selecting him in the squad?

I thought Milner was poor again, and Young only marginally better than against Sweden.

With France losing 2-0, I think we may have even been able to lose this game 2-1 and still qualify on goals scored, so facing Italy isn't even a gift really, but if it is, it would have been gifted by the French!

Merci Beaucoup!

Bah fuckin humbug. Actually I can see you going on and winning it under Woy. Not the prettiest to watch but top of your group and not got out of third gear to do it. If you can play better than this and still have a bit of luck who knows.

Still think Rooney is overrated and isn't a shadow of the player he was. Still the manager seems to make the right selection every game so far. Milner and Young are almost non existent so it's lucky Gerrard has broad shoulders. He's been outstanding for you.

If you can beat Italy, Spain and Germany then fair play to you. Now I'm off to bed sulking

I didn't want Rooney to play, but I aint paid £millions to manage.

Without Rooney we would've got our draw (if not the win). It's all good in this hood jock,. hear what I'm sayin'...you take care your own failures, we'll take care of ours

Has Robbie signed his big fat ass yet?

It was like watching Argyle play tonight. Being absolutely battered by mediocre opposition for nearly the whole match, defending deep and holding on for grim death. Except unlike Argyle England somehow held on.

As for the official on the goal line

Freathy wrote:

It was like watching Argyle play tonight. Being absolutely battered by mediocre opposition for nearly the whole match, defending deep and holding on for grim death. Except unlike Argyle England somehow held on.

As for the official on the goal line

Lovely sentiments . Lovely .

Erm........think Argyle hung on in sufficient matches Freathy or else they would be in the conference now. Maybe you just watched the wrong games last season or didn't watch any.

Lets face it England did just about enough of what they needed to do. They won and qualified. Probably won't win the tournament but at least they are still in it against all the thoughts people had they wouldn't be. If by some stretch of the imagination they did manage to win the thing, yep I know that's a difficult one to imagine, the record books will show the outcome and not the means. Don't people often quote that it is a results business.

We're on the road with Hodgie's army.....

Sensiblegreeny wrote:

Erm........think Argyle hung on in sufficient matches Freathy or else they would be in the conference now.

Oh yes silly me. Your 100% right. It must have just been a bad dream that we finished near the bottom of L2.

But not relegated Freathy which was the actual point being made so the number of times they hung on like England and like England didn't lose were sufficient. Nobody said it was pretty or nice to watch. The one thing the doom merchants can't now say is "told you so" because they were wrong in the end.

I agree with Jock, and Rooney must have been a 'political' decision .. perhaps Woy doesn't feel comfortable enough to drop this size of reputation yet. Worst game I have seen Rooney play, and I would 'rest him' for the Italy game.
Ukraine were poor and England were never going to be knocked out by this bunch.
Quite impressed by Woy's continued disciplined stance, if not the players he picked. He was certainly happier than the miserable Geeeeeerard after the game. Well done Woy, you must feel your lottery ticket has come up, I'm happy for you, always liked your punditry.

Who are Italy ? who plays for them these days apart from Bouffant who's older than Yashin.
I confidently see a semi final coming up if Chamberlain comes in for Young and Carroll for Rooney. If Fallon can jump and elbow Italy all over the field with ease, just imagine wahat Carroll could do.

Sensiblegreeny wrote:

But not relegated Freathy which was the actual point being made so the number of times they hung on like England and like England didn't lose were sufficient. Nobody said it was pretty or nice to watch. The one thing the doom merchants can't now say is "told you so" because they were wrong in the end.

You think Argyle being uber crap and finishing near the bottom of a dog shit division like L2 is a reason for great celebration and I don't. Never the twain shall meet.