Euro 2012 Tournament.

I thought we were OK, but if you think we under-performed and still won the group easily then lets hope we can perform even better next match. I've no complaints Ukraine are a decent side and were in front of their home crowd. Gerrard's Cross for the goal was excellent and yes we had a bit of luck for once. However - played 3 - won 2 drawn 1 is pretty good. 

Well done Roy Hodgson - we'd have never got this far with the last bloke and we have ceased to be a joke.  

Yup we were OK and did enough to get the job done. Thought Ukraine played pretty well and were a tad unlucky. 

Italy next... and gut feel says they will be too good.  However it's knock out now and anything can happen. 

A tad?  I'll say!  Hard to understand how the ref didn't see the ball cross the line.  That goal would have energized the Ukrainian team, and given them a very good shot at the win.

Honestly, I get the whole romance of soccer argument, but there is a case to be made for instant replay for goals or, even better, sensors in the posts themselves with a red light on top...just like In hockey.  

When they kept showing closeups of the referee's face, all I could think of was the Ukrainian mafia. I hope UEFA has something similar to the witness protection program...this ref needs a new identity, and a fresh start someplace very far away!  

But seriously, congrats to the White team. I will defintely be rooting for them in the quarter finals!

Hook

Hook,

Goal, no goal, it shouldn't be a discussion; the Ukraine player who receives the long ball and passes inside is offside.

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How slow is England's midfield on the counter!

Cheers,

OW

England would've felt hard done by if the goal had stood as there was a clear offside earlier in the move that wasn't given. (Edit: OW beat me to it.)

Just seen it again on BBC, and the extra official is bang on the line himself, so he can't see past the post (doh) but you could tell in real time instantly from the trajectory/angle of Terry's clearance that it was in, so how the ref didn't give it, I don't know.

Quality goal from Ibra in the other match tonight.

Control the ball, pass and move.

Three things we still cannot do. As per my original post we just seem so glaringly technically deficient.

Milner and Young really do not convince as wingers, and play too far away from Gerrard and Parker to create a hub in midfield. Milner actually worse than Young last night.The defence organisation is good etc etc (yawn)

I thought we were pretty dire. Gerrard was the real class act but the fire is waning and he cannot play the attacking role he did. Rooney not so much rusty as coming out of hibernation.

Bit suprised by the subs we used, at 1:0 up we get Walcott (who did not actually touch the ball) Carroll and Ox C.

For me I'd play Carroll and let him be a major nuisance and Walcott to try to cross it.

Bruce

Ukraine played exceptionally well. England were in effect playing an away game. We won. Good result!

Yes all very nice, but scoring more goals than the other team is the best way to win in my opinion. Spain controlled, passed, moved and finally bored Croatia in to submission; in fairness Spain are usually not boring. It is not our style to pass the ball backwards and forwards and from side to side along the back four, we are all about getting forward and having a go. 

I thought Milner did well tracking back and helping to reinforce our defence - Roy made the substitution at the right time; Ashley Young does not look convincing though and I wonder if Baines would have been preferably, especially as he plays a good long ball in to the opposition box. 

However, I say Hats Off To Roy (Hodgson) - he has introduced something new to England - winning. 

Let's hope he can keep it up for 3 more matches - if we could win the next three games then that would be great. 

Whatever the outcome - we have done really well so far. 

'we are all about getting forward and having a go'

a method that has served us very well for the last thirty years in international football of course.

I'll still be cheering us on on Sunday.

Roy Hodgson has indeed done a superb job with this group of players. I always like a manager with a Plan B and can make effective use of substitutes as he did against Sweden. Despite all their years of experience Sven Goran Erickson and Fabio Capello could not do this; they just stood and watched on -  and Capello glared quite a lot......

If you can play badly and win a group, then tournament football should hold no fears.

Ashley Cole and Ashley Young don't trust each other. Hodgson should've sorted it by now.

I'd like to see; Gerrard, Parker, Milner + Rooney and 2 wide attackers from Walcott, OC, Young and Welbeck. Some help for Gerrard and Parker, and some pace on both wings/up front.

Cheers,

OW

I don't understand football (although it seems simple enough) but the England team seemed to kick the ball  to their opponents and their opponents kicked it to their own side.

This seemed to benefit whoever England were playing (in blue).

Apparently Roy asked Gary Neville to coach the boys in the art of one touch football.

Unfortunately Bruce - we haven't played that way often enough. 

When we do we have best periods. 

.... glad to Roy has got it right though and is playing to our strengths. 

... and glad to hear still be cheering us on on Sunday.

That doesn't matter Adam, as long as you score more goals than the other team - you win. 

Great news! England have just made it through to the last 5 of the tournament!

I thought it was to do with the cars they were supplying the players with. I thought that they should have something a bit better than a 15 year old Ford!

If you want guaranteed good entertainment from a true superstar rather than those overpaid prima donnas who masquerade as footballers then Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are on Sky Arts from the Isle of Wight festival during the match.....

England will win this .

Just because we will meet the bloody Germans again.

Stu.

I thought England were an absolute disgrace tonight, worse than France last night, but this was only a ratification of how England have played in their 3 group games. This time there was not even glory in defeat on penalties because we didn't try to win the game at any stage.

The worry is that we look a country mile apart from even ordinary teams in terms of ability to retain possession, ability to pass the ball and, despite claims to they contrary, ability to defend. They only have spirit and a bit of organisation. That's all. Playing against Spain or Germany could have ended up as a complete embarrassment.

I can take little of any encouragement from this tournament for England other than we are bloody lucky! The worst of it is that this will be celebrated as a good effort and Hodgson lauded for the team spirit and 'togetherness' he has engendered. Without basic skills these won't be enough to win any tournament.

Actually Stu, the Germans have been the most consistently entertaining team in this tournament. Now England are out, I'm rooting for 'em.

Absolutely fking apalling

Wtf Rooney thinks he's about I don't know...Ashley Young???? Jesus, my Gran does a better job of passing foreign objects than he does the ball and she's got someone else's body parts

I can't be doing with that! Portugal for me.

Young was a total waste of space tonight,that said the rest were not much better.

Mista h