I think I'm prepared to give Hodgson the benefit of the doubt, for now, over whether he knows what his best team and line up is. Time will tell once the tournament begins but I think he has a pretty good idea. He may have just been trying something else out that he'd wanted to have a look at given the first two friendlies went reasonably well.

Clearly if he picks that team (that played last night) for the game against Russia then a lot of people, myself included, will be disappointed.

Seemed to me that Roy was falling into the same failing Sven had around 2004 when he picked what were considered the best 11 players but had no regard as to whether it worked or got the best out of them collectively.

Remember Sven played Scholes on the left, a complete waste of the best midfielder we had, in order to accommodate Lampard and Gerrard and we ended up not getting the best out of the 3 of them.

Picking Rooney through the middle with Kane and Vardy wider and Deli Ali out wide left meant that in dodging the big decision around where best to play Rooney, he essentially wasted the talents of 4 players.

Roy for me hasn't got the bollocks to be a National team manager. Venables or Hoddle, the last 2 managers for England that had the courage of their convictions, wouldn't have done that in 96 or 98.

If all the Barkley's don't play I'm not going.

Being mildly serious am I the only one who doesn't see what all the fuss is about with Ross Barclay? He's had a really poor season, he's very one footed and doesn't seem to have much of a football brain. Totally overrated.

Plus if he's in the team and on the bench why was Barclay the Sealion from Whipsnade Zoo overlooked?

Was banking on Barclay too...

Barclay/Barcley he's still shite.

Barclay/Barcley might be shite but Ross Barkley isn't.

This Barclay person certainly seems to be generating a bit of interest. But maybe he's a bit overdrawn.

Barklee is crap.

Seriously I've tried to get him every time I've watched him, he's all right foot which limits he ability to retain possession in tight areas. Compare him technically to say a Spanish player in the same position and it's no contest, he's not even in the same League as Jack Wilshere. Prediction, in five years he won't even be a Premier League player.









He's going to do a Gazza in Italia 90 now isn't he!?

Was very impressed with Kane leaping straight up like that, after he'd practically had his head kicked off. Is he a closet rugby player?

That apart, the most interesting bit of the match last night was the final whistle.

Surely he has a whole raft of disadvantages?

I've already saved your post ready for a "I told you so" thread in 5 weeks time.

Wonder what the odds are on Delle Ali getting a red card before the tournament's over?

Portugal obviously knew all about his suspect temperament and were on the wind up - he's gonna get loads more of the same in France.

Ross Barkley = Big league brad Walker. Rated by loads but for no apparent reason.

I didn't even know we were praying!!!!

Hallelujah Mutley's here.

Just read that Leeds have had 6 managers since the last time Jack Wilshire completed 90mins for Arsenal.

To be fair to Wilshere that was only this April though.

A quote that highlights the importance of perspective.

That comment has me worried.
Shearers record is comparable albeit in less game, should ww find a place for him?
If we HAVE to play Rooney just stick him up front in place of one of the others rather than force him in and unbalance the team. Just forget his record in tournaments.

May aswell not bother watching now.


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Sometimes you wonder whether there's anyone in the public eye who's actually sane. They all seem to talk this strange, unconnected language these days...makes Orwell look half-hearted.

Are there any footballers who you would credit with reading a book, they all sound uneducated and go straight from the traning field to play golf or gamble, the old why did the footballer stare at the orange juice caton springs to mind

We need a big target man or two to lump it up to for knock ons. I don't see the point in taking players like Wilshere and Alli when we could have taken Carroll or Lambert.

Steve Harper did a degree while warming the bench at Newcastle.

Dion Dublin was smart enough to produce a percussion instrument named "The Dube"

1930s Pools star Johnnie Wigham was a teacher:

following on from Hodgsons comments the past few days regarding Rooney and Kane taking all the free kicks, I doubt Hodgson is part of any intelligentsia.

I didn't even know we were playing and I was there!

Absolute pish

Being an England supporter is like being the over optimistic father of the fat kid on sports day

Then realising your son is Wayne Rooney.

Craig Johnstone I vented the predator football boot

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