• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Euros

Cowshed Kid

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Bobby Hutchinson
I remember vividly where I was in 66 when the Jules Rimet was won.
I say that only as a precursor to what I'm going to say.
Give me SWA back in Div 2 next year over England winning Euro.
Over the years, I've had loads of stick over "what you would you rather" and each time I've been ostracised for nailing my white colours to the mast.
Club footie over national team any day.
Hopefully it's not just me?
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
My worst sporting regret was not going to the 1966 World Cup final after I'd seen all the games at Goodison Park including the semi-final. However, since then I've become used to national failure and I don't get so upset about it like I used to. TRFC's last relegation was another matter altogether, which still hasn't fully sunk in. So I'm probably with you on this one, CK.
 

drwhoman

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And they think it is over - now it is! Kenneth Wolstenhome on Hurst scoring the 4th!
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
You're not the only one CK. Club over country every time for me.
 
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This whole debate gets on my nerves a bit to be honest. I am from Birkenhead, England, therefore I support Tranmere and England. I was gutted about the result yesterday, but I don't see that as detracting from my commitment to Tranmere. There is no need to quantify the two.

Regarding the match itself, I just don't know what it is about England and tournament football. Even when we completely dominate the opposition we fail to get a result. If that match had been a friendly or qualifier we would have won three nil, and it is not as of Russia are a higher grade of opposition than we have faced in the last two years. They were terrible.
 

Ian

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Great performance for 70 minutes but no cutting edge. Lallana and Sterling are terrible finishers. Taking Rooney off was also a mistake, he was the best player on the pitch and controlled midfield. It will be the same old I'm afraid. Couldn't see the game out.
 
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On a more serious note, I have not seen anything like the behaviour of these Russian thugs before. Appalling.
 

Ian

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On a more serious note, I have not seen anything like the behaviour of these Russian thugs before. Appalling.
Yep, awful. I can see this escalating up to Thurs games too.
 
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Great performance for 70 minutes but no cutting edge. Lallana and Sterling are terrible finishers.

Remind you of anybody ?!

While the performance was good overall, I think playing Rooney in midfield and leaving Vardy out ultimately backfired, as we could not take our chances. I thought Lallana played well but he has never been a finisher. Sterling was just rubbish quite frankly, I have no idea why he was valued so highly.
 

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
Only scoring 1 goal won't have been helped by:

- playing someone who has scored over 50 international goals I.e. Rooney, in midfield. Although he did well and isn't as quick as he used to be, does any other country play their top scorer in midfield?

- letting the premier leagues top scorer last season in Kane, take all corners so he isn't in the box. Surely someone like lallana, sterling, alli etc can take s half decent corner.

Should have played 2 up front. Sturridge if fully fit should be involved too as arguably the best finisher.
 

Ian

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I quite like Rooney in midfield, he's an excellent passer and can boss it in the middle. I agree, Vardy should be playing and Kane needs more support up front. Not sure why Kane is taking corners, that makes no sense.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
I think playing Rooney in midfield was a good idea. I hadn't realised it was his first game there for England, but he's done well there for United and was probably more influential there as he would have been upfront. I wasn't unhappy about the starting line-up, but I think the substitutions sent out the wrong message to both teams. They made us more defensive and invited the Russians to throw more men forward. I'd have taken Kane and Sterling off and brought on Vardy and Sturridge or Rashford. This would have made it difficult for Russia to push forward and given us the best chance of killing off the game. I can't believe we left all three of them on the bench for the whole game and I hope that what happened is a warning to England. You can't afford to sit back on a lead for 20 minutes at this level - even with a team as poor as Russia.

PS I hope GB was watching. On paper he now has one of the best strike forces in the NL. He needs to make sure they are given the best chance to be effective.
 

drwhoman

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Rooney going off was a negative. To show my age. Bobby Charlton being taken off in Mexico 1970. They lost 3-2 to then W Germany for whom Gerd Muller scored the winner. Banks was ill before the game so the underprepared Bonetti of Chelsea was in goal and had a poor game.
 
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Rooney going off was a negative. To show my age. Bobby Charlton being taken off in Mexico 1970. They lost 3-2 to then W Germany for whom Gerd Muller scored the winner. Banks was ill before the game so the underprepared Bonetti of Chelsea was in goal and had a poor game.
I remember it well and was thinking of this recently. We were all over them and when Martin Peters nearly made it three I had a bad feeling, which proved to be correct. This was the first time the World Cup had subs and Ramsey's gamble sadly backfired.
 
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A sad end to one of our banners, but at least the Russian hooligans have good taste, even if they have so much trouble with our script that they don't know which way is up!TRFC flag.png
 

Gray

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Ian Goodison... who else!
I've long since given up on the England team. The EPL is too big now, the players put their club and financial interests ahead of the national team and until that changes we will continue to fail on the international stage. The top players always seem to pick up an injury when there are mid-season friendlies to play and then we expect them to walk into the team in a competition and play as a team. It's just not going to happen. We have some great players, but they don't play together enough.

Saturday's game was bizarre for all the reasons already stated. We were on top, had one of the EPL's most prolific strikers on the bench and a great playmaker in midfield, we had every opportunity to put that game to bed but Roy bottled it IMHO. We had a great qualifying campaign but we're throwing it away now when it really matters. I hoped for better from Hodgson.
 

Ian

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At least it's still early days. If we can beat Wales, which I think we will, qualifiying looks OK.
 
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With the spirit the Welsh have and Bale in their side, I think the game is touch and go to be honest. However, even if we fail to win we might still go through due to the changed format of the competition.

It was an incredible effort by Iceland tonight, watched by one in ten of their population. It is a place I know quite well so I was pleased for them. So far it seems to be a tournament for teams with spirit and organisation rather than flair. Italy were impressive yesterday, but not many of their players are top class; Belgium by contrast have a side full of household names but looked like they had been introduced on the team coach.
 
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Ian

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Belgium have been disappointing for years as have Portugal. Great names on paper but hopeless as a team.

I think the Germans have a great chance and possibly the Italians who seem quite well organised.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
I can't understand why Belgium have such a high FIFA rating. They haven't achieved much and are in no better form than England who despite their record in qualifying are well down the list.
 
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