Euro 2012 - Group Stages

[Starfish]

Great atmosphere at this one - showing the retarded Irish a lesson on and off the field.

[Blue&White Mage]

to be fair the last offside he was onside.

I think it might take a french player punching an englishman before we get another free kick.

[Ian Royal]

to be fair the last offside he was onside.

I think it might take a french player punching an englishman before we get another free kick.

It's not so much when it's given, he just stands blatantly offside as we go forward meaning the player on the ball has to carry it further because he can't pass it to him. Two or three times we've needed to play an attacking ball and we can't because he's a yard offside for no reason.

[Avon Royal]

English players blowing out their arses, French holding up better.

Whoever made the decision to base the team in Poland should be shot.

[TBM]

"better not upset Platini"

[Ups and Downs]

We look pretty clueless when the ball comes anywhere near their penalty area. Player on the ball panicking like fukk, not helped by retarded runs by those around him.

[Avon Royal]

Only a matter of time.

[Ian Royal]

We look pretty clueless when the ball comes anywhere near their penalty area. Player on the ball panicking like fukk, not helped by retarded runs by those around him.

Not enough players getting forward anymore so too few options against too many defenders. And that's a product of giving the ball away too easily, and from defending so deep too much.

Not a bad performance, but it promised a lot more at times. Hard opener and we're missing a lot of quality in Wilshire, Cahill, Rooney, Walker etc who will all be around next tournament (fingers crossed).

We could do with a confidence boosting comfortable win against Ukraine or Sweden and we could still go on and just possibly make a semi. Though getting out of the group is not going to be easy.

I'll take 1-1 against a quality French team with our depleted 11 and new manager.

[Avon Royal]

Draw is ok I suppose.

Conditioning of the team really needs to be worked on though - they were dead on their feet for the last 20 mins.

[Archie's penalty]

No-one's talking about how well the French are playing. It was a conscious decision by Hodgson to play like that against les Bleus.

We have no-one with the ball skills of Nasri or Ribery. A good result and on to the next one.

[rhroyal]

Very good result I'd say. The front 3 of France are top notch and we largely kept them at bay.

Worried about fitness. As the game went on, we got deeper and deeper and our attacking threat became minimal. We should be based in Ukraine; it would surely help. But the injury coming into the tournament of Parker is also a cause; he is a massive engine when he's going. Great effort again tonight.

Lack of decision making up front at times and gave the ball away more and more as the match went on; largely as we were so deep and there was no obvious out ball. We'll need to be more inventive against better teams; not all will be easy to undo at set pieces. For all the French's attacking talent they did look shaky at the back at times. Would have liked more opportunities to see us put good deliveries in, but we had several definite free kicks in dangerous areas turned down by a poor ref.

Think we can get good results against the 2 other teams in the group; if we can avoid defeat against Sweden then we go into the Ukraine game with a very good chance. Home advantage aside; they're not very good and we'll have Rooney back. Beat the Swedes and we're practically through.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Good result.

Great support from the travelling English fans. Loud and clear.

Shocking that the brass band was denied entry, despite approval from UEFA. Official complaint from Pukka Pies (sponsors of the band) being made to UEFA.

Why do people slag off Glen Johnson? Another great performance from him as usual.

[Tails]

I'd say that the French, despite being given 2/3 possession/the pitch, largely failed to live up to their potential. They were as ferocious as a a kitten in front of our dull yet regimented trench.

We were at times given very little by the ref, quelle surpis, but didn't offer too much when we did venture up the pitch.

Having said that, the Ox is were Walcott should have been a year or two ago - I like the kid.

[Archie's penalty]

It'll be shit for the tournament if Ukraine go out. Hope they beat the Swedes...

[Avon Royal]

Shocking that the brass band was denied entry, despite approval from UEFA.

Repeat after me:

Europe.
Hate.
Us.

[winchester_royal]

Good stuff from England I thought. Not perfect, we panicked when at one-up and the final ball was often poor, but we looked just as good as a very slick french team.

Now we'll see how England cope under some pressure to win.

[Ian Royal]

It'll be shit for the tournament if Ukraine go out. Hope they beat the Swedes...

Can't see Ukraine having much chance of going through ahead of two of Sweden, England and France.

[Zaretsky]

If I owned one, I'd probably put my house on Spain-Italy being a 0-0. Ireland to beat Croatia in a 3-2 thriller.

If Ireland beat Croatia 3-2 in a thriller, I'll buy you that house to put on the other one being a 0-0. I know the games are the wrong way around, but you get my meaning.

I do Starfers, I do. All a bit of a shame really.

Was rather amused by the 'Oirishman', complete with ridiculous, Kanye-style green glasses, shouting "you facking mag" at the screen in O'Neills in Angel and booing the commentator's mention of England. I was tempted to ask if he posted on KUMB but thought, despite my being morally superior, he'd probably still cause me a fair amount of pain. I asked my Irish friends if they were proud of their fellow countryman.

[Archie's penalty]

Ukraine have only one player outside of the Ukranian and Russia league

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoliy_T ... ern_Munich

And he's about 33.

[Kitsondinho]

Hoping that Ukraine win tonight....Puts pressure on Sweden to win against us, this means they won't be sit in. Also puts pressure on France for game 2.....