BenArsenal Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Hello Sirs. It's been a while since I stepped in here. What have I missed? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted May 31, 2016 Author Share Posted May 31, 2016 So the England squad has been decided Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley). Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool). Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal). Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United). How the hell has Jack Wilshere got in when he has hardly played any football at all this season, when Danny Drinkwater has been brilliant all year. Daniel Sturridge again why, he's more injury prone than Darren Anderton. Maybe he'll prove me wrong but no doubt he'll injury himself getting off the bench (Cue the abuse ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I can get behind Townsend being left out, but I would have kept Drinkwater and dropped either Wilshere or Barkley. Yes, Wilshere's a quality midfielder when he's fit, but how much first-team football has he played this season? And based on form alone, why on Earth has Barkley been picked ahead of Drinkwater, who's had the season of his life yet will now be watching the Euros at home? It just doesn't sit right with me that only Jamie Vardy of Leicester's title-winning team has made the England squad. Admittedly, Hodgson doesn't have much to choose from (Vardy, Drinkwater, Marc Albrighton, Danny Simpson perhaps), but it still doesn't feel right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
git2thachoppa Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 If only England used friendlies properly, there'd be a lot of youngsters and new and in-form guys to choose from. Instead Roy seems to pick his team a year or two in advance. I reckon he brought in Rashford in the first squad to appease people and hoped he would have a quiet performance so he could bring Townsend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 It's a pure gamble Woy is doing by taking Hodgson and one I only see ending badly. Setting a bad example selecting someone who you can count with one hand how many games he's played recently over a consistent Drinkwater. Then again England managers have notoriously been known for selecting players for reputation over form. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 It's a pure gamble Woy is doing by taking Hodgson and one I only see ending badly. Yeah, Roy Hodgson is making a big gamble by taking himself to the Euros. I know you're talking about Wilshere, and I agree. I'd rather take a fit and consistent Drinkwater over Jack Wheelchair, who could put himself out for a couple of months if he sneezes or gets out of the wrong side of the bed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Just a heads-up in case any of you feel up for more fantasy football during the Euros. The folks on OTF have set up a league on the official Euro 2016 fantasy game, and I'm sure you'd be more than welcome to join. http://eurofantasy.uefa.com/en OTF Euro 2016 12096U0Q Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Anyone else looking forward to MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon playing against each other in League One this season? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 Anyone else looking forward to MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon playing against each other in League One this season? It's going to be a fun couple of games. I'm personally going for AFC Wimbledon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Yeah, Roy Hodgson is making a big gamble by taking himself to the Euros. I know you're talking about Wilshere, and I agree. I'd rather take a fit and consistent Drinkwater over Jack Wheelchair, who could put himself out for a couple of months if he sneezes or gets out of the wrong side of the bed. Schoolboy error that one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 I agree that taking Wilshere over Drinkwater is ridiculous, but perhaps there is the thinking that tournaments require brief flashes of brilliance rather than in-form consistency, hence the decision (also applies for Rashford). In the knockout stage it just requires one moment to decide your fate, and Wilshere maybe could be the one that could provide that pivotal contribution, thereby justifying the risk that Roy is taking. Personally I wouldn't, but in a sense I can see why. From an Arsenal point of view we'd probably wish he wouldn't go as well in case he comes back crocked again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Share Posted June 1, 2016 I agree that taking Wilshere over Drinkwater is ridiculous, but perhaps there is the thinking that tournaments require brief flashes of brilliance rather than in-form consistency, hence the decision (also applies for Rashford). In the knockout stage it just requires one moment to decide your fate, and Wilshere maybe could be the one that could provide that pivotal contribution, thereby justifying the risk that Roy is taking.Personally I wouldn't, but in a sense I can see why. From an Arsenal point of view we'd probably wish he wouldn't go as well in case he comes back crocked again. I can see your point Ben, however any player could provide that moment of brilliance. The problem myself and a lot of others have is that Wilshere has played not much more than a couple of hours football so cant be anywhere near match fit or sharp. In a big tournament we need fully fit players. You just have to look back at previous tournaments when we have taken half fit players (Beckham and Rooney) and they've not even come close to performing and its gone tits up. For me Wilshere is far too much of a risk, he's likely to injury himself getting off the bench. Yes he's experienced but how are players like Drinkwater going to get experience if they don't go to these tournaments. Its not just Wilshere that comes under what I've just said, Sturridge is the same and Roy shouldn't of risked taking him. Like I said in my opening post regarding this I hope I'm proved wrong and they provide a spark that could see England actually do something in a big tournament but Im very doubtful they will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavrenwick Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Anyone else looking forward to MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon playing against each other in League One this season? I watched the Playoff Final on Sky and Wimbledon really are striving to get back to where they once were. They're going to lose a massive presence in Akinfenwa, but if the rumours follow, quite a few players will be on their way also. That said, Akinfenwa stealing that penalty kick was a nice way for the big guy to leave. I think give it a year or two and Wimbledon will be in the Championship, don't reckon they'll go backwards. And that match against MK will be unreal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 So, the Euros start today. Thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Looking forward to it. My predictions: France to beat Spain in the Final. England to lose on penalties in the Quarters (again) to Portugal (again). Austria to be the big overachievers. Wales and both Irelands to crash out in the group stages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
git2thachoppa Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Today's game pretty much confirmed I should watch highlights instead. England may be an exception, but a routine and comfortable win will kill my interest in what feels like a second round of qualifying. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 It'll be fun to watch as always, but we have the Copa America to deal with over here. Like Chris, I think France is the team to beat in the Euros. And after a rather forgettable effort against Colombia, Sam's Army put on a masterclass of counterattacking football against Costa Rica. No slouches, they. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 From what I've watched of the Euros so far: - France have a great team. If they get it together for the duration of the tournament they'll probably win it, backed by a buoyant home support. - Albania showed great effort against Switzerland but their lack of quality is telling. Sadly an early exit for them. - Wales could surprise a few with the talents of Bale and their collective team spirit. Knockout stages easy. Quarter finals probable depending on who they draw. - England showed plenty of enthusiasm but some of Woy's tactical decisions looked bizarre. Kane taking corners? WTF was that all about. And why did he put Lallana ahead of Vardy in the starting line-up? Lallana missed a hatful of chances that I suspect Vardy could have converted which would have given England the win. Points for effort but England need to maximise their quality. All in all, looks to be an exciting tournament up ahead. Can't wait for the rest of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celtic_1967 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Happy Birthday 10-3! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Thank you, sir! Not for a few hours yet here in the States, but at midnight I officially join the over-50 club Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Happy birthday Sir! You don't look a day over 30, if I do say so myself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 Happy birthday sir, hope you have a good one Didn't realise you share your birthday with my youngest Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhorse21 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Happy Birthday to the voice of college/high school hockey and the wordsmith of FM. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 First round of Euro 2016 group games almost done, and it's been a rather tight tournament so far. Seven of the eleven games played (Portugal and Iceland still to come as I type) had goalless first halves. And nobody won by more than one goal except for Germany, Italy and Hungary (what a shock that was). No game has seen more than three goals scored. It's interesting to see everybody being competitive but it's not great entertainment wise IMHO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
git2thachoppa Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 First round of Euro 2016 group games almost done, and it's been a rather tight tournament so far.Seven of the eleven games played (Portugal and Iceland still to come as I type) had goalless first halves. And nobody won by more than one goal except for Germany, Italy and Hungary (what a shock that was). No game has seen more than three goals scored. It's interesting to see everybody being competitive but it's not great entertainment wise IMHO. It might be everyone playing for a draw in their first match and taking what chances they get. No one's going to go balls out when most of the group can qualify and the quality of opposition is so low. A team takes a lead, they'll sit on it even more. A team goes behind, if they equalise they'll take that result, knowing one or two unspectacular teams are still to come. England for example can easily get at least 3 points from Russia, Wales and Slovenia (rather than the 4-6 usually needed) and if they don't well then they wouldn't deserve to go through anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 England for example can easily get at least 3 points from Russia, Wales and Slovenia (rather than the 4-6 usually needed) and if they don't well then they wouldn't deserve to go through anyway. Oh, have Slovakia been disqualified and Slovenia drafted in as late replacements? I thought Russia were the team that UEFA expelled? Joking aside, I think you're right - the fact that it's far easier to qualify than get knocked out is surely the main factor behind the first round of group matches being so low-scoring. Things should pick up later on in the group phase and then in the knockouts. I actually quite like it that the Euros have 24 teams now, but I can understand why many were complaining that the number of finalists should have remained at 16. Yeah, and Austria were awful against Hungary. So much for them being my dark horses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
git2thachoppa Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Oh, have Slovakia been disqualified and Slovenia drafted in as late replacements? I thought Russia were the team that UEFA expelled? They're actually the same. Have you ever seen Slovakia and Slovenia in the same place? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 They're actually the same. Have you ever seen Slovakia and Slovenia in the same place? No, they're in completely different parts of Europe. One shares a border with Hungary, the other... oh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Fair point. I do like the shocks in Group F though. Go Iceland! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 What an absolutely great result for Northern Ireland. Totally well deserved too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 Right guys I haven't done one of these for awhile. I want to get as many people involved as possible so that it can hopefully make it more enjoyable. I want to do a story type thing similar to the now annual Fifteen to One story, which can be found in the FMS Archives It will involve the qualification process for Euro 2016 so will be played on FM15. Everyone who joins will be randomly assigned a national side (apart from France and Germany) and we shall see how your manager gets on. The luck of the draw could see you pick up a side like Spain or someone like San Marino Anyone who is interested just drop me a PM and I will add your name to the list. I'll see how many people I get within a week and see whether or not its worth carrying on with the idea Cheers Signed up so far: mark wilson27 Gavrenwick BenArsenal tenthreeleader EvilDave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 Sounds good. Count me in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 24, 2016 Author Share Posted June 24, 2016 Cheers Ben will add you in Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Oh, I have to. Someone needs to be Albania. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 24, 2016 Author Share Posted June 24, 2016 Cheers sir,name has been added Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
salkster2102 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Count me in pal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 PM sent, Mark. I'd love to be considered for this as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 24, 2016 Author Share Posted June 24, 2016 Count me in pal Added mate PM sent, Mark. I'd love to be considered for this as well. PM received and name added cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 24, 2016 Author Share Posted June 24, 2016 Right guys I haven't done one of these for awhile. I want to get as many people involved as possible so that it can hopefully make it more enjoyable. I want to do a story type thing similar to the now annual Fifteen to One story, which can be found in the FMS Archives It will involve the qualification process for Euro 2016 so will be played on FM15. Everyone who joins will be randomly assigned a national side (apart from France and Germany) and we shall see how your manager gets on. The luck of the draw could see you pick up a side like Spain or someone like San Marino Anyone who is interested just drop me a PM and I will add your name to the list. I'll see how many people I get within a week and see whether or not its worth carrying on with the idea Cheers Signed up so far: mark wilson27 Gavrenwick BenArsenal tenthreeleader EvilDave salkster2102 CFuller sherm chesterfan2 Terk Celtic_1967 WLKRAS neilhoskins77 edtheguy sherwinga ChileanRanger git2thachoppa Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherm Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Count me in Mark! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 24, 2016 Author Share Posted June 24, 2016 Count me in Mark! Cheers sherm, put your name down Could do with a few more names to make it more worthwhile Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfan2 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Well you best count me in too. Not having Wales though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Added Chester cheers mate,we'll see what the draw brings you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Im giving it till Tuesday tea time too see how many people are up for the sign up...Got nine people so far, could do with more to make it worthwhile Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terk Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Get me added. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Cheers Terk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celtic_1967 Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 I'm in too Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 cheers Celtic, always good to have you along Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Lump me in, if you're still looking for numbers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Anyone on the far side of the Atlantic who stayed up to watch the Copa America final is seeing something rather remarkable. Argentina/Chile, incredible passion and utterly rotten Brazilian officiating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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