Euro 2016 (France June 10 to July 10)

[Milo (not Mylo!!)]

Not sure whether we or the board will be around in 2016 but the qualifying for this started over the weekend and England start their route to the inflated tournament (finishing 3rd in a group can qualify!) today (Monday Sept 8) against the cheesemaking finacial capital of Europe.

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OVERVIEW:

The final tournament of the UEFA European Championship returns to France for a record third time between 10 June and 10 July 2016 – only Belgium and Italy have hosted the competition more than once. The birthplace of the competition, France staged the inaugural tournament in 1960 and lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup on home turf in 1984.
©UEFA.com

For the first time, 24 teams will compete to be crowned European champions in this the 15th edition. As hosts, France qualify automatically for the final tournament. They will be joined by 23 qualifiers (out of a record field of 53) and the teams will be drawn into groups of four, with the six group winners, six group runners-up and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the round of 16 when it becomes a knockout competition.

It replaces the format for the past five tournaments, with four teams of four and knockout stages from the quarter-finals onwards. When France first hosted the tournament, in 1960, they were one of four sides involved. It expanded to eight in 1980 and doubled in size again in 1996 to 16.

UEFA EURO 2016 matches will be played in ten stadiums – in Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.

uefa.com

[Milo (not Mylo!!)]

England's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Switzerland (a) Monday, 8 September 2014; (h) 8 September 2015

San Marino (h) 9 October 2014; (a) 5 September 2015

Estonia (a) 12 October 2014; (h) 9 October 2015

Slovenia (h) 15 November 2014; (a) 14 June 2015

Lithuania (h) 27 March 2015; (a) 12 October 2015

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Nothing much changes really, and as Graham Taylor said:

My advice to the next England manager is this,' says Taylor at the end of the Channel 4 film, saving his one moment of perspicacity till last. 'Just make sure your team doesn't lose.'

[Milo (not Mylo!!)]

Switzerland 0 England 2 (Qualifying match 1 of 10)

England

01 Hart
03 Baines
02 Stones
05 Cahill
06 Jones (Jagielka - 77' )
04 Henderson
08 Delph Booked
11 Sterling
07 Wilshere (Milner - 73' )
10 Rooney (Lambert - 90' Booked )
09 Welbeck

Substitutes

12 Rose
13 Forster
14 Jagielka
15 Chambers
16 Milner
17 Oxlade-Chamberlain
18 Townsend
19 Lambert

Danny Welbeck gave England the ideal start to their Euro 2016 qualification campaign by scoring twice against Switzerland at St Jakob-Park.

The £16m Arsenal signing opened with a close-range finish following a swift move involving captain Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling, who impressed.

His second came in stoppage time when he slotted in Rickie Lambert's pass.

England's Joe Hart denied Haris Seferovic, and Gary Cahill rushed back to block Josip Drmic's effort.

bbc

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Patrick Barclay ‏@paddybarclay (Mon Sep 8)

Of course we shan't know how good England are until the summer of 2016. But you'd have to be a bit silly not to have hope after tonight.

[Milo (not Mylo!!)]

Sept 8, 2014 8:53:36 GMT Milo (not Mylo!!) said:

England's Euro 2016 qualifiers

San Marino (h) 9 October 2014

England 5 - 0 San Marino

01 Hart
02 Chambers
05 Cahill
06 Jagielka
03 Gibbs
07 Milner Booked
04 Henderson (Oxlade-Chamberlain - 45' )
08 Wilshere
11 Sterling (Lallana - 45' )
10 Rooney
09 Welbeck (Townsend - 66' )

Substitutes

12 Clyne
13 Foster
14 Baines
15 Delph
16 Shelvey
17 Lallana
18 Oxlade-Chamberlain
19 Townsend
20 Lambert
21 Forster

[Milo (not Mylo!!)]

Sept 8, 2014 8:53:36 GMT Milo (not Mylo!!) said:

England's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Estonia (a) 12 October 2014

Estonia 0 - 1 England

So it's set up so that all of the major football nations, and England, can't fail to qualify for Euro 2016: so what we're basically looking for is hope after 3 worsening World Cups. England sit top of their qualifying group on 9 points but this was garbage. Best news is that Rooney is 29 on Oct 24 so only has one or two major tournaments left in him:

England

01 Hart
02 Chambers
05 Cahill
06 Jagielka
03 Baines Booked
07 Wilshere Booked
04 Henderson Booked (Sterling - 64' )
08 Delph (Oxlade-Chamberlain - 61' )
11 Lallana
09 Welbeck (Lambert - 80' )
10 Rooney

Substitutes

12 Clyne
13 Foster
14 Gibbs
15 Shelvey
16 Milner
17 Oxlade-Chamberlain
18 Townsend
19 Sterling
20 Lambert
21 Forster

[Milo (not Mylo!!)]

Sept 8, 2014 8:53:36 GMT Milo (not Mylo!!) said:

England's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Slovenia (h) 15 November 2014;

England continue to do what they do best as they tighten their grip on the qualifying group after coming from behind to beat Slovenia 3-1. That's 12 points from 4 matches with 11 goals scored with 1 against, mainly because Suarez & Balotelli are not in the group!

You can only beat what's in front of you though and that's what England are doing through Hodgson's continuing rebuilding process. It's just nice not to see 40 yard passes from Gerrard going to fresh air!


England

01 Hart
02 Clyne Booked
05 Cahill
06 Jagielka Booked (Smalling - 89' )
03 Gibbs Booked
07 Wilshere
04 Henderson
08 Lallana (Milner - 80' )
11 Sterling Booked (Oxlade-Chamberlain - 85' )
10 Rooney
09 Welbeck

Substitutes

12 Smalling
13 Foster
14 Chambers
15 Barkley
16 Milner
17 Oxlade-Chamberlain
18 Walcott
19 Downing
20 Berahino
21 Lambert
22 Forster

Att: 82,305

WILSHERE gets MoM but I wouldn't have him on the pitch. Funny old game innit! For all of the good he allegedly does he's a liabilty sitting in front of the back four IMO; but fortunately we're not playing anyone any good atm.