Would you start him

joffmiester · #1

England captain Steven Gerrard said Wayne Rooney is 'itching' to get his first taste of Euro 2012 action.

The Manchester United striker is free to play against Ukraine in Tuesday’s decisive Group D clash having served the two-game competitive suspension he was handed, following the red card he received against Montenegro last November.

Roy Hodgson's side require only a point to guarantee their place in the quarter-finals and the manager confirmed his most experienced forward would start alongside either Danny Welbeck or Andy Carroll, who both scored in the 3-2 victory over Sweden.

Gerrard said: "Everyone knows what Wayne Rooney is all about. He certainly makes us a lot more threatening going forward.

"He's a world class player and I know Wayne quite well, I'm quite close to him, and I can see it in his eyes that he's just itching to get out there and perform.

"Hopefully he can get out there on Tuesday night and make the difference for us."

Rooney's return means that either Carroll or Welbeck will drop to the bench, despite both having impressed against the Swedes.

Hodgson, who also revealed Theo Walcott is fit to start having shaken off a calf knock, admits he faces a difficult selection headache.

"It's become a very difficult choice because both have done so well both in the training matches before we came to the tournament and in the tournament itself.

"So they've given me the classic manager's headache but it's the one we all want really because it's players playing well competing for a place.

"But I have made it clear to everybody that Rooney will start the game so that decision has to be made."

"I think our ambitions were clear from the start we came here hoping to do well hoping that we would play well enough to qualify from the group.

"We haven't quite done that we have a very big game but I don't think the fact Wayne is back changes our ambitions we believed all along with the team I've been playing we could do well in the competition all along our intention is to do the same thing again."

MrV · #2

Personally, I would hav him on the bench and give the lads who have done so well the chance to do it again. If its not working, Rooney wil be champing at the bit and can then come on and hopefully make the differemce.

#3

Andy Carroll has had one decent game ....... think thats all he is capable of meself

Rooney is top class and can KEEP THE crappity smack BALL ..... something no one else in an England shirt can do !!!!!!

Quite looking forward to tonight

loads of improvement required though

Italy in the Quarters would be great

me · #4

rooney will get sent off tonight, because he will be well up for it and will be trying to hard and to fast to make an impact and ukraine will be out to wind him up and get him to react which rooney will do because he asn't the sense or ability to just ignore it for 90 minutes

#5

Agree with Mr V.

This is a new team and in all fairness (depite all the crap going around) they haven't done too bad at all, at least they are playing like a team.
I can see every crappity smack trying to pass to Looney, it may just unbalance the side. Hope I'm wrong and look forward to watching it.

Arch · #6

I'm sorry, but who or what is a Wayne Rooney ??

I'll get me coat.

I'll be mowing the lawn.........

#7

Lol Arch

Well .....

We are in there with a chance

If we give the ball away as much as we have done we will get slaughtered by one of the better teams .....

or maybe we will just carry on being lucky ?

me · #8

maybe we will just carry on being lucky

Its about time we had some luck and the decisions went our way for once.

WERE NOT GOING HOME

joffmiester · #9

England boss Roy Hodgson heaped praise on match-winner Wayne Rooney after his second-half header sealed a Euro 2012 quarter-final meeting with Italy following a 1-0 victory over co-hosts Ukraine in Donetsk.

The Manchester United forward, back after completing his two-game suspension, had earlier missed a golden opportunity but did not let that affect him and has now scored 29 goals for England - just one behind Nat Lofthouse, Tom Finney and Alan Shearer, who are joint fifth on the all-time list.

"He's got character, hasn't he?" Hodgson said of his talisman. "Those who have followed England and Manchester United, even Everton, you know what Rooney is, what he can do and his qualities. He showed them in abundance tonight. He and (Danny) Welbeck worked extremely hard."

Hodgson had played down the length of Rooney's absence. However, after appearing for just 37 minutes since his final game for United on May 13, the England coach was delighted he almost got through the entire match.

"It was his first game after having to sit these two others out, and it is a while since he played a competitive match, so he's got to be happy with the way things went for him," said Hodgson.

"Every day helps him and helps us. The fact he's had 80 minutes in this game will give him confidence going into the next game."

Hodgson was eager to spread the praise though, especially as skipper Steven Gerrard collected the man-of-the-match award after delivering the cross for Rooney's goal.

"You've got to single Steven out," he said. "He has built up to this man of the match award in the previous two games as well, playing a captain's innings throughout.

"The back four were very good today, and the goalkeeper, they kept their shape and discipline extremely well.

"Although there were shots at our goal, they were from distance and didn't really necessitate (Joe) Hart to make saves. It was a game to praise the team performance."

.

joffmiester · #10

Group stage
« Previous Next » Day Date Home team Score/Time Away team
Fri 15/06/12 Ukraine 0 - 2 France View events More info
Fri 15/06/12 Sweden 2 - 3 England View events More info
Sat 16/06/12 Greece 1 - 0 Russia View events More info
Sat 16/06/12 Czech Republic 1 - 0 Poland View events More info
Sun 17/06/12 Denmark 1 - 2 Germany View events More info
Sun 17/06/12 Portugal 2 - 1 Netherlands View events More info
Mon 18/06/12 Croatia 0 - 1 Spain View events More info
Mon 18/06/12 Italy 2 - 0 Ireland Republic View events More info
Tue 19/06/12 Sweden 2 - 0 France View events More info
Tue 19/06/12 England 1 - 0 Ukraine View events More info

Group A
# Team MP W D L F A D P
1 Czech Republic 3 2 0 1 4 5 -1 6
2 Greece 3 1 1 1 3 3 +0 4
3 Russia 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 4
4 Poland 3 0 2 1 2 3 -1 2
Next Round

Group B
# Team MP W D L F A D P
1 Germany 3 3 0 0 5 2 +3 9
2 Portugal 3 2 0 1 5 4 +1 6
3 Denmark 3 1 0 2 4 5 -1 3
4 Netherlands 3 0 0 3 2 5 -3 0
Next Round

Group C
# Team MP W D L F A D P
1 Spain 3 2 1 0 6 1 +5 7
2 Italy 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5
3 Croatia 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
4 Ireland Republic 3 0 0 3 1 9 -8 0
Next Round

Group D
# Team MP W D L F A D P
1 England 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7
2 France 3 1 1 1 3 3 +0 4
3 Ukraine 3 1 0 2 2 4 -2 3
4 Sweden 3 1 0 2 5 5 +0 3
Next Round

Quarter-finals
Day Date Home team Score/Time Away team
Fri 22/06/12 Germany 19 : 45 Greece More info
Thu 21/06/12 Czech Republic 19 : 45 Portugal More info
Sun 24/06/12 England 19 : 45 Italy More info
Sat 23/06/12 Spain 19 : 45 France More info

Semi-finals
Day Date Home team Score/Time Away team
Wed 27/06/12 Czech Republic / Portugal 19 : 45 Spain / France More info
Thu 28/06/12 Germany / Greece 19 : 45 England / Italy More info

Final
Day Date Home team Score/Time Away team
Sun 01/07/12 1A/2B - 1C/2D 19 : 45 1B/2A - 1D/2C More info
beta: trending tweets on England v UkraineAdvertisement | AdChoicesMatch PhotosSee the latest match photospredictorPredict your scores and compete with your friends, nation and rest of the world in our Euro 2012 predictor game
Live Results Upcoming Home team Score/Time Away team
Portugal 2 - 1 Netherlands
Denmark 1 - 2 Germany
Croatia 0 - 1 Spain
Italy 2 - 0 Ireland Republic
Sweden 2 - 0 France
England 1 - 0 Ukraine

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Clichy accepts French flop
Mueller dodges political talk
Lescott talks down Balotelli benefits
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Euro 2012 Group D: England 1 Ukraine 0
Euro 2012 Group D: Sweden 2 France 0
Blanc realistic ahead of Spain clash
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joffmiester · #11

General Game Stats
England Ukraine

6 Corners 10

5 Shots on target 5

4 Shots wide 11

13 Fouls 12

0 Offsides 0
Possession

#12

Did enough ! The back line and keeper are all playing well, must admit though the odd "dinky one -two" did catch Cole out a couple of times. Thought Parker and Stevie G were outstanding. My problems lie with Milner and Young. Milner did ok but struggles to pass the ball and cross it, cannot fault him for trying ! Young apart from a bit near the end was very light weight again ! Welbeck struggled to hold the ball ! So let's be brave and put Carroll in with Rooney and Oxlade-Chamberlain in for Young. Walcott again looks good for a second half stint when Milner has done a shift ! Though it might help if they pass the ball to him. !!!!!

#13

Did enough ! The back line and keeper are all playing well, must admit though the odd "dinky one -two" did catch Cole out a couple of times. Thought Parker and Stevie G were outstanding. My problems lie with Milner and Young. Milner did ok but struggles to pass the ball and cross it, cannot fault him for trying ! Young apart from a bit near the end was very light weight again ! Welbeck struggled to hold the ball ! So let's be brave and put Carroll in with Rooney and Oxlade-Chamberlain in for Young. Walcott again looks good for a second half stint when Milner has done a shift ! Though it might help if they pass the ball to him. !!!!!

The shape Hodgson has got England playing in is excellent

just a couple of square pegs in round holes

plus we cant keep giving the ball away like we do or Italy , Spain or Germany will exploit it easily !

Getting to the quarter finals is a great achievement

lots of us didnt think that could happen ....... with the luck we are getting we could even go all the way !

Best song of the tournament so far from the England fans of course versus Ukraine last night .......

[move]Your team is sh!t but your birds are fit !

[/move]

#14

joffmiester · #15

ours arn't too bad dodge

joffmiester · #16

quite agree with choppy infact its spot on

#17

ours arn't too bad dodge

I reckon you have a couple of good points there Joff

joffmiester · #18

he's one for chrisv c#ck all to do with football

but i know he'l like it

#19

Is the English bird from Bristol ?

joffmiester · #20

what if the germans come unstuck tonight
Jens Lehmann said he expects Germany to defeat Greece in Friday's Euro 2012 quarter-final clash.

Joachim Loew's side are widely viewed as the favourites to reach the last four after an impressive campaign in the group stage in which they amassed a perfect nine points from three matches.

But while the former Germany international acknowledged the role that the economic recession in Greece would play in terms of motivation for the Euro 2004 runners-up, Lehmann still cannot see the Greeks producing a shock.

"I am expecting the Greeks to pose us a problem for the first time in years," the 42-year-old told Goal.com.

"They did brilliantly on the pitch by reaching the quarter-finals. Their most important player, Giorgos Karagounis, will be missing, though, so I am still optimistic of (Germany) progressing.

"They do not have enough quality to deny us a semi-final spot, but they will be highly motivated for this game, because in Greece, we Germans are seen as the main culprits for the problems that exist in their country."

Greece finished second in Group A, ahead of Russia based on their head-to-head record, and the former Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund custodian admitted he has been left bewildered by Dick Advocaat's 'erratic' side.

"Elsewhere, I was surprised to see the Russians being eliminated," Lehmann added.

"This confirmed my belief that they fail to deliver, despite playing some great football at some points in the tournament.

"I have played with some great Russian footballers, and I am yet to find an explanation for their erratic performances, even though I have often wondered why."