Alan Shearer: Why there is nothing to be scared of for England in the knockout stages

Yet another article that shows just how much England are weighed down by Expectation and scrutinised to the nth degree.

It's things like this that show you why players might opt for Wales over England!

It'll be interesting to see how well this article ages, as well...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57596449

In all honesty they have a decent path to the final, and they should make it, but they will never learn.
Nothing wrong with optimism, but they have ****ed up on so many occasions, i’ve lost count
For once, why can’t they just be a bit more humble, and have more hope than expectation?

That's my point, Wales fans are happy to be there and anything else is a bonus!

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Originally Posted by The Hooded Claw

It's things like this that show you why players might opt for Wales over England!

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Have any players who had a realistic chance of playing for England opted for Wales instead? If so, who were they?

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Originally Posted by The Hooded Claw

That's my point, Wales fans are happy to be there and anything else is a bonus!

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That's because we are generally the underdogs tho and getting to the knockouts is a real achievement.

England should make the semis at least really. They are probably the best team on our side of the draw.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Have any players who had a realistic chance of playing for England opted for Wales instead? If so, who were they?

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Gareth Bale?

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Originally Posted by City123

Gareth Bale?

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Oh yeah, the old grandmother bollocks. Fair enough. Shows what a farce international football is I guess.

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Originally Posted by City123

Gareth Bale?

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Ryan Giggs?

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Originally Posted by William Treseder

Ryan Giggs?

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Mind you. Thinking back, he chose to sit out international football.

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Originally Posted by William Treseder

Ryan Giggs?

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Don’t think so with the rules at the time. Think it was Wales or Sierra Leone through family?

I'd probably agree with shearer, England have been well under what would expect and if can play to their potential. Have home game against Germany, a game probably against Sweden and then home against likely against a decent Holland team but I'd expect them to be favourites.

All to finish with another home game

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Originally Posted by mazadona10

I'd probably agree with shearer, England have been well under what would expect and if can play to their potential. Have home game against Germany, a game probably against Sweden and then home against likely against a decent Holland team but I'd expect them to be favourites.

All to finish with another home game

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Where have i heard all that before?

I hope they get leathered

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Have any players who had a realistic chance of playing for England opted for Wales instead? If so, who were they?

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Ashley Williams :wales::wales:

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Originally Posted by blue matt

Ashley Williams :wales::wales:

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Vinnie Jonrs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Have any players who had a realistic chance of playing for England opted for Wales instead? If so, who were they?

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David Brooks was very highly thought of at England U21 level, was man of the tournament for them at Toulon. He must have thought at that time he could potentially play for England at senior level.
Let’s face it though, he probably made the correct decision to play for Wales, as he’d be a million miles off England.

its what you do on the pitch , the English team is full of premiership ponces

Last time we played England we were more than a match for them and were beaten by a very late goal

Bollocks to England

If we play them and get well beaten they can still shove it

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Originally Posted by William Treseder

Ryan Giggs?

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Not eligible to play for England.

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Originally Posted by William Treseder

In all honesty they have a decent path to the final, and they should make it, but they will never learn.
Nothing wrong with optimism, but they have ****ed up on so many occasions, i’ve lost count
For once, why can’t they just be a bit more humble, and have more hope than expectation?

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I'm not a big fan of Gary Lineker but fair play to him the other night. The pundits were reviewing the Germany v Hungary game and the the first thing Rio F said was something along the lines of, "I wasn't impressed with the Germans, England have nothing to fear, I thing we will beat them" Lineker had to remind him that they were there to discuss Germany not England. Good on him.

When you consider France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain are in the other half of the draw, England will never have a better chance of reaching the final. Just got everything crossed that it doesn't happen !

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

its what you do on the pitch , the English team is full of premiership ponces

Last time we played England we were more than a match for them and were beaten by a very late goal

Bollocks to England

If we play them and get well beaten they can still shove it

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They ****ing battered us in the second half.

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Originally Posted by NYCBlue

They ****ing battered us in the second half.

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How many goals did they score ?

It was two for them and one for us

5 nil is a battering

Bollocks to them

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Originally Posted by The Hooded Claw

Yet another article that shows just how much England are weighed down by Expectation and scrutinised to the nth degree.

It's things like this that show you why players might opt for Wales over England!

It'll be interesting to see how well this article ages, as well...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57596449

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All the major national football teams are weighed down with expectation though.

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

How many goals did they score ?

It was two for them and one for us

5 nil is a battering

Bollocks to them

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3-0 to England the last time the two met and it was only a few months ago.

If they allow there talented players to play he's probably right , however there's fear and running into a real class act in France or us :wales:, other than that they could very well .

Don't think this Germany team is very good and I could see them beating Germany with home advance England France final for me but I think it will be more difficult for France with them possibly having to beat Italy and Spain or Belgium to get there.

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Originally Posted by Shrewsbury Blue

Don't think this Germany team is very good and I could see them beating Germany with home advance England France final for me but I think it will be more difficult for France with them possibly having to beat Italy and Spain or Belgium to get there.

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Definitely harder for any one team on the other side of the draw to make the final. At a guess - I imagine the odds on England getting there are shorter than they are for any other team at the moment. Having said that - I imagine that in the final, the favourite will almost certainly come from the other side of the draw.

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Originally Posted by Kind of Blue

Don’t think so with the rules at the time. Think it was Wales or Sierra Leone through family?

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Not even with the rules now

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Originally Posted by Moodybluebird

I'm not a big fan of Gary Lineker but fair play to him the other night. The pundits were reviewing the Germany v Hungary game and the the first thing Rio F said was something along the lines of, "I wasn't impressed with the Germans, England have nothing to fear, I thing we will beat them" Lineker had to remind him that they were there to discuss Germany not England. Good on him.

When you consider France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain are in the other half of the draw, England will never have a better chance of reaching the final. Just got everything crossed that it doesn't happen !

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Didn't Rio say the same about Iceland in the last one.
Someone should ask him how did that go for England?

Last time around we were apparently on the weaker side of the draw yet Portugal won it.

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Originally Posted by willo1927

Didn't Rio say the same about Iceland in the last one.
Someone should ask him how did that go for England?

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You would think that they would learn by now it always ends in tears. As a standard bearer for wiping the smugness off their chops, you would be hard pressed to top the Iceland game.