England 1 Ukraine 0

Well, ultimately not as nerve-racking as some might have expected, thanks to the breathing space which Wayne Rooney's slightly fortuitous goal afforded England.  It may have been stodgy and frustrating at times, but England are through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, and a date with a decidedly vincible Italy team.

Prior to the match, I made a note to the effect that Cole, Terry and Gerrard would have to perform well in order for England to secure a result tonight.  By and large, this trio produced the goods, with Gerrard being behind most of England's most fruitful moves, and the Chelsea pair capably marshalling defensive efforts

Unsurprisingly, Ukraine began the match energetically and purposefully, and England struggled to establish a foothold. Gradually, inroads were made, with the flanks being employed, and Steven Gerrard seeking to create space with some imaginative passing. Ukraine did not convert their possession into goals, and much of their finishing and shooting was inaccurate. When under pressure, England compounded matters by too often surrendering possession cheaply;an old failing.

England's goal may have come courtesy of a defensive and goalkeeping mix-up, but significantly it was Gerrard who once again created the danger, by producing something over and above the mundane. Indeed, I thought that one of the plus points of England's performance was the quality of their delivery, and not just from the captain.  The Roy Hodgson influence, possibly?

With regard to the John Terry "clearance" off the line, I'm not going to join in the debate about "technology".  The replay of the incident makes the case quite cogently.....

At around this time, the action became almost end-to-end for a spell, as Ukraine pressed more vigorously, and there was additional space for England.  In this context, the Walcott-for-Milner substitution made considerable sense.  In the event, the Arsenal man did not have the opportunity to make much impact, but the intent was correct.

And so on to the quarter-final on Sunday.  In terms of team selection and tactics, I think that we can expect more of the same.  England do not have the fluency in possession and build-up of some of the other teams in the tournament.  Their style is dictated by the fact that the personnel needed to accomplish this, particularly in midfield areas, are just not there.  One cannot turn water into wine.  The question remains whether this approach will work against the superior teams, and also whether England will be exposed defensively by the movement and speed of thought of those outfits.

I thought that Italy played some reasonable football, in patches, against the Republic of Ireland, and they have possibly been under-estimated by many observers.  It will be a stern examination for England, but still one which they are capable of overcoming....
 

Sweden 2 England 3

Prior to tonight's encounter in Kiev, I had frankly expected a rather turgid, attritional contest.  Sure enough, the first half was on the mediocre side, although not perhaps to the extent described by some pundits.  After the break, however, there was certainly no lack of incident, and although some of this was attributable to poor defending and luck, there were a few moments of genuine quality.

In the early minutes of the game I thought that England looked quite purposeful, busy and eager, if lacking a little in invention. James Milner was proving to be an effective outlet at that early stage. Predictably Zlatan Ibrahimovic constituted the main threat for Sweden, the doubts about his fitness notwithstanding.

Roy Hodgson's decision to play Andy Carroll from the start was vindicated when he rose majestically to meet a trademark Steven Gerrard delivery. As is often the case, however, one of England's main failings was a failure to retain possession sufficiently well, and Sweden continued to pose questions for the remainder of the first period.

I did not find the first forty-five minutes quite as woeful as some other people seem to have done.  Perhaps I find honest mediocrity strangely fascinating!

There was a noticeable upsurge in the vigour and intensity of Sweden's play right from the outset of the second half.  Maybe their coach had emphasised to them the extent of their predicament should they lose this game?  Whatever the case, the new approach soon bore fruit in the form of an equaliser, albeit a fortuitous and flukey one.

After the first Swedish goal went in, I thought to myself that England now faced a real test, and that they may be forced to show more tactical flexibility in order to respond.  Before they had a chance to demonstrate any of this, they were further pinned back by Swedish pressure, and the defence was found wanting as Mellberg rose largely unchallenged to make it 2-1.

The match now acquired a genuine sense of ebb-and-flow as England strove to get back on terms, with Sweden potentially dangerous on the break, even if they do not exactly possess blistering outright pace in their team.

England made a positive substitution, bringing on Theo Walcott for the fading Milner. Roy Hodgson must have sensed that England did not previously have enough in their armoury to get back into the match, but even he could hardly have anticipated the impact that the Arsenal player would make.  He had scarcely touched the ball before thumping in the equalising goal.

Strangely enough, I had been making notes to the effect that I found Danny Welbeck's performance unconvincing, when he and Walcott conjured up a moment of genuine quality to clinch victory for England. Welbeck's improvisation was most impressive.

Late on I became nervous, thinking that England were throwing too many men forward at times, but they held on reasonably comfortably.

So where does this all leave us?  Well, England need a point against Ukraine, and that is eminently achievable.  The coach does face a selection dilemma of sorts, with Wayne Rooney now available for selection after suspension, and both Welbeck and Carroll making their cases quite eloquently this evening.  Roy Hodgson has displayed a methodical, pragmatic streak during their tournament so far, and he may opt for the "horses for courses" approach again.

In the grand scheme of things, England have exuded a sense of unity and quiet determination thus far. These qualities, however laudable, will only take England so far. The fluidity and cohesion exhibited by Spain, Germany and even France in the past couple of days was sobering to see.  England look likely to face Spain, should they reach the quarter-finals.  Before that daunting prospect, however, they will need to rouse themselves once more for what is sure to be a pressurised match against the co-hosts.

Euro 2012 Preview

I must admit that it has taken some time for me to summon up much enthusiasm for the upcoming tournament in Poland and Ukraine.  However, now that Euro 2012 is upon us, here are some thoughts on the prospective contenders.

My favourites, if only marginally, are Germany.  After impressing so much with their youthful vigour and cohesion in the World Cup two years ago, they will have matured and become steelier and more resilient in the intervening period.  The potential threats come from many areas of their line-up, and they have the tactical flexibility which many other teams lack.  The Germans do have what looks on paper to be a tough opening group, but they should progress to the quarter-finals with some comfort.

If Germany have progressed since 2010, it is tempting to think that Spain peaked in South Africa, or even before, and that their powers might have waned slightly.  However, they remain a formidable proposition, and possess daunting strength in depth and big-match experience.  It might be time for some of their younger players, or those on the fringe of the first-choice eleven, to assume a greater burden of responsibility.

The Netherlands are another country which should be viewed as potential champions.  The experience of their squad is vast, and their creative options in midfield and forward positions are impressive to say the least.  The likes of Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie will pose problems for any opponents.  The flair is solidly backed up by a bewildering array of talented and solid midfielders.  The Dutch will first have to navigate their way through a difficult group, though.

So what about England?  Well, for once, the pundits, and the nation at large, are being realistic and level-headed about the team's prospects.  Perhaps too many disappointments and cruel reverses over the years have finally had their effect, and instilled a sense of perspective.  That said, Roy Hodgson's understated stewardship and all-round expertise should stand England in good stead.  Some new players, and those overlooked under previous managers, will be keen to make their mark.  However, it is also imperative that the likes of Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney perform to a good level, to form the bedrock of the effort.

Other teams to look out for?  To be honest, scanning over the sixteen teams, none of them looks especially weak, and this makes predicting form and results very tough, with margins being wafer-thin.  France are difficult to gauge, but a squad containing so many talented and experienced individuals must be respected.  Also, the two host nations will have fervent support, and this will give them a boost.

Let us hope most of all that the next few weeks are remembered for entertaining and memorable football action, rather than unsavoury off-pitch incidents.  I hope that the latter, if they occur, are fully and sensibly covered by the media, and that the powers-that-be do not seek to downplay them, or sweep them under the carpet.  Issues of that gravity must be confronted, addressed and overcome.

My own less-than-scientific analysis of the groups and fixtures suggests that the semi-finalists will be the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and France.  But what do I know?