England 2 Poland 0

Last night's match was agony to watch, and it can't have been much fun for the England players either. The expressions on the faces after the final whistle betrayed relief more than jubilation, of a great weight being removed from the collective shoulders. Anyway, the important thing is that qualification has been secured, and the hard work and planning for Brazil 2014 can commence in earnest.

On paper at least, England picked a more compact and solid formation, but still the defence was much more of a worry than the creative element of the team. In the event, the feared threat from Robert Lewandowski barely materialised.  Also, England did not require "impact" substitutes, but men to replace tired legs and help to run down the clock...

The game was surprisingly open and stretched for long periods, which was great from an entertainment perspective, but surely not totally to the liking of Roy Hodgson. Whilst England sustained some of the good habits which had been a feature of the match against Montenegro, particularly the interplay involving the front four players, in other respects they were patchy and tentative. The defence just about did enough whenever a threat presented itself, but no more than that.

Once again, Andros Townsend was a breath of fresh air with his uninhibited and direct runs at the opposition defenders. As has often happened in the past, England have discovered a valuable and potent new weapon from an unexpected source ahead of a major tournament. It is hard to see how, fitness permitting, he can be ignored when the party of twenty three is chosen for Brazil.

Much of the second half became very worrying for England, and it was a case of battening down the hatches, and hoping for the storm to pass. It seemed that Poland eventually lost heart and morale when they failed to convert their spells of pressure and dominance into goals. Once this occurred, it was a case of bolstering the midfield with fresh substitutes, avoiding mistakes and using up the remaining seconds.

It was appropriate that Steven Gerrard scored the crucial second goal, as the skipper has shown real commitment to the cause, in his understated way.  Quiet, unfussy leadership, in a similar vein to Roy Hodgson.

Thoughts naturally turn now to next summer, England's prospects, and the likely shape and composition of the team and squad which will go to the World Cup. If Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney and Cole are removed, then this group looks desperately short on experience. Lampard is clearly in the autumn of his career, but will Hodgson feel obliged to take him to Brazil, purely for his experience?. He may yet have work to do to fully cement his place.

The Baines versus Cole debate is very intriguing, and a healthy dilemma to have. It is one of the few areas of the pitch where England have an embarrassment of riches.  It would be very harsh on the Everton man to have to step down, despite Cole's excellence and consistency over a decade or more. Baines looks very much at home in the England side, and I would be tempted to give him the nod. The competition from Cole should spur him to maintain, or even surpass, his current standard.

Another issue which entered my mind when watching the Poland game was whether England need more of a focal point in attack, to hold the ball up.  Whilst the system exhibited in the past two matches has been effective and exciting, it is always nice to have a Plan B, particularly if the stronger nations work out how to effectively combat the likes of Welbeck and Sturridge.  In citing the need for a conventional "centre forward" however, one has to confess that no strong candidates for such a role exactly scream out for consideration!

More fine-tuning in friendlies will hopefully help England to find the correct balance, and the feasibility of the current style in Brazilian conditions will also have to be factored in. England have sometimes struggled when trying to maintain a high tempo mode of playe in warmer climes, although it seems that the weather in Brazil will not be uniformly hot as it was in, say, the two Mexico World Cups of the past.

It looks though as though Hodgson and the players have engendered a good spirit in the camp.  This group of players is noticeably less flamboyant and "showbiz" than previous generations, and this may be no bad thing. There appears to be a real determination to do well, coupled with realism and pragmatism.  You never know, the Three Lions might just surprise a few people....

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....
 

France 1 England 1

So, England have played their first group match of Euro 2012, in Donetsk.

It seemed to me that the French team had the edge in terms of quality and creative options, so a 1-1 draw is not a bad result by any means. France had superior movement and overall fluidity and fluency, but England remained resolute and committed.

If England were probably second best in the technical proficiency stakes, their spirit and application were difficult to fault. Some cohesiveness was evident, and in his short tenure thus far Roy Hodgson seems to have instilled some semblance of togetherness and esprit de corps. The blend of personnel in the first-choice eleven is probably not yet ideal and fully realised, but the lack of time available to Hodgson for experimentation may preclude any major changes.

My impression, for what it is worth, is that England are seeking to base their effort in this tournament on a solid platform of honest endeavour and toil in defence and midfield, and hoping that pace, and occasional flashes of inspiration, up front, will see them through. To make this work, successfully, I feel that the all-round excellence and tenacity of Wayne Rooney is essential.  Improvisation will be necessary before the Manchester United player returns from suspension.

During today's match I was impressed with the attitude and diligence of captain Steven Gerrard, and Ashley Cole delivered his usual accomplished display. England really need these men, along with Rooney, to perform, because of the lack of genuine quality in depth in the squad, which has been exacerbated by injuries.

England were by no means outclassed by France, and this would indicate that neither Sweden nor Ukraine should hold any major fears. There is still everything to play for.

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?

Liverpool 2 Manchester City 2

The noises emanating from Anfield in the build-up to Wednesday evening's Carling Cup semi-final second leg indicated that Liverpool were highly motivated for the match.  It was also probably fair to assume that the trophy was accorded higher priority by Liverpool than it was by Manchester City.  This, together with home advantage and a one-goal lead from the first leg, seemed on the surface to give Liverpool a slight but important edge.

Looking at the teams, Liverpool's and City's selections seemed to lack some genuine cutting edge up front, but both possessed ample options on the bench. City went into the game with two holding midfielders, in Barry and De Jong, and only one out-and-out striker. This seemed a little surprising, given the situation in the tie, even allowing for the caution of Roberto Mancini.

Anyway, there was a lively and feisty opening to the proceedings, with lots of midfield jousting.  Liverpool sought to pose some questions early on, and Steven Gerrard's yellow card was symptomatic of their approach. Craig Bellamy was to the fore, but they were lacking the finish, or indeed that final ball.

In the first twenty minutes or so, Manchester City enjoyed some possession, but seldom in areas which constituted a threat to the Liverpool goal.

Liverpool managed to fashion an incisive move around the twenty-four minute mark, but Bellamy was correctly given offside. By this stage, Kenny Dalglish was showing signs of some agitation on the touchline, even though his team was in the ascendancy on the night, and in the tie overall. He clearly realised that the margin between success and failure was still quite meagre.

Sure enough, on thirty-one minutes, Nigel De Jong put City ahead with an absolute beauty of a shot, following some neat build-up work on the left hand side.  Game on, as they say!

That goal seemed to rouse Liverpool from the lethargy into which they had momentarily sunk. As chances were still at a premium, I wondered to myself whether they would introduce Andy Carroll at some point, and go the more direct route. However, this did not occur, and instead the left foot of Stewart Downing began to exert more influence.

When the Liverpool equaliser came, it was by virtue of a contentious penalty award, after Micah Richards was deemed to have handled the ball. It seemed a little harsh, but in fairness Richards did have his hands up, which never helps a defender's cause, and the referee was in very close attendance, enjoying a perfect view of the incident.  Whatever the merits of the award, Steven Gerrard duly converted the spot-kick, and there was some predictable remonstrating with Phil Dowd by the City players after the half-time whistle.

Even though they were behind again on aggregate, City were still very much in this tie, and they made a positive gesture by bringing on Sergio Aguero at the beginning of the second period.

Liverpool maintained their impetus at the start of the second half, and Joe Hart was forced to make several classy saves.  After he superbly denied Martin Skrtel, there was a lovely little moment when Dirk Kuyt gave the goalkeeper a little pat on the gloves, to acknowledge the quality of the save. Proof that chivalry and sportsmanship still exist in the hard-nosed world of professional football!

As the half progressed, more space became available, as Liverpool looked for the clincher, and City strove for a goal of their own. This striving eventually paid off, as the otherwise ineffective Dzeko made it 2-1. 

City's joy was short-lived, however, as not long afterwards Bellamy levelled matters again with a fine goal after a pleasing move.

In trying to force extra-time, City made little headway, and in the end Liverpool were able to hang on relatively comfortably for a 3-2 aggregate triumph.

The auguries for Liverpool were favourable before kick-off, and overall they exhibited more desire, as well as having more incentive, even if they benefited from that controversial penalty decision.  Their joy and relief was reflected in Dalglish's elation at the final whistle.

So a Liverpool versus Cardiff final at Wembley.  The Merseyside team will be strong favourites on paper, but as we all know, football is not played on paper, it is played on grass!