Time to start believing..? There's a realistic chance that all the home nations could be there, how great would that be!
Would be great to have at least 2 there, which looks very realistic. Even ROI have a decent chance - good result today v Poland, 1-1, which keeps them in the hunt. You have to fancy Germany to win their group, but after that it would be any of Poland, Scotland and ROI. Third place has 10 points in their group at the moment too, giving them a decent chance of an extra place. Strange seeing the groups topped by Czech Republic, Wales, Slovakia, Poland, England, Romania, Austria, Croatia and Portugal.
It would be disastrous if we didn't manage to make 3rd so at least we'll be in with a shout in the playoffs! Massive match in June against Romania at home up next. For once we actually have an easy group too which is nice, wouldn't like to be in Scotland's!
It's going to be fantastic for English fans. Narrow defeats to Sweden and Belgium before Roy Hodgson sends us home "with a smile on our faces" with a goalless draw against Latvia.
How much of the ground will be ready? Would be a shame if it is just 2 stands as the NI fans can carry the team over the line like they did against England with Healy scoring and the early 80's period. Would love NI and Wales to qualify. Think it is fair to say England already have. I think Scotland will nick qualification as well but Eire will fail.
Good for other home nations to make it but on the flip side I think the tournament is too big now. Should have stayed with 16 teams.
Not actually sure, it looked pretty good when I was at the game yesterday but still looks a fair bit away from completion. Actually looks a decent stadium now. Yea, usually our downfall has been our away form and that has always been put down to struggling to play with fewer fans but we seem to have picked up a bit this campaign. The atmosphere yesterday was also pretty good but not quite as good as the match against England you referred to. Can never decide which match I enjoyed more, the England one or the Spain 3-2 match a year later! Pity we went off the boil a bit after that though.
I can't see both ROI and Scotland qualifying. Of trhe two, I'd prefer ROI to get there. The Gibraltar fans sing "let's pretend we've scored a goal." And now they've played Scotland, so they don't need to pretend. Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Sean Connery, Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, Gordon Brown, the Bay City Rollers, Adam Smith, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, your boys suffered a hell of an embarrassment, even if they did win eventually. Sorry, Kelso.
I'd prefer to see Scotland there myself - I can't remember ever watching a Watford player play in a WC or European Championships, and would love to see Anya there.
Judging by your username I guess you were born in 93, I grew up watching Barnes and Blissett play for England, I was only 6 when Spain 82 was on but Armstrong's goal for NI to beat Spain on their own turf must have been a joy to watch.
Yep, born in 93, but only began following Watford in 06. Still holding onto hope that I'll see Deeney play for both us and England some day!
Hadn't played in a Watford shirt, though. Bit different to if Anya were to play at Euro 2016. Same for Belkalem; he'd been with us for a season, but played about 10 games right at the start of the season and was all but certain to be heading off. He played for us, but (for me) he didn't feel like 'our player'.
Just passing through. We're just a shop window or a training ground for Udinese fringe players. That's the Pozzo model. Get used to it.
Decent point, forgot about DeMerit - even if we did all know he was going before the World Cup ended. Still, would prefer to see Anya there with Scotland than a ROI team with no Watford links.
10 Years ago today NI had one of its best results in recent times, beating England 1-0 at Windsor. Today, we have the chance to create history and qualify for a euros for the first time. Been a season ticket holder for about 13 years but never have I looked forward to a match like tonights
Well NI grabbed a late equaliser which should set them up nicely for qualifying but going to miss 3 key players by all accounts for the next game.
You should still qualify fingers crossed, was at Windsor park that night in the Northern Ireland end where they scored the goal, best atmosphere I have ever experienced at a footy game.
Not an ideal result but a loss would have been a disaster! On to Greece now, would love to get it wrapped up at home
Nope. Me too. To say we are boring and ****ing average is being unfair to boring and ****ing average.
Just back from Wembley and I was doing the same. Apart from the build up and goal for Kane we were pretty sh*te. The cheering and celebrating for Rooney's goal was pathetic considering half his goals come against p*ss poor opposition and the rest from pens. Apart from the goals it was a library, but the kids enjoyed it.
The game changed when Kane came on-he looks to shoot and attack. Up until then it was pretty tepid stuff-Sterling running into trouble and failing to release the ball when others were better placed. I thought the Swiss just shaded the first half but did little in the second. In the end it was comfortable for us I was sitting opposite the Swiss fans and there was a good turnout from them with chanting most of the game. What struck me was that with Sturridge and Welbeck injured (and Carroll for that matter) what is our back up strike force bar Kane and Rooney-Walcott and Jamie Vardy?-if so we have limited options up front with so few Englishmen in the PL and none abroad
No one's mentioned Stirling's dive yet ... are we actually condoning it just because he's not Callum Wilson? Well it disgusts me and if I was Hodgson I'd drop him regardless that it would weaken our attack.
Love to away games but can't be bothered to Goto a stadium that is 30 minutes away, would love to know how many of Rooneys goals were pens or against the top 20 ranked teams in the world, if any other striker was playing like him they would be dropped. When I saw him in 2004 at he set the Portugal alight and was unplayable. Shame he got injured in the qf when we were well on top. The old Wembley was a dump but it felt like home and would never miss a game there.
I think that's only the 6th pen he's scored (don't know about the misses). Whatever you say he is still one of England's best players although he often doesn't live up to the hype he gets. Something that's often missed is that he has good vision and a very good team ethic, other strikers may take more shots but will almost certainly create less alongside it and TBH I wouldn't even dream of dropping him till after we've been knocked out of the Euro's.
