Today's Euros

[Travs]

At the top end the premier league might be good. But they attract top foreign players.but at a lower level, how would the likes of Watford do against a Genoa, Deportivo or Bremen? They'd get absolutely slaughtered over a season.

Year after year of dogshit performances show that England players don't have the collective technical ability to break down an average team.

I remember when Coventry City had a proper reserve team in a proper league, and could go down Highfield Road and watch the reserve league. Now teams don't have that, and the first teams are full of foreign players with similar ability, but not the vastly inflates price tags of English players. Where do the England players come from now? That Watford striker has a supposed price tag of 30 odd million, he wouldn't even get in a top division team 25 years ago.

As a stop gap, now the premier league academy teams are playing the in Johnsons Paint Trophy, devaluing another competition, and a chance for lower teams to actually get to Wembley which can provide the finances for another ten years. Defies belief. But the premier league is propped up on your media money and the Sky Subscriptions of your average "fan" who believes whatever they hear on the tv. In two years time we'll think we have a chance in theworld cup, wwe'll **** it right up again, and the manager will get sacked, and the cycle continues...

[Richard Head]

I never thought I'd see the day when I fell out of love with football but over the last 10 years or so it's happened. When I was a lad and a young adult it was a constant round of playing matches, watching Liverpool home and away, watching Morecambe, the World Cups were times of great excitement when we actually had a realistic chance of winning.

My memories go back to 1966(I was at Goodison with my grandad for the quarter final when North Korea led Portugal 3-0 before losing 5-3) 1970 the Brazil match and the Gordon Banks save then 2 up against Germany before losing 3-2 in the quarter final. In 82 and 86 Keegan and Linecker missed simple headed chances otherwise we could have gone all the way. 90 and 96 the country seriously believed we could win it but we dipped out on penalties twice to the Germans. Even in 98 under Hoddle we weren't far away against Argentina, the Michael Owen goal, Sol Campbell's last minute goal disallowed but who the f**k thought it was a good idea for David Batty to take a penalty.

Since then it's been a blur of pre tournament hype about the so called 'golden generation' followed by abject failure more often than not on penalties. Now I've got to the state that when Dier scored against Russia and the missus asked me who he played for I didn't know. Marcus Rashford, I honestly couldn't tell you who he plays for either.

Anyway now I've got that off my chest, it's pissing down here but it's our club run in a couple of hours so it's nearly time to lace up the running shoes and get out there, bollocks to England and the Premier League

[Travs]

It's the same for me nowadays. Started playing football properly at 10. Had a season ticket for years with Cov, and even when we got relegated, that was the time I started going to regular away matches. Been to foreign matches too, in France, Spain, Italy, Greece...

For me it's been the demise of football into a total soap opera. Also the demise of Cov into a plaything stuck in the middle of a row between hedge-fund owners (who I actually support, although I'm much in the minority), and a council who don't want us in the city and want to become a "city of rugby"....

Along with a few years of doing Muay Thai to a decent level, followed by my now obsession with fell-racing, I've found that football hardly registers anymore.

Like you RichardHead, when I saw an England player called Cline (or possibly Kline) on the pitch, I'd not even heard of him.

Just Italian football for me now (which is still fantastic despite the negativity it receives), foreign trips, and my local team who are 3 divisions below the conference.

[Daletownrunner]

Is this deja vu, or have I once again woken up to find the value of Sterling crash in the face of a European exit?

I reckon Sterling has the yips, he can't release the ball

[Richard Head]

I reckon Sterling has the yips, he can't release the ball

Must be the worst player to wear an England shirt since Carlton Palmer.

How is he worth £49 million Could you imagine him playing years ago marked by Ron Harris or Tommy Smith F**k me I'd fancy marking him and I'm 61

[bigfella]

Hey! leave Carlton Palmer alone "There's only one team to Sheffield".

[Richard Head]

Leading contenders for the England job

Gareth Southgate 15/8 - Under 21's manager, made a complete balls of his only club managing job when Middlesborough were relegated. Best known for his penalty miss in the Euro 96 semi final penalty shoot out followed by appearing in a Pizza Hut advert with a bag on his head.

Glen Hoddle 6/1 - anyone remember the build up to France 98, is Eileen Drewery still around. Following his England sacking, brief spells at Southampton, Spurs and Wolves, Been out of football for 10 years.

Eddie Howe 10/1 - got as safe a job at Bournemouth as any manger could have, surely got more sense than being interested in the England job. His brief sojourn at Burnley didn't go too well and he soon legged back to Bournemouth.

Alan Shearer 12/1 - only experience as a manager was when he arrived as the messiah to save Newcastle from relegation in 2009. 5 points from 8 matches later they were relegated

A strong list to pick from, the future looks rosy

[Roy Scott]

For me this soul searching and mind numbing analysis when we lose in a tournament like this is pathetic. Talk sport for example have to fill hours on this and bang on about the manager and how poor all the players are. For me it's simple. Put the team before individuals. Leicester have shown this and Italy at this tournament are also showing this. Be ruthless in the pursuit of a successful unit of players, just like the England rugby team now.

[Richard Head]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/footb...Euro-2016-News

Looks like Southgate has ruled himself out

[creaky]

Come on Wales......