It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

The thing is that there is strength in the squad, Rooney will play later and Defoe will add to the squad later,.....France will not be easy but if Carroll hits top form with Young and Gerrard clicking in midfield and a strong defense mustered by Terry....might surprise a few people.....a draw would be good as well...but a win would really set them up nicely....even if we went behind : I can see us coming back !...

Right eyes down chaps, nearly the start of 12 consecutive days of two games each day.

Well Denmark is the first surprise....Holland did not play well it seems....they will play a lot better against the Germans that's for sure.....that game could go any way....Germany not certain of winning that .....now can the Irish spring a surprise ?....

Spain-Italy....super teams these two...have to say...

Bad defending cost the Irish last night....they'll never get through that group now....Italy might win it with Croatia second.....the Spanish might miss out .....who's the muppet that had the wonderful idea of taking the England team to visit a concentration camp ?...if they wanted to upset them that's the place to take them....really ??!....it's not exactly a tourist attraction !....here they are on the brink of a major tournament and some twit decides to take them there...that's the last place on earth to take a squad.....does anybody in the FA have their heads screwed on the right way....?...in normal times if you go to Poland on a visit : yes by all means if you can be prepared to be shocked as it the most terrible thing ever done to humans but now ? with the England team ?...nuts....

Bonjour tout le monde.

Allez Francais :-)

The Dutch and the Irish defending was very poor so unless both improve in that area I can't see either going very far. Noticed that Denmark were 5/1 to beat The Dutch and were 100/1 to win it? Remember when they didn't qualify in the early 90's but were then admitted when the Yugoslavs were kicked out.. and then went on to win it?

Incredible wasn't it !......It's also a shame for the Yugoslavian players who were excellent at that stage......Red Star Belgrade had won the European cup against Chris Waddle's Marseille...(have to mention two of the finest goals ever ! ..scored by Papin and Waddle against Milan AC on their way to the final)..so it shows how good the former Yugoslavia was around that time....and the Danes went on to win it....unbelievable...now....Croatia to do the same ?....

I see Dil is a fine partisan.....that's the spirit.....avez vous a Gazza ?...non but we avez a Gerrard !....

Some good bets available...11/5 for England or 3.2 if like myself you prefer decimal.....underestimating England ; the bookies....good luck England.....a draw would not be disastrous but a win would put everybody in heaven..(well until the next game anyway)....a loss not so good with two very difficult matches ahead....

The team won't be confirmed until an hour before kick-off but this will be the England team which starts for England: Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, James Milner, Steven Gerrard, Scott Parker, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck.

It's not the attack that worries me it's the defense.

Stan - In my opinion Terry must play on the left of centre - otherwise OK for the start.

It's mainly Lescott that worries me more OA, he's had a good season at City but I'm not convinced he's up to international standard, as usual we shall see.

Blimey! Clemence has gone down injured now.. there doomed I tell ya doomed -):

Well Lescott is the hero for England....can't believe it...but there you go....super cross from Gerrard......Difficult that French team.......both teams can progress from this group....we need to score quite a few goals in the next two matches to win the group....

Will Hill and Coral were 3.5 or 5/2 in old money for England to win rf.

Better than what I had......nevermind...I'm pleased with the draw but by the look of Ukraine-Sweden....this is not going to be easy...we need a win against the Swedes in the next game....by the way...anybody notice that Dustin Hoffman was playing as a linesman in England-France !....

Tournament Map

Well I never what an excellent performance throughout, the only blot was that I thought that Hart might have saved Nasri's shot. A bit harsh on seeing it again as I don't think he saw it till late.

Looked at that Map skinny but a bit busy for me so I printed off this one http://www.oddschecker.com/football/internationals/euro-2012

Thanks Stan - as you say, a little less "busy".