The Euros

[Scott7 6,159]

Only seen bits of matches - none from start to finish - but England look like favourites. Never seen an English side attack so much.

[craig 5,199]

Only seen bits of matches - none from start to finish - but England look like favourites. Never seen an English side attack so much.

 

Hodgson will ultimately cost them the chance of winning it.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

England look great so far. Best side I've seen

[compo 7,209]

Well done Northern Ireland

[ian1964 10,761]

I hope Wales knock Russia out as all they've brought to Euro 2016 is hooligans and bad football, says Gordon Strachan

 

THE Scotland manager reckons the violence has marred an enjoyable tournament as he gets ready to head home after his vist to France.

 

THAT’S it. For me, this tournament is over.

 

Like the rest of the country I’ll continue to watch it on TV but my trip to Lille on Wednesday to watch Slovakia beat Russia was my last visit to France this summer.

 

I’ve had my fill of looking in on someone else’s party.

 

I’ve also had enough of the planes, trains and automobile existence so I’ve come up to the Highlands for a bit of R&R and I’ll be keeping an eye on things from here.

 

It’s a lot more simple that way.

 

I was lucky that my old fitness coach at Celtic, Gregory Dupont, now works for Lille and lives in the city so he picked me up from the train station off the Eurostar and took me to the stadium.

 

He asked if I wanted to have a look at the town centre but, given that the Russians were in town, I politely declined the offer.

 

Gregory picked me up at the end of the game and drove me back to the train station so I got in and out without any problems.

 

The down side was that I’ve now seen Slovakia in the flesh twice and it’s fair to say they are a better side than I first thought. I knew they were a decent outfit but now I think they’re a terrific one.

 

They have real strength in the middle of the park – players you would love in your side as a manager. And they are backed up by guys who understand the system.

 

They’ve been together for years and it shows. That’s one thing the people of Scotland need to remember because the best teams in this tournament have a core of about 16 players who are selected for every squad.

 

I know people would like me to make more changes to my group and I’ve made it clear I will bring in new players if they are good enough to make a difference.

 

But if you look at this Slovakian team it has been the same faces for the last four years. They have grown up together and know their game plan inside out. I’ve tried to take a look at some new players but the more you look at this tournament the more you see the benefit of keeping a core group together.

 

Take Sweden for example. I’m watching them play Italy as I write this and it’s the same mob that has been going about for four or five years. They’ve become like a club side and that’s why I’m trying to achieve with Scotland.

 

We’ve managed to do that over the last couple of years and I’ve decided it’s not going to change unless there are some outstanding kids coming in. That’s the secret to international football – forming that nucleus and building from there.

 

The Welsh have done it, the Croats too. These guys have been around together for an age. They have learned the lesson that there’s no point in changing purely for the sake of change.

 

I have seen loads of people in their mid-30s at this tournament who are starring for their nations.

 

And that’s what I’ll be looking for from our experienced guys in our next campaign because, as Slovakia showed the other day, it’s going to be a tough one.

 

Yes, they were up against Russia who have been one of the poorest teams in the competition. But they still showed a real level of quality.

 

As for the Russians, it’s in everyone’s best interests if they catch the next flight back to Moscow. They have brought nothing to these finals apart from hooligans and violence.

 

To be fair, I sat with their supporters on Wednesday and they were just ordinary football fans like the rest of us. These were real football people – nothing like the nutters who went to France just to fight. They were fine.

 

Well, there was one big drunk guy who had lost his shoes in the city centre earlier that day. He did try to explain to me how that had happened but I can’t speak Russian and I can’t speak drunk so the conversation didn’t go very far.

 

As for their team, they are a side that only plays when they are in trouble. They have to go behind before they react and then you sit there wondering: “Well, why didn’t you start like that?”

 

They look scared and can’t take anything by the scruff of the neck.

 

So I hope Wales finish them off next week as I want teams who offer something to the tournament to stay there for as long as possible.

 

There’s no doubt the Welsh bring more than Russia.

 

I watched their game against England in a wee pub in Cumbria on my way up to Scotland. When I went in I asked the wee woman behind the bar if I could watch the telly. She said to me: “Why, do you like football?”

 

And six guys sat at the end of the bar stated laughing. I ended up having my picture taken with everyone in the pub but it was good fun.

 

I enjoyed the game too even though I felt sick for the Welsh at the end. The bottom line is they were beaten by a bit of brilliance from Daniel Sturridge who is the most talented attacking player in the England squad. Which makes him not a bad sub to throw on.

 

But Wales can still get through this group if they get a result against the Russians. The problem is that Russia only play when they are down and out, which is exactly where they are going into this game.

 

Me? I’m off to see Rod Stewart in Inverness and then I’ll be going to the Outer Hebrides. Apparently the locals weren’t best pleased when I suggested in my last column that we should send Euro 2016’s hooligans there for the rest of the summer.

 

I’ll mark this one down as a peace mission.

 

Read more at http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hope-wales-knock-russia-out-8221803#OJ4etW2MY06o0Q34.99

[Bearman 9]

Me? I’m off to see Rod Stewart in Inverness and then I’ll be going to the Outer Hebrides. Apparently the locals weren’t best pleased when I suggested in my last column that we should send Euro 2016’s hooligans there for the rest of the summer.

 

I’ll mark this one down as a peace mission.

 

Hope the locals pelt him with eggs and chase him.

[ian1964 10,761]

Hope the locals pelt him with eggs and chase him.

 

Hard boiled!:devil:

[ian1964 10,761]

Take Sweden for example. I’m watching them play Italy as I write this and it’s the same mob that has been going about for four or five years. They’ve become like a club side and that’s why I’m trying to achieve with Scotland.

 

Sweden have failed to get one shot at goal in two games!,and this clown wants to emulate them!

[buster. 5,257]

Take Sweden for example. I’m watching them play Italy as I write this and it’s the same mob that has been going about for four or five years. They’ve become like a club side and that’s why I’m trying to achieve with Scotland.

 

Sweden have failed to get one shot at goal in two games!,and this clown wants to emulate them!

 

"I have seen loads of people in their mid-30s at this tournament who are starring for their nations.

 

And that’s what I’ll be looking for from our experienced guys in our next campaign because, as Slovakia showed the other day, it’s going to be a tough one."

 

Strachan

 

Those words don't inspire.

[ian1964 10,761]

The down side was that I’ve now seen Slovakia in the flesh twice and it’s fair to say they are a better side than I first thought. I knew they were a decent outfit but now I think they’re a terrific one.

 

Really?.........................