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20 years now since Englands last appearance in a semi-final of a major tournament. Will we finally see them deliver or is this just going to be another false dawn?

And who starts? Does Vardy get in? Does Wilshere? Will Roy play 4-3-3 or will he stick with that diamond?

Russia are a painfully average side and I expect England to have too much for them - don't think anyone in England's group is a major threat tbh, think they're most likely to lose to Wales out of them all.

roy's gotta go 4-3-3 for this... scrap that diamond. kane up front with sterling and probably lallana either side. alli & rooney in the middle and dier protecting the back 4...

Rumour it'll be 4-2-3-1 as follows...


Happy enough with that if Hodgson insists on one up front - Vardy wasted out wide and I'd rather Kane was the focal point up top than Rooney. Alli a bit wasted deeper but at least he plays.

It all smacks a little of crow-barring players into the side but let's just see how it goes. The Russians are evidently getting him fired up and I suspect they'll target him and Alli in an attempt to incite something.

With their injury woes, though, I can see us winning by 2 clear goals if we're positive enough.

^ i'd be happy with that eleven but not with alli that far back... would want him pushed up alongside rooney.

Think we'll win every match and top the group and reach QF/semis where we'll go out.

A comfortable 2-0 victory for England I reckon.

England is so unpredictable. It be great for a win In an opening match for the first time in ten years but sadly I don't have the best feeling about the match. How many times have we stormed qualifying but fell to bits at a tournament.

Rooney and sterling, two players out of form

Pressure on both sides now.

I don't have much faith in this English side to get the win.

Sterling always plays better for England than he does at club level. I think he'll do well for us tonight.

Is it Clive Tyldesley commentating tonight or Sam Matterface?

The line-ups:

England.
Hart, Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Rose, Alli, Dier, Rooney, Sterling, Kane, Lallana.

Subs: Forster, Heaton, Stones, Bertrand, Clyne, Wilshere, Henderson, Barkley, Milner, Vardy, Sturridge, Rashford.


Russia:
Akinfeev, Smolnikov, V.Berezutsky, Ignashevich, Schennikov, Neustadter, Golovin, Kokorin, Shatov, Smolov, Dzyuba.

Poor Ian Wright.

Hour worth of build up..

it's the 11 most thought it would be... but hopefully alli is not sitting too deep.

All kicking off outside the stadium alas : maybe 20 fans injured and several arrests so far

Best England bench I have seen for quite a while. Some real potential quality there.

I don't think Russia will break the defence.
2-nil to England I think

I'd have started with Vardy over Sterling.

Well England as usual looking good on paper , it's just a shame we don't seem to fight with the team spirit of the other teams . I always expect great things from our guys but more often than not I'm left shaking my head in disbelief after about 20 minutes in.

I can see the logic of this tbh . Sterling seems to do well for England anyways but then they can bring on lightening fast Vardy after 60 minutes when their aging , depleted team are flagging . Could be a masterful stroke .

C'mon England. A quick start, comfortable win and a relaxed night please.

This is gonna ok real bad for us if the other home nations fans all behave themselves and ours are rioting every night .

Sam Whatterface. Whose he