Was thinking about this earlier. If Roy as predicted does massively change the team and rest a few of our better players- Rooney Ali Rose etc is this a bit of a gamble.

As I understand it we are not defiantly through. Ok it's a long shot but say we get tonked tonight

N Ireland Hold Germany. Croatia draw with Spain. Czecks beat turkey. Ireland beat Italy and Belgium draw with Sweden. Finally Portugal and Iceland/Austria win there is a slim chance we could go out.

Ok the odds are probably about 5000-1 and would make a cracking accumulater but hey.

That aside say we do lose we could drop to third and have to play Germany ( probably)

Just a thought should Roy be gambling if what is said is true

A lack of respect to who? You select a squad of players you feel can represent your country, if it'd be an insult to select any of them they shouldn't be playing football. It's not as if he'll be putting a work experience kid on for a laugh.

Just asking the question. A lack of respect to Wales and Russia by giving Slovakia a better chance of beating England. Put it this way if Sturridge hadn't got that winner would Roy have made all these changes?

With Sturridge and Vardy in particular he's replacing ineffectual players with two who were a danger and made a difference. That can't be seen as going easy on Slovakia.

No but changing the two full backs and taking Rooney and Ali out. If we needed to win to qualify then the only changes he would probably have made would be Vardy and Sturridge for Kane and Sterrling as it is he's decided to make several more changes.

Ok maybe shouldn't have added the lack of respect bit but the original question remains is Roy gambling?

Very silly move from Roy and clearly underestimating the Slovakia team, he should be trying to see out the game and try to top the group, its ok to make a couple of changes but 6 lol and also resting our captain i hope we dont finish second because there are some teams we could really do with avoiding.

2 of the rumoured 6 changes will be Kane & Sterling dropping out - I doubt anybody apart from the players themselves and their mothers have an issue with that.

So that leaves 4 changes. The two fullbacks (Walker and Rose) are primarily attack-minded so slotting in Clyne and Bertrand actually improves us defensively in my opinion - given the attacking ability elsewhere on the pitch that's not an issue either and may in fact be a wise decision.

Down to just 2 now... Alli & Rooney I assume. Alli, like Kane, is not firing at 100% - probably down to a slog of a first season in the top flight playing a physically demanding style. Sensible given tonight would be the third game in 9 days.

As for Rooney, he needs to rest too given his new role in the engine room - an opportune time to rest the guy and get him right for (hopefully) the last 16.

I'm not a Hodgson fan (quite the opposite) but what he's doing here makes perfect sense. You've got to manage the tournament and rest players at some stage. There's not much downgrading going on, so hardly disrespectful. The proposed team should beat Slovakia and getting some fresh legs on the pitch to keep Hamsik in check isn't a bad thing.

It's certainly a gamble, but Rooney and Walker are really the only players I'm disappointed to see dropped.

Maybe Rose for me but can see why Bertrand is given a chance. Ali as well but that's because I don't really rate Henderson that much.

Think Sterrling should defiantly be dropped not rested from here on in and Kane just looks shattered.

I'm still not entirely sure what we get from Henderson but I hope Alli might benefit from being out of the spotlight for a half or two, he seems a little burnt out.

Agreed the more I think about it and the excellent post from the sloth the more this may work out. Ok we may now draw/lose and people will be questioning why but hey Roy's gonna roll the dice let's see how they land

Happy for Milner to get a go. Not Henderson though

Does seem strange the lack of playing time for Milner. At one stage he was Roy's go to man despite the critiscm now after having his arguably most productive season he's nowhere near the team.

Whatever Roy does, he'll get flak. It probably is a wise move to rest some of those players, and those replacing them will hardly be rubbish, but if we lose, Roy'll be in serious trouble, and if we win, he'll be deemed to have got lucky.

I am surprised he's making the changes, you normally only get it when you've cemented the group or already on the way home. Hodgson's going full maverick this tournament.

Yeah and we all know what happened to Goose

dont you think we need rooneys experience to make sure they remain focussed? Hamsik and a one lapse of concentratio is all it takes. And we will be meeting spain in the next round.

Similar thing happened in 2010 when we finished 2nd we had the pleasure of getting a 4-1 thumping by Germany.

Plenty of differences as I remember 2010 England had to win to qualify. No chance of resting anyone. The only reason we finished second was a late Landon Donnavon strike without that we would have won the group yes.

However if we had been chasing the game and got caught we could also have gone out

Tbh if hes playing sturridge vardy and wilshere we should be fine. I also think russia will beet wales having lost 2 games they wont want to leave with 3 losses they are an extremely proud nation.

Russia drew the first game, fairly notably.

well tbey wont want to finish bottom

If our specialist midfielders can't fill in for a make-shift midfielder against an average team then we're in enough trouble to suggest our lineup tonight is irrelevant. I'd rather Romney was recharged for the next game. If things aren't working out after an hour Roy can always change it - or if we're doing well he can just sit back smugly and feel he made the right decision. I'd rather get to the knockout stages with the likes of Romney not running on empty.

Good God, a week and a half ago everyone wanted Rooney dropped and it would be a disgrace if he played. Just shows you what an impossible job Hodgson has.

Think it's just a matter of opinions changing based on what happens. 2 weeks ago I would have had a bet on kane to finish top scorer now I'd rather put money on ronaldo ( oh wait)

Cue romaldo scoring a hat tick to knock England out