<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.24.1.1/17378?ns=guardian&pageName=Euro+2012+blog%3A+15+June+*+live%21+%7C+Paul+Doyle+and+Tom+Lutz%3AArticle%3A1760160&ch=Football&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=Euro+2012+%28Football%29%2CEuro+2012+Group+D%2CEuro+2012+Group+A%2CEuro+2012+Group+B%2CEuro+2012+Group+C%2CFootball%2CSport&c5=Unclassified%2CEuro+2008+Football&c6=Paul+Doyle%2CTom+Lutz&c7=12-Jun-15&c8=1760160&c9=Article&c10=Blogpost%2CMinute+by+minute&c11=Football&c13=Football+live+blog&c25=Sport+blog&c30=content&c42=Sport&h2=GU%2FSport%2FFootball%2FEuro+2012" width="1" height="1" /></div><p class="standfirst">• Hit F5 for the latest or use our auto-refresh button below<br />• Today: France v Ukraine and … England v Sweden<br />• Join Dominic Fifield for a live webchat from 12pm BST<br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro2012">Full tournament coverage on our special Euro 2012 site</a><br />• And email your thoughts to <a href="mailto
aul.doyle@guardian.co.uk">paul.doyle@guardian.co.uk</a></p><!-- Block 15 --><p><span class="timestamp">11.26am:</span> Introducing Mick McCarthy, the only person on the planet who thinks last night's display by Ireland was just the thing to strike fear into the hearts of their last group opponents. "I would be worried if I was Italy, because Ireland are going into the last game with nothing to play for except pride. So we've got nothing to worry about. We can go and hunt them down and have a go at Italy." Yes, now that they've been disabused of the notion that they can compete at this level, Trap's troops can finally go give opponents a good seeing to. Using similar logic, Wolves woeful relegation means now is the perfect time for Sir Alex Ferguson to hand the Manchester United reins over to McCarthy. </p><!-- Block 14 --><p><span class="timestamp">11.20am:</span> Boldly encroaching on to Jonathan Wilson's turf, Barney Ronay has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-valeriy-lobanovsky-kiev">written a paen to Valeri Lobanovsky</a>, to whom there is a loving monument in the city where England will today take on Sweden. </p><blockquote><p>It is a lovely thing that an effigy of the deeply likeable Lobanovsky should have evolved into a kind of footballing nerd-Jerusalem. To the childhood observer Lobanovsky first appeared as a touchline fixture at successive tournaments, notable for those solid concrete jowls, the worker's cap – a little Lenin-ish, a little Lennon-ish – and his unblinking stillness. A decorated colonel in the Red Army and also a winger with Dynamo, he managed his hometown team for 21 years while also building the wonderful USSR teams of 1986 and 1988 around an armature of Kyiv players.</p></blockquote><!-- Block 13 --><p><span class="timestamp">11.03am:</span> How about some stat entertainment? OK then. Shay Given has had an abysmal tournament but has still made far more saves (21) than any other keeper so far - althjough Joe Hart has been the next most prolific saver (13) despite only playing one game. </p><p>Ireland barely have barely attacked in the tournament but Robbie Keane has still managed to be joint top of the Caught Offside chart.</p><p>Poor old Cristiano Ronaldo has had more shots than any other player so far, all of them misplaced.</p><!-- Block 12 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.58am:</span> Right on cue, here's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-alan-dzaguev-russia">Jonathan Wilson with a closer look at Alan Dagoev</a>. </p><blockquote><p>Comparisons with the Russian forward Eduard Streltsov, who, at 17 years and 340 days, became the youngest outfielder ever to play for the USSR, were inevitable if not entirely fair. Streltsov, after all, is one of the great icons of the Russian game, a forward who scored a hat-trick against Sweden on his international debut, was jailed for a rape he may or may not have committed and returned from five years in the gulag to inspire Torpedo to a league title. Whereas Dzagoev, as Guus Hiddink said, "is a really clever player with the ability to make a killer pass and stretch the play."</p></blockquote><!-- Block 11 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.42am:</span> German organ Bild claims that Arsenal are going to try their luck with Andrei Arshavin's national team-mate, Alan Dzagoev. The midfielder is young, nifty and, most appealing of all to Arsene Wenger, reasonably cheap, as his contract with CSKA Moscow expires in December.</p><!-- Block 10 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.34am:</span> The whispers in the French press are that Samir Nasri will not get a chance to tell anyone to shut it today as he will be left on the bench as Laurent Blanc deploys Jérémy Menez down the right. Apparently France will make two other changes: Yann M'vila for Diarra and Marvin Martin for Malouda. Disappointed neither Giroud nor Ben Arfa will be starting in that case.</p><!-- Block 9 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.26am:</span> Rob Smyth and Scott Murray are synonymous with joy so who better to deliver this week's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jun/15/joy-of-six-european-championship-goals">Joy of Six</a>: Great European Championship goals.</p><!-- Block 8 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.17am:</span> Judging from the Spanish media today, Spain has fallen back in love with Fernando Torres, which is perhaps more a sign of their frustration at the rest of the team's lack of directness than their admiration for a guy who can score twice against a ramshackle Ireland side. David Wall has emailed some thoughts on Torres. "I noticed in your MBM last night that there was a growing backlash against people who have been criticising Torres, accusing them of schadenfreude and jealousy. Perhaps that makes this a Torres-backlash-backlash backlash, but I think those people are off the mark. It'd reflect badly if people thought it was completely okay to spend £50million on a player in such straightened times, while also claiming to be trying to live within your means, and to win everything easily as a result. To his credit, Torres seems to share that sentiment, hence why he's been under-performing and making it more difficult for his team. He's just displaying that new-money-aspiring-upper-middle-class guilt of wanting to succeed but not wanting to seem to be trying to hard or for for success to come too easily. If I'm right then perhaps he can email in to let us know as he'll obviously be a Guardian reader."</p><!-- Block 7 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.56am:</span> Manager of an international team? Need to beat Sweden in a continental tournament group game? Luckily for you, Roy, Stuart James has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-sweden-zlatan-ibrahimovic">a guide to the Swedes' strengths and weakness</a>.</p><!-- Block 6 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.50am:</span> Wojciech Szczesny may have served his suspension but the memory of his runious brain-fade in Poland's opening game means his manager is likely to put his trust in Przemyslaw Tyton instead for tomorrow's momentous group decider against the Czech Republic. Here's what Reuters say: </p><blockquote><p>Coach Franciszek Smuda will keep faith with 25-year-old Tyton, who saved a penalty with his first touch in the 1-1- draw with Greece in the tournament's opening game, and was impressive against Russia, Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported.<br />Polish media has been full of speculation since the Russia match, which was also a 1-1 draw, over whether Szczesny would regain his place after serving a one-match ban.<br />Smuda told Polish public television on Thursday he feared the kind of mistakes Szczesny made against Greece.<br />"(Tyton) has always brought calm into the game," he added.</p></blockquote><!-- Block 5 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.44am:</span> In news away from the Euros, let it be known that Paris Saint-Germain's attempt to turn themselves into a super-power continues, although despite furious moneywaving by their Qatari owners they are still struggling to complete deals. Following claims that Santos have turned down gargantuan bids for Neymar, Silvio Berlusconi says AC Milan have rejected a 46 million euro offer for Thiago Silva. "We have not changed our mind," Berlusconi told SportItalia. "We had no intention of selling the player but we had received an extraordinary offer from PSG. "We have always been clear and PSG should not feel let down. We told them from the start that we would take a decision once we had looked at the offer and seen what is out there in the market in terms of finding a possible replacement. They made us a very interesting offer, close to 46million euros. We considered the possibility (to sell) and we looked at the central defenders that would replace Thiago Silva but we haven't found an adequate player. The old heart of Silvio Berlusconi has allowed us to reject this offer."</p><!-- Block 4 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.31am:</span> When Oleh Blokhin was appointed manager of Ukraine, many observers predicted that he would not get a long with Andriy Shevchenko, suggesting the team was not big enough for both their egos. Asked waht their relationship has been like, the manager replied in yesterday's pre-match press conference that "everyone predicted that therre would be scandals between us but two great players have found a common language". Asked specifically what Shevchenko's role is in the team beyond scoring goals, Blokhin deadpanned: "He brings the coffee".</p><!-- Block 3 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.21am:</span> Word is the raeson that Andy Carroll seems certain to be deployed today is that Sweden, despite their height, are quite weak in the air. A nation of Peter Crouches, you might say. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/14/euro-2012-england-high-commanders-sweden">Daniel Taylor has more</a>.</p><blockquote><p>Hodgson's thinking for Friday's game is not solely based on the two goals from Shevchenko's head when Ukraine turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win. Hodgson has a DVD in his possession that shows all of Sweden's warm-up games and qualifying matches and it confirms the suspicion of where England's opponents are vulnerable. Neven Subotic of Serbia exposed the weakness a week before the tournament. Before then, it was Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Hallgrimur Jonasson for Iceland. And so it goes on. Six of the last seven goals Sweden have conceded have been headers. Even their finest result during qualifying, a 3-2 defeat of Holland, saw them concede twice this way, from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Dirk Kuyt.</p></blockquote><!-- Block 2 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.10am:</span> That thing I was saying about ignoring the ground rules? It goes for me too. So here's <a href"http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-ireland-spain-italy-croatia">some blather about Ireland's rugby potatoes rushing into Spain's bag</a> and other European press angles.</p><!-- Block 1 --><p><strong>Preamble:</strong><br />Morning. Let's start by laying down a couple of ground rules: <br />1) Let us never speak of that Spain-Ireland fiasco again. <br />2) You don't have to obey the ground rules if you don't want to. </p><p>So then, the future. My tea leaves tell me that England are taking on Sweden and that both teams will be going all out for victory, as opposed to clinging on for dear life as Roy Hodgson's troops heroically did against France. The French, meanwhile, will be aiming to poop the Ukranian party and to do so will have to do a bit more attacking that they could be bothered to do against England. So an intriguing an possibly even entertaining day lies ahead. Personally I hope Samir Nasri scores today and repeats his "shut up" gesture to journalists, who really do need to shut up about his shut up gesture. It really wasn't that big a deal.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro2012">Euro 2012</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-d">Euro 2012 Group D</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-a">Euro 2012 Group A</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-b">Euro 2012 Group B</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-c">Euro 2012 Group C</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/pauldoyle">Paul Doyle</a></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/tomlutz">Tom Lutz</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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aul.doyle@guardian.co.uk">paul.doyle@guardian.co.uk</a></p><!-- Block 15 --><p><span class="timestamp">11.26am:</span> Introducing Mick McCarthy, the only person on the planet who thinks last night's display by Ireland was just the thing to strike fear into the hearts of their last group opponents. "I would be worried if I was Italy, because Ireland are going into the last game with nothing to play for except pride. So we've got nothing to worry about. We can go and hunt them down and have a go at Italy." Yes, now that they've been disabused of the notion that they can compete at this level, Trap's troops can finally go give opponents a good seeing to. Using similar logic, Wolves woeful relegation means now is the perfect time for Sir Alex Ferguson to hand the Manchester United reins over to McCarthy. </p><!-- Block 14 --><p><span class="timestamp">11.20am:</span> Boldly encroaching on to Jonathan Wilson's turf, Barney Ronay has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-valeriy-lobanovsky-kiev">written a paen to Valeri Lobanovsky</a>, to whom there is a loving monument in the city where England will today take on Sweden. </p><blockquote><p>It is a lovely thing that an effigy of the deeply likeable Lobanovsky should have evolved into a kind of footballing nerd-Jerusalem. To the childhood observer Lobanovsky first appeared as a touchline fixture at successive tournaments, notable for those solid concrete jowls, the worker's cap – a little Lenin-ish, a little Lennon-ish – and his unblinking stillness. A decorated colonel in the Red Army and also a winger with Dynamo, he managed his hometown team for 21 years while also building the wonderful USSR teams of 1986 and 1988 around an armature of Kyiv players.</p></blockquote><!-- Block 13 --><p><span class="timestamp">11.03am:</span> How about some stat entertainment? OK then. Shay Given has had an abysmal tournament but has still made far more saves (21) than any other keeper so far - althjough Joe Hart has been the next most prolific saver (13) despite only playing one game. </p><p>Ireland barely have barely attacked in the tournament but Robbie Keane has still managed to be joint top of the Caught Offside chart.</p><p>Poor old Cristiano Ronaldo has had more shots than any other player so far, all of them misplaced.</p><!-- Block 12 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.58am:</span> Right on cue, here's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-alan-dzaguev-russia">Jonathan Wilson with a closer look at Alan Dagoev</a>. </p><blockquote><p>Comparisons with the Russian forward Eduard Streltsov, who, at 17 years and 340 days, became the youngest outfielder ever to play for the USSR, were inevitable if not entirely fair. Streltsov, after all, is one of the great icons of the Russian game, a forward who scored a hat-trick against Sweden on his international debut, was jailed for a rape he may or may not have committed and returned from five years in the gulag to inspire Torpedo to a league title. Whereas Dzagoev, as Guus Hiddink said, "is a really clever player with the ability to make a killer pass and stretch the play."</p></blockquote><!-- Block 11 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.42am:</span> German organ Bild claims that Arsenal are going to try their luck with Andrei Arshavin's national team-mate, Alan Dzagoev. The midfielder is young, nifty and, most appealing of all to Arsene Wenger, reasonably cheap, as his contract with CSKA Moscow expires in December.</p><!-- Block 10 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.34am:</span> The whispers in the French press are that Samir Nasri will not get a chance to tell anyone to shut it today as he will be left on the bench as Laurent Blanc deploys Jérémy Menez down the right. Apparently France will make two other changes: Yann M'vila for Diarra and Marvin Martin for Malouda. Disappointed neither Giroud nor Ben Arfa will be starting in that case.</p><!-- Block 9 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.26am:</span> Rob Smyth and Scott Murray are synonymous with joy so who better to deliver this week's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jun/15/joy-of-six-european-championship-goals">Joy of Six</a>: Great European Championship goals.</p><!-- Block 8 --><p><span class="timestamp">10.17am:</span> Judging from the Spanish media today, Spain has fallen back in love with Fernando Torres, which is perhaps more a sign of their frustration at the rest of the team's lack of directness than their admiration for a guy who can score twice against a ramshackle Ireland side. David Wall has emailed some thoughts on Torres. "I noticed in your MBM last night that there was a growing backlash against people who have been criticising Torres, accusing them of schadenfreude and jealousy. Perhaps that makes this a Torres-backlash-backlash backlash, but I think those people are off the mark. It'd reflect badly if people thought it was completely okay to spend £50million on a player in such straightened times, while also claiming to be trying to live within your means, and to win everything easily as a result. To his credit, Torres seems to share that sentiment, hence why he's been under-performing and making it more difficult for his team. He's just displaying that new-money-aspiring-upper-middle-class guilt of wanting to succeed but not wanting to seem to be trying to hard or for for success to come too easily. If I'm right then perhaps he can email in to let us know as he'll obviously be a Guardian reader."</p><!-- Block 7 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.56am:</span> Manager of an international team? Need to beat Sweden in a continental tournament group game? Luckily for you, Roy, Stuart James has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-sweden-zlatan-ibrahimovic">a guide to the Swedes' strengths and weakness</a>.</p><!-- Block 6 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.50am:</span> Wojciech Szczesny may have served his suspension but the memory of his runious brain-fade in Poland's opening game means his manager is likely to put his trust in Przemyslaw Tyton instead for tomorrow's momentous group decider against the Czech Republic. Here's what Reuters say: </p><blockquote><p>Coach Franciszek Smuda will keep faith with 25-year-old Tyton, who saved a penalty with his first touch in the 1-1- draw with Greece in the tournament's opening game, and was impressive against Russia, Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported.<br />Polish media has been full of speculation since the Russia match, which was also a 1-1 draw, over whether Szczesny would regain his place after serving a one-match ban.<br />Smuda told Polish public television on Thursday he feared the kind of mistakes Szczesny made against Greece.<br />"(Tyton) has always brought calm into the game," he added.</p></blockquote><!-- Block 5 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.44am:</span> In news away from the Euros, let it be known that Paris Saint-Germain's attempt to turn themselves into a super-power continues, although despite furious moneywaving by their Qatari owners they are still struggling to complete deals. Following claims that Santos have turned down gargantuan bids for Neymar, Silvio Berlusconi says AC Milan have rejected a 46 million euro offer for Thiago Silva. "We have not changed our mind," Berlusconi told SportItalia. "We had no intention of selling the player but we had received an extraordinary offer from PSG. "We have always been clear and PSG should not feel let down. We told them from the start that we would take a decision once we had looked at the offer and seen what is out there in the market in terms of finding a possible replacement. They made us a very interesting offer, close to 46million euros. We considered the possibility (to sell) and we looked at the central defenders that would replace Thiago Silva but we haven't found an adequate player. The old heart of Silvio Berlusconi has allowed us to reject this offer."</p><!-- Block 4 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.31am:</span> When Oleh Blokhin was appointed manager of Ukraine, many observers predicted that he would not get a long with Andriy Shevchenko, suggesting the team was not big enough for both their egos. Asked waht their relationship has been like, the manager replied in yesterday's pre-match press conference that "everyone predicted that therre would be scandals between us but two great players have found a common language". Asked specifically what Shevchenko's role is in the team beyond scoring goals, Blokhin deadpanned: "He brings the coffee".</p><!-- Block 3 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.21am:</span> Word is the raeson that Andy Carroll seems certain to be deployed today is that Sweden, despite their height, are quite weak in the air. A nation of Peter Crouches, you might say. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/14/euro-2012-england-high-commanders-sweden">Daniel Taylor has more</a>.</p><blockquote><p>Hodgson's thinking for Friday's game is not solely based on the two goals from Shevchenko's head when Ukraine turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win. Hodgson has a DVD in his possession that shows all of Sweden's warm-up games and qualifying matches and it confirms the suspicion of where England's opponents are vulnerable. Neven Subotic of Serbia exposed the weakness a week before the tournament. Before then, it was Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Hallgrimur Jonasson for Iceland. And so it goes on. Six of the last seven goals Sweden have conceded have been headers. Even their finest result during qualifying, a 3-2 defeat of Holland, saw them concede twice this way, from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Dirk Kuyt.</p></blockquote><!-- Block 2 --><p><span class="timestamp">9.10am:</span> That thing I was saying about ignoring the ground rules? It goes for me too. So here's <a href"http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/15/euro-2012-ireland-spain-italy-croatia">some blather about Ireland's rugby potatoes rushing into Spain's bag</a> and other European press angles.</p><!-- Block 1 --><p><strong>Preamble:</strong><br />Morning. Let's start by laying down a couple of ground rules: <br />1) Let us never speak of that Spain-Ireland fiasco again. <br />2) You don't have to obey the ground rules if you don't want to. </p><p>So then, the future. My tea leaves tell me that England are taking on Sweden and that both teams will be going all out for victory, as opposed to clinging on for dear life as Roy Hodgson's troops heroically did against France. The French, meanwhile, will be aiming to poop the Ukranian party and to do so will have to do a bit more attacking that they could be bothered to do against England. So an intriguing an possibly even entertaining day lies ahead. Personally I hope Samir Nasri scores today and repeats his "shut up" gesture to journalists, who really do need to shut up about his shut up gesture. It really wasn't that big a deal.</p><div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro2012">Euro 2012</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-d">Euro 2012 Group D</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-a">Euro 2012 Group A</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-b">Euro 2012 Group B</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/euro-2012-group-c">Euro 2012 Group C</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/pauldoyle">Paul Doyle</a></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/tomlutz">Tom Lutz</a></div><br/><div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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