England National football team thread

[Mad Snake]

Is England's new hope Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain? - ESPNFC

Such an over hyped player, granted he's a top talent. But no way is he at the level he's being spoken about. Thought Sterling outplayed him last week in a dismal Liverpool showing.

 

[thedon5]

Agreed. Sterling was outstanding.

 

[War]

Very overhyped. He has huge potential and could be world class very soon, but he's only had a handful of great performances, and one of them was against Blackburn in a 7-1 so doesn't really count.

Shows a lot about the state of the English National Team if you are relying on a kid like him.

You don't see Spain relying so heavily on Isco, you don't see Germany relying so heavily on Draxler. Granted, they have much better talent to choose from than England, but I just don't think he's the key to suddenly give you guys success at this point in time. As the article says, look what happened to Wilshere and Cleverley, hardly reliable at this stage.

Ye i agree Ox is being a bit overhyped at the moment, but clearly he is an early favourite of Hogdson.

Speaking on the game have you ever seen such high level football game played at such a narrow venue with such low stands?

At times when the wingers and full-backs went down the flanks you couldn't even see them

I thought richard jolly on espn was spot on with the tactics assessment of england, despite the fact it was joke team: Richard Jolly: Tactics Board - ESPNFC

It was essentially the same 4-4-1-1/4-4-2 formation from the EUROs that everyone was screaming about. But Cleverley in the hole instead of Young, Defoe short stature up front instead of Carroll/Welbeck and Lamps/Carrick deeper next to Gerrard instead of Parker - made the formation more fluid.

It makes me think when all are fit, i think England should build on this fluid play displayed in this game and the Italy friendly and start playing without wingers.

England have alot of speedy wingers like Walcott, Lennon, Ox, A Johnson, Sterling, Young whose final ball and decision making the box when they get past defenders sometimes falls short. While Milner seems to be picked mainly to protect Glen Johnson's defensive faults.

So i think England are better of using these wingers as impact option and use play a 4-3-1-2 formation, since England's central mid-fielders are more complete and it will help England improve their possession football.

-----------------------------Hart----------------------------------

Johnson/Walker/Richards---Lescott----Jaigelka/Cahill/Terry-------Cole

------------Cleverley-------Carrick------Wilshire--------------------

----------------------------Gerrard---------------------------------

-----------------Rooney-------------Defoe-------------------------

Harsh to leave Lamps out after last night efforts. But i still feel he would be a sub if all are fit. However if he keeps playing like this for chelsea over the next two seasons in his new deep lying mid-field role - a 36 year old lamps could very well and go to brazil 2014.

Defoe i think also has impressed me so far this season with his movement and should be a England regular. Think his entire career for club and country has been a case with people thinking he is lacking something extra as a striker and thus he is eternally viewed as a sub player at . But i believe he is changing that viewpoint now.

Qualifier 2014 Moldova v England 2012/09/07 Full match replay - YouTube

 

[thedon5]

Didn't watch the game, but I heard Ox was really good. Good to see I suppose.

I agree though that the wingers should be nothing more than impact subs. All are pacey as hell but not a single one strikes me as having much else in their locker. That 4-3-1-2 looks a good set-up.

 

[Haarithan]

-----------------------------Hart----------------------------------

Johnson/Walker/Richards---Lescott----Jaigelka/Cahill/Terry-------Cole

------------Cleverley-------Carrick------Wilshire--------------------

----------------------------Gerrard---------------------------------

-----------------Rooney-------------Defoe-------------------------

Love it. Gerrard at trequartista's something I've been dying to see for ages - be it in England or Liverpool colors!

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Press going overboard about yesterday's result as usual. Keep it in perspective - Moldova are truly bloody awful - but to be fair, a 5-0 away from home isn't to be sniffed at. Doesn't make us world beaters though.

 

[War]

BBC Sport - St George's Park: A tour of England's new training base

St.George's Park looking beautiful.

 

[Bevab]

Nobody's crying about the number of injures England have suffered ATM? Come on, what else the joy of being an English fan?

 

[thedon5]

Sterling ahead of Sinclair and Dyer. Right....

Livermore...

What is going on?

 

[Bevab]

Lallana seems to be the most decent pick.

----------

And well, we all know his weird style of management.

 

[Auwais]

I'm guessing Sterling will come on with 5 minutes left so he'll be capped for England, since apparently Jamaica were sniffing around him.

 

[shravi]

Yeah, this is just a pre-emptive move and one to give him some incentive to know that he's got what it takes if he keeps working hard. He probably won't be a part of future squads (leading upto the Euros anyway). He hasn't even played for the U21s yet! Step by step.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I'm guessing Sterling will come on with 5 minutes left so he'll be capped for England, since apparently Jamaica were sniffing around him.

Well as I said, get him in an England shirt ASAP because he looks very good.

So. That was less than convincing, although we really should've won. Cleverley should've scored at least one goal, as should Welbeck. That referee was awful. Forget the Euro 2012 Ukraine 'goal' - what happened tonight was never a foul. It was yet another example of an opponent attempting to gain an advantage by feigning injury. The Euro 2012 goal was an honest attempt by Terry to clear the ball, the goal tonight was chalked off because the guy cheated and the ref, who was a ------, fell for it.

Not convincing at all though.

 

[barmyarmy]

The problem is none of the attacking players who started or came on tonight are even first choice for their club sides. The pool of talent is depressingly shallow.

Also from the England report on the BBC site. Gotta love mixed metaphors...

But here was the reminder to all, that the fledglings will, understandably, take time to come to the boil.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Gerrard and Lampard together in midfield - why has that never been tried before?

If you're going to play Welbeck and Cleverley, at least play them in their actual positions.