England National football team thread

[JBlues08]

Better hope Platini is in a good mood.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Incredibly stupid from Rooney. He played well in the first half though. Is missing the first two Euro 2012 games that bad though? Effectively rested for the first 2 games and is fit and ready for the rest of the tournament.

Another impressive display from Ashley Young though. He's become a pivotal player in the England side over the last year.

If we can get through the first two games OK, then it could work to our advantage. If.

 

[barmyarmy]

Well it might encourage England to be slightly less dependent on Rooney in the short term.

 

[Auwais]

It'll be overlooked in the Rooney shitstorm but great achievement for lil' Montenegro in reaching the play-offs.

 

[War]

Bent shouldn't have started, Welbeck should have. He was completely non-existent in that game. Yes he scored a goal but his overall game offered nothing to the team. I really can't see what's so good about Gary Cahill. Him alongside Jones was always going to be a potential weakness to exploit as Cahill is crap positionally and Jones is still very naive.

I didn't find too much fault with Bent's play outside of his goal, especially during the first 45 minutes.

I wouldn't call Cahill crap, but i would agree i do find it weird that in the last couple of months in the consistence absence of Ferdinand, that Capello has chosen him to partner Terry - instead of Lescott, Jones, Smalling or Dawson (although he too has been unfit of late).

Given Bolton poor form in the season, i wouldn't have started him tonight.

Also i would love to venture into Capello mind on his thought process behind the right-back position. I really dont see why Capello all year why Capello has tried make-shift right-backs in Jaigelka, Smalling and now Jones in that position - when in Richards, Walker and Kelly you have three guys who have been playing and performing superbly in that role. This is very puzzling.

Barry lacks the pace to compete at the top level. I like him and don't think he's a crap player as a lot of people seem to suggest, he's just out of his depth. Parker had a poor game too. How many times in that 2nd half did Montenegro waltz past the England midfield and exploit the gap between defence and midfield. It echoed the displays at the World Cup when Ozil tore England apart. This is exactly why I think Michael Carrick should be in the England squad.

Fair criticism on Barry, at the end of the day he probably will miss out on Euro 2012 if Hargreaves can prove fitness this season.

Parker had a average game after the first half like everyone else really. No much fault with him since all year he has been a revelation.

But by no means would Carrick improve the situation. Why would you even think about him when he isn't even starting for United, when you have Gerrard and Wilshire to come back and Cleverley to come into the side?



On Rooney I'm not sure what to make of it. This is first time for club or country since that 2006 WC that he did something so stupid - but even while doing it he didn't look frustrated - he was trying to pick up the Montenegro player. So i won't be so quick to say this a return of rush of blood Rooney of WC 06 - i just saw it as a bad challenge in the heat of the moment that any other great striker like Messi or Ronaldo or Villa could have made.

All we can hope now its that his bad from UEFA is just one game and that we dont get a difficult group for the EUROs.

This now makes it a big season for Welbeck, Carroll, Bent, Agbonlahor mainly, since Rooney early tournament absence means one of them (preferably all) need to step up bigs for their clubs. Since its disturbing that we are still so dependent on him.

Looking back the overall campaign and how the other European big guns have done. I would say clearly Spain and Germany are at the top of the pile - but i would say England are on par with Italy, Portugal, Netherlands and France if all players are available. So ENG need is a season where no major player gets injured and we can hope for the best - no over hyping of our chances this time.

Congrats to Montengro and their performance further shows that they are no easy games in international football. As much as ENG may have to worry about the major EURO nations in their aim for EURO glory, these nations just below the upper echelon of the EURO power-houses will pose dangers of a very stiff degree

 

[Dr. Pepper]

I didn't find too much fault with Bent's play outside of his goal, especially during the first 45 minutes.

I wouldn't call Cahill crap, but i would agree i do find it weird that in the last couple of months in the consistence absence of Ferdinand, that Capello has chosen him to partner Terry - instead of Lescott, Jones, Smalling or Dawson (although he too has been unfit of late).

Given Bolton poor form in the season, i wouldn't have started him tonight.

Also i would love to venture into Capello mind on his thought process behind the right-back position. I really dont see why Capello all year why Capello has tried make-shift right-backs in Jaigelka, Smalling and now Jones in that position - when in Richards, Walker and Kelly you have three guys who have been playing and performing superbly in that role. This is very puzzling.



Fair criticism on Barry, at the end of the day he probably will miss out on Euro 2012 if Hargreaves can prove fitness this season.

Parker had a average game after the first half like everyone else really. No much fault with him since all year he has been a revelation.

But by no means would Carrick improve the situation. Why would you even think about him when he isn't even starting for United, when you have Gerrard and Wilshire to come back and Cleverley to come into the side?

Players like Gerrard and Cleverley are more talented, yes, but they'd give the same problems that Barry, Lampard and Parker do. These are all players that like to get forward (except Barry but he just isn't good enough to take on the defensive responsibility). They need a player to screen the back four because the midfield doesn't have enough chemistry/positional sense to defend capably without one.

 

[War]

Players like Gerrard and Cleverley are more talented, yes, but they'd give the same problems that Barry, Lampard and Parker do. These are all players that like to get forward (except Barry but he just isn't good enough to take on the defensive responsibility). They need a player to screen the back four because the midfield doesn't have enough chemistry/positional sense to defend capably without one.

Yea Parker likes to get forward, but in all the games he has played this year for England he has shown very good position sense and has taken the required defensive responsibility.

I can think back to the two of our better wins in the campaign such as the 2-0 victory in Wales and the 3-0 in Bulgaria when Parker did that. So i dont think its fair to question his defensive game tonight after this performance.

As is said the team in general played badly after the conceding that goal in the second half and the opposition lifted and ENG again got nervy in possession. This is an old English problem, that can be dated back to EURO 2000. In many games when we had taken the lead early, when the opposition equalizes and gets rejuvenated - we dont know how to play well under that pressure. I've seen it so many times i.e the 2-2 draw with switzerland recently, the 1-1 draw with USA in 2010 WC, 2-1 defeat and 2-2 draw vs France and Portugal in EURO 04, the 3-2 defeats to Romania and Portugal in EURO 2000, 2-1 defeat vs Brazil in WC 2002, 1-1 and 2-2 draws with Sweden in WC 02 and 06, 2-1 defeat vs Russia in EURO 08 qualifiers...

Even if we have a fully-fit Gerrard and Wilshire back in the EUROs to solidify the mid-field- this could happen again in that tournament -since its a mental problem that our players consistently falter at in competitive tournament qualifiers and tournaments as the aforementioned games show. Tonight's is sadly a traditional style ENG defeat over the last decade.

 

[Lee1981]

This is exactly why I think Michael Carrick should be in the England squad.

Ridiculous statement!!!

Carrick should be no where near the utd team and especially not the england team, he is no way near international class which he has proven on many occasions.

Hopeully hargreaves can show some fitness and form and then get him in instead of barry.

 

[Ollie_H]

but i would say England are on par with Italy, Portugal, Netherlands and France if all players are available.

Netherlands, really? You think England are now WC Finalists in the space of 18 months after being knocked out in the first knockout stage of the WC?

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Yea Parker likes to get forward, but in all the games he has played this year for England he has shown very good position sense and has taken the required defensive responsibility.

Well he obviously hasn't considering how much space England leave when him, Barry, Lampard play. They like to get forward and they don't have the understanding to know which player gets forward at what time and they continually get caught out and leave spaces in midfield to exploit.

Ridiculous statement!!!

Carrick should be no where near the utd team and especially not the england team, he is no way near international class which he has proven on many occasions.

Hopeully hargreaves can show some fitness and form and then get him in instead of barry.

How is it ridiculous?

lol Hargreaves, that ship sailed a long time ago.

 

[Lee1981]

How is it ridiculous?

lol Hargreaves, that ship sailed a long time ago.

Carrick is cack thats why???

And hargreaves yeah its still up for debate,, but he is still a better option than mr negative carrick.

He should be playing for wigan not utd

 

[swacker]

I can't believe Rooney has just been sent off for that, the guy backed into him, lol

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Carrick is cack thats why???

And hargreaves yeah its still up for debate,, but he is still a better option than mr negative carrick.

He should be playing for wigan not utd

Not even going to bother replying to something as stupid as this.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Netherlands, really? You think England are now WC Finalists in the space of 18 months after being knocked out in the first knockout stage of the WC?

Nope.

Carrick is cack thats why???

And hargreaves yeah its still up for debate,, but he is still a better option than mr negative carrick.

He should be playing for wigan not utd

If Hargreaves can get some form and fitness going, I would pick him for England; he was brilliant against Portugal in 2006. But that's a big if - although he has made a good start for the Joke club.

I can't believe Rooney has just been sent off for that, the guy backed into him, lol

Tell me you're having a laugh. Rooney clearly kicked the back of his legs.

 

[Lee1981]

Not even going to bother replying to something as stupid as this.

Because i am right thats why!!

Any big games he has played in he gets out classed by the opponents centre midfielders, made to look the average player he is.