Group C - ENGLAND, United States, Algeria, Slovenia

[Dutch]

I am just speechless, utterly speechless......what the heck was that!?

I could fire off a whole stream of criticisms but I just can't be bothered...this was just awful, awful.

We looked completely outclassed in all departments by a side ranked God knows what.

Rooney couldn't even control the ball let alone do anytning with it.

Awful, awful, awful!

 

[War]

NOT AGAINNNNNNNN!!!. AHHHHHHH...What kind of listless dead man performance was that. Geez this is not supposed to be happening, where is the England team from World Cup qualifiers??. Its almost as if these guys have frozen up on the world cup stage.

Capello i love you (no homo). But why did SWP come on again??. Joe Coleeee

Glen Johnson had a horrible game. Their was always worry about his defensive prowess & this game horrifically highlighted it.

Plus now Carragher is suspended. Since i would be SERIOUSLY considering playing Carrager @ RB & reluctantly moving one of Dawson/Upson centrally.

I dont want to play manager. But geez I hope to god Capello plays 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 vs SLovenia now, with Rooney up front on his own - Gerrard behind him & Joe Cole on the left. I understand that Heskey has his use being the battering ram againts opposition defenses - but on the flip ATM he is causing England to play too much long balls. The free flowing movement of the WCQs is not there.

I cannot believe England have played themselves into this postion. France started WC 2006, just this badly & got to the final. So i remain optimistic, but what a disheartening performance.

 

[Dutch]

SWP........how many chances does this guy get before we see he is good for Sunderland or wherever but not this.

Heskey: he is like an oil tanker. No movement, no control and when he does get the chance to shoot he either doesn't or it is to the keeper.

The most telling moment that sums it all up for me: Algeria attack....Heskey at left back passes the ball to Rooney who is just in front of him and Rooney falls over!!

 

[Themer]

That was completely dire.

This team on paper is right up there with the best but in reality they have been terrible.

 

[Dutch]

That was completely dire.

This team on paper is right up there with the best but in reality they have been terrible.

On paper we have a midfield that would frighten anyone: at this moment we are frightening only the fans watching.

 

[sohum]

That was a listless performance for England. I'm hoping for England and USA to qualify from this group but at the moment it looks like England don't really want to be out there.

If England win against Slovenia and USA beat Algeria, then we'll have those two sides qualify. USA looked good today and should've beaten Slovenia if it wasn't for the refs--I'm confident they'll take care of Algeria. Let's hope England will hold up their end of the bargain.

 

[War]

England nor i have no right to look beyond the final group ganme vs Slovenia. But unless they trash Slovenia 5-0 or something. They will likely finish second in this group & a QF clash vs Argentina looms.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I'm in complete disbelief. Did that really just happen? Did I really see an England team with players pulling in ?100,000 + a week play with no creativity, no belief, no passion, nothing! I have seen many England games, but that was without a doubt the worst England performance I have ever seen.

My mate bought up an interesting point - in the qualifiers, we would destroy teams like Algeria for fun. Then came the John Terry business, and since then, can anyone say the team has ever really looked the same? Capello cannot become as clueless as he appears overnight, surely? You could even see England players arguing with each other on the pitch, which is a sign that there's a big problem with team spirit. I can't help but feel that the Terry/Bridge nonsense just before the World Cup almost, has had a bad knock on effect on the team. As I said, in the qualifiers, we would destroy teams like Algeria and the USA!

Now, we're in a situation where we have to beat Slovenia to qualify from the group! We probably have a far easier group now than we did in qualifying, yet we now have to get a win against a team that's 25th best in the damn world! The only good thing I can say is that when an England team do have to pull it out of the bag, otherwise they're out, we usually do make a good job of it, but my God, we have to find something from somewhere before Wednesday. I just cannot understand what has happened to that fantastic team that walked the qualifiers. This is so disappointing.

MasterBlaster76 added 7 Minutes and 42 Seconds later...

SWP........how many chances does this guy get before we see he is good for Sunderland or wherever but not this.

Heskey: he is like an oil tanker. No movement, no control and when he does get the chance to shoot he either doesn't or it is to the keeper.

The most telling moment that sums it all up for me: Algeria attack....Heskey at left back passes the ball to Rooney who is just in front of him and Rooney falls over!!

Well summed up.

That was completely dire.

This team on paper is right up there with the best but in reality they have been terrible.

You know that advert? 'Enough talk, it's time for action!' That's where it falls down - as soon as the action starts, it all falls apart.

I'm beginning to wonder - do the players understand a word Capello is saying? There was an interview with a BBC presenter - and she was sitting there, nodding, completely clueless as to what he was saying!

This thing of letting the team know who is playing only two hours before the game has to end. Heskey has to go and Defoe or Crouch replace him. Gerrard must play just off Rooney, who must be let off the leash to go at teams! What in God's name was a world class player like Gerrard doing on the wing? He is world class when played in the right flippin' position - but he is not a winger!

 

[ZexyZahid]

English draw another one, this was meant to be their best side in ages.

Where did you hear that? I follow the Premier League and these guys aren't that great. They have great strikers and midfield, but their defence is pretty weak. There a lot of unknown players in it. They have put Heskey in as a striker. :laugh You can see the guy laying all the time on the ground. Why do they include him, while they have players like Dafoe or Crouch?

Lennon and Milner are pretty unknown players and they practically weakened the midfield. Why not play with a midfield with Lampard, Gerrard, Joe Cole and Carrick?

 

[War]

This thing of letting the team know who is playing only two hours before the game has to end. Heskey has to go and Defoe or Crouch replace him. Gerrard must play just off Rooney, who must be let off the leash to go at teams! What in God's name was a world class player like Gerrard doing on the wing? He is world class when played in the right flippin' position - but he is not a winger!

Lets be fair. The tatic of playing Gerrard out left & todays starting XI was what worked perfectly in qualifiers. Along with his telling players who plays 2 hrs before kick-off.

As you said i dont know maybe the Terry/Bridge thing before the WC has had an effect. But i personally just think its the players somehow freezing on the world cup stage.

USA wasn't better than Croatia who we smoked twice in WCQ. Plus we beat a fulll strenght mexican team, while being below par.

While Algeria & Slovenia aren't better than Ukraine & Belarus.

Man i might cry if England dont beat Slovenia. This team has given us frustration after frustration in all major tournments this decade since EURO 2000. But this era can't go out so embarrsingly.

War added 4 Minutes and 7 Seconds later...

Where did you hear that? I follow the Premier League and these guys aren't that great. They have great strikers and midfield, but their defence is pretty weak. There a lot of unknown players in it. They have put Heskey in as a striker. :laugh You can see the guy laying all the time on the ground. Why do they include him, while they have players like Dafoe or Crouch?

Lennon and Milner are pretty unknown players and they practically weakened the midfield. Why not play with a midfield with Lampard, Gerrard, Joe Cole and Carrick?

I'm sorry. But their is so much wrong with this post i dont know where to start. No offence sir but kindly leave discussion & criticism towards to England team, for the locals.

 

[ZexyZahid]

Well, it may sound perfectly right, when England gets knocked out. :laugh

ZexyZahid added 4 Minutes and 1 Seconds later...

English draw another one, this was meant to be their best side in ages.

Now to think of it: the current England is that great they even couldn't make it to Euro 2008. :laugh

Just for their pleasure UEFA have extended the number of teams participating on the next Euro 2012 from 16 teams to 24 teams.

 

[Themer]

I don't understand why Capello doesn't just go with a 4-5-1/4-3-3.

It would make so much more sense for us to play Cole/Milner on the left with Lennon/Milner on the right wing and have a centre midfield of Lampard, Gerrard and Barry. It allow both Gerrard and Lampard to maraud forward like they do for there respective teams as theres always Barry to protect the back four. Especially when Rooney has been so prolific and dangerous for Man Utd in a similar role.

 

[Highlander999]

To show what utter bollocks you are talking Zahid, this is the England XI which lost to Croatia in the final match of Euro 2008:

Carson, Richards, Campbell, Lescott, Bridge, Cole, Barry, Wright-Phillips, Lampard, Gerrard, Crouch

Hardly a quality XI and nothing like the XI that played earlier today, so stop trolling...

 

[War]

I don't understand why Capello doesn't just go with a 4-5-1/4-3-3.

It would make so much more sense for us to play Cole/Milner on the left with Lennon/Milner on the right wing and have a centre midfield of Lampard, Gerrard and Barry. It allow both Gerrard and Lampard to maraud forward like they do for there respective teams as theres always Barry to protect the back four. Especially when Rooney has been so prolific and dangerous for Man Utd in a similar role.

Yes of course. But after todays performance it brings back that nervous feel of the past tournments.

If you recall we played that similar 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 (4-3-3 would be leave Rooney too isolated). Ws in that QF vs Portugal 2006 & it didn't make one inch of difference, since the team played without any fire.

I just pray that the side will REALLY LIFTTT after todays performance. As i said ebfore, it would be total shame if this era of players ends with going out in the first round.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Well, it may sound perfectly right, when England gets knocked out. :laugh

ZexyZahid added 4 Minutes and 1 Seconds later...



Now to think of it: the current England is that great they even couldn't make it to Euro 2008. :laugh

Just for their pleasure UEFA have extended the number of teams participating on the next Euro 2012 from 16 teams to 24 teams.

You need to be put right. Not only has our squad improved since then, but unti now - during qualifying - the team has been an entirely different one and they not only won their group with ease, they also destroyed Croatia - a perfectly decent team, and the one responsible for us not going to Euro 2008. I stand corrected: we destroyed them twice: both at Wembley, and on their turf.

With respect son, you don't know what you're on about. Who do you support, by the way? Don't tell me: you're following in the Brazil stardust trail, or someone like that. :sarcasm

Yes of course. But after todays performance it brings back that nervous feel of the past tournments.

If you recall we played that similar 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 (4-3-3 would be leave Rooney too isolated). Ws in that QF vs Portugal 2006 & it didn't make one inch of difference, since the team played without any fire.

I just pray that the side will REALLY LIFTTT after todays performance. As i said ebfore, it would be total shame if this era of players ends with going out in the first round.

Indeed. Anyone who knows football knows that this team at its best is a real threat and is capable of winning the World Cup - some of our greatest rivals have actually said as much. However, I believe there's an underlying problem. It's a problem that's been festering for 44 years. It's called 1966, or more accurately, the 'spirit of 1966'.

Here's a letter I fired off to Sky Sportstext just now:

1966 was great - the only year that England won the World Cup. However, it was nearly fifty years ago. Most TV was black and white, and the ball was still orange. Fans singing 'We won the cup, we won the cup, ee-i-derii, we won the Cup' sound more like kindergarten members than proper football fans - that's how much they've changed. It's time to forget 1966 - it has become a millstone around the neck of every England player who has since tried and failed to win the tournament and now, I believe it's reached a critical point with that Godawful display against Algeria - the boys can no longer carry the burden.

We need to stop going on about 1966, and the media have to drop this idea of 'the spirit of '66'. England will never win the World Cup, until the country can move on. Sad, but in my eyes, true.

Who agrees?

Discuss.

MasterBlaster76 added 2 Minutes and 17 Seconds later...

To show what utter bollocks you are talking Zahid, this is the England XI which lost to Croatia in the final match of Euro 2008:

Carson, Richards, Campbell, Lescott, Bridge, Cole, Barry, Wright-Phillips, Lampard, Gerrard, Crouch

Hardly a quality XI and nothing like the XI that played earlier today, so stop trolling...

Well let's face it, Pakistan are never going to get anywhere near a football World Cup, if they have a team, that is, so he has to get his jollies somehow...