A game of 2 halves.

[Basher]

It certainly was!

A very poor lacklustre 1st half display by Engerland against Holland.
2nd half much better with hungry substitutes brought on who IMO wanted to play.
Ferdinand's 1st half display amounted to an overpaid footballer who just didn't seem bothered to turn up. Showed very little interest. Moderate 2nd half, I'm sure questions must be asked of his and others displays tonight.

 

[Imurg]

Don't understand why they're having a friendly so close to the start of the season. If it was a qualifier then ok. But its not so why bother - have a friendly just because everyone else is playing?

Doesn't make sense to me...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I disagree slightly. I thought England controlled the Dutch as an attacking force in the first half and basically gifted them two goals through mistakes Barry and Ferdinand won't normally make once they are game sharp.

I thought in the 2nd half there was only one team likely to win it and thought Defoe looked sharp and was impressed with Coles contribution. I have looked at him in West Ham games on the box admittedly but he never seems quite on it but tonight he made the Dutch defence look very uncomfortable.

Overall I'd say apart from the two mistakes it was a 7.5/10 performance. I have my doubts about Green in goal and Johnson looked out of his depth in defence.

 

[haplesshacker]

As you all know, I'm not much of a 'soccer!' follower, but the wife was out this evening and I was waiting for Dragons Den to start. So I watched until 9pm.

Is it not an honor to play for the country anymore, even if it is a friendly. Aren't Holland ranked 3rd or 4th at the moment? This was an opportunity to prove to themselves and the British (perhaps only English, but I'm not getting into that arguement again!), public that they are serious contenders for the World Cup next year??

The first half mistakes were school boy stuff that any 'hacker' would realise was just plain disinterest, and carelessness. Okay the FA don't pay them to play for the country (not sure though), but if you can't be bothered to play, then forget about turning up for the World Cup.

We need some passion and soul put into it.

This does sound like an admitted non pundit, playing the pundit. But, I can see the body language.

First 5 minutes of the 2nd half with Defoe's goal. No that's what I'm talking about. That's more like it.

Talking of pundits. John Moteson or whoever it was commentating tonight. One minute before the second goal, he says that despite Ferdinands 'error' that England were playing well!!!???? Eerr. They hadn't scored! And surely to win anything, you need to score, surely. Or are we that bad that being one goal down is 'playing well'. We have no chance next year!

 

[Dodger]

We may be crap at football but at least we can behave when we go abroad...I was over in March in the Dam and not an ounce of bother from the tartan foot soldiers but yet again the engerlish disease rears its ugly head at a FRIENDLY...

 

[Herbie]

Two very silly mistakes by an indecisive sloppy defence. Other than that I thought England even with a bit of a slack performance first half still managed to control most of the half.

Second half they seemed to switch the cattle prods in their shorts back on! Good second half.

 

[SS2]

We may be crap at football...

Dodger, that's putting it mildly.

 

[Wildrover]

We may be crap at football but at least we can behave when we go abroad...I was over in March in the Dam and not an ounce of bother from the tartan foot soldiers but yet again the engerlish disease rears its ugly head at a FRIENDLY...

I can't agree with you there Dodger, all the reports I've seen is that it was Dutch fans from rival teams causing the aggro that the English fans were just caught up in. I know England don't have the best reputation but let's not blame them when it wasn't their fault. On another note, was that the tartan foot soldiers behaving well in Manchester the other year then?
Stones & glass houses.

 

[chrisj96]

we were super in the 2nd half so how can we be crap if we drew with a team ranked 3rd in the world.

 

[Herbie]

So taking the logic of the 'Crap' statement for a team drawing with the team ranked 3rd in the world, I wonder what language would be used to decribe Scotlands standard of play??

 

[Jekyll]

That wasn't Tartan foot soldiers in Manchester the other year, it was Rangers supporters. Most would say there is a difference!

 

[Jekyll]

SS2 another Saints supporter!