England 4 [over and out]

[Fyldewhite]

The Germans were not that good ...... 4-1 was no reflection on the balance of the match.

However, whats done is done. Clearly everything is not good in the camp and Capello must take the blame for that. We were probably lucky not to go out in the group stage like Italy. My own feeling is that much of this began with the John Terry affair and the decision to take the captaincy off him must rank as one of the worst ever by an England manager.

I will take my selective quoting from the top...4-1 was not a reflection of the game it was closer to a reflection of the first half. Mr Hansen offered '5 or 6' but I am being generous.

Terry, I think, is a big problem within the team setup and should not only have lost his captaincy but also his place in the squad.

Sorry, I stand by what I said. It makes no difference what you or Hansen think about the first half, if we had gone in at HT at 2-2 which we clearly should have done we do not know what the outcome would have been. It certainly wouldn't have been 4-1 would it ?

On Terry, you are correct. He IS a problem NOW. Had the right decision been made in February or whenever then they would have got over it. OK, Wayne Bridge wouldn't have been in the squad - sure we'd have managed there. Capello and the FA caused the division by their bowing to media pressure (as usual) back then. There was no way Stevie Garrard or Ferdinand for that matter was going to unite that squad in the circumstances. Things may have been better had they sacked Terry completely. Would have been wrong IMHO but may have been better for team with hindsight - though who would have played given he injuries is perhaps a mystery. We'll never know. That's why we like football, it's all about opinions etc. Roll on the Euros...

 

[19th]

You reason well, young fellow me lad!

Terry being left behind may have had a weakening effect on the team strength or potential strength, as it turned out to be, but without a doubt the rest of the squad would not have had two leaders and therefore split loyalties within the camp.

There is not one Englishman that would not have given their right arm to see an English player run to the bench/manager as the Argies do/did.

There is not one Englishman that would not have given their right arm to have the same commitment on the park as that shown by your manager!!

Therein lies your problem and answer.

 

[GasMan]

Firstly whoever said about our kids being marooned on full size pitches - you couldn't be more right! The sooner we get our kids playing on small pitches with 6 a side size goals and no shooting outside the box we will not get the technical standard required to achieve internationally as a nation.

Secondly get JT out asap and treat him like the national disgrace he is. He doesn't even respect the mother of his kid let alone the decisions made by the person who picked himself despite him being a gambling addicted, cheating, womanising chav!

Next we need to teach our defensive lines to communictae with each other and actually learn some positional awareness. Ashley Cole is the best left back we'll get so we've gotta live with him. At right back unless someone gets hold of Glen Johnson and shows him how to defend we'll leak goals forever down that side. In the middle WTF is going on with Dawson not being in there? He is our central defense future and at the moment it should be him plus A N other to build a solid defense til at least the next world cup.

Next the absolute conundrum - what to do with our midfield? I know everybody seems to love Gerrard and Lampard but there is not space for both of them in the team. Presuming we switch to playing a 4-5-1 ish system then unless you are going to play him as a wide right player Gerrard just doesn't cut it. Maybe if he'd grown up playing in confined spaces and learnt interplay, close passing etc he'd get in as a central distribution man but all I see is a head down and charge donkey.

Lampard could possibly get in as a central distribution man but he's slow by today's standards and got maybe 1 major championship left in him.

At the moment I'd pick Barry and Carrick (fit) to sit deeper and protect the back line with Walcott forced to play wide left and get used to it (he always cuts in from the right wing so playing inside out could be his best position - got to at least try it.

Wide right, although he's not the quickest, I'd give Milner an extended run for putting in quality balls AND he tracks back very well to protect the right back. Failing that swap him to the left as he can still deliver out there and whoever that new kid is - Adam Johnson or something get him in there asap.

Sitting in behind the front man playing a roving role with the freedom to be creative you've just got to let Rooney do what he does best. Defoe as a back up would do very well also as I think he's only credited as a poacher when he's far more than that.

Up at the top I'd say to hell with haters and give Zamora and Bent a real chance over a few games to see what can really happen - they're capable of doing the "Heskey" job PLUS can actually hit the back of the net more than once every 10 hours on the pitch. The experiment with Bent was beyond cruel as you may as well have said to him here's 15 minutes to prove yourself otherwise **** off back into the wilderness for the rest of your career. He's a proven goalscorer in poor teams and yet if he doesn't score in 45 minutes with the weight of the world on his shoulders knowing unless he has a stormer that he won't get picked again.



I would truly love to see Hodgson get the England job as although IS a great manager the players just don't respond to him outside of the easiest qulaifying campaign ever.

Lastly I am English and proud but the bottom line is we were disorganised, poorly motivated and patently just not good enough. I watch club football as a neutral as I grew up with access to the Brighton players as a kid (during the Barry Lloyd era) and would support them if I cared enough to.

At the Scottish guys fair play have your digs about the English media overhyping the English chances but grow up with supporting anyone but England. Just seems like sour grapes to me and it's about as attractive as a nosebleed from what are supposed to be mature adults - at the moment it would be fair to say we're crap and you're the same bar Darren Fletcher.

Rant over I'm off to the range.

 

[birdieman]

I think Darren Fletches is crap too. Good engine but not skilful enough.
Head down and charge donkey I think you called it.
I didn't support England opponents incidentally. Have to say I'm finding the whole WC a bit of a yawn tbh.

 

[Kellfire]

Darren Fletcher has been absolutely outstanding for the last three years. His tackling, ability to man mark and the way he presses forward to tighten up a midfield have been second to none. He's made the supposedly world class Mascherano look like a poor imitation.

 

[Robobum]

GASMAN -

So we were clueless at this world cup? Agreed

So your solution is to play Walcot out of position and swap like for like up front with Zamora given a run!! Same meat different gravy.

Lampard is too slow so your solution is to play 2 slow players in Barry & Carrick!! Has Barry took that parachute off yet?

If the new broom is to get rid of the majority then it should be done thoroughly, not rehash the same formula.

Hart
Gibbs
Dawson
Shawcross
Jagielka
Smalling
Cole
Rodwell
Walcot
Agbonlahor
Milner
Johnson
Wilshere
Gosling
Sturridge
Rooney

Not a bad start is it?? Not all at once, pad it out with some of the late 20's players, Gerrard, Barry, Crouch.

An out & out goal scorer is still a glaring miss in that list, but maybe one will flourish into that role.

 

[doubletripledouble]

Kellfire.

It's a bit Rooney, Gerrard-esque when it comes to Fletcher playing for Scotland. He doesn't play the same role so seems a bit lost and doesn't perform. Or should i say adapt as well. Also John Terry could also be put into that group but i think that's just lack of brains and ability.