England 2014 World Cup

wilai · March 6, 2014

who watched last night's match then? 5live's mike ingham and alan green were pretty damning of it. did hodgson really take the most in-form striker in europe and play him on the wing?

Yep...actually started him on the left wing!!! Had to accommodate the Roonpig (who apart from nicking virtually every free kick...and missing!) did sod all.

DS started on the left and played too deep. Moved to the right flank in the 1st half (switched with Raheem). Only really came into the middle when Lallana (who was v good) took over from Wilshere (who was v bad!). Although Schmeichel made some good saves, England only looked dangerous in the last 20 when DS moved centrally. Biggest problem for Woy is how to accommodate him without binning or moving Rooney who was abject! Doubt if he has the nerve though.

Hart done well, Jonno, Cahill, Smalling were not bad but there were a few dodgy moments. Cole and Shaw were both good (had a half each). Hendo was diligent but lacked spark. Gerrard was good especially 1st half. Sturridge did his bit and Sterling was MotM although Lallana was excellent in his cameo appearance. Rooney and Wishere were rubbish. To be fair, glass ankles did get Aggered early doors (was his own fault as he hasn't a clue how to tackle properly!) Screamed for a stretcher but then was up and running Lazarus like within a couple of minutes. Welbeck did ok but missed a 1 on 1 as usual, then Milner came on so I got my kindle out

StevieH · March 6, 2014

i would imagine italy will be delighted to see sturridge line up on the wing against them in the summer. bizarre management that.

wilai · March 6, 2014

In other news...Uruguay were rubbish as well. Their defence is terrible. All we have to do is attack them and with or without Suarez, they are vulnerable. Will Woy have the balls to do it though, that will be the question.

Chicog · March 6, 2014

English players are fundamentally thick. The game was played almost at walking pace at times, as they stood around waiting for someone to make themselves available.

I fear our campaign is going to consist of

Keeper - Cahill - Wilshere - Johnson - Cahill - Wilshere - Rooney - give ball away, goal, 1-0 down.

Keeper - Gerrard - Hoof - give ball away - goal 2-0 down etc.

Repeat ad nauseam

carmine · March 6, 2014

In other news...Uruguay were rubbish as well. Their defence is terrible. All we have to do is attack them and with or without Suarez, they are vulnerable. Will Woy have the balls to do it though, that will be the question.

I doubt he will. Mindyou the game plan will probably remain the same every game. Its 442 and there was a movie made about it a few years ago. Englands Brazil '14 will be similar to this bar the getting through the group stage.

carmine · March 6, 2014

i would imagine italy will be delighted to see sturridge line up on the wing against them in the summer. bizarre management that.

I very much doubt Italy care who we select or where we play them.

StevieH · March 6, 2014

English players are fundamentally thick. The game was played almost at walking pace at times, as they stood around waiting for someone to make themselves available.

I fear our campaign is going to consist of

Keeper - Cahill - Wilshere - Johnson - Cahill - Wilshere - Rooney - give ball away, goal, 1-0 down.

Keeper - Gerrard - Hoof - give ball away - goal 2-0 down etc.

Repeat ad nauseam

nonsense that. players in this squad have shown on plenty of occasions that they are not thick. i think you might want to look at the manager for the way they play when on international duty. the walking pace and lack of ideas, dynamism and general clue is hodgson's standard operating procedure.

Chicog · March 6, 2014

English players are fundamentally thick. The game was played almost at walking pace at times, as they stood around waiting for someone to make themselves available.

I fear our campaign is going to consist of

Keeper - Cahill - Wilshere - Johnson - Cahill - Wilshere - Rooney - give ball away, goal, 1-0 down.

Keeper - Gerrard - Hoof - give ball away - goal 2-0 down etc.

Repeat ad nauseam

nonsense that. players in this squad have shown on plenty of occasions that they are not thick. i think you might want to look at the manager for the way they play when on international duty. the walking pace and lack of ideas, dynamism and general clue is hodgson's standard operating procedure.

Rubbish, English footballers are rarely naturally gifted and they are mostly as thick as shit. If Gerrard hadn't been a footballer he would have been a milkman or something.

nbm47 · March 6, 2014

Anyone who thinks (or is it dreams) that England will be anything but an embarrassment in this years world cup really should take a long hard look at the stats over the years not to mention the (non) quality of the players. Who is this best striker in Europe then?? he's only a mere mortal compared to Diego Costa, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Now if you were talking about Suarez maybe I could believe that but Sturridge, come on.

StevieH · March 6, 2014

English players are fundamentally thick. The game was played almost at walking pace at times, as they stood around waiting for someone to make themselves available.

I fear our campaign is going to consist of

Keeper - Cahill - Wilshere - Johnson - Cahill - Wilshere - Rooney - give ball away, goal, 1-0 down.

Keeper - Gerrard - Hoof - give ball away - goal 2-0 down etc.

Repeat ad nauseam

nonsense that. players in this squad have shown on plenty of occasions that they are not thick. i think you might want to look at the manager for the way they play when on international duty. the walking pace and lack of ideas, dynamism and general clue is hodgson's standard operating procedure.

Rubbish, English footballers are rarely naturally gifted and they are mostly as thick as shit. If Gerrard hadn't been a footballer he would have been a milkman or something.

utter generalising horseshit. and <deleted> sneering as well to be honest. there are and always have been plenty of technically-gifted, intelligent english footballers - intelligent at football that is, nobody's asking them to sit the oxford entrance exam - and so what if he had ended up a milkman? something wrong with doing that for a living?

StevieH · March 6, 2014

Anyone who thinks (or is it dreams) that England will be anything but an embarrassment in this years world cup really should take a long hard look at the stats over the years not to mention the (non) quality of the players. Who is this best striker in Europe then?? he's only a mere mortal compared to Diego Costa, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Now if you were talking about Suarez maybe I could believe that but Sturridge, come on.

on this season's form and goals per games, sturridge is up there with anyone.

uptheos · March 6, 2014

English players are fundamentally thick. The game was played almost at walking pace at times, as they stood around waiting for someone to make themselves available.

I fear our campaign is going to consist of

Keeper - Cahill - Wilshere - Johnson - Cahill - Wilshere - Rooney - give ball away, goal, 1-0 down.

Keeper - Gerrard - Hoof - give ball away - goal 2-0 down etc.

Repeat ad nauseam

nonsense that. players in this squad have shown on plenty of occasions that they are not thick. i think you might want to look at the manager for the way they play when on international duty. the walking pace and lack of ideas, dynamism and general clue is hodgson's standard operating procedure.

Rubbish, English footballers are rarely naturally gifted and they are mostly as thick as shit. If Gerrard hadn't been a footballer he would have been a milkman or something.

utter generalising horseshit. and fuc_king sneering as well to be honest. there are and always have been plenty of technically-gifted, intelligent english footballers - intelligent at football that is, nobody's asking them to sit the oxford entrance exam - and so what if he had ended up a milkman? something wrong with doing that for a living?

Bring back the milkman.

Chicog · March 6, 2014

utter generalising horseshit. and fuc_king sneering as well to be honest. there are and always have been plenty of technically-gifted, intelligent english footballers - intelligent at football that is, nobody's asking them to sit the oxford entrance exam - and so what if he had ended up a milkman? something wrong with doing that for a living?

"plenty of" you're the one talking out of your rear end and you know it.

I wish it were not true, and we had better footballers in England, but I'm afraid you know as well as I do that we'll be lucky to even draw a game in that group, let alone win one.

There isn't a manager on the planet that could make a silk purse out of that sow's ear, with the possible exception of Otto Rehhagel.

BangrakBob · March 6, 2014

This man is a f*&kin tactical genius

wilai · March 6, 2014

English players are fundamentally thick. The game was played almost at walking pace at times, as they stood around waiting for someone to make themselves available.

I fear our campaign is going to consist of

Keeper - Cahill - Wilshere - Johnson - Cahill - Wilshere - Rooney - give ball away, goal, 1-0 down.

Keeper - Gerrard - Hoof - give ball away - goal 2-0 down etc.

Repeat ad nauseam

nonsense that. players in this squad have shown on plenty of occasions that they are not thick. i think you might want to look at the manager for the way they play when on international duty. the walking pace and lack of ideas, dynamism and general clue is hodgson's standard operating procedure.

Rubbish, English footballers are rarely naturally gifted and they are mostly as thick as shit. If Gerrard hadn't been a footballer he would have been a milkman or something.

And if Les Dawson knew more than one mother in law joke, he would have been a comedian. You leave him for dead Chics.

Chicog · March 6, 2014

Gerrard falls into that rare category of naturally gifted. But he's no rocket surgeon.