World Cup Forum

[P45Mustang]

So you reckon the Arsenal younger guns are not in the league of Southampton's one season wonders P45?

• If Willshere can break out of glass-legs teritory and get a full season in I'm convinced he will be a great player, but I understand why not many people think that after a frustrating season for him.
• Ox is still a raw talent who is just as likely to be a world class player as the ones you quote.
• Walcott will still have good pace (and even better judgement/finishing) at 27 yo for the Euros
• I don't rate Baines above Gibbs once he gets in front of class right sided attackers either!

All in my gooner opinion of course

Apologies for leaving them off the list SS.

No disrespect.

All very fine players.

Maybe we can do something in Euro 2016.

[P45Mustang]

PS. I think we need new manager to harness this talent.

[BangrakBob]

Unbelievable, the Aussies are holding their own against the Dutch....actually winning 2-1 now.

They must have a conditioning advantage, playing their domestic football in summer (mental), not to take anything from their performance they are bossing it

BB only 6 members of the whole squad play their football in the A League in Australia so conditioning /heat has no relevance.

The majority are playing for clubs in Europe.

It was predicted before the competition commenced that there would be a hiding coming their way in every game in this group.

The lowest ranked, and one of the youngest in the competition, they have proved the doubters wrong and confirmed the braveness of the coach to invest in the future.

They may well finish up scoring more goals than England.

Oh right fair enough. I think Santi mentioned in that match against Holland is was not hot at all anyway.

i don't know why anyone would predict a pasting for the Aussies, they always turn up for a match and play with fighting spirit. I think it was 2006 they were brilliant to watch and again this tournament.

I hope they finish with a win. they deserve it!

[P45Mustang]

Costa Rica can play a bit mind.

" Pinto has modelled himself on Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, basing his side on strong defensive foundations and a swift counter attack."

( Sauce. BBC Sport.)

Definite penalty btw.

[mrbojangles]

England manager Roy Hodgson has lined up a friendly against Iceland on Thursday to cheer up the fans.












If they win they will play Lldl on Saturday and Tesco on Tuesday.

[P45Mustang]

England manager Roy Hodgson has lined up a friendly against Iceland on Thursday to cheer up the fans.

Home or Away?

Wouldn't want anybody slipping on a frozen pitch.

Might play Lampard instead of Gerrard.

[mrbojangles]

[P45Mustang]

I don't see a recycle bin for Lampard etc.

[Somtamme]

In terms of comments re: Gerrard, didn't Hodgson play with a 4:2:4 formation eg with three strikers plus Sterling and critically no-one really prepared to play on the left and give some much needed width. Why I ask is then how do you expect to defend properly when you're placing so much of a burden on the two in the middle, with Gerrard as the oldest and with so much to do. Hodgson similarly made substitutions but at no point did he take Gerrard off for new legs.

If Carrick was on the bench he would have made an ideal cover for Steven Gerrard and between them given full 90 minutes, as opposed to 70 min. It's not surprising goals were conceded late on so easily. Gerrard was limping against Italy late on and looked crocked. But others were substituted in preference.

Also, in terms of left and right sided width, Bayern Munich for my mind set the current best example with full backs Lamb and Alaba, plus Robben and Ribery in front of them. This gives them the much needed balance and attacking guile. But against Italy the only wide player was Sterling, but Hodgson played him in the middle alongside 3 strikers!

History shows successful sides have a balance and use all of the pitch. I just find the set up kamikaze like and the blame solely falls to the FA to realise these shortcoming and come up with an answer. Goals from open play mostly come from wide positions, so forget through the middle wonder goals and tiki tak football. England could do worse than a German coach to find this balance.

[P45Mustang]

I think Roy might have been trying to be braver than his boots.

Token effort by an outdated manager.

Result: failure.

I might be a bit harsh, but that's how I see it.

[carmine]

In terms of comments re: Gerrard, didn't Hodgson play with a 4:2:4 formation eg with three strikers plus Sterling and critically no-one really prepared to play on the left and give some much needed width. Why I ask is then how do you expect to defend properly when you're placing so much of a burden on the two in the middle, with Gerrard as the oldest and with so much to do. Hodgson similarly made substitutions but at no point did he take Gerrard off for new legs.

If Carrick was on the bench he would have made an ideal cover for Steven Gerrard and between them given full 90 minutes, as opposed to 70 min. It's not surprising goals were conceded late on so easily. Gerrard was limping against Italy late on and looked crocked. But others were substituted in preference.

Also, in terms of left and right sided width, Bayern Munich for my mind set the current best example with full backs Lamb and Alaba, plus Robben and Ribery in front of them. This gives them the much needed balance and attacking guile. But against Italy the only wide player was Sterling, but Hodgson played him in the middle alongside 3 strikers!

History shows successful sides have a balance and use all of the pitch. I just find the set up kamikaze like and the blame solely falls to the FA to realise these shortcoming and come up with an answer. Goals from open play mostly come from wide positions, so forget through the middle wonder goals and tiki tak football. England could do worse than a German coach to find this balance.

yes its galling isn't it! How is it that the national team manager couldn't even learn from the original mistake? If he had sorted out the Gerrard situation and the midfield for the Uruguay game at least you could say he held his hands up to the obvious yet he seems even now, blindly unaware!!

And why on earth does it seem Rooney HAS to play? He must be the most overpaid footballer in world football and has been for years. Mindyou, he's fefinately not "overrated" in world football anymore. i doubt he's even rated.

i still contend that we could have done a lot better than this with these players. fact is, Cole should have gone for his experience and because he's still defensively the best left back and sadly but truly, on merit of last seasons performance John terry should have been brought out of int'l retirement. Neither isJagielka an int'l class of player. The defending was comical at times and woefully below par for this level

Anyway, good job i only have a mild interest in int'l football.

[P45Mustang]

Agree.

Terry and Cahill works etc.

Problem is we've got Greg Dyke heading up the FA who knows less about football than.....

.....fill your own words in.

[mrbojangles]

I really hope for the last game he side lines the old crew, throws all the young ones in and tells them all to just go for it. Lets just see what we have and how they play in preparation for the Euro's.

[slipperylobster]

Actually, I was hoping England would have made it past the starting line. It was just a thought, but I was so much liking the idea of the USA team stomping the daylights out of the Brits. Alas, the poor laddies could not step up to the task.

[P45Mustang]

Actually, I was hoping England would have made it past the starting line. It was just a thought, but I was so much liking the idea of the USA team stomping the daylights out of the Brits. Alas, the poor laddies could not step up to the task.

You do have a slight advantage though sl.

You actually have a German manager who knows what he is doing.

You will know all about this concept of leadership from the top, I'm sure.

[uptheos]

Steven Gerrard's display against Uruguay was so bad, according to Spanish newspaper AS, that they refused to even give him a rating for his performance. They mark out of 3.

[smokie36]

10444787_10202948186364674_8278625921600625396_n.jpg

Hey that's not fair....you are stealing my material!

[P45Mustang]

Breaking News.

" Roy Hodgson considering moving home from Croydon to Scotland to improve his chances of becoming a successful manager.

Mrs Hodgson and FA Chairman Greg Dyke are supportive. "

Rio de Janeiro Jornal dos Sports.

[BangrakBob]

Actually, I was hoping England would have made it past the starting line. It was just a thought, but I was so much liking the idea of the USA team stomping the daylights out of the Brits. Alas, the poor laddies could not step up to the task.

You do have a slight advantage though sl.

You actually have a German manager who knows what he is doing.

You will know all about this concept of leadership from the top, I'm sure.

Think he might be a sweaty sock, they didn't even get a fixture list

[P45Mustang]

Could be Boston Irish. Difficult to tell from a distance.

[Somtamme]

. Re: Cole should have gone for his experience and because he's still defensively the best left back and sadly but truly, on merit of last seasons performance John terry should have been brought out of int'l retirement. Neither isJagielka an int'l class of player. The defending was comical at times and woefully below par for this level. Anyway, good job i only have a mild interest in int'l football.

I'm sorry but Cole cannot and has never been able to pass the ball with any invention or accuracy and Terry is now too slow, the best left back is probably Gibbs and would probably give Baines a run for his money, and give Cahill and Jagielka a chance. The point is it is more to the team structure and lack of managerial acumen, rather than necessarily individual players.

If you play a 4:2:4 at some point you're going to leave the barn door wide open. If you're going to play so attacking then at least substitute and rest your oldest player who was carrying a groin injury! It's was so basic. Until England field an 11 with good full backs and decent wide players ahead we're never going to break down any defence. Options could have been Gibbs or Baines for cover (Left Johnson plus another (RB) and wide positions ahead - Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and if your not fielding Barclay, why not try him on the left or right, and definitely not Rooney.

[P45Mustang]

For sure.

Or should that be Shaw.

[carmine]

. Re: Cole should have gone for his experience and because he's still defensively the best left back and sadly but truly, on merit of last seasons performance John terry should have been brought out of int'l retirement. Neither isJagielka an int'l class of player. The defending was comical at times and woefully below par for this level. Anyway, good job i only have a mild interest in int'l football.

I'm sorry but Cole cannot and has never been able to pass the ball with any invention or accuracy and Terry is now too slow, the best left back is probably Gibbs and would probably give Baines a run for his money, and give Cahill and Jagielka a chance. The point is it is more to the team structure and lack of managerial acumen, rather than necessarily individual players.

If you play a 4:2:4 at some point you're going to leave the barn door wide open. If you're going to play so attacking then at least substitute and rest your oldest player who was carrying a groin injury! It's was so basic. Until England field an 11 with good full backs and decent wide players ahead we're never going to break down any defence. Options could have been Gibbs or Baines for cover (Left Johnson plus another (RB) and wide positions ahead - Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and if your not fielding Barclay, why not try him on the left or right, and definitely not Rooney.

Are you talking about the same Ashley Cole that was the best left back in the world for a few years? a combination of Baines and Cole makes much better sense.

btw, Jagielka is not an international quality center back and John terry, as much as i loathe him was probably the best English center back in the premier league last season.

lastly you generally only take one right back and use another squad player to stand in if necessary.

[rijit]

so rooney knockers seems alls quite now!!! seems u all.asked why does he play,? ans, cos up front, like it not, at this level he's better than everything else weve got. Of the 2 england goals he gave one assist and scored the other. He aint reached the 'pinnacles' as a nation we hoped he would, but like it or not he's been or is the nearest attacking player weve had in recent years that s sniffed anywhere near the exulted ' world class' stature. from a poor result against a typicly rugged dour, falling not far short of barbaric defensive display by uruguay ,who was our one stand out player? rooney and the only one thats seemed to 'grow 'with the w/c ans Rooney , certainly gainst uruguay all else tbh looked a touch light weight and maybe even looked out of their depth struggling with their 'style'. Maybe a little more match sharpness and the loon could/should have had ?? what, maybe,3 or 4 and with a better team around him, who knows. but from the persistant knockers, time for a little humble pie me thinks.

Edited June 22, 2014 by rijit

[rijit]

I dont often form ` dislikes ` for footballers cos frankly off the pitch they aint worth the effort, but these tourre bros ,,,<deleted>!! now not going home when the bro's dead !!add that on 2 the recent ' reported tantrum'

i want to leave cos he ignored me on my birthday,,, really!!! and the other brother popping his wifes slimming pills to lose weight ,,,, w t f ,, time english footie got rid!! let the french have the over paid trailer trash.

,

[P45Mustang]

I dont often form ` dislikes ` for footballers cos frankly off the pitch they aint worth the effort, but these tourre bros ,,,<deleted>!! now not going home when the bro's dead !!add that on 2 the recent ' reported tantrum'

i want to leave cos he ignored me on my birthday,,, really!!! and the other brother popping his wifes slimming pills to lose weight ,,,, w t f ,, time english footie got rid!! let the french have the over paid trailer trash.

,

A bit harsh if I may say so rij.

[carmine]

so rooney knockers seems alls quite now!!! seems u all.asked why does he play,? ans, cos up front, like it not, at this level he's better than everything else weve got. Of the 2 england goals he gave one assist and scored the other. He aint reached the 'pinnacles' as a nation we hoped he would, but like it or not he's been or is the nearest attacking player weve had in recent years that s sniffed anywhere near the exulted ' world class' stature. from a poor result against a typicly rugged dour, falling not far short of barbaric defensive display by uruguay ,who was our one stand out player? rooney and the only one thats seemed to 'grow 'with the w/c ans Rooney , certainly gainst uruguay all else tbh looked a touch light weight and maybe even looked out of their depth struggling with their 'style'. Maybe a little more match sharpness and the loon could/should have had ?? what, maybe,3 or 4 and with a better team around him, who knows. but from the persistant knockers, time for a little humble pie me thinks.

Rooney knockers haven't been quiet though have they. we've all been saying he doesn't fit into the best team that England could put out and he doesn't. he never should have played. His selection compromises the entire team set up and he's nowhere near good enough to warrant anything like that.

He scored one goal, a tap in, in three world cups. Botched a fantastic chance against Italy that might have got us a draw. Gets pulled out of position left right and center, exposes our defense in the process. credit where credits due, he put in a perfect cross for Sturridge. However, at this level of the game i'd have expected nothing else.

Theres no need for any humble pie at all i'm afraid. He's the most overpaid player in world football. Paul Stretford must be a magnificent negotiator. (All i'll concede is he's an above average premier league player but i doubt very much if he'll last long under Louis van Gaal.) He shouldn't have been picked. End of. And for that Roy Hodgson takes the blame.

[rijit]

I dont often form ` dislikes ` for footballers cos frankly off the pitch they aint worth the effort, but these tourre bros ,,,<deleted>!! now not going home when the bro's dead !!add that on 2 the recent ' reported tantrum'

i want to leave cos he ignored me on my birthday,,, really!!! and the other brother popping his wifes slimming pills to lose weight ,,,, w t f ,, time english footie got rid!! let the french have the over paid trailer trash.

,

A bit harsh if I may say so rij.

why ? 20 goals plus and thats redemption? nah mate 2many pointers 2 wards overpaid trash!!

[rijit]

so rooney knockers seems alls quite now!!! seems u all.asked why does he play,? ans, cos up front, like it not, at this level he's better than everything else weve got. Of the 2 england goals he gave one assist and scored the other. He aint reached the 'pinnacles' as a nation we hoped he would, but like it or not he's been or is the nearest attacking player weve had in recent years that s sniffed anywhere near the exulted ' world class' stature. from a poor result against a typicly rugged dour, falling not far short of barbaric defensive display by uruguay ,who was our one stand out player? rooney and the only one thats seemed to 'grow 'with the w/c ans Rooney , certainly gainst uruguay all else tbh looked a touch light weight and maybe even looked out of their depth struggling with their 'style'. Maybe a little more match sharpness and the loon could/should have had ?? what, maybe,3 or 4 and with a better team around him, who knows. but from the persistant knockers, time for a little humble pie me thinks.

Rooney knockers haven't been quiet though have they. we've all been saying he doesn't fit into the best team that England could put out and he doesn't. he never should have played. His selection compromises the entire team set up and he's nowhere near good enough to warrant anything like that.

He scored one goal, a tap in, in three world cups. Botched a fantastic chance against Italy that might have got us a draw. Gets pulled out of position left right and center, exposes our defense in the process. credit where credits due, he put in a perfect cross for Sturridge. However, at this level of the game i'd have expected nothing else.

Theres no need for any humble pie at all i'm afraid. He's the most overpaid player in world football. Paul Stretford must be a magnificent negotiator. (All i'll concede is he's an above average premier league player but i doubt very much if he'll last long under Louis van Gaal.) He shouldn't have been picked. End of. And for that Roy Hodgson takes the blame.

So england have a better forward ?

[rijit]

I really hope for the last game he side lines the old crew, throws all the young ones in and tells them all to just go for it. Lets just see what we have and how they play in preparation for the Euro's.

could well be good thing , give jones and smalling a run at the back and see if shaws ready to step up, last lookings he wasnt. player and england wise biggest shame of the comp' for me was ox chamb` looked bang on to kick arse.