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England V Italy (Pre Match Build Up Thread)


Abraham Romanovich

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4-4-2 but unable to get the ball down the wings or get in any crosses - so what was the point, just meant our best play maker/player Gerrard was running around with Parker just trying to get something from the midfield where they were out numbered. Does anyone actually play 4-4-2 other than us ?

To be honest though, it just showed we are a generation of players away (still) from being able to compete with the Spain and Italys.

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If it were a leauge game, you would have said we won 0-0! The gulf in class was scary, and at the end of the day, football was the winner because the better side went through. I would expect that was Terry and Gerrard's last tournament (both can hold their heads high) and I think Roy will introduce the younger blood for the qualifiers such as Ox, Welbeck, Adam Johnson, Wilshere, Smalling, Jones etc. English football needs a revolution and it should start now.

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I think they did well to get as far as they did. Had we won that shoot out it would of been harsh on Italy. The signs are there that England can be solid and organised, and whilst its early days yet, i hope we can build on that and play some more expansive stuff in the future. Doing what they did the last four games is ok in spells of matches or against the odd opponent but we are never going to get anywhere but playing with a gameplan like that every match.

Been some good performances across the squad, Welbeck has impressed me a lot and certainly looks like he could be a good player at that level. Johnson looked more dependable than i remember him being. Gerrard did his bit but playing so deep takes a lot away from his game, can't remember him in and around the box much at all but he put in a captains performence every game.

Can't find anything positive about Young's contribution though, nothing against his penalty miss, although i had no confidence in him putting it in as he has been so poor the entire tournament. Very surprised he stayed on today. Not sure if he was just not in form or not good enough for the very top level.

Word of advice for Joe Hart, don't spend the penalty shoot out making silly faces at your opponent, you are not Bruce Grobbelaar.

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What has that got to do with it?

You've watched Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck for the same amount of time as I have. Welbeck has more to his game than Carroll. Welbeck can play in more systems and styles of play than Carroll. Welbeck had a better tournament than Carroll.

I'm going to have to agree with jordan on this one and say that age has nothing to do with it. Wellbeck and carroll have only been around in recent seasons gone by and I think that everybody would agree that the game played 50-40-30 years ago was completely different to the modern game in which these 2 players play.
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I think through hard work and commitment we did as well as we had any right to this cup. Won 2, drew against France and Italy.

Ultimately they did, as has been said, batter us, and deserved to go through. However, still think we had enough chances to have scored. For 25 minutes we looked like an International side for once.

Rooney clearly not at 100%, Yorke did very little for me.

Having said all that, penalty shoot outs are becoming a real blocker for us.

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I think through hard work and commitment we did as well as we had any right to this cup. Won 2, drew against France and Italy.

Ultimately they did, as has been said, batter us, and deserved to go through. However, still think we had enough chances to have scored. For 25 minutes we looked like an International side for once.

Rooney clearly not at 100%, Yorke did very little for me.

Having said all that, penalty shoot outs are becoming a real blocker for us.

yorke? haha

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I can't entirely blame Hodgson. He inherited the shambles Capello left and as the Scots say "ye can oanly pish wi' the cock that yi've goat".

HOWEVER why persist with Young when he has clearly been one of the worst players in the entire euros? OK our entire midfield were unable to control the middle third of the pitch but Young didn't make a pass or have a shot on goal in any game???

Why allow Cole to take a penalty? Is he a natural goalscorer?

WHY play so deep? The eyeties clearly have all sorts of players able to take shots from all over - how can the plan be to sit back, get 8 guys in the box and hope they deflect the shots as they come in? Attack was the only form of defence.

Why take Parker off when he was one of the few players actually making yards going forward?

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Parker had worked his socks off and was knackered.

I thought Milner worked hard, and closed them down, unlike Young.

Cahill, Barry? Will be interesting to see how we shape up when everyone is back. Cannot knock the players effort. I do think they gave everything - just not good enough as a team.

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England trying to adopt the 'chelsea champions league final approach'. 1- were not chelsea, 2- we don't have anyone that resembles the quality of drogba up front. That's english football for you, negative and uninspiring. Taking a look at our midfield options compared to other countries still in the competition, we have no where near as much quality. we are a country full of defensive midfielders and two-bit wingers. At least we have the olympics to perk us up

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I don't think our overly-forward thinking play at times throughout the tournament was planned - for the first half against France we held possession well and probed for an opening, as we did from Johnson's shot to around the half hour mark tonight. We're a work in progress and have a squad of limited talent. Roy is a disciplined manager who hasn't had much time to impart his style on the squad; you can see a flicker of it at times and when it works, it works well.

His blind loyalty to Young is the one downer on him for me from the tournament, and while bringing on Walcott tonight made sense at the time to look to revitalise England, his place completely destroyed Johnson's significant attacking contribution while Theo turned out to be largely anonymous.

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Parker had worked his socks off and was knackered.

I thought Milner worked hard, and closed them down, unlike Young.

Cahill, Barry? Will be interesting to see how we shape up when everyone is back. Cannot knock the players effort. I do think they gave everything - just not good enough as a team.

Jesus christ, really?

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Hart - did well numerous times

Johnson - don't rate him at the top level, worked hard but doesn't didn't contribute enough going forward

Terry - solid in comparison to previous dodgy moments

Lecott. England Man of the match for me. Dealt with everything he had to.

Cole - another good shift. Would like to Have seen him get forward more.

Milner - worked hard but nothing in terms of an end product.

Gerard - started well but dropped into his usual England style unfortunately

Parker - battling display. Thought swapping the average Henderson for him was a huge mistake.

Young- utter waste of time.

Wellbeck - don't rate him as an international yet. Offered no offensive threat

Rooney - too quick to try cute balls around the box.

Carrol - impressed me. With some additions to his game could be a very good player

Walcott - not given enough ball on the counter, but offered little.

Henderson - did nothing

Too deep, too narrow and not clinical enough. The gap between the back 8 and the front 2 was just far too wide.

I believe the future is brighter thanit seemed, time to ditch the remnants of the old guard to finish the job.

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The second half performance was one of the most depressing halves of football I've ever seen us produce. We bring on a lumbering cart-horse in the shape of Andy Carroll and then persist in lumping it forward to him in the hope of getting something from the flick-on. All we succeed in doing, time after time after time, is to lose possession. Is this really the way to play football at international level ? Have we learnt nothing over the years ?

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Hodgson did a superb job to get a limited squad to the last eight. Worst shout of the night came from Alan Shearer who said that England were the fifth best team in the world!! Really Alan? Does he really believe there are only four teams in the world better than England? If only that were true.

I cannot see England being an international threat unless we change our game in the Premier League. Until we have twenty 'Swanseas' who play keep ball our players won't cope on the international stage. However, I should add I don't think it will change and nor do I think it should change. Our fans like pace, passion and tackling, and would not accept the patient styles of the continentals.

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The second half performance was one of the most depressing halves of football I've ever seen us produce. We bring on a lumbering cart-horse in the shape of Andy Carroll and then persist in lumping it forward to him in the hope of getting something from the flick-on. All we succeed in doing, time after time after time, is to lose possession. Is this really the way to play football at international level ? Have we learnt nothing over the years ?

No...we havent

Unfortunately, the Premier League and our FA have decimated our game. All they care about is the "brand" and money...

If our governing body spent half as much time investing in our youth and grass roots level football....as they do selling the "Premier League" and its "stars" to the World...we would be in a lot better position then we are now.

The real shame is their is no short term fix.....we need a 12-15 year plan....our only chance of getting any where near Spain or Germany would be to concentrate on the kids who at this moment in time, are getting ready to go to school and learn the 5 times table. Scrap this mentality that Under 9's need to "win" and "score goals"....and get them playing bloody football. Teach them the game.

Our only two hopes at this moment are Jack Wilshire...and The Ox....I just pray these two get nurtured properly and in about 10 years time, these two are the experienced players who are bringing through a crop of players who really are a golden generation....and not like the ones we were all conned into thinking were going to be

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No...we havent

Unfortunately, the Premier League and our FA have decimated our game. All they care about is the "brand" and money...

If our governing body spent half as much time investing in our youth and grass roots level football....as they do selling the "Premier League" and its "stars" to the World...we would be in a lot better position then we are now.

The real shame is their is no short term fix.....we need a 12-15 year plan....our only chance of getting any where near Spain or Germany would be to concentrate on the kids who at this moment in time, are getting ready to go to school and learn the 5 times table. Scrap this mentality that Under 9's need to "win" and "score goals"....and get them playing bloody football. Teach them the game.

Our only two hopes at this moment are Jack Wilshire...and The Ox....I just pray these two get nurtured properly and in about 10 years time, these two are the experienced players who are bringing through a crop of players who really are a golden generation....and not like the ones we were all conned into thinking were going to be

Agree with that, the problem is we have had ample chance to learn and have done nothing, the debacle at the last world cup should have been a watershed, the way Man U got decimated by Barca at wembley should have been a kick up the arse, that is the way to play.

Out of every single team in the euros I'd say England are by far the technically weakest of all the teams bar the irish, and that is disgraceful, and we will never get anywhere until we fundamentally change.

Currently the only hope we have of getting an England team that is technically gifted enough is if Arsenal can produce us 10 players.

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Agree with that, the problem is we have had ample chance to learn and have done nothing, the debacle at the last world cup should have been a watershed, the way Man U got decimated by Barca at wembley should have been a kick up the arse, that is the way to play.

Out of every single team in the euros I'd say England are by far the technically weakest of all the teams bar the irish, and that is disgraceful, and we will never get anywhere until we fundamentally change.

Currently the only hope we have of getting an England team that is technically gifted enough is if Arsenal can produce us 10 players.

Absolutely agree. Ukraine, for all their weaknesses were on a whole, far better then us technically when we played them.

As you said, the last World Cup should have been the final straw. Personally, I would say the debacle of not qualifying for 2008 should have sent alarm bells ringing....but definately after the shambles that was 2010.

Things need to change in this country.....massively. Like Germany changed things 10 years ago, and look at the rewards they are now reaping.

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England's inferiority for me is due to a number of factors, including a basic deficiency in technical and tactical skills. Too many times last night a lack of basic control let down international players. Tactically, excepting a 15 minute period in the first half, England's movement off the ball was woeful too.

Lastly English football culture, which celebrates the blood and guts, giving it all type players, clearly helps us win nothing. As illustrated last night by Parker, who charged around like a lunatic for 60 minutes, but can't even pass to a team mate 50% of the time and frequently gets caught on the ball. Yet for many he encapsulates the classic English player.

It's the same reason City fans loved Bradley Orr, he made a big meal out of loving the City and trying hard and having a great attitude, but ultimately he was technically crap.

We need to start celebrating skill and technique over blood and guts.

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People are focussing too much of technical ability. It has a place, it certainly needs more prominence, but it isn't the 100% cure.

The mental aspects of the game need work, as does the me me me culture. Without this you just have a France or Holland.

Englands solid base needs supplementing with the attacking flair and guile.

It will be interesting to see if Wiltshire can supply this in the middle.

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Got what they deserved. A really poor way to set yourself up. From the start of the second half it was clear they were aiming for penalties. Why would you do that with a record of 1 in 8.

I'm sorry, hodgson has set them up relatively well with the players available this tournament. But whoever made the decision to play for penalties from the start of the 2nd half, has severely dropped a bollock.

EXACTLY

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Hodgson did a superb job to get a limited squad to the last eight. Worst shout of the night came from Alan Shearer who said that England were the fifth best team in the world!! Really Alan? Does he really believe there are only four teams in the world better than England? If only that were true.

I cannot see England being an international threat unless we change our game in the Premier League. Until we have twenty 'Swanseas' who play keep ball our players won't cope on the international stage. However, I should add I don't think it will change and nor do I think it should change. Our fans like pace, passion and tackling, and would not accept the patient styles of the continentals.

There's something in this, but the gulf for me is in the technical ability of our players. Collectively our first touch went missing - and in the case of Rooney it was never there. Italy make more passes because they are able to control the ball when it comes to them. Time-and-time again we showed we couldn't cope with this basic skill.

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Personally, I get much more fun out of watching City than any of the pathetic, predictable England "performances". As Forest Gump said, when faced with a box of chocolates "Ya just don't know what you're gonna get"!

Club or country?

Club, every time!!!

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