England at World Cup 2014

England did not play to the conditions against Italy, when England attacked they moved from back to front like sprinters and had to use a lot of energy up in very tough conditions. That is why they could not equalise later on in the game when they needed to up the tempo as their energy levels were to low.

When Italy attacked they moved the ball very well from back to front patiently using as little energy as possible, so when italy scored the 2nd goal they just shut up shop and made it very difficult for England to open them up. I think Italy could have upped their game as well if they had to.

Hodgson went for it and it didn't pay off but he didn't really play around the conditions and was caught out because of it.
 
I think you lot should be very happy with this team. I've never enjoyed watching England play as much as now. After Erikson, Capello and the "golden generation", you're finally playing proper football. This should be enough to satisfy most people, I'd imagine, seeing as there weren't supposed to be any other expectations for this tournament. Hodgson should not be touched.
 
Vialli_92 said:
England did not play to the conditions against Italy, when England attacked they moved from back to front like sprinters and had to use a lot of energy up in very tough conditions. That is why they could not equalise later on in the game when they needed to up the tempo as their energy levels were to low.

When Italy attacked they moved the ball very well from back to front patiently using as little energy as possible, so when italy scored the 2nd goal they just shut up shop and made it very difficult for England to open them up. I think Italy could have upped their game as well if they had to.

Hodgson went for it and it didn't pay off but he didn't really play around the conditions and was caught out because of it.
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There was risk there certainly, however he might argue that the chance creation rate justified his tactics. Had we been more clinical in front of goal i am fairly confident that the least we'd have achieved would have been a draw.

Hopefully we have our scoring boots on against Uruguay.
 
So frustrating. They're so desperate for a decent manager.

Plenty of talent, but they way they're put together is the opposite of synergy.

There are a few strange personnel decision but mostly I think they just need the right manager.

If they could emulate the energy and effort of a team like Colombia I think they'd be way ahead.
 
It was absolutely hilarious watching us after we got the equalizer, completely shit ourselves. pathetic.
 
The funny thing was people actually thought England played well against Italy. They didnt. Also Italy tend to just do enough to win and sit back when ahead.
 
Need 2x center backs and a right back. Keeper could be better too.
 
No intelligence. Headless chickens after yous got the goal. Hodgson not good enough.
 
Most of the squad (and the manager) need to be culled. Lampard, Gerrard, Lambert, Defoe, Carrick, etc should be finished. Not wholly convinced by Baines, Cahill or Jagielka. Lallana was out of his depth. Henderson not much better. It's surely time for Jones, Smalling, Stones, Flanagan, Walker, Ward-Prowse, Hughes, Morrison, Ince, Redmond, Shelvey, etc.
 
I actually thought England were not that bad. They could've won both games IMO, better displays than I expected but shitty results.
 
What are the chances of Hodgson getting sacked now? Would be nice to get a more progressive and ballsy manager in, not that I can think of a suitable candidate at the minute.
 
Another defeat......

Instead of focusing on that I'll ask another question instead. Lately there seems to be a lot of downplay with regards to the "Golden Generation" of English players or the Beckham era, claiming that they weren't really that good etc etc.

For my money, that team was a lot better than the current incarnation of England. This team seems to be an odd mix of youth and experience and the two styles don't mesh very well. England have been too reluctant to just pick a style/formation and go with it. There should not be any experimentation over where Rooney will play during the world cup itself, that could have been figure out in the warm up games.

Musings:
No cohesive style of play amongst the players

Trying to implement a style of play that is completely ill suited to International level, see playing Gerrard and Henderson as a midfield two purely because they play together for Liverpool while leaving players who are better suited to that deep midfield role in Milner and Wilshere on the bench (in place of Gerrard not Henderson).

Rooney as I said earlier, debate should have ended ages ago. Either play him as your main striker or use him as an impact sub.

Defence- Johnson has never been good enough but there is no one else. Shaw wasn't ready for this tournament and has been getting a bit overhyped, will improve next season no doubt but this tournament came too soon for him.

I can't remember the last time England lost two world cup group games and its not entirely down to Hodgson, some of the players on the team aren't as talented as people believe them to be.
 
ThaReaper01 said:
Most of the squad (and the manager) need to be culled. Lampard, Gerrard, Lambert, Defoe, Carrick, etc should be finished. Not wholly convinced by Baines, Cahill or Jagielka. Lallana was out of his depth. Henderson not much better. It's surely time for Jones, Smalling, Stones, Flanagan, Walker, Ward-Prowse, Hughes, Morrison, Ince, Redmond, Shelvey, etc.
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+ Johnson. He is terrible.
 
Borys said:
I actually thought England were not that bad. They could've won both games IMO, better displays than I expected but shitty results.
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Against Italy they were good. Can't say the same about today.
 
Hodgson's team have played decent football but this seems to be more in spite of the manager than because of him.

How did Ashley Cole not make this squad?

England would be better attacking as well if their fullbacks didn't present themselves as options on either flank. They just aren't good enough. Defensively, theyre liabilities -- all 4 of them seem to be though.

Baines, Johnson, Gerrard shouldn't be starting, and possibly Roony.
 
Hell Raiser said:
I thought Cahill was our best player, the other 3 defenders were woeful.
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I definitely think that, with England not being a high scoring team, the fullbacks should be much better defenders. I would consider playing Baines and Johnson as wingers for that team before putting them in as fullbacks.

You could build the team around one of them, of course, Everton survive with Baines because everything goes through him and they methodically cover for him when he gets forward.

Ashley Cole is probably at home laughing at Hodgson for not taking him.
 
ThaReaper01 said:
Most of the squad (and the manager) need to be culled. Lampard, Gerrard, Lambert, Defoe, Carrick, etc should be finished. Not wholly convinced by Baines, Cahill or Jagielka. Lallana was out of his depth. Henderson not much better. It's surely time for Jones, Smalling, Stones, Flanagan, Walker, Ward-Prowse, Hughes, Morrison, Ince, Redmond, Shelvey, etc.
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I think that's a bit knee jerk. Gerrard wasn't as bad as people are making out, Henderson was OK too. Lallana hardly played enough to be judged and Baines had some great spells.

Morrison? Really? Even if he was twice the player he is I doubt he's worth the trouble. Shelvey, Redmond, Ince, Hughes, Ward-Prowse, Flanagan, Smalling all need to show progression - they aren't currently better than what we saw from England tonight. Jones and Stones maybe are.

Even though I don't rate Hodgson I think fair play to him for bringing more exciting youngsters along than most have dared to before. England have been refreshing up front, unlucky at times and kinda sloppy in defense.
 
Glen Johnson should be cased in concrete and chucked in the Atlantic Ocean. Useless cnut.
 
I'd play this against Costa Rica:

-----------------Hart---------------
Milner----Smalling--Cahil----Shaw
-----------------Jones--------------
---------Barkley-----Wilshere------
--Sterling----------------------Ox--
----------------Rooney--------------
 
Scarecrow said:
I'd play this against Costa Rica:

-----------------Hart---------------
Milner----Smalling--Cahil----Shaw
-----------------Jones--------------
---------Barkley-----Wilshere------
--Sterling----------------------Ox--
----------------Rooney--------------
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That's an awful team.
 
You shouldn't have lost to Italy, in fact you could have won if the team had the belief.
 


This could of easily been avoided if we'd taken the best finisher England has ever had.
 
I was amazed before the game when Gerrard was talking about England 'needing a wake-up call' and this being a 'do-or-die game'. The enthusiasm and energy were already there and didn't need ramping up, what needed to be ramped up was the confidence levels and to get the youngsters to relax. I know they're not mathematically out, at least not yet, but I'd like to see the same front 6 against CR apart from a midfielder (maybe Wilshere?) for Gerrard, and Cahill and Smalling in CB with Jones RB and Shaw LB. Give the young lads a chance because Johnson, Baines and Jagielka bottled it tonight in what was probably for them the biggest game they'll ever play, and they won't be around for all that many more tournaments even if we do continue to qualify for them.
 
Do England have anyone with real talent coming through defensively?
 
Scarecrow said:
:lol: Cheers.
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:lol: Awful was a bit strong but it's playing players out of position again when there's no need. Johnson and Gerrard/Henderson in for Milner and Jones and it would be better simply because everyone is in their best position then. I actually think Johnson has been decent this tournament anyway.
 
Mersault said:
I think that's a bit knee jerk. Gerrard wasn't as bad as people are making out, Henderson was OK too. Lallana hardly played enough to be judged and Baines had some great spells.

Morrison? Really? Even if he was twice the player he is I doubt he's worth the trouble. Shelvey, Redmond, Ince, Hughes, Ward-Prowse, Flanagan, Smalling all need to show progression - they aren't currently better than what we saw from England tonight. Jones and Stones maybe are.

Even though I don't rate Hodgson I think fair play to him for bringing more exciting youngsters along than most have dared to before. England have been refreshing up front, unlucky at times and kinda sloppy in defense.
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Gerrard contributed nothing except wayward passing and an assist for Suarez. Henderson I actually like but he seems too weighed down by defensive responsibility. Lallana just seemed a touch slow. Didn't seem up to it. Baines, again I quite like and I never said he should be dropped and never played again. Just said I wasn't wholly convinced.

I'm not saying the young players should have gone to the World Cup. I'm saying the bedding in process should start now, post-world cup. That lot should get blooded in immediately. I feel somewhat for Woy as I really feel Ox would've made a big difference. He and Sterling would've been a nightmare going forward but not taking Terry and Cole and believing Gerrard is a holding midfielder are the straws that break the camels back, surely.
 
JSArsenal said:
Another defeat......

Instead of focusing on that I'll ask another question instead. Lately there seems to be a lot of downplay with regards to the "Golden Generation" of English players or the Beckham era, claiming that they weren't really that good etc etc.

For my money, that team was a lot better than the current incarnation of England. This team seems to be an odd mix of youth and experience and the two styles don't mesh very well. England have been too reluctant to just pick a style/formation and go with it. There should not be any experimentation over where Rooney will play during the world cup itself, that could have been figure out in the warm up games.

Musings:
No cohesive style of play amongst the players

Trying to implement a style of play that is completely ill suited to International level, see playing Gerrard and Henderson as a midfield two purely because they play together for Liverpool while leaving players who are better suited to that deep midfield role in Milner and Wilshere on the bench (in place of Gerrard not Henderson).

Rooney as I said earlier, debate should have ended ages ago. Either play him as your main striker or use him as an impact sub.

Defence- Johnson has never been good enough but there is no one else. Shaw wasn't ready for this tournament and has been getting a bit overhyped, will improve next season no doubt but this tournament came too soon for him.

I can't remember the last time England lost two world cup group games and its not entirely down to Hodgson, some of the players on the team aren't as talented as people believe them to be.
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This current England team is the worst I've seen in 25 years of watching football. The Beckham era England were good players, but they were just overhyped but they were still decent, whereas this current England team are awful. Useless Midfield, terrible defence and the keeper is mediocre. Give it 20 years and England might struggle to qualify for a world cup unless we start changing things with the coaching of kids in this country.
 
England never really has the right balance do they. They upgraded from 2010's goalkeeper and striking options, but woefully downgraded in terms of talent in defenders. To go from the likes of Terry, Ferdinand, and Cole to this lot? LOL
 
Sixpence said:
Glen Johnson should be cased in concrete and chucked in the Atlantic Ocean. Useless cnut.
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This Johnson hate is quite ridiculous given that he is one of the few players in the back six who is actually able to carry the ball forward with some degree of competence.

What is the purpose of bringing Baines to the World cup if he is going to be used primarily as a defensive full back. Ashley Cole would have done a better job!
 
ThaReaper01 said:
Gerrard contributed nothing except wayward passing and an assist for Suarez. Henderson I actually like but he seems too weighed down by defensive responsibility. Lallana just seemed a touch slow. Didn't seem up to it. Baines, again I quite like and I never said he should be dropped and never played again. Just said I wasn't wholly convinced.

I'm not saying the young players should have gone to the World Cup. I'm saying the bedding in process should start now, post-world cup. That lot should get blooded in immediately. I feel somewhat for Woy as I really feel Ox would've made a big difference. He and Sterling would've been a nightmare going forward but not taking Terry and Cole and believing Gerrard is a holding midfielder are the straws that break the camels back, surely.
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Terry retired, Hodgson can't be blamed for not taking him.

Morgoth said:
not since Ferdinand and Terry at their prime
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Stones?
 
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