I think Oxlade-Chamberlain could really make his mark in this tournament. Hodgson may be a cautious manager, but he's happy to take a gamble on young talent. Perfect start really, if we had of won the hype would have started, and we're all better off without that really.
Pleasently surprised by that. I knew Cole, Terry and Lescott were capable but never been a fan of Glen Johnson, but he looked much more composed and controlled than he has before. Could see the french goal coming, thankfully in the second half our midfielders kept a better shape when we were under pressure, so hopefully they'll learn from that. We might get out this group yet!
Yeah not many people have said much about Johnson, I said about him on my thread on the England board as no one else said anything about him.
Very apt comment! There's 16 teams of androids out there all playing in the same style. Utterly, utterly boring! Listening to Alan Green talking about tactics! That's all international football seems to be these days - a discussion about tactics. How the game is crying out for a Paul Gascoigne, someone who has a spark of genius!
Decent start. Team worked hard in tiring conditions. Experts seemed to be writing England off as if they were certain to lose by several goals. May not be exciting, but you play to your strengths. Hodgson had a few weeks and he decided to go for 'important not to lose' style. Satisfactory if we go on to win our next game.
So, Ukraine v Sweden now, I suppose from an England point of view we are supporting Ukraine probably. But I like Sweden, if Anders Svensson comes on it will make my day.
From a footballing aspect it would be good if all the fancied teams - Germany, Holland, Spain, France, fell before the semis and we get a Russia v Croatia final! I'd like that!!
Difficult not to be pleased with that result and Lescott was our best player in my opinion. However, although I anticipated that Hodgson would instruct our players to stifle the French creativity, the stats for our corners and goal attempts only served to highlight the gullf in ability between the two teams. I thought we looked tired and the impression increased as the match progressed. Ultimately we could only frustrate France with some stout and determined defending. All in all, I don't think we can grumble with a 1-1 draw against the best team in the group. Not a bad performance but not one to get too excited about and not really flattering from a global perspective - probably what you would expect from a depleted squad managed by a new coach? I've just finished reading Keith Dewhurst's excellent book "Underdogs" which chronicles the 1879 FA Cup campaign on Darwen FC which the author holds to be a sea-change in the history of football as it marked the employment of the first professional footballer Fergus Suter and saw the employment of tactics that overtook the kick asnd rush style of football preferred by the likes of the Old Etonians and The Wanderers. The author concludes that the resultant changes which overtook the game at this time still manifest themselves today and watching this evening's match it was not difficult to see the truth in some of his comments. Whilst the physical aspect of the game was not too apparent tonight, the use of the long ball was and we certainly lacked the patient build-up of the game. Whilst I have seen other games that demonstrate the difference between England and continental sides which better illustrate the tendency to bury our heads in the sand and pursue a physical and exciting game which still owes something to "kick and rush", if football is the "beautiful game" the performance tonight demonstrated that our version of it can still be workman-like. I'm off to France on holiday later this month and was hoping to be able to rub some of my friends up after an England victory. However, I suspect that they won't be too complimentary of our approach to the game.
History I always find it intriguing how rarely England manage to turn on the style and destroy teams with real flair. Granted there have been some tremendous performances icuding the 5-1 against the Germans and the performance against Holland in Euro 1996 (which I think is the best team effort I can ever recollect England putting in) but see generally seem to grind out results or put in a perfunctory performance. It is impossible not to rave out the passion and spirit of British league and cup football where football can be hugely entertaining but I feel you rarely get the same sensation watching England play. I feel the England team performances rarely generate the same kind of passion and excitement that you get from watching football at club level - even setting aside loyalties to your own club.
