http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,,25525_7841010,00.html Is the skate back on the sauce again? - What a complete buffoon - with the players he had, and being thrown in at the deep end, what else could he of done?
He's right, though. England are miles behind countries like Germany and Spain, and as last night proved, Italy. Spin it however you want, England are very far from being contenders.
I am certainly not going to get on the back of Roy, however, did he not say after each game to the players "hey lads, we're not keeping it very well and we keep lumping long balls up to no-one"?? Could he not have said to Joe Hart... "what about rolling one out to the full back or CB like that SKD at Saints does" ?? He certainly doesn't deserve real critism, but I believe he could have been even more positive. Chambo looked quite dangerous against the French when we got the ball - then he never got another look in apart from a few minute cameo. Parker was leggy last night, so why not throw Chambo on and make the Italians think abit and may be get pushed back. Merson certainly wrong to have a pop, but let's not kid ourselves that Roy did a fantastic job.
I actually agree with most of what he's saying. I'm totally behind Roy, but he could and should have changed the formation. I've been talking about playing three in the middle since the beginning of the tournament and I'm glad to see someone agree with me.
Thats not my problem, he's only stating the obvious there - but Roy is the most tactically astute manager we've had for some time, he was thrown in at the deep end and I do believe that Roy did the best he could, theres no way with the squad we had we would get past the QF's.
I disagree. Not much astuteness in saying keep two rows of four; get behind the ball and the two strikers take it in turns dropping deep to help pick up. I'd say that is pretty standard English coaching manual stuff. Probably on page 1.
Milner would also be a lot better in the middle. The commentators were annoying me yesterday when they were saying one of the strikers should be dropping back and closing Pirlo down. That's not a striker's job, we should have had an extra midfielder on him. It's so obvious and it really winds me up.
His time will come in Brazil providing he keeps playing well for Arsenal, It would of been unfair to throw him into that last night.
Find it a bit strange that we were one penalty shoot-out lottery away from the best tournament performance in 16 years, and the team is being slaughtered. Would the reaction have been the same if we had won on penalties? It could be worse, we could be Holland. Or Russia. Or France who were equally outplayed (and actually lost) against Spain.
The team is being slaughtered because they are, collectively, one of the worst teams in the tournament. They are basically on a par with the Czech Rep and Greece. Got lucky with a easy group and were deservedly beaten in the quarters by a far superior side.
That's a bit unfair. We may not be good enough to be winning tournaments, but we are deservedly top 8.
No real problems with the Hodge. What annoys me about it all is how Terry and Rooney kept getting praised, Terry made some great tackles but is that not his job????, Rooney had a couple of good chances, I'm not moaning about him not scoring but his ability to keep the ball, he lost vital balls on several occasions. Give the youngsters a go, they are hungry for success, not the has beens, lets build for the future. Some players just put in a shift, that's not good enough. Hodge had no expectation of winning the Euros. TBF neither team deserved it, all the chances Italy had and still didn't score. Poor night all round.
why unfair? He's 18, a grown man playing in the Premier League for a top 3 team. Unfair? I find that an amazing statement. If it was unfair, then why take him. He's good enough, so play him. And by saying it would have been unfair suggests that we couldn't dare risk changing the pattern of sit back and defend. heavens above, how dare we send on someone that might do something.
No, they have had "success" in recent times. I would say that getting to a World Cup Final is quite an achievement; well done Holland in 2010; they can call it a blip. France won the World Cup and the Euros in 1998 and 2000. They are nowhere near on a par with us. In terms of this tournament, of course both those countries will be unhappy, but in the last 42 years (my life time) both those countries have done things and changed things to bring about success. i am sure they will again. I can't say that about England unti lI see a change in approach.
