Bit late to this, but I thought Rodriguez played quite well and did some interceptions too. He didn't get much service. Lallana was our best player but that's not saying much.
It's pity that someone didn't kick arse with some of the other England players yesterday, they let our lads down.
He is an easy scapegoat, but the truth is that after he was subbed England didn't manage a single shot on target, he was certainly no less effectual than Wilshire. The problem is that this was his big opportunity to impress, I just hope that his confidence isn't dented too much and affect his form for us.
I noticed that he did a nice spot of defending...part of his training at Saints. Mauricio said that defence started with Rickie.
Time to start a rumour that as Jose Fonte has never played for portugal and as France look dead and burried, he and Morgan have been allowed to play for England
The defence recieved no cover from the midfield, which is strange as they did **** all going forward as well, with Carrick out for a couple of months or so the only other defensive midfielders that I can think of are Cork and maybe Nolan, we are seriously weak in that department
Isn't the weekend boring during the international break? Have hardly had Sky Sports on....scarcely more then 5 hours a day . Interested in the u21 game as we should win and our 2 lads will have another chance to shine. Germany will be more problematic...the main question will be have they crocked our players...didn't like that groin stretch that Adam had. But mainly I'm booooooooooooored.
My thoughts exactly. Few people expect England to do well in Brazil, but I would still hate Brazil to be effectively no more than a glorified testimonial for the older England players on their last tournament. It's pretty much not going to happen (the press won't let it happen!) but Roy and the team selectors should be courageous in taking a hard look at who in the old guard should be dropped, and rolling out their replacements.
Should treat this World Cup as a chance to plan for the future and to give younger players experience...which means being willing to not make it out of the group stages (which we may not anyway). I don't buy this idea that the players will be destroyed by losing (possibly badly)...they will want to put it right in the Euros. Not going to happen though...the press would crucify the manager and team.
Trying my best not to get pi****d off with the rubbish the Mirror writes, I'm putting a positive spin on it by saying at least Saints are getting a Lot of back page attention. A lot more than most PL teams. Only problem is its all negative at the mo. My prediction: If Saints continue to do well, by the end of the season they'll be singing the praises of our large % of UK players and generally kissing our ar**!
Would have been consoled if The Ashes had been on....occupies a whole day nicely. Sadly will be mainly at night this time.
Journos on Sunday Suppliment have branded JRod not up to it, Adam did ok but not sure done enough. Poor Jones didn't do well because he doesn't play centre half, Wiltshire world class prospect just carrying injury, Lampsrd just one of those games but should be on the plane if no other midfielder steps up.......everyone else who was useless on Friday got away with it and it's only our boys to blame and give everyone the opportunity to go back to the old tried, tested and failed in the past. England will never progress!
JRod didn't shine...but was a very difficult match for him. England were poor and struggled to cope with Chile's pressing game. Mustn't give up heart...he should concentrate on doing well for us and make the Euros his next target. Heart of hearts...he isn't an England player but had this chance because of the shortage of strikers...up to Jay to take something from this experience. Lallana showed all the signs of being a future England player...especially in temperament. Looked confident and was willing to take the game on. We know he's good enough...whether he goes to the WC depends on who else is fit. Hope Hodgson has the courage to 'retire' some of the old guard...although you need experience as well.
Just watched the Chile 90 minutes on ITV Player. I sometimes find it interesting to watch a match a few days after the event, when all the expectation has died away as it allows an uncluttered view. I also came to the live game near the end of the first half, so I've noticed a couple of things since. One, the pressing game that England tried occasionally. I think we're all getting to be experts down in Southampton, on what you need to do. Well England didn't do it. You can't press with two or three of your side and not expect to get passed around. I've noticed Adam began to hesitate to press because he knew nobody was backing him up. They needed to press as a unit and they didn't. The other thing of note is the Chile side, which looked quite comfortable on the ball, with some slick passing. On Friday I was thinking to myself where had I seen this style before. Well, only every week in red shirts. They play ball around the back and then pass their way through a team which isn't tight enough to them. They also press the ball as a unit when they haven't got it. So similar to Saints were they that I became interested in who the manager was. Looking it up, the previous Chile manager turns out to be none other than Marcelo Bielsa, and the present incumbent Jorge Sampaoli, is yet another disciple. It makes you think that if football can be compared to fashionable colours then this style is fast becoming the new black. Thankfully, in the Premier League, nobody bar Saints are able to wear it.
And when the FA wise up to the fact that there is an obvious person to turn to in order to don this new fashion...? Hopefully by that time Mauricio will have taken Saints to a couple of Champions League finals and will have already groomed his successor!
