The team performance was better, or Johnson's performance was better? I thought team performance wa better (hard to be worse!) but Johnson was prob best defender at that tournament.
I think you should definitely be able to pass on your powers for a period of time to cover annual leave I'll try and do you proud
Why is everyone on the telly so surprised that Sterling has played so well, haven't they been watching football for the last 8 months? To those having a go at Baines: he was run ragged through having nobody help him defend against two all the time. This is the managers fault. If he makes the mistake with his selection, then he needs to address it during the game. Imo, Rooney was being selfish. He's acutely aware of the criticism of his performances in previous World Cups and wanted to prove he's up to it. Unfortunately for him, his inability/unwillingness to attend to his defensive duties will only increase the criticism. The manager ought to know that if he's not up to that task, then it doesn't help the team to play him there. Rooney can always come up with something special in a moment of inspiration, so if Roy includes him for that reason only, he has to set up the team so someone else can cover Baines. For the start of the second half, he swapped Rooney with Welbeck, and the latter stood and watched while Italy scored their second. Then Welbeck went off and Sterling came over to the left for about thirty seconds. After that I lost track, but at no point did we have sufficient cover for Baines who was getting roasted all the time. Apart from that goal, I thought Welbeck had a decent game (first half especially). Johnson was good, by his own recent standards, in that he never ****ed up all the time. We weren't all that bad, but Italy were efficient and well organised and exploited the chances they were given. Pirlo is peerless. I'm off to bed.
Cahill and Jagielka do not venture forward enough Hart is a bit thick sometimes - his positioning for Balotelli's lob was clueless Rooney - conditioning problems so persistent that Scholes appears to be right Sterling and Sturridge - great job these lads - but poor conditioning slowed them down in the end. Gerrard and Henderson - meh Barkley should start. Overall, England doesn't attack as a team or defend as a team. They lack in both body and spirit.
He absolutely was! I remember Talksponk giving him 4 out of 10 for one game - and they gave Young 7 out of 10! Victim of dreadful calumny that tournament, but he has been **** this season. That said, he didn't do anything wrong today, even for Balotelli's goal.
I remember that. How bad was young during that tournament as well! Played every game until the last one I think as well. Johnson was fine today. Problems came from the left not the right this time Having Welbeck in front helped as he did a lot more defensive work.
It was obvious to me that welbeck a inclusion pushed Rooney wide left and sturridge wide right which was utterly foolish Had we tried to play not defend... Which the possession stats show clearly we were firmly in the grip of a hodgson master plan.... We'll take welbeck out and let the two strikers play striker and use Henderson and Barkley/lallana to cover full backs and 41212 could have worked England to go out in 4th in group looks possible, we just need to know how bad uraguay are first to say
One thing learnt from last night should be how massively overrated most of England's supposedly top players are by the English media but we knew this already so no real surprises.
Actually think they'll scrape out of the group in second by a point and into the first round of knockouts but no further.
Overall, we did better than I expected. We never really got control of the game which is no real surprise due to the talent Italy have in the centre. Gerrard didn't get a hold of the game but he wasn't bad, he used the ball well and his diagonals often hit their target. Sterling and Welbeck really stood out - Welbeck is really making me eat my words BUT he just needs that cutting edge to his game. Johnson defended well, wasn't as sloppy on the ball, a solid 6/10 opposed to his recent 3/10s. Sturridge's first touch was poor for the most part but his goal has clouded that somewhat. As for Rooney, well, he's not a winger, he's a great player, he shouldn't be made to track back the whole game it pretty much wastes him. Nor do I think he should be up front.. For me, he's at his most effective exploiting the space in between the opposing back four and the midfield - And with Welbeck, Sturridge and Sterling in the team he should have plenty of willing runners, IN THEORY. For me, as much as I love Henderson, I don't think the combination of him and Gerrard is going to work in Roy's boring 4-4-2 like system.. Him and Gerrard sit behind the front players and without an AM like Lallana dropping deep and collecting the ball most of the time we're going to play in to the oppositions half, as when we eventually get the ball forward our strikers backs are to goal. Sterling was effective in collecting the ball but Italy left next to no space in behind, just feel like Henderson has to be sacraficed for either Wilshere, Barkley or even Lallana, just someone who can carry the ball forward when needed.. But are any of them mentioned disciplined enough?
All this scape goats Henderson rather than the criminal tactics of hodgson. I saw welbeck up front and sturridge relegated once more to the wing This is all hodgson.... Welbeck should not be on the pitch and the tactics need to suit using what we do have.... I.e. Sturridge, Rooney, Gerrard and a few willing runners England could of gotten out of this group but right now I am just hoping Cahill doesn't cripple Suarez and we get out lfc players home It's not that I don't want England to progress but I feel hodgson will not allow the team to line out to take any advantage of our best players abilities
Gotta say it's down to Hodgson. The Italian team is old, lacks pace and had a center back at left back and still at no point in the game did Hodgson ask his team to push up and play higher. They were never going to get behind us so play high up the feel and squeeze them in. I have no complaints about Baines, it was his first World Cup game and was isolated throughout, of course he didn't wanna push in, probably **** scared about another 2 on 1. Second half Hodgson swapped Welbeck for Rooney so Welbeck could help Baines, but yet the second goal came down to Welbeck not helping, go figure.
