You make your own luck - it's not as if we didn't have chances, we just didn't take them. That's not bad luck, it's **** finishing.
You make your own luck We didn't have any because we didn't deserve any. The buck stops with Hodgeson, who picked a team to avoid defeat instead of the passing side he had at his disposal
We have been narrowly beaten by 2 sides who are both ranked above us in the FIFA rankings. We have a young side with bags of potential. This World Cup was all about gaining experience - I think phrase like "laughing stock" are off the mark. I also don't think you can say they lacked pride or commitment.
But crucially smh they lacked ability, nous and finishing. I don't think there are any positives to be taken from losing both our opening matches. We always seem to be 'too young' or 'too old' - the bottom line is that we're 'too crap'.
The positives are that there are several young players in the squad/team - Sterling, the Ox, Sturridge, Shaw, Welbeck, Barkley etc. Agree about nous, which is something that will come with a bit of experience. Finishing - yes take your point - ultimately Suarez was the difference between the sides. Ability - I really do think that there is ability in our squad, and potential comng through (the U17's won the Euro's this year)
Wouldn't say we were crap. Wrong team selections in my opinion. Why bring the youngsters to sit them on the bench? He's only played Sterling Gerrard has announced he is retiring from international duty after the world cup (THANK **** FOR THAT!) We need to start building a young team and sticking with it! For the euros i'd love to see Hart Walker Stones Caulker Shaw Wilshere Henderson OX Barkley Sterling Sturridge With the likes of Cahill, Baines, Rooney, Walcott waiting in the wings ready.
You could put 11 world beaters in England shirts and they'd still shoot themselves in the foot, although they'd probably miss. How many players have we produced that are truly world class ?? Virtually none
And when we do we have no idea what to do with them, many respected media pundits calling Barkley the greatest young talent they've seen for ages, so what does woy do?? Leave him out..
That's what I said on another post. We can't seem to get away from the 'he's famous therefore he must play' attitude. Gerrard is one of the best club captains this country has ever had in lots of ways, but he's over the hill and frankly out of his comfort zone in serious international company. However, at least he acts and behaves like a captain, which is something our greatest millstone Beckham never did, because he was never captain material or captain of his club. But because he was a major celebrity the FA thought it the best moneyspinner ever to have him as captain. And that's the sort of attitude that's made this WC the latest in a long line of abject failures.
Lots of agreement in this thread that most of my comments were right but the biggest thing I see is that we are running out of excuses for our continual lack of performances. The national programme is in tatters and the reasons why are so deeply ingrained in our psyche now that we can never change them no matter how hard we try, and based on our showings at this World Cup the players don't give a damn anyway despite all the pre-tournament hype that Rooney was about to show the world what he was capable of doing. If you want to see what national pride is all about then you just have to look at Suarez yesterday because there was a player who was not going to let his team lose, and he didn't! Our lads just hung their heads in the usual we are beaten before the kick-off and did you know that the last time we came from behind to win a World Cup game was in the 1966 final - and I was there.
There was a guy on their side. No 6 I think. Knocked out cold by an accidental collision with Sterlings knee. The doctor wanted him substituted, but he wasn't having any of it- Frankly, I wouldn't have given him the choice for his own safety, but he played on- That was how much more they wanted to win.
Although I hated seeing Suarez beating us the situation that you highlighted gdknac was typical of a team that wasn't going to get beaten - and they didn't. That's what football is all about and good for him that he, and his team, got the result they needed and we looked uninterested as usual which doesn't say much about the English national pride.
Alvaro Pereira plays for Sao Paulo in Brazil so he is a homegrown player for them and some are questioning his ability to continue but he clearly was not going to be substituted. Courageous!
I'm sure most players would rather be on holiday with their wives than going to Brazil and almost certain failure, but the pressure from every angle is on them to do their duty whether they want to or not. They're hardly doing it for the lack of money.........although the even greedier (and frankly useless) Cameroon squad would have been better off staying at home. The serious question is, should we expect our 'top' players to feel they have to turn out for their country ? I'm sure given the choice a lot of them would say no thanks.
He looks a prospect but not ready yet. Plays in an area where there are options. Hopefully he will take his chance like Gazza did years back v the Czechs and plays like he can't be left out. At a similar age Gazza was the greatest young talent people had seen as he was showing it.
