Rooney by the way, was head and shoulders above anybody else on that pitch tonight. His vision is unquestionable and his professionalism also. He didn't go with his ego over to Smalling and ask for his captains armband, he just played football and if it wasn't for a poor touch from the kid he put Rashford's 2nd on a plate. He's ready and he's confident, Van Gaal has gone and Jose is in, he's in high spirits, let's see what he does in France.
I hope someone from Sunderlands scouting system was watching because that Aaron Mooy in the Oz midfield was outstanding last night. Apparently he is only 25 and still playing for Melbourne City over there, I can volunteer to fly over and sign him if required.
I'm gonna be the one to say it then. What kind of ****ing small minded, thick as pig **** arseholes were booing an England player cos he plays up the road? I was cringing, absolutely dire and made the lot of us, every single SAFC fan, look a complete and utter joke, we've sent them down and STILL people did that. That is small time mentality of ever I seen it, I heard it when teams read out before start, hoped it was a bit banter but no. Incidentally, lad was dangerous when he came on showing what a good player and potential signing (we are looking...) he would be. That's that idea ****ed his opinion of us will quite rightly be in the gutter. Bravo to those folk eh.
Got back from the Game to find that Rashford had been given MotM. This tends to confirm what a strange thing International Football is. True he took his goal well but after that he spent his time assuming that the tricks that MIGHT fool fellow 18 year old's will work against seasoned pro's. They didn't. Time and time again they didn't. Yes, he shows immense promise but he has a great deal to learn. He should only be picked IF his many mistakes are acceptable. Overall, had that Team been playing Germany they would have been hammered. The defense were, at times, approaching shambolic. I suppose that The Manager needed to find out where his weaknesses are. I expect that he spotted a few last night. One final point was my disappointment at the constant booing of Townsend after he came on. Why. We didn't boo Shearer when he was representing England, but Townsend who has been played at N/C for four months, and looks likely to leave during the Summer, got the full treatment. Frazer Forster didn't get it, neither did James Milner and both spent considerably longer at Sid James. It left a sour taste and did nothing for the sporting reputation of our Fans.
Aye, I wasn't at the match but agree that the booing of Townsend is embarrassing. When you pull that England shirt on it shouldn't matter who you play for domestically. Well done to you folk who booed.
He was moved to 3 different positions on his debut that lasted 60 mins. He scored the first and absolutely rinsed two defenders with a sublime turn to set sterling away for the second. If you want a kid to play 100% ball retention and score etc then it just shows what Pep Guardiola has done to football fans all over the world. His possession **** is boring and uninspiring. Yeah Germany would have ripped that team open at will, it was nowhere near our starting 11 which coincidentally, although still not at full strength, rattled the Krauts on their own turf a matter of weeks ago.
I agree on Rashford, he wasn't great, he made poor choices when to run and when to pass and his touch was off at times, he did show that he really does have massive potential though, he wasn't phased at all. The game, I wouldn't be pulling England apart it was very visibly a friendly and nobody was exactly bursting their sides for it. The opposition were awful and we slowed our game down as a result, the match was drab. Man of the match by a mile for me was the flawless Stones, and he's been **** all season. I did notice he played every single ball with his right, I thought he was supposedly left sided? Rooney showed a lot of intelligence when he came on and Tiwnsend looked same tous immediately. No Vardy, Alli etc remember, my opinion is unchanged. Capable of a very good Euros, but way short of France & Spain.
Stones and Smalling as a partnership were awful imo. Stones was constantly going for balls that Smalling was going for and vice versa, two ball playing centre halves doing what they do naturally, bad combo for me, one needs dropped for Cahill and I'm not particularly bothered which.
I agree don't don't work. Smalling had a few were he seemed to get the ball caught under his feet, but I do rate him over Stones, just not last night. I'd always play Cahill a cracking always underrated CB. We are short at CB whichever way you look at it, unusual for England
I know mate just as we look ok at the other end. CM and CD are worries for us. We have been blessed in both areas for years and now there's nobody who stands out, unless Alli can claim CM but I prefer him further forward with Kane on the pitch. RB is another one for me, two lads who just have pace to burn and not a lot else.
I like Alli & Dier, but Lallana is a ducking awful player with zero influence, Milner is too safe to add anything, Henderson and Drinkwater are both good players but zero creativity and nowhere near what's needed. Wilshere looked way off the pace but you can see the footballer in him, composed, lovely touch, not hustled in tight spaces. If he wasn't made of glass we'd be in a far greater shape. He's genuinely a great footballer. We will have to drop Rooney back to cover the cracks in my opinion, not the end of the world given Kane & Vardy
I think he'd do it naturally anyhow mate and it'd work for us, he'll be a lot harder to mark as a roaming midfielder. I can't be seen saying Lallana and Milner are ****e or people just say it's all anti Liverpool bias. Truth is none of them would be anywhere near the team if it was my choice because they have a reputation for bottling the job lately.
Lallana just offers nothing mate, nothing at all. We need some more through in midfield, we always seem to have a part missing, always. Mind, they've just named the Northern Ireland squad and ****ing hell we aren't that badly off, ha
Yeah we need to get a good full team, even when we had most of it we'd get injuries or David James/Rob Green would have to play. Scholes should get his boots out.
Every time a Sunderland player has represented England at St James' Park, be it at under 21 or youth level (as I can't recall a full England international being staged there), they have been booed and abused mercilessly, so I personally had no problem with the stick he got last night..
Way I see it RAW we were there to support the national TEAM. I do remember them ripping Martin Smith to bits in a u21 game, but I still don't agree with it. They were knobheads then, those that did it last night were too.
I did hear the pro-Rooney chants mind, it's good to see the few on here don't speak for your fan base, and whoever else was in the stadium to support the boys last night.
