My view Negatives: especially in the second half we were not quick enough with getting the ball moving and spreading it wider. Italy are not a fast team so eye could have made them work harder. Even with 3 subs we sometimes were slow when we won possession in our own half and didn't move it on to stretch them. We changed the shape too much after the second half and after substitutions and then we lost focus and people were less sure of their individual jobs. We got really tired towards the end. But still, that's no excuse to not move the ball quickly and let the ball do the work. I think Baines had no mind to take on players today. He simply didn't have any ideas. Positives: some great individual performances, including some great centre minefield work from Gerrard. Attacking minded play, not sitting back. I said before the start of the cup that Italy are a team that know how to win, regardless of whether or not they have the best players or play better. They're experienced and calm, so we were always the underdog in a sense, even though we played perhaps better today in some ways.
please log in to view this image QPR bit by "rat" Suarez please log in to view this image Luis Suarez goes down in the penalty box Neil Warnock has claimed that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has the most dangerous teeth in the Premier League. "Suarez was like Ken Dodd on acid out there today. His hampsteads never stopped moving and they tore our defence to shreds. Our forwards looked toothless by comparison", admitted the QPR manager after his team's defeat at Anfield. The Uruguayan has previous for chomping at the bit and was branded the "Cannibal of Ajax" last season after biting the shoulder of Dutchman Marco van Edam during a game before being transferred to Liverpool for £23 million this year. "Suarez's teeth are a constant threat. They were in our boys faces all afternoon and our back four were sent for rabies jabs as soon as the final whistle went", said Neil Warnock. But QPR fans were not so complimentary about the gnawing scouser after he scuttled through their defensive traps to scratch the only goal of the game. "That Mickey Mouser looks like a rat. He could eat an apple through a letterbox" claimed Terry Snide, a Rentokil operative from Shepherd's Bush. http://www.thespoof.com/news/sport/102653/qpr-bit-by-rat-suarez
I'm a fully blown Aussie and I was gutted they lost but I do understand your thoughts about our Rangers.
Nobody put pressure on him, nobody really tackled him. He has great vision and is capable of going full steam when he is not bothered. Englands performance was decent and were defeated by italys unbelieveable crossing in their second goal. How many times out of ten it would have landed to Balotellis head...? Well that one landed and Enland lose. That italo boy is their version of Beckham. If Italy can delivere ball like that in their future matches they can be threat to all. However i was disapointed how they played after their second goal. Only England getting knackered totally after 75 minutes saved them. For England its all about winning Uruguay now...
I of we played decent apart from absmyal crossing, should have left welbeck on IMO, yes & again gave pirlo too much freedom & always a threat down right side & not closing them down.
A lot of positives,but some of our players are not very smart and dont have that extra bit of class and flare that you need in a big tournament.Henderson,Baines,Jagielka??. Wayne Rooney is now a left winger too
He played Rooney on the left in order to accommodate him. Hodgson didn't have the balls not to play him.
Spot on...and dont i wish he hadnt played him. Never been a Rooney fan but this was terrible by anyones standars. His only saving grace was that cross....superb. BTW..whats peoples opinions on gerrards game.?
Same goes for Wellbeck, neither of them offered any help for Baines defensively. This is why England have a better record without Rooney, hes always shovelled into the team and doesnt do a good job.
Great player, but I don't think England let him play with quite the same freedom as with Liverpool. He stayed pretty deep for most of the match, whilst I prefer to see him with more licence to charge forward. Perhaps he's just getting too old and it was too damn hot. Agree with the opinions on Rooney; he was once again disappointing.
This... Gerrard's not capable of the 'dynamo' performances in this climate. Rooney suffers from not having a definitive role in the team and doesn't quite fit. We need players who are in their best positions in the system we play...
Absolutely! We don't have to lose either, last year's home draw with Wigan when they equalised in the last minute was gut-wrenching...
Just catching up with this thread and haven't read all the posts so apologies for repeating what has already probably been said, but Rooney was crap and shouldn't start against Uruguay. I was extremely disappointed with him, AGAIN.
The problem is that Roy felt he couldn't drop Rooney so therefore tried to make him fit in somewhere. Yes his cross was brilliant and he should have scored but overall he looks out of place. My big issue was how quickly and badly we faded second half. Sterling is a mere pup, he shouldn't be getting cramp after 60 odd minutes at this level
It wasnt just him, there were 3-4 players but no italians, not even the 35yo pirlo. like our hamstrings, it doesnt take a genius to figure out something is wrong when it happens all the time but doesnt happen to other teams.
Hard luck lads. That was an unlucky result. I thought England played well and were worthy of a point. Alas some slack defending has cost them. Still, there's plenty of positives to take from that performance. Qualification is still very much on. Beat Uruguay and it sets it all up for a great match against Costa Rica. Remember, Spain lost their first match in the last WC and they did rather well in the rest of the tournament
