My memory of Joe Hart from this will not be that useless attempt at a save. It will be of him holding the hand of a young mascot whilst shouting out F words in the tunnel live on TV before the first (or was it second) game.
And Barkley is another on the personal glory trail. Another that doesn't pass and has blinkers for his moment.
Telephone conversation between David Cameron and Roy Hodgson DAVID: "Things are pretty terrible over here. Half the population wants to top itself. Can you have a word with the lads and get them to unite the country?" ROY (1 hour and 45 minutes later): "There you go, David. Now everyone wants to top themselves."
Tbh, I think Joe Hart was yet another of the trusted bunch who has given plenty of signals that he needs to be backed out of the limelight for a while. Last season, for Man City he was more than capable of the odd blunder. In an England shirt he makes almost as many blunders as he does good saves. He's not the first England keeper in recent years to be trusted to the point where he breaks, so I don't know why the England setup don't learn. Don't trust the players. Don't be loyal. It obviously does them no good. The moment they fall out of form, drop them. That's the same for all the players, but in the case of Hart, if he makes mistakes, drop him for Forster, who has been bang on-form for as long as I know of his top-level history.
There's a goal keeper named Joe Hart He's **** and he's **** and he's ****. If you shoot, you'll score Because he's **** and he's **** and he's ****.
Maybe Iceland will "do a Leicester". Meanwhile, actual LCFC players sit at home wondering why they weren't picked for England.
Honestly.? No, not really. England teams have been capable of that performance for as long as I can remember. Perhaps initially, one can think of Iceland in astonishment. But they qualified for the tournament and got through their group, so they were not village idiots. In all their games they played astute, planned football. They are an example of a team, and not 11 individuals in the same football kit. England have always had the ability to be the exact opposite of what Iceland have been so far this tournament. If England play well it never seems that it's because they have been superbly moulded into a unit. It's because they have some pretty decent players, on the whole, and once in a blue moon they actually gel for moments in a game. And that tends to be when the pressure isn't so expectant. So the England setup manages pressure poorly, they stay loyal to out of form and unfit players, and they often play the players, that do get selected, out of position. It's not exactly a recipe for success. Ask me if I would have been surprised if England had gone a couple of rounds further into the tournament and I'd have to say yes.
Indeed. Lamb to the slaughter, springs to mind. If I was him I'd refuse it and stay with the U21s where he is successful. They need him there. He's obviously doing a fairly good job at the moment and he has plenty of time in the future.
We were discussing that earlier at work and most agreed Bilic whould be good. We also thought that Klinsmann would also be a good option?
Let's get Nigel Adkins in. His interviews will be full of quotes and he could have, on the walls of the Wembley dressing room "Hard work will always beat talent, if talent doesn't work hard". Something some of the current group need reminding of. I can't help thinking that some of the players thought just turning up, would be enough to get a victory, so with a 3rd minute lead, they probably thought they were home and hosed. Every time I see the second Iceland goal, with Dier and Alli basically just watching the ball passed through/around them, whilst they walk back towards the penalty area, makes me want to scream. I think England are finding out that some players, managed by Pochettino, thrive and look good, because they fit his system and style of play. Liverpool found that out as well, after taking players from us. Put them into a different set up, with a different style of play, and they suddenly look very ordinary.
As long as Southgate approaches the job with the same level of conviction he approached that penalty 20 years ago...
Shearer said a lot of things last night that needed being said. Now he goes and undermines it by suggesting that Glenn Hoddle was brilliant for England. Err... last 16 in a World Cup, with very good players [minus MLT, of course] at the time.? Is that considered brilliant.? Sorry Alan. You were too close to the action there to make an objective judgement.
