England

Taking nepotism to a different level?

 

Dunno, bit he was invisible to me. I actually thought Rooney was our best player.

 

I thought Sterling was. Everything went through Wilshire though, but he was sitting deep so it was easy not to notice his contribution on tv.

 

There was a moment early in the game where I think Clyne fed a pass inside to Wilshere, who pushed it far too far in front of him,had to sprint after it, and was then brought down. Basically, his first touch was of a clumsy elephant and he had to recover himself. My thought was... here we go again.

 

The clueless Townsend give MOTM to Wilshere again.......for the 3rd game in a row? WTF.

I thought Lallana had a pretty good game tonight. About the only England player that gets the ball, controls it and plays it on early.

Gary Neville summed up Rooney's problem in the pre-match build up when he said that Rooney tries to do too much. He needs to be up front and not coming back to pick the ball up from the defence. I thought he had a pretty good game.

One of England's main problems is that in the forward line there are too many players that are glory hunters and where you often hear the commentators saying 'took one touch too many there' they are missing the fact that the reason they took that extra touch is because they are trying to make themselves an opportunity and passing to someone in a better position is only secondary in their thinking. Sterling and Welbeck were guilty of this tonight. Townsend & Sturridge are also both guilty of this.

That was what made Clyne and Lallana contributions better for me. The fact they play the ball early and not hold onto to it to see if they can grab the headlines is what the rest should be doing.

I am a little surprised that Sterling has been suggested as 'best of the rest' on here. In fact I am surprised he hasn't had a verbal 'bashing'!!! He was garbage for most of the game tonight. He has gone from a 'prospect' to seemingly thinking he is the star of the team. At one point he came back into England's half to get the ball off the CBs and I remember thinking WTF are you doing there? Might have been because Henderson had gone AWOL......again but for me he needs to be with the U21s for a while until he matures. Ox is more useful to England than he is ATM because he is more consistent and can mix it up much better as well as being able to hold on to the ball.

Then we are at the DM again. Henderson can play this role reasonably well BUT he can't do what he does for Liverpool. He is either the DM or a box to box player but can't be both. Every time England are on the attack he sprints to the centre forward role. What is going on there.

Cahill is undoubtedly the best English centre back available at the moment but how many fouls does he give away for climbing? Got to sort that out.

I'll not go on about Wilshere as I've done that to death and my posts from the past years are searchable

I'm not so sure Roy is at fault for the performance either. You could see from his expression during that first half that he was so frustrated with the team. Seems to me that half the team (or more) just put on the England shirt and do what they think is what they should do and are scared to give the ball away unless it is a shot. It's all so slow and you could see Clyne thinking what is going on. He was way ahead of the rest of the England defence at times (or they were too deep) and the ball moves so slowly. That could well be because Henderson is not holding his position or because they daren't pass to Wilshere in their own half but it was slow slow slow.

I said to my son when we went behind 'Maybe that will wake them up a bit now and get them to attack'. and straight away the ball was played quickly good movement, good passing, Rooney driving at the defence.....penalty.

And the last goal was a beauty. Only thing Sterling did in the game.

 

ImpSaint post:

Yeah, I thought he was OK too. Is OK enough..?

England still see him as an out-n-out striker, when he is a support striker at best, and an attacking midfielder by nature. Everton played him very well, and they should know, as they groomed him.

I think they take a touch too many because they lack confidence when playing for the national side. The problem has been endemic of England strikers through the years. Only stand outs like Greaves, Hurst, Channon, Lineker, Shearer and the like were unafflicted by it.

Passing the ball brings an element of risk. It can always be intercepted. That's why players who would normally spray the ball around resort to short low-risk passes that do nothing. Or they hang onto the ball far longer than they should. It's not glory hunting, it's fear.

I suggested Sterling was the best of the England rest, at one point. He then proceeded to become less so. Blame me for being premature in my appraisal.

I've not a clue what Henderson thinks he's doing. The England squad doesn't have a DM of quality in its selected ranks. I'm sure there are a few about [Jack Cork..?], but Hodgson doesn't pick 'em, preferring people like Wilshere who doesn't have a quality defending bone in his body.

With the height of him you wouldn't think he'd need to.

Yes, I've made my feelings known enough about him. Where's that potential disappeared to..?

Exactly so.

They want to play pretty pretty football and they're not good at it. Tactically, they are poor, and that comes down to one or two people.

And I saw almost all the action but missed every single goal because I was upstairs. I even heard Slovenia score as I was going up the wooden hill the first time.

 

My Dad always says wooden hill Normally the Wooden Hill to Bedford. Maybe its a Hampshire thing.

I don't think its a confidence thing r.e. the 'one touch too many' I think it's greed. Loads of people that have played for England over recent years never pass early or cross early. They always seem to want to work an opportunity rather than see that someone is in a position to score if you release it now. How many times do you shout 'he's free' or 'pass' or 'now' at the screen when you are watching England? How many times do you shout the same things when Southampton play? I bet the former is multiple times more than the latter because the latter is a team that work for each other and the former is a collection of people out for their own glory and thinking they have to be the headline grabber to keep their place.

 

#Sket

 

]My Dad always says wooden hill Normally the Wooden Hill to Bedford. Maybe its a Hampshire thing

My family always said up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire.

 

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/36871/

A piece from The Ugly Inside suggesting a whole England side with Saints links.

 

We always say up the wooden hill to Bedford as well !

I often despair at Wilshire's performances as he gives the ball away too often, but last night i thought he played one of his better games for England. Lallana was one of England's better performers and Clyne did well. Sterling seems to run into defenders and give the ball away too often to be really good in my view. Still once they woke up England didnt do too badly last night and won again, so im not going to wail about them too much.

 

At the risk of hi-jacking the thread..!

My Dad always referred to the stairs as the wooden hill, and would say The wooden hill to Bedfordshire, occasionally. But mainly it was to us kids when it was our time for bed, as in, come on, time to climb that wooden hill. In my Aunt's old house in Winchester Road the stairs were so steep it actually helped if you put your hands out to the upper steps, so you were effectively climbing.

Now carry on.

 

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...Prowse-Jack-Wilshere-international-break-news

Hodgson mentions JWP as a possible contender for the Wilshire role. James got an injury at just the wrong time....not that I think he would have been called up to the main squad necessarily, but he would have been able to shine in the u21s and keep himself in the frame. At Saints, I couldn't see him as a first team starter on a regular basis, but he may well have stepped up his game playing for such a successful side. Competition drives people on...no room for coasting.

Having looked at social media, I notice that JWP is talking about hard sessions to try and get fit, whereas Gallagher's is all about the Ninja Turtles film

 

JWP will hopefully shine at the U21 Euro's next summer first. His role in the U21's gives him excellent experience in leadership (as well as honing his interview technique) and by the time he gets picked for the senior England side he'll not only walk straight into the Captain role, he'll be taking on a lot of Hodgson's selection duties as well, so we might just have a chance in 2016!

 

James for England manager. Go, James.

 

Pretty sure Prowse's Twitter is run by his management company, whilst Gallagher's is presumably run by himself.

 

Matty Targett has just scored for u20s v Portugal. Score 1-0

Both England U20 and U18 are 1-1 now.

 

England u18 beat Poland 4-1 Josh Sims played last 7 mins.
England u20 drew 1-1 with Portugal. Won 4-3 on penalties. Reed and Targett played.

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20141117-targett-strikes-in-england-under-20-win-2088862.aspx

 

Gutted Iceland lost to the Czechs.