Its the good performance thats causing all the problems. Now we have a choice of players. unfortunately we don't get a choice of manager..
Yes I attended the last match in Berlin. It was a tepid affair on off the pitch. I also attended the 5 - 1 game in Munich and the 1 - 0 Charleoi ( spelling).
I have always held this belief about tempo, particularly with international football. With the English habit of breeding box2box midfielders who will run and run all day, and whose signature move is to sling a 50 yard pass across the field, our national team were always going to struggle. Tick-a-tack passing like that of Spain and Italy and the south Americans has always yielded results because it is unpredictable and hard to beat, especially in front of partisan supporters. When our heroes, Gerard, Robson, Hoddle etc have launched another Hollywood moment across the pitch, every eye in the stadium knows exactly what will happen over the next 5 seconds, and the game slows right down. The best result is the pass finds the man and he controls it, leaving the public to admire and the perpetrator to gloat over it. The opposition are unmoved. Contrast that with a Gascoigne style raid through the middle, pinging short wall passes off Sheringham and Platty, or in a different age, Alli running at the defence and playing short passes through to Kane and Vardy. Now THAT has a smell of success. Just ask Messi…
Interesting read from a German perspective. They really didn't like it at all! http://www.dw.com/de/der-weltmeister-verliert-gegen-england/a-19144291
And for those who don't understand German: http://www.dw.com/en/stale-germany-deservedly-stunned-by-bullish-england/a-19145076
I don't mind him going John, I just don't think he should be a first pick on current form, he certainly shouldn't be captain! I would certainly be upset if he's taken and not fully fit (which is very likely)
Vardy, Kane and Rooney should go, Walcott and sterling for wings and maybe Sturridge/Walcott if the squad size needs filling up
The Germans let England play quick, simple and early by opening the game up. The Dutch last night particularly in the first half had six players in midfield strangling the game. England could not play through it quickly. Different team, same old problems ..
In some ways, last night's game might have been a more valuable learning experience than had we ground out a 1-0 win. I didn't think the performance was outright bad (in fact, our goal was lovely), but it showed some areas that need attention. I think you're right Cliftonville in that against Germany, they played more open; possibly underestimating the technical ability of the England side they faced, whereas Holland (not using Netherlands for any sticklers) were set up much more to stifle and hit on the counter, which in some ways is quite flattering. Yes, there wasn't quite the same urgency as on Saturday, but the result wasn't exactly a reflection on the balance of play - I think the penalty was probably correct (though Rose's arm was near his body, it was raised prior and he moved it towards the ball after it had been kicked, albeit instinctively), and the second goal shouldn't have been allowed due to the foul in the build up. I really hope Stones gets back to his top form - I think having a central defender who can distribute like he can is invaluable, compared to those who lump it forward and, more often than not, give away possession. Having said that, it's infuriating when he overplays it when facing his own goal. Though Glenn Hoddle was right in saying he didn't make any technical error and simply slipped in the build up to the penalty, he put himself in unnecessary danger by not simply passing to Forster. Any potential benefit in successfully turning and passing is much less significant than the risk if anything goes wrong - I think his simple mantra should be: 'facing upfield, look to pass, facing my own goal and being closed down, play it safe'. Depending upon who we might potentially face in the knockout stages, I think England should be aiming for the semi-finals. For me, Spain are the team I think we'd struggle most against, though maybe Germany are my favourites for the tournament outright (they often like to tease us by being average prior to a tournament). I think France have the potential to go all the way too.
Their (Holland's) second goal shouldn't have stood. There was a foul in the build-up. Hopefully we will get better officials at the Euros. Hopefully too, Rose will learn to keep his arms by his side in the box in future. A stupid penalty to concede - basic defending at League 2 level - let alone international level.
