MATCH THREAD - Uruguay 2 vs England 1 - Group D - 8PM KO (UK Time) - Thursday 19th June

[Jamo Martinez]

LOL. How can you spell most of those names correctly but fail on Sterling?

Keeps me humble.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

It's really kicked off in here...

Just a couple of outsider thoughts:
1) Roy did alright. He did transition England into a more attacking side and injected some youth. He's fairly hamstrung by the English media and fans though. Everyone says that Gerrard was past it now (and of course Evertonians did before); but could you imagine the uproar if Roy actually had dropped Stevie? Even for the next golden calf - Wilshire? And Wilshire isn't wonderful either, so if he'd dropped him for someone that could do the job, like Milner he'd be crucified before a ball had been kicked.

2) England could have a bright future. There is plenty of young English talent. The problem is not the talent, it's the utilization of the talent as well as the development from talent to cultivated footballer. The shouts blaming the success of the Premier League and foreign imports are off base, in my opinion. The homegrown rule is worse for the national team than the Prem. The homegrown rule sees any young English player with any sign of talent get snapped up by a rich club to fill their quota by sitting on the bench. If you get rid of the homegrown rule, no young English talent dies on the benches of City and Chelsea.

3) England never will have a bright future. The media and the fans and the lionization of failure will see to that. It's amazing how much players like Cole and Terry are worshipped considering that they won the square root of f all in their international careers. Additionally, the media and fans write off players that don't play for good clubs. I've even seen it here. West Ham finished 12th the season before Bobby Moore captained England to the World Cup. There can be very good players on bad teams, and very bad players on good teams (see Welbeck).

4) England were never winning the Cup this year, they really don't have a world class player. But it's not that you need a Pirlo, you just need some player in some position that is that level. Maybe it'll be Ross, maybe Sterling (doubtful), or maybe someone else entirely, but England seem to prefer players that are very good and look like they work hard to players (like Pirlo!) that are absolutely world class, but look more languid, so I don't think it'll be a Pirlo when England get their world class player - they'd play him on the wing so Stevie Me and Frank can play in the middle.

Excellent post and point 3 is very pertinent for me. In the 66 WC side apart from Moore we had Peters and Hurst from West Ham, Also Banks from Stoke, Cohen from Fulham and Ball from Blackpool. Today's media would have been trying to sell them to Utd, Leeds, Spurs, Liverpool or Everton.
I know we signed Ball that summer but I bet the press weren't harping on about how he needed to move to a 'big' team for the good of his career

 

[Minimeister]

All the tournaments come down to individuals getting blamed. It's been 50 years since we won anything, surely there's got too be deeper problems. You look at how Costa Rica play as a team and wonder when England have ever played like such a unit. Two of the major problems for me are - virtually no young English players playing abroad and the fear of failure built into the set up. Greg Dyke can talk all he wants about B teams but more young English players going out of our league and a manager like Roberto with his positivity would be a good start.

 

[Toffeelover]

Speaking to a half arsed kopite today and he claimed you can't blame Gerrard for the fact we lost last night.

He gave the ball to the striker for the winner last night. Surely that is the definition of it being his fault? Plus that goal knocks us out of the tournament compared to us potentially being able to qualify through.

Bloody hate kopites

What about the first goal scored by Suarez? and his dismal play against italy?

 

[Toffeelover]

Poor management cost us. The players were there but mismanaged. Rooney still didn't play in his best position, main striker. Wellbeck and Sterling were also played out of position. The two attacking full backs were never given cover so ended up being exposed. Henderson was only there as Gerrard's legs so we had no creative midfield at all. Once Ross and Lallana came into the midfield we suddenly looked balanced as Baines and Johnson took over the wings. As for blaming the defence, the goals came from midfield losing the ball and not stopping the cross for the first goal and the midfield assisting an attacker in an offside position to have a free run at goal.
Anyway no Blues were injured, only their pride, and we'll all be back at Goodison soon.

That for me is THE post and what I have been maintaining, see the other post in the England thread where daveK confirms Roy never got off his backside in both games! Happen he does no know what the technical area is for.

 

[ijjysmith]

Haha, just saw Suarez uploaded a video and SSN played it, he's saying how he is "sorry he's so emotional but this moment is something he has always dreamed of".

Really trying to get at the English so that the RS let him go to Madrid.

Think Barca have had a little sniff today mate.

 

[harris78]

Speaking to a half arsed kopite today and he claimed you can't blame Gerrard for the fact we lost last night.

He gave the ball to the striker for the winner last night. Surely that is the definition of it being his fault? Plus that goal knocks us out of the tournament compared to us potentially being able to qualify through.

Bloody hate kopites

I had to go to the doctors this morning and overheard a few men talking about the game last night when one said 'Gerard looked really upset last night at the end of the game, i felt really sorry for him' His mate replied 'i dont blame him for being upset, having to try and carry the national team on his own'. I literally laughed out loud. Some people are completely deluded!

 

[Toffeelover]

The top Spanish paper would not give Gerrard a mark!!!? Hope Gerrard sees that.