billycopper
Player Valuation: £40m
Defence
- Inexplicably we went to sleep at virtually every corner. Italy scored one and Suarez very nearly scored twice direct from corners.
- We weren't quite tight enough to our men. Cahill let Balotelli and Suarez steal a couple of yards on him and paid the price. Jags was also guilty of trying to hold his line rather than staying with the runner.
- The quality of our delivery from corners and freekicks was very poor.
- Admittedly the climate and tiredness will have been factors but we played at such a slow pace that we were unable to move the opposition around or penetrate them. Sturridge and Rooney's goals came from bursts forward.
- We were told that the young lions would play without fear but they weren't particularly expressive. Sterling received positive reviews against the Italians but I wouldn't say that anybody really got the English public excited.
- Against Italy Baines was overrun by their threat down the right, whilst our most disciplined forward failed to trouble his fullback on the opposite side of the pitch. Sterling's pace would have drawn fouls from Chiellini.
- The Uruguay match was must win to keep our destiny in our own hands but Roy only sacrificed Henderson for another striker with 2 minutes remaining. If Lambert could have occupied their centrebacks Rooney and Sturridge might have had some joy in the channels.
- If we could have taken a draw from the Uruguay game it wouldn't have been a total disaster. Presuming that Italy would beat Costa Rica and top the group then we'd have theoretically had an easier task than Uruguay to take second place.
- He hasn't been awful but it's looking like a younger man's tournament and age may have caught up with the skipper. He's not a specialist holding midfielder but he can get away with it in the Premier League. Whereas in Brazil you have to be able to close the opposition down quickly.
- Welbeck, Rooney, Lallana and Barkley aren't wingers. They're not going to get to the byeline and put crosses over on too many occasions. They prefer to cut inside and shoot themselves. Maybe it could have been different if Oxlade-Chamberlain had been fit or if Baines was given more license to get forward and Lambert to aim for?
- It hasn't been a total disaster but we've paid the price for being a little naive/sloppy and not having enough flair and invention going forward. I don't think we'll take too many positives from it though. We might as well play our reserves in the final game and see if they can give us a glimmer of hope.
Forster
Johnson Smalling Jones Shaw
Wilshere Lampard
Milner Barkley Lallana
Lambert
Johnson Smalling Jones Shaw
Wilshere Lampard
Milner Barkley Lallana
Lambert