The Official England Thread-The Team We All Support [Vol 2]

[hornetrider]

zygalski said:

MiniMan64 said:

If everyone just stopped expecting anything good from England at football the whole experience would be a lot more enjoyable....

Who expects much from England these days? The press? Telly pundits?
We had a decent squad in the late 1990's/early 2000's and couldn't really do much. The first choice team isn't fit to lick the mud off the boots of the 2002 WC first choice starting 11.

Do you really think it's the quality of the players? I don't. There are many sides that are collectively better than the sum of their individual parts. They have commitment and a system and play out of their skins with effort. England boys just don't look interested.

I might refer you to Wales, having had a thumping tournament in the summer currently 2-0 up with goals from Sam Vokes (who?) and Joe Allen.

[Cupramax]

Yep, watching the Wales game here, they are playing as a team, something ive not seen England do since Shearer was in the team.

[Blib]

Just as bad was starting with Sterling. Who does not understand how to play his position. Or if he does, is unable to play it. Then putting on Walcott. Not even Gooners could justify That move.

[zygalski]

hornetrider said:

zygalski said:

MiniMan64 said:

If everyone just stopped expecting anything good from England at football the whole experience would be a lot more enjoyable....

Who expects much from England these days? The press? Telly pundits?
We had a decent squad in the late 1990's/early 2000's and couldn't really do much. The first choice team isn't fit to lick the mud off the boots of the 2002 WC first choice starting 11.

Do you really think it's the quality of the players? I don't. There are many sides that are collectively better than the sum of their individual parts. They have commitment and a system and play out of their skins with effort. England boys just don't look interested.

I might refer you to Wales, having had a thumping tournament in the summer currently 2-0 up with goals from Sam Vokes (who?) and Joe Allen.

Seaman --- Hart
Mills --- Walker
Campbell --- Cahill
Ferdinand --- Stones
Cole --- Rose
Butt --- Henderson
Dyer --- Dier
Scholes --- Rooney
Beckham --- Sterling
Heskey --- Llanna
Owen --- Kane

Do you even think it's a close call, class-wise?

[hornetrider]

zygalski said:

Seaman --- Hart
Mills --- Walker
Campbell --- Cahill
Ferdinand --- Stones
Cole --- Rose
Butt --- Henderson
Dyer --- Dier
Scholes --- Rooney
Beckham --- Sterling
Heskey --- Llanna
Owen --- Kane

Do you even think it's a close call, class-wise?

What I'm saying is today, individually, England have many players at club level who go toe to toe at club/European level with their foreign counterparts. So the talent is there.

The difference when it comes to international level is stark, that looks like commitment and management failings to me.

[zygalski]

hornetrider said:

What I'm saying is today, individually, England have many players at club level who go toe to toe at club/European level with their foreign counterparts. So the talent is there.

The difference when it comes to international level is stark, that looks like commitment and management failings to me.

Yes I do agree they'd probably rather play a CL final than the WC, but at the same time I think our national team is going through an.... extended transitional phase... I think it's called, due largely to a thorough lack of home-grown talent. None of our players (even Rooney nowadays) looks even vaguely international class. As I said before, I think it makes very little difference who is at the helm, polishing the turds.
Fergie could have had this lot 10 years ago & he'd have done bugger all with them is my bet.

Edited by zygalski on Monday 5th September 21:29

[Dr Murdoch]

Do we all need a whoosh parrat? Is Sam toying with uis / the press with his comments?

I hope so, because if he is serious then its a dagger through the heart, I (like most) was expecting the complete opposite. Kicking butts, not licking butts...

[Challo]

Turquoise said:

Playing in a 3 man midfield with Rooney who is slow, can't tackle and has little positional awareness must be a nightmare for the other 2 players.

On top of that it destabilises the whole team.

If you have to play Rooney then play him next to Dier. He practically played there all the game, and stick Alli in the 10 role. Kane was so isolated because Rooney wanted to get the ball from the centre half while Henderson just stood around picking his nose there was no space.

[London424]

zygalski said:

hornetrider said:

What I'm saying is today, individually, England have many players at club level who go toe to toe at club/European level with their foreign counterparts. So the talent is there.

The difference when it comes to international level is stark, that looks like commitment and management failings to me.

Yes I do agree they'd probably rather play a CL final than the WC, but at the same time I think our national team is going through an.... extended transitional phase... I think it's called, due largely to a thorough lack of home-grown talent. None of our players (even Rooney nowadays) looks even vaguely international class. As I said before, I think it makes very little difference who is at the helm, polishing the turds.
Fergie could have had this lot 10 years ago & he'd have done bugger all with them is my bet.

Edited by zygalski on Monday 5th September 21:29

What on earth is international class? england should be comfortably beating the majority of sides they face. When they come up against the other big countries then they should be able to give them a decent game.

For years we've played less than the sum of our parts. Until that changes then nothing will change. I mean Portugal and Greece have won the Euros in the last 12 years for Christ sake!

[hornetrider]

Meanwhile, Wales 4 Moldova 0. Bale moves up to second on the all time Wales scorers list.

[Dr Murdoch]

It is only one game chaps, the first game since the players were humiliated (and humiliated us).

Ignoring the Rooney remarks, lets give the fella time to get things right.

[Egg Chaser]

hornetrider said:

Meanwhile, Wales 4 Moldova 0. Bale moves up to second on the all time Wales scorers list.

Ah yes, Moldova. A team that are ranked 165th in the world.

Monumental achievement.

[Cobnapint]

Dr Murdoch said:

It is only one game chaps, the first game since the players were humiliated (and humiliated us).

Ignoring the Rooney remarks, lets give the fella time to get things right.

Yeah but 'ang on.

The FA, Sam Allardyce, the whole of the UK footballing press, the whole planet, even the buggy that's drilling holes in Mars at the minute, could see that the team selection and set up that Hodgson presented in the Euros was absolutely lamentable.

So in comes the new guy, and with all that in mind - does the fking same.

OK, Wheelchair wasn't there and Drinkwater was - sat on the bench watching, next to his proven goalscorer workmate.

Awesome.

[Turquoise]

Surely there must be an investigative journalist out there with the balls to look into the Rooney cannot be dropped/captain/sponsorship speculation.

[Si1295]

Cobnapint said:

OK, Wheelchair wasn't there and Drinkwater was - sat on the bench watching, next to his proven goalscorer workmate.

Kane hasn't scored in a competitive match since beginning of May, Vardy has scored twice this season already. The team selection almost picks itself

[F1GTRUeno]

Egg Chaser said:

hornetrider said:

Meanwhile, Wales 4 Moldova 0. Bale moves up to second on the all time Wales scorers list.

Ah yes, Moldova. A team that are ranked 165th in the world.

Monumental achievement.

And I remember the outcry when we were dumped out by little ol' Iceland. How bloody dare they defeat the great English!

Attitudes like this are part of the problem.

Pretty sure if we played Moldova we'd be pissing around for 90 minutes then eventually scrape a goal.

[zygalski]

London424 said:

What on earth is international class?

A player who doesn't look completely out of his depth on the international stage would be a start.
Out of our current England squad that equates to a grand total of one player & he's well past his prime.

[Blib]

Si1295 said:

Kane hasn't scored in a competitive match since beginning of May, Vardy has scored twice this season already. The team selection almost picks itself

Yeah, but Kane takes a mean corner.

[aeropilot]

Cobnapint said:

Dr Murdoch said:

It is only one game chaps, the first game since the players were humiliated (and humiliated us).

Ignoring the Rooney remarks, lets give the fella time to get things right.

Yeah but 'ang on.

The FA, Sam Allardyce, the whole of the UK footballing press, the whole planet, even the buggy that's drilling holes in Mars at the minute, could see that the team selection and set up that Hodgson presented in the Euros was absolutely lamentable.

So in comes the new guy, and with all that in mind - does the fking same.

OK, Wheelchair wasn't there and Drinkwater was - sat on the bench watching, next to his proven goalscorer workmate.

Awesome.

Sums it up for me.

I can't be bothered anymore, I remember the 10 year period in the seventies when we didn't qualify for the 74 and 78 WC, so had a 10 year period of nothing.........at least we are getting to the tournaments these days - but essentially nothings changed in 45 years at the FA (ignoring the blip of the 'almost' '96 Euro effort)

[swisstoni]

Until the FA admit that they just might not know it all, the future is bleak. Recent success in other sports means that actually the UK is a centre of excellence for sporting performance. I wonder how much the FA have tapped in to the expertise that's on their doorstep.