England v Ireland and Slovenia

[Jattdogg]

Well every player on the pitch were already on holiday it seemed

Ya but at least he would have scored on vacation

[Dan]

I don't really agree with that. I though Townsend was the problem after he came on. He has a lot of the ball, but was clueless with what to do with it.

 

At least he was attempting to make things happen even if his end product was questionable. Sterling, Lallana and Rooney were all absolutely diabolical.

[kingfox]

Front three of Lallana - Rooney - Sterling were horrific.

Playing James Milner is absolutely pointless.

Ross Barkley is the most overrated footballer in the country.

England games usually are boring, but that today was a fvcking disgrace.

[conLAD logan]

Rooney has never played well upfront by himself, we need two strikers next week for sure, I imagine Austin might get a start with rooney in behind or perhaps Walcott, that might have been vardy's only chance... Fingers crossed its not because you can't tell what vardy is about when bringing him on from the bench.

[RowlattsFox]

It will never happen but I'd play Rooney and Vardy together next week.

[GaelicFox]

Awful game, awful atmosphere, awful everything.

My brothers said the english crowd all hung over and struggling to muster much beyond the anthem ...Guinness Mornings are a killer

All well behaved he said and was a good occasion , if crap game

One point he made the heavy Presence of Liverpool supporters in the crowd booed Stirling every touch

[davieG]

The Independent sums it up.

 

 

Republic of Ireland vs England match report: Jamie Vardy makes debut but can't make impact in dismal end-of-season affair

 

 

 

 

 

Republic of Ireland 0 England 0

SAM WALLACE 

 

AVIVA STADIUM, DUBLIN

 

Sunday 07 June 2015

   

   

   

   

   

   

11

PRINT

A A A

Twenty years ago, this international fixture was abandoned because of a riot and 20 years on this afternoon there were times during England’s return to Dublin when it felt like an abandonment of some kind was on the minds of the players too.

The first half was a dismal end-of-season affair, a clunking collision between England’s indifference and the inferiority complex of the Republic of Ireland players. With the pubs of Ballsbridge locked before the 1pm kick-off and animosity in the stands, mercifully, at an all-time low, it had all the atmosphere of a half-empty church car park on a Sunday afternoon. We waited in vain for the football to lift our spirits.

There was a small improvement in the second half when 11 substitutions were made by the two managers and the Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter, the brother-in-law of the former England international Scott Parker, gave Ireland a bit more purpose. At the other end, Andros Townsend reprised his usual substitute’s cameo and Jamie Vardy, once of Stocksbridge Park Steels, was given his England debut.

For Ireland, the big test lies a week ahead against Scotland at the Aviva Stadium when they must win to keep pace in their Euro 2016 qualifying group. Given the limitation of their resources relative to England, there were reasons to be encouraged. England play Slovenia in Ljubljana in a week’s time but with matters all but settled in group E, and judging by attitudes today, is could be along week stretching out ahead of Roy Hodgson and his players. 

Goodness knows it was hard work to watch at times during the first half, 45 minutes of football of heavy touches and apologies for misdirected passes. How bad was it? With a couple of minutes to play until half-time the English fans, hitherto calm, sober and respectful, began singing their national anthem for no other reason, it seemed, that they were a bit bored.

At the other end of the stadium, the Irish crowd sung about John Delaney, the embattled chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, in unflattering terms. His 5m euros deal with Sepp Blatter over the Thierry Henry handball was on everyone’s minds and the football did not provide a distraction.The English fans sang to the Irish that the departing Fifa president “paid for your ground” 

This is the end of a long season, and the qualifier away to Slovenia does not shimmer at the end of the week like the trip of a lifetime for the players in Hodgson’s squad. The quality of the English players was the greater, however, and they failed to make it count at all in the first half as they struggled to create any intensity at all around a 4-3-3 formation.

Playing at the centre of it was Jack Wilshere, a favourite of Hodgson and a man desperate to be given the scope to run a midfield. He tried to pick his passes and direct his flicks into the runs of his team-mates but he looked like a player who needs another three games to tune up, and playing time was hard to come by at Arsenal at the end of the season. He lasted 66 minutes before he was replaced by Ross Barkley.

As for Rooney, it was one of those games when the ball will not stick and the legs look a bit tired. He had one chance to shoot as he ran across the face of the area on 17 minutes but took too much time before swinging at the ball and Glenn Whelan launched himself head first at the England captain to break his stride.

Either side of Rooney, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling struggled to get in the game at all. The Irish crowd came alive when Sterling had the ball at his feet to boo him - presumably on the basis of that so many of them are Liverpool fans and take issue with his reluctance to stay at the club. Sterling’s interest seemed to wane sharply.

Ireland had the best chances of the first half, both falling to Daryl Murphy who reprised his Ipswich Town strike partnership with David McGoldrick in attack. He shot just wide on 27 minutes and then headed wide shortly afterwards when he was unmarked. For all England’s possession it was the home team who had the best of the chances before the break, although that was not saying much.

Four minutes after the break, Rooney had his best chance when Jordan Henderson caught John O’Shea in possession and picked out his captain with a pass to put him through on goal. There was no delicacy to Rooney’s touch and embarrassingly the ball ran away from him. He ended the game being replaced by Vardy having done little of note.

Townsend, Barkley, Vardy and latterly Theo Walcott overloaded England’s attack with pace and they had the best of a very poor game in the latter stages. The stadium had not been full for kick-off, and it was even emptier by the final whistle, although the only surprise was that so many had waited so long to take their leave.

[GingerrrFox]

England need to go back to 2 up top. We have never played well with just a lone striker. Either 442 diamond or 352 but we need to play 2 strikers.

Personally I would like to see either of these against Slovenia next week.

Hart

Clyne

Cahill

Smalling

Gibbs

Wilshere

Henderson

Lallana

Barkley

Rooney

Vardy

or

Hart

Jones

Cahill

Smalling

Clyne

Henderson

Wilshere

Lallana

Gibbs

Rooney

Vardy

[conLAD logan]

It will never happen but I'd play Rooney and Vardy together next week.

agreed, non of this 433 rubbish but the diamond.

[ealingfox]

England are a full-time poverty outfit now, we have to accept that. Awful set-up, mediocre manager, players who mostly couldn't care less.

We have not progressed at all since last summer's debacle, no amount of 2-0 wins over the Estonias and San Marinos can hide it. I'd say its time to sack off Hodgson but there's really no point as they would only make a similar appointment.

[foxfanazer]

Todays game summed uo everything i hate about the national setup. Borefest, playing it safe with no vision for the future. Was genuinely hoping for an Ireland goal to spark some life into the game

[conLAD logan]

Also, Barkley should have gone with the u21s, in no way does he justify with the season or career he's had to play in the seniors, he needs to be developed at players his own age rather than with the big boys which will knock his confidence

[foxes_rule1978]

Todays game summed uo everything i hate about the national setup. Borefest, playing it safe with no vision for the future. Was genuinely hoping for an Ireland goal to spark some life into the game

Sorry but the competitive matches have been very vibrant and full of goals, this was just s needless end of season friendly

[conLAD logan]

Assuming all players are fit, I'd like to see one of the two line ups for our next game (after Slovenia):

4312

Hart

Clyne smalling Cahill Bertrand

Henderson carrick wilshere

Oxlade in the hole

Rooney and one of kane/Austin/vardy/Welbeck sterling etc...

Or 352 with:

Hart

Jones smalling Cahill

Oxlade Young

Carrick Henderson

Wilshere

Rooney. And (insert striker)

[foxfanazer]

Sorry but the competitive matches have been very vibrant and full of goals, this was just s needless end of season friendly

I'd hardly say they've been vibrant! Why play a needless friendly with the same old bullshit team with nothing to prove then, play the new ones

[foxes_rule1978]

I'd hardly say they've been vibrant! Why play a needless friendly with the same old bullshit team with nothing to prove then, play the new ones

We have been very vibrant and much better ... just this friendly was needless... even Ireland were far off the pace... hardly the same Ireland side I was watching in the qualifiers. This was played in the style of a pre-season club friendly

[foxfanazer]

We have been very vibrant and much better ... just this friendly was needless... even Ireland were far off the pace... hardly the same Ireland side I was watching in the qualifiers. This was played in the style of a pre-season club friendly

Disagree

[Dan]

If we're going to make effort to take sting out of the game then why even risk it by playing them in the first place?

 

Today's game should be lambasted from every angle. Utter joke of a spectacle.

[Leicesterpool]

Well that match was pointless two teams that looked physiology exhausted just after half an hour. Felt the team sheet was also a little pointless, the whole point of a friendly is try and test new things, but old Woy decides to stay with the usual suspects. Ireland wasn't the greatest opponents to play against in a friendly, they offered nothing. Great to see Vardy play though and he did alright .

 

Too many overrated players for me

 

We may have bossed this group, but its just a terrible group its probably the easiest we've at to qualify in. At the moment its difficult to see where England are at the moment, in these easy groups we may look decent but when it comes to the major stage and up against tougher opponents we are found out. For me never mind playing weaker nations like Ireland we should be playing some of the stronger nations.  

[foxes_rule1978]

Well that match was pointless two teams that looked physiology exhausted just after half an hour. Felt the team sheet was also a little pointless, the whole point of a friendly is try and test new things, but old Woy decides to stay with the usual suspects. Ireland wasn't the greatest opponents to play against in a friendly, they offered nothing. Great to see Vardy play though and he did alright .

Too many overrated players for me

We may have bossed this group, but its just a terrible group its probably the easiest we've at to qualify in. At the moment its difficult to see where England are at the moment, in these easy groups we may look decent but when it comes to the major stage and up against tougher opponents we are found out. For me never mind playing weaker nations like Ireland we should be playing some of the stronger nations.

Italy friendly gave us a chance to see where we are, but like England Italy don't care for friendlies... group has been too easy and we don't want to be caught cold at the euros... friendlies aren't giving us anything, and this group has been bad, but then I would say in the past we would have even made hard work of that

[Dan]

Sorry but the competitive matches have been very vibrant and full of goals, this was just s needless end of season friendly

 

It didn't have to be though. That's what bugs me.

 

Countries like Spain, France and Germany would play a game like this and experiment. What do we do? Persist with players who've got nothing to prove to Hodgson for 65 minutes of absolutely lifeless football, experiment with a centre half at right back and bring on a few with about 20 left? Which surprise surprise was our best period of the game.

 

We just aren't a forward thinking side. We're conservative and dull. Being top of a shit qualifying group (credit on the Switzerland result) is the barest minimum. We're in no way convincing in anything we do.

[davieG]

Didn't Roy say the last ten minutes were disappointing, heaven knows what he thought of the first 80 mins.

[Webbo]

It was just match practice for next week. Boring as it was, it means absolutely nothing about the players or the manager.

[Leicesterpool]

Woy is just not adventurous enough for me, he may have picked Vardy and gave him a run out, however I do feel if Kane had been available then I don't think Vardy would have got in. Woy just likes to pick the same players playing the same style, slow, slow, pass, pass. For me it doesn't suit us, maybe other nations play like this and can be successful but they've got the players to do that, we haven't. Lets just go out there and have a go at opponents. We've got some young upcoming lads with a bit of pace who can cause problems for the oppositions defence.   

[foxfanazer]

It was just match practice for next week. Boring as it was, it means absolutely nothing about the players or the manager.

Imo it says quite alot about them