England v Ireland and Slovenia

[Webbo]

but defensive errors and poor finishing are what separates us from being a good side to a top one

But we won and could have more heavily and yet some people are saying we laboured. We didn't.

[foxes_rule1978]

But we won and could have more heavily and yet some people are saying we laboured. We didn't.

Every game we have played in the group we have fully deserved to win and been in complete control throughout

[RowlattsFox]

People expect us to go out and play like Germany, you need to accept we are not at that level. At the moment you'll always be disappointed because your expectations are too high.

[foxfanazer]

But we won and could have more heavily and yet some people are saying we laboured. We didn't.

I can only speak for myself but i agree it should've been more comfortable but the fact it wasn't shows just what errors at both ends can cost you, which it so nearly did tonight. Against the better sides that we will ultimately face in the euros we'll not get so many chances. Lallana changed the game imo, he provided a link between the midfield and attack which wasn't there first half

[Stadt]

"Top nations like Portugal"

We'd beat them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could tolerate losing if we were genuinely promising playing decent football, I'm absolutely not accepting that the squad can't put in good performances consistently, Hodgson was bold today and I'd like to see more of it. Despite it being only a friendly think back to the Ireland game, it's Hodgson's fault we're so dour.

 

I'm not asking to be worldbeaters but I'd rather be an above average nation that are interesting than an above average nation that are ****ing dull. 

[foxes_rule1978]

People expect us to go out and play like Germany, you need to accept we are not at that level. At the moment you'll always be disappointed because your expectations are too high.

Exactly this... we have done well in this group

"Top nations like Portugal"

We'd beat them.

Portugal are poor, and without Ronaldo they are just completely useless

[Guest]

To be fair there were a lot of little things to criticise in today's match. And we all have our own ideas on how to improve them.

 

But at least we can all agree that it feels good to be the best team in the world again.

[oxford blue]

One 'positive' is the result means Wales won't go ahead in the FIFA rankings. Defensively poor; Gibbs seems a liability and Smalling is not international class. Terry would have given some stability to the defence; I wish he was still playing. Delph and Wilshere both very good - Wilshere in a role that suits him better than for Arsenal

[fuchsntf]

Oh come on, weve laboured to a 1-0 win vs Estonia, weve escaped from jail tonight twice vs Slovenia with some bizarre tactical wizardry, weve had one really good performance and that was the game away in Switzerland.

Were not going forward whatsoever

I see everything...your the hole in the donut.

To all who cant say one good thing about England.Go spend money and see how so called top teams qualify for Tournaments:-

I've seen over 50 plus years, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Argentina, Brazil, Holland, have regulararly poor qualifying games, but scrape through,with performances below Englands, then play well below avg in 1st games in the finals.Then yes these top teams, are capable of turning out some classics in the, into the last 4.

We play good football, higher % of the time (forget friendlies, in modern football they mean nothing).

So far we as history shows, are not able to show that spice of consistency, to get us through tournaments.

This does not mean we are, or other nations who qualify play poor football, I just accept others are a tick better.

Ive seen, players like, Dennis law, Messi, Pele, Lineker, B.Charlton, G.Best, Riva, Ronaldo, etc, etc go missing in many games where social media forums if then available, would of put them through the mincer.

Rooney, can see the bigger game, he his a top player from this era, he has nearly scored 50 goals for his country, of course he has poor games, but less than most.Whether has a person he will enter the mother Terrisa, school of nice guys I doubt it, but internationaly over 60years of me following sports, hes far from the worse of whats been, including the so called Gentleman days.

Peoples sports forums in contrast over the last 6-15 years of their exsistence, shows however, what bloodyminded negative miserable bst#$ ds of negative, trolling, jealous, posters there are around the sporting world.

[Dan]

We've seen this all before.

 

Those sides are experimenting more because this format pretty much guarantees teams like us, Germany, Holland, Spain etc.. a place in France.

 

I don't get why some people get so offended when our flaws are highlighted. Lets just live in a world where we pretend to be happy and then pretend to be surprised when Portugal knock us out next year.

 

I'll be more satisfied when I sense progress and unfortunately I don't.

[The Year Of The Fox]

I don't think we can progress til we can consider dropping rooney.

at times he's a waste of space unfortunately

[Guest Col city fan]

I think to do anything in a major tournament we have to get our defence sorted. They aren't good enough.

And Rooney can't keep going on with this score one from four/five chances thing.

[C-man]

I know we won tonight but I'm fast running out of patience with Roy. Somehow what he did tonight worked well enough to get three points but for me it was more luck than judgment.

Jones over Clyne?

Townsend over Lallana and then on as long as he was without introducing Theo? Absolutely baffling. Lallana is our most skilful player alongside Wilshere and needs to be playing from the off.

Sterling, out of sorts, over Theo?

Rooney on long enough to score? He should have been dragged half an hour before. Complete shite. Tidy finish at the 20th attempt though I'll give him that.

Wilshere though - fair play. If he can stay fit and produce this form consistently we will have some player. Big ifs though.

[The Doctor]

I've seen over 50 plus years, Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Argentina, Brazil, Holland, have regulararly poor qualifying games, but scrape through,with performances below Englands, then play well below avg in 1st games in the finals.Then yes these top teams, are capable of turning out some classics in the, into the last 4.

We play good football, higher % of the time (forget friendlies, in modern football they mean nothing).

So far we as history shows, are not able to show that spice of consistency, to get us through tournaments.

This does not mean we are, or other nations who qualify play poor football, I just accept others are a tick better.

 

Nothing to do with consistency, you're just not good enough - flat track bullys: give you an easy game like San Marino and you look fine, come up against anyone capable of properly competing and you wilt.

[foxes_rule1978]

Nothing to do with consistency, you're just not good enough - flat track bullys: give you an easy game like San Marino and you look fine, come up against anyone capable of properly competing and you wilt.

Really ? so beating Switzerland who are good and a decent Slovenia side is like playing San Marino now

[Webbo]

I know we won tonight but I'm fast running out of patience with Roy. Somehow what he did tonight worked well enough to get three points but for me it was more luck than judgment.

Jones over Clyne?

Townsend over Lallana and then on as long as he was without introducing Theo? Absolutely baffling. Lallana is our most skilful player alongside Wilshere and needs to be playing from the off.

Sterling, out of sorts, over Theo?

Rooney on long enough to score? He should have been dragged half an hour before. Complete shite. Tidy finish at the 20th attempt though I'll give him that.

Wilshere though - fair play. If he can stay fit and produce this form consistently we will have some player. Big ifs though.

Sterling had a good game. Walcott did nothing when he came on.

[Dan]

Results in qualifiers aren't the problem.

[Karljohn]

Anyone else annoyed Rooney is on par with Lineker?

Lineker did it in 80 games its taken Rooney 105 and 2 hair transplants.

[The Doctor]

Really ? so beating Switzerland who are good and a decent Slovenia side is like playing San Marino now

 

Labouring to a lucky victory against a Switzerland side who were absolute dogmuck and that shite earlier, having to be rescued by Wilshere - you made both games, against not that high a calibre sides look difficult with a first team. When you then come up against a good side - an italy, an uruguay, chile, colombia, or even a side capable of good performances like Portugal, you look painfully average. Face it, you're like a slightly more expensive version of Greece: ok in qualifying but shite in tournaments or against good sides.

[foxes_rule1978]

Labouring to a lucky victory against a Switzerland side who were absolute dogmuck and that shite earlier, having to be rescued by Wilshere - you made both games, against not that high a calibre sides look difficult with a first team. When you then come up against a good side - an italy, an uruguay, chile, colombia, or even a side capable of good performances like Portugal, you look painfully average. Face it, you're like a slightly more expensive version of Greece: ok in qualifying but shite in tournaments or against good sides.

Oh dear, so much wrong with this comment, we fully deserved to beat Switzerland

[The Doctor]

Oh dear, so much wrong with this comment, we fully deserved to beat Switzerland

 

You really didn't. That game was a 0-0'er in terms of quality, Switzerland looked disinterested and frankly crap, England did practically nothing. The two goals were against the run of play in as much as a shot on target by either side was against the run of play

[fuchsntf]

Nothing to do with consistency, you're just not good enough - flat track bullys: give you an easy game like San Marino and you look fine, come up against anyone capable of properly competing and you wilt.

Then we are not good enough, but I can still enjoy the good results.

Unlike the Irish sides and Scotland ,we can still mix it with the big boys.

We occasionally produce 3-7 top players, that makes it interesting, and allow us to play at top 4 level, sometimes slip out of the Ten, so what.

We have always been pirates, and history shows bloody good ones, so we spend times being caught, and others, raiding and plundering, while disturbing the yocals.

You see, we English dont really care, we just turn up occaisionally just to stir the shite..

We are proud just to be annoying..!!

[Guest ttfn]

You really didn't. That game was a 0-0'er in terms of quality, Switzerland looked disinterested and frankly crap, England did practically nothing. The two goals were against the run of play in as much as a shot on target by either side was against the run of play

I think you're mis-remembering somewhat.

[The Doctor]

I think you're mis-remembering somewhat.

 

Unless you've played Switzerland again since September I'm not - that Switzerland game was a god awful watch (enough to make me stop watching England until Vardy got a call-up); the swiss strikers could trap a ball further than they could kick it, utterly dreadful, but England were pedestrian, less interesting than Andy Townsend narrating a documentary on drying paint and only really got anything from Switzerlands mistakes. It was a 0-0 performance.

[Dan]

I'm accused of being overly critical but that's going way overboard about the Switzerland game. We weren't THAT bad.

 

Agreed with most of the other stuff that was put there though.