England vs Slovakia

[filbertway]

Not getting into another 'deserved to win' debate because I've made my feelings on that clear already. We're 3 games in and he certainly doesn't seem to know his best 11 which is a concern. Bet you could have a good go at naming the German, Italian and Spanish lineups for the last 16 games, England are still scrambling to find their best combination

 

France haven't played the same team in any of their three games.

[foxfanazer]

France haven't played the same team in any of their three games.

I didn't mention France? They've not been overly impressive either

[filbertway]

I thought Bertrand was pretty disappointing last night, offered nowhere near as much as Clyne going forward.

[filbertway]

I didn't mention France? They've not been overly impressive either

 

Hahah, no you didn't sorry. No idea why I read France then.

[foxfanazer]

Hahah, no you didn't sorry. No idea why I read France then.

no worries mate.If we'd had 6 points before yesterdays game i could understand making so many changes but not on 4 points. Rooney should've started at the very least imo

[filbertway]

no worries mate.If we'd had 6 points before yesterdays game i could understand making so many changes but not on 4 points. Rooney should've started at the very least imo

 

I think Wilshire proved he's not fit enough to be starting games at this tournament. I imagine we go back to the original team, though I do wonder if Clyne did enough to earn a start on Monday night. One thing Henderson did right last night was pick Clyne out on overlap time and after time.

 

Aside from Lallana being one of the worst finishers I have ever seen, I've really grown to love him over this tournament. Gives his absolute all and is very good on the ball. In terms of wide options though we are really lacking. If Demarai isn't at the world cup in 2018 then something has gone horribly wrong.

[apple987]

And your marks out of 10 for England last night from @lequipe https://t.co/460JxYcw9k

[foxfanazer]

I think Wilshire proved he's not fit enough to be starting games at this tournament. I imagine we go back to the original team, though I do wonder if Clyne did enough to earn a start on Monday night. One thing Henderson did right last night was pick Clyne out on overlap time and after time.

Aside from Lallana being one of the worst finishers I have ever seen, I've really grown to love him over this tournament. Gives his absolute all and is very good on the ball. In terms of wide options though we are really lacking. If Demarai isn't at the world cup in 2018 then something has gone horribly wrong.

Agree with all of that. Tough one with regards to right back as tthey have both been our best players so far

[Ric Flair]

I still have absolutely no clue what the answer is. We're playing like Man United but with a manager even more clueless and obsessed with possession. We don't really have a cohesive system and it doesn't matter what strikers play they are anonymous and ineffective due to never seeing the ball. Only when games open up are we able to see us do anything because we aren't as good on the ball in tight areas like Spain etc. It drives me insane this obsession with possession in the modern game, it's the biggest load of bullshit known to man.

 

I would be letting these scruffy teams like Russia, Wales and Slovakia have the ball and setting traps on them, trick them in to committing bodies forward and then hitting the early pass for Vardy and others. I know defensively we are suspect ourselves but right now having 66% of possession with two banks of 4 defending against us is worse than root canal surgery.

 

I'd rather we had finished 3rd and potentially got Spain or Germany and taken our chances against teams that will have the ball off us. It's probably more hope than belief that we'd fare better but we certainly couldn't get much worse.

[Voll Blau]

To think Drinkwater is sat at home whilst Henderson and Wilshire are here being dogshit is embarrassing

 

He's in Vegas. Hope he's having a top time.

[foxy boxing]

hope England are practicing their penalties,come on you know it's going to happen don't you?

[Parafox]

We didn't play exciting attacking football. What England did is what they had to do to get to the next stage. It's defensive possession football to ensure we don't lose. Unfortunately it's bad to watch but I believe a neccesary evil in the 1st round.

 

Next stage is knockout so teams will be pressing higher leaving space at the back for the likes of Vardy and Kane which is what Russia and Slovakia didn't do. Wales lost against England  because they were pressing for a win and we had more space through the centre.

 

I think we'll show a more attacking style in the knockouts.

[Leicesterpool]

Clyne was great last night and was one of few positives from last night, however I'd still go with Walker in that position purely because of defensive qualities. Clyne's got a good bit of pace and a good cross on him. Another option England could look at, though I don't think it'll happen is go with a 4-4-2. Having Walker at RB but then having Clyne on the right wing and then at least you've got options on the right side, Walker now again go look for the over lap and Clyne could slot back into that RB. 

 

Going into the next fixture I would be tempted with this squad, simple 4-4-2

 

GK: Hart

RB: Walker

CB: Cahill

CB: Smalling

LB: Rose

RM: Clyne

CM: Dier

CM: Alli

LM: Lallana

AT: Vardy

AT: Kane or Sturridge. 

 

Our problems lie in midfield we've haven't got with the strength or drive for anyone to be able to push the ball forward right down the middle. The Centre Midfielders we've got are obsessed with pushing the ball from side to side. 

[Bert]

The decision to rest Rooney was what cost us not winning last night. No one stood out for me at all.

[foxfanazer]

We didn't play exciting attacking football. What England did is what they had to do to get to the next stage. It's defensive possession football to ensure we don't lose. Unfortunately it's bad to watch but I believe a neccesary evil in the 1st round.

Next stage is knockout so teams will be pressing higher leaving space at the back for the likes of Vardy and Kane which is what Russia and Slovakia didn't do. Wales lost against England because they were pressing for a win and we had more space through the centre.

I think we'll show a more attacking style in the knockouts.

Really hope you're right!

[Kitchandro]

The other thing that struck me last night, and in the other games actually, is just how greedy and selfish a lot of England players are. Sturridge, Rooney, Kane and Wilshere are prime culprits. This is no surprise, because with Hodgson not knowing his best team they are all fighting for a starting place.

 

So what do they do - they try to do everything themselves and refuse to play simple, effective passes - because the latter does not make them stand out.

 

Another easy to predict problem of Hodgson's making. Been in the job 4 years and he doesn't even know what his best team is (and people keep going on about 'resting 6 players' - erm, hello, we were losing to Wales and drew against shitty Russia with the team that started the first 2 games). It's absolutely disgraceful.

 

Frankly, considering he's been watching them for 4 years, playing for both England and their respective clubs, any decent manager would know his best team before he's even tried it once. If he doesn't know the strengths and weaknesses of hi players before the tournament started then he never will. He seems increasingly surprised that things aren't working. Well it isn't a surprise to anyone else.

[apple987]

The key is to get the Early goal. Remember Liverpool a few seasons back under brendan Rodgers when they nearly won the league. They would go all out attack from the kick off and more times than not get the early goal and then the game is basically already won. I would love to see us play like that.

[Leicesterpool]

There's was a lot of decent crosses going in last night and nobody was there to header them in and even if they did header it, it went well wide. Best header in the premier league is Andy Carroll and he isn't there. 

[AKCJ]

Thought Dier and Lallana were our best players but I wouldn't give either a 7.

[Kitchandro]

We didn't play exciting attacking football. What England did is what they had to do to get to the next stage. It's defensive possession football to ensure we don't lose. Unfortunately it's bad to watch but I believe a neccesary evil in the 1st round.

 

Next stage is knockout so teams will be pressing higher leaving space at the back for the likes of Vardy and Kane which is what Russia and Slovakia didn't do. Wales lost against England  because they were pressing for a win and we had more space through the centre.

 

I think we'll show a more attacking style in the knockouts.

 

This is rubbish. In fact that is probably what Hodgson is thinking.

 

You can't just randomly turn up and play exciting football. This is what I've been saying all the way in the run up to the tournament. That is why you need to develop a philosophy and a style of play in the qualifiers and friendlies, forget about the group stage. By the group stage you need to already have a philosophy. We didn't and that's why I knew we'd be crap - we're a bunch of individuals with no plan. Hodgson, I hate to tell you, is not some genius who can just snap his fingers and get us playing quick, free flowing football.

 

Not sure what game you were watching last week but it was a lot like last night. Wales camped very, very deep. The game didn't open up at all. Wales gave England far too much respect and more often than not you will concede if you're up against wave after wave of attack. England broke the door down at the very death but dominated possession without doing anything in it for most of the second half.

 

And playing shit football is not a 'necessary evil'. What an absolutely crazy comment. Not even going to discuss that one.

[Kitchandro]

The decision to rest Rooney was what cost us not winning last night. No one stood out for me at all.

 

Not sure where this myth has come from that Rooney was good in the first 2 games. It's almost as if one idiot on tv has said it and everyone has just gone along with it. His passing has been very erratic and rarely effective. He's got energy, that's it. Compare him to the way Drinkwater uses the ball for us and it's just no contest.

 

There is a reason why one won the league and one was criticised all season whilst playing for a team that finished 5th. It was no fluke and it's all going to form.

 

People realise that in these first 2 games we played we couldn't beat Russia only beat Wales in the last minute, right? The way they are talking it's like Rooney inspired us to  5-0 wins.

 

We've been dogshit, accept it.

[filbertway]

There's was a lot of decent crosses going in last night and nobody was there to header them in and even if they did header it, it went well wide. Best header in the premier league is Andy Carroll and he isn't there. 

 

Were you watching Wales v Russia, I'm struggling to remember one decent cross.

[Leicesterpool]

Not sure where this myth has come from that Rooney was good in the first 2 games. It's almost as if one idiot on tv has said it and everyone has just gone along with it. His passing has been very erratic and rarely effective. He's got energy, that's it. Compare him to the way Drinkwater uses the ball for us and it's just no contest.

 

There is a reason why one won the league and one was criticised all season whilst playing for a team that finished 5th. It was no fluke and it's all going to form.

 

People realise that in these first 2 games we played we couldn't beat Russia only beat Wales in the last minute, right? The way they are talking it's like Rooney inspired us to  5-0 wins.

 

We've been dogshit, accept it.

Would you agree despite us in your opinion this being a disappointing tournament from England so far, that we've still got good a team and set off players, that are just being played wrong? or would say this crap overrated squad ran by a crap manager?   

[The Year Of The Fox]

Not sure where this myth has come from that Rooney was good in the first 2 games. It's almost as if one idiot on tv has said it and everyone has just gone along with it. His passing has been very erratic and rarely effective. He's got energy, that's it. Compare him to the way Drinkwater uses the ball for us and it's just no contest.

There is a reason why one won the league and one was criticised all season whilst playing for a team that finished 5th. It was no fluke and it's all going to form.

People realise that in these first 2 games we played we couldn't beat Russia only beat Wales in the last minute, right? The way they are talking it's like Rooney inspired us to 5-0 wins.

We've been dogshit, accept it.

I'm not sure what games you were watching mate. Rooney's having his best tournament since 04.

[foxfanazer]

Would you agree despite us in your opinion this being a disappointing tournament from England so far, that we've still got good a team and set off players, that are just being playing wrong? or would say this crap overrated squad ran by a crap manager?

I'm convinced it's down to the coaching methods in this country. Our mentality seems to be to retain possesion at all costs. This stops us from trying different things to break rigid opposition down