Euro 2012

[woodrot]

of course im talking rot- Hes done well with a a framgented squad - hes s solid manaager

[????]

...he didn't look very adaptable jah, and the criticism that he's only got one style of play looks true...and the substututions absolutely baffled me (Young staying on). But no, not Hodgson Out.

[woodrot]

I am merely premeting the red tops bluz.

Actually, I donth think that even the red tops will give him a hard time

Terry and Gerrard should be left out of the squad and be consigned the the Ingerland Racist and nightlub thug 11.

You will have to meet Scotland in Brazil 2014 finals , so be warned

[MrBen]

Aye, Woodrot just mimicking the usual English media response when ducking out a major tournament. Turnips etc I think Hodgson has done a very decent job though.

Most expat Scots wanted England to win (it makes our week easier). No shame in tonight at all.

[woodrot]

Oh BTW,its England Vs Scotland @ Wemeberley next August - time for a footballing lesson the be taught

[Undisputedtruth]

Pirlo was the difference in this game. A true midfield general. England back five played a great game. It's a shame our forward line just went AWOL.

[woodrot]

???? Wrote:

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> Far less gutted than normal as to have gone

> throughwould have been an embarrassment and

> Germany would have retired at half time.

>

> Thoughts

>

> Gerrard and Parker absolutely knackered after 1st

> 20 minutes

> Rooney a joke

> Er, why was Young still on the pitch?

> Hodgson hardly exposed as a tactical genius as I'm

> sure many Liverpool fans knew already

>

> Plus points

> I thought Carroll was good

> I thought Hart was good

> I thought Lescott was good

> grudgingly the racist was good

> The Fans were maginficent

the arseholes didnt travel as a ruck with Ukraine hoodlums was a bit too heavy for them - so yes, good for the propa fans

[Jah Lush]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> Undisputedtruth Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I can see England beating the Italians.

>

> * * *

>

> *Bob* Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> Quarters and out

>

>

>

> And there you have it. Footballing Brain 0,

> Bleeding Obvious 1.

Which just goes to show you don't need to be a know it all with a false sense of superiority to get it right. Well done *Bob*. You outfoxed us all.

[Undisputedtruth]

woodrot Wrote:

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> a better conclusiuon for Hodgson than expected -

> time to kick out the shite and start afresh for

> Brazil - still, being done ny nthe Italians on

> pens after 120 mins is no shame

Absolutely, penalties are nothing more than a lottery.

[Undisputedtruth]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> If you knew how Shilton performed as Forest won

> league championships and European cups you would

> know Hart has a bit to go. Goalkeepers gain their

> status over 20 years not 2 years.

Hart won his first league title at the age of 25 while Shilton won his at 29. Shilton had a poor game against Poland during the World Cup qualifying game in 1973. This led to his international wilderness.

Anyway, I thought all Scottish keepers gain their status within two years though not for the right reasons.

[El Pibe]

Should add Johnson to quids list of good performances.

Despite being ex faithful I've generally been unimpressed with him in an England shirt but thought him superb last night.

Will echo sentiments that right team won but England did themselves proud, but seriously, are we ever going to prepare for penalties? They do somewhat loom large in the England narrative. Young defeated before he was within 20ft of that ball and who the hell stepped up? I can't stand Cole as a rule, but the real question was why better strikers of the ball weren't there instead.

Anyway hats off etc.

[ratty]

I enjoyed last night as it was a chance to get on it all day and have a good moan!

Gowlett has never been so packed!

[Annette Curtain]

I so wanted us to go through and we had a chance. But did we blow it? No I don't think so, we played our hearts out & Italy should have scored earlier on in the match.

Johnson in defence was excellent, that last stop alone made his game

I listened to it on Talksport (Stan Colimore was excellent btw) and got home just in time for the penalty shoot out

Anyway, hats off to the team and the manager, it's been a long time since Team England football has been this passionate

One last thing. Gary Linikers face when talking post match to Jurgen Klinsmen, was a picture to behold

Nette(tu)

[Otta]

Second half was painful viewing, England were brave and all that, but so outplayed.

Rooney was rubbish.

Young was rubbish all tournament.

Carroll done nothing wrong, but not really sure why he was brought on.

Milner had his best game, and was unlucky to come off whilst Young stayed on the pitch.

Back 4 did themselves proud, and harsh for Cole to miss his penalty.

Gutted, but the best team went through.

[????]

On the plus side too we can now put the Golden Generation peacefully to sleep and the medium term prospects are should qualify for the major tournaments, gettimg tpo knock out stages will be a plus

[StraferJack]

The rule about "whichever team misses their penalty first goes on to win" is becoming so definitive by now, there must be money to be made from it

I thought Caroll held up the ball well when he cameon, and if he gave it away too easily, it could be argued it was because not enough england players had the legs to get up there to join him

Tricky one for Roy - had he hauled of Rooney and Gerrard (as he should have IMO) then the papers/public would have torn him a new one when/if they lost

But it would have been great to see at least one of them replaced by someone with hunger and energy.

Walcott looked decent enough but like Caroll, there wasn't enough support with him at that stage in the game

But expectation were low going into the tournament, and a new manager got the team as far as previous managers with years of prep.

[Otta]

To stick up for Gerrard, I don't think he lacked hunger, but he was clearly knackered. Rooney was just shit.

[????]

I agree Otta. For the first 20 minutes Parker and Gerrard dominated and I really thought we looked the best team then they both faded way as half crocked, 4th game in 2 weeks, half crocked 30 somethings would and we'd no back up. That' why the Italians were in charge from HT onwards, those two younger and/or some decent cover and we'd have won.

[DulwichFox]

Well at least Roy Hodgson now knows just how shite Rooney really is.

Rooney is always shite when he plays for England..

but last night he failed to turn up...

Fox..

[Jeremy]

I thought it was a terrible performance, they couldn't even keep the ball for 10 seconds. It looked like a premiership side against a division one side.

If you look at the semis, there's no way England belong in that sort of company. They were lucky to get put in such a weak group, and even then, they looked very ordinary against weak opposition. Overall - a very poor tournament.

[red devil]

Painful indeed, but get used to it, as that's all we are capable of against the better teams...getting out of the group was an achievement in itself.

Look at the 4 semi-finalists, all of them playing on a much, much higher technical level than England. People bang on about the Premier League being the best in the world, it might be entertainment wise, just as a pantomime is far more entertaining than a Chekhov play. How many of the 4 semi-finalists first 11's actually play in the PL? It's no coincidence England's best performance was against Sweden, a PL quality nation.

We still haven't learnt how to keep hold of the ball. Interesting stat, the most number of successful pass completions between two England plyers was Hart and Carroll...sums it all up really.

Hodgson always plays this rigid 4-4-1-1 system, the opposition have worked us out before we even step onto the pitch.

There wil be calls to get rid of the 'old guard', but isn't Pirlo part of Italy's old guard? He bossed the show. All we would be doing is replacing one donkey with another. We need creative quality in the midfield...maybe Wilshire and Cleverley will come good, but they are already looking injury prone.

Rooney was shit, but he also wasn't match fit. But he is still on paper England's best player. A team needs to be built around him, rather than him fitting into a rigid, non-fluid formation.

Anyway, Wimbledon starts today...C'mon on Tim!

[saleem]

The most refreshing aspect of the tournament was seeing Ashley Cole on the pitch, as opposed to featuring under accusatory headlines.

[Undisputedtruth]

???? Wrote:

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> I agree Otta. For the first 20 minutes Parker and

> Gerrard dominated and I really thought we looked

> the best team then they both faded way as half

> crocked, 4th game in 2 weeks, half crocked 30

> somethings would and we'd no back up. That' why

> the Italians were in charge from HT onwards, those

> two younger and/or some decent cover and we'd have

> won.

Pirlo, being the oldest outfield player, ran more miles than any England player on the night.

England allowed Pirlo too much space and time on the ball. Despite Italy's dominance they didn't create that many clear cut chances.

[????]

but he's not as kanackered as our high tempo Premiership players and has he Gerrard and Parkers' injury history? I still thought we had midfield bossed for 25 mins or soo.

[Undisputedtruth]

I do agree England were the better side in the first 20 minutes or so. But Rooney & Welbeck took turns in closing down Pirlo. If you stop Pirlo then you stop the Italians. I couldn't understand why they didn't continue to close down Pirlo. Really can't. However, you have to admire the Italians for their work rate that made our players look pretty ordinary.

I also felt that England strikers were playing far too forward which didn't help with link up play between midfield.