Cor!

[t-stoff]

Was I watching a different match? England were hopeless. They'll always have a chance from set pieces and long balls into the box, but apart from that they weren't in the game, couldn't keep the ball and run out of the luck they've had all tournament.

I saw nothing that shows they're going to be any better in the finals of the next tournament.

But at least they'll probably get to the next finals, which is far more than my team, Wales, will ever do.

If you reckon they will always have a chance from set pieces and long balls into the box you have answered your own query. Tournaments have certainly been won from less.

hint: Greece

 

[Grannygrinder]

.

Why does every single England manger seem obliged to use the same shower of sh*te that has been losing tournaments for the last 10 years :?
It seems once you are in the 'squad' you can stop trying.
Parker has been the most committed, hard working player all season giving 110% every week and even he can't perform in an England shirt!!
ToslowTerry should have gone end of 2010 as should Gerrard.

I hope Hodgeson has enough balls to make wholesale changes before the next World cup other wise its just going to be humiliating.

I am currently feeling quite glad we lost as Germany would have given us a hell of a beating :?

 

[tintin40]

But even as Italy were so good they still didn't score except when off side.

 

[lumos2000]

??

 

[KeepItSteel]

One man who has scored one goal in eight years for England.

Sorry but I have to pick you up there.

England national team
Year Apps Goals
2003 9 3
2004 11 6
2005 8 2
2006 8 1
2007 4 2
2008 8 5
2009 9 6
2010 11 1
2011 5 2
2012 2 1

1 goal in major tournaments in last 8 years - of which he was injured and/or banned from tournaments (or England werent even qualified) during that period.
Asides from 2010, his record is pretty impressive.

Unfortunately for him, he is the most capable of scoring at any given moment, hence why he is England's talisman. He is also asked to do a very different job now from the one he used to do as an anklebiting tear away teenager when he first hit the scene.
He is now a much more complete player (thanks to Fergies conditioning) but has unquestionably lost some of his edge as a result.

The worst part is Englands shocking ball retention and lack of cutting edge. We are pretty close to a laughing stock in world football, and only sweeping changes in the youth training structure will fix that.

I cringe when the camera sweeps past the players during the national anthem, there were only 3 or 4 players I would cross the road to shake hands with (or pay to watch play), the rest are nasty little worms.

 

[velomaniac]

All through the tournement the pundits kept going on about how Germany after a period of being rubbish completely reordered the entire system of football development and now has a young team who can play the modern and more effective if somewhat boring passing game.
The UK sides and most notably England play the running game which only works against teams that also play this style. The UK teams need a root and branch overhaul from school kids up to adopt the new and frankly more skilled passing game style if we have any chance of beating the top flight teams.
We have got to stop the if it aint broke dont fix it mentality as yes we can reach the quarter finals but as more teams try new tactics and we dont we will drop further down the leader board.
I'm a Scot but my mothers half English and I support England when Scotland is unavailable.
England were woeful yet again, its bad enough accepting Scotland are crap without having to accept England are becoming as bad

 

[makster]

Rooney should never have been taken, let alone got a game.
Letting him walk back into the team, after missing the first two games from getting himself sent off, was shocking management (which reeks of being controlled by the FA!).
I'd have had a lot of respect for woy if he'd hauled rooney off at half time and replaced him with *******.
At least Welbeck would have had the pace to get in behind from flick-ons.

In his defence, I can't remember a weaker England squad. Henderson

 

[KeepItSteel]

I don't like the lad, but Rooney is the only world class player in the squad.

He would get into 9 out of 10 world teams, barely another player would manage.

Hence his selection, it would have been madness to drop him.