World Cup 2014 thread

I think it's hard to criticise the team last night. The young lads who came in all worked hard and caused Italy some problems. Sterling had a really good game with his pace, His final ball or decisions to try and take on an extra man let him down on a few occasions but that will come with age.
It was the older members of the team who did not show up for me, like Grecian said Rooney was poor, Gerrard might aswell have not been on the pitch.

I thought that last night was one of the best performances I've seen from an England team in a long time. We lost, but there are plenty of positives to take from that game. Italy are notoriously difficult to break down and there were at least 3 good opportunities that we had on the break against them. I think that on the evidence of yesterday in general we should beat Uruguay and Costa Rica to give ourselves a good shot in the last 16 and if we can sort the tactics and positions out better then I think you could really give a good account of ourselves this tournament.

As for Rooney - I've always wanted to see him drop back and maybe play a more Roy Keane role, he got an excellent work rate and if required can bomb forward to give another dimension to the attack. He showed in the Champions League against Real Madrid that he's got good cover play when picking up Ronaldo and against Uruguay (if fit) he can mark Suarez out of the game.

I think England played well last night and didnt deserve to loose

Phil Neville.. what a boring cunt, should leave the commentary to his brother!

24 hours (or so) to reflect on the game. It was an ok performance. Can't really criticise England. They done well to score so soon after conceding. Italy were always going to have a lot of procession. From what I remember, Italy scored a goal and hit the bar in the second half. Can't remember joe hart making a save.

Now on to Rooney. He is a great player. He deserves to be in the squad. Key word - squad. He shouldn't be in the starting 11. I feel Hodgson is picking a team around Rooney. Rooney played on the left, the no10 role and up top.

I dont think anyone knows his best position. He doesn't track back much leaving baines exposed. It was a great cross for the goal bit I feel the formation we play Rooney doesn't fit. He isn't a winger. He is a striker, but a type of striker who needs a strike partner, he ain't a player to play up top on his own. I'd say his best position is behind the striker. The issue I have is the England has better no10's that can play there.

Glen Johnson - surely we have a right back that is fit that can challenge him? He is terrible. If walker was fit he'd be 1st choice. If Micah Richards could be arsed to play he'd be ahead. Fuck me Gary Neville should lace his boots back up!

So apart from Rooney and Johnson I thought England played well. I'm still confident we will go though.

Rooney...

It's simply a choice. Do you find a place for our supposed best player, no matter what? Or do you drop him in favour of someone who's not as good, but better in that position? For Uruguay, I'd keep Sterling in the No 10 role, bring Lallana in on the left, and keep Welbeck on the right. I thought Welbeck was having a blinder until he got subbed.

Lallana right, Welbeck left was my thought. But either way it's Rooney benched, he can come on if Sterling drops off the pace at all in the 10 role. 4 points might be enough since Uraguay lost, it's a shame we couldn't get the point from Italy. Alot of positives for the tournament, because of the small groups, if a contender to qualify loses to the worst chancers, it blows the group open. If we equalised vs Italy i'd guarantee our place in the knockouts, now it's just a bit harder, Costa Rica will be looking for nil nil's

I drew Spain in a sweepstake that had a £200+ first prize for the winner. I'd been a right smug bastard becasue of that.

That'll learn me.

I had Spain in one that I was the person drawing teams   

Well Nigeria are still in it...

It had to be Suarez.

Should of put your money on the Dutch or the Germans lads, they're the real winners.

As for England, defence is poor, Gerrard can't do box to box anymore, he has to sit deep or not play at all. Rooney was good tonight, Welbeck decent, Sturridge did fuck all.

The thing with our defence is it picks itself. Everyone is injured at RB so jonhnson is only choice. Baines in left back is ok. Shaw will eventually take over. He's the only questionable change IMO. Jagielka and Cahill have no challengers. Smalling and jones aren't good enough. If they played regular then they might of been near.

The 2 games I feel we've been a tad unlucky. The difference IMO is world class players. Italy have Pirlo and he ran the game. Tonight Uruguay had Suarez and we couldn't rain him. England don't have a world class players.

Tonight I feel Gerrard had a nightmare. At fault for both goals. Rooney fone well but I still don't think he should be in starting 11 - unless he drops Sturridge, which I don't think he should.

Again its hard to be overly critical of most the team, the young players all had ok games. Barkley came on and looked good in spells. Im hoping barkley stays with everton for at least a few more seasons to get first team football.


I just hope after we come home after this world cup its the last time we see Steven Gerrerd in an england shirt. The most overated player to put on the top.

I think this is the end of the Golden Generation, Cole has already retired, I think Lampard and Gerrard will both follow him.

For the last game, I'd give the kids a game. We're already out, for all intents and purposes, so I'd give Shaw, Barkley, Lallana, Wilshere all a start. Maybe even go with Phil Jones in there somewhere. Give the armband to the one guy who I think played his heart out, and is a certain pick every time - Gary Cahill.

Completely agree with Cahill. I also still believe we will go through.

Team I'd play against Costa Rica:

.................hart
Johnson Cahill jones shaw
.......Hendo Wilshere
Lallana...Barkley....sterling
..............Rooney

I'm still not convinced with Sturridge and think now Rooney has his goal he'll be better.

I just wonder why take Lallana and Lambert to be subs. They both have more quality than England Rooney, and they work as a team extremely well. I know they aren't th big names, but i'd expect them to have a goal each at least after two games and assist others. Rooney wastes too much time thinking about everything, he has no instinct left. Almost scored a free kick, Lambert would have scored it though. He's lucky to have a goal and assist IMO, doesn't provide enough.

Hopefully my reverse fortune carries on. 3 tournaments calling spain boring and beatable, they win. Saying Spain will probably just do it again to bore me, they lose.

England are out

I got one right. England out.

The question moving forward is how many of the current players will feature in Euro 2016 if yes keep them involved, if not from now on ditch them. The rest of the new guys should see us through our qualifying group.

..........................Hart
Jones.........Cahill..........Jagielka........Shaw
............Henderson.......Wilshere
Sterling..............Barkley................Lallana
.......................Sturridge

I'd look at something like this, Wilshere is that deep as there isn't really another option in the side to play that deep who should be around after the world cup. Been great servants to England but the likes of Gerrard, Lampard etc their England careers should be over. I'd like to see Rodwell move away from Man City and get 1st team football as I feel he could fill that role.

The one question is over Jagielka, at the age where its questionable whether he will be around or not, if not there are the likes of Steven Caulker to come into a squad with likely Jones stepping up, however I don't want to see Johnson near the squad but there aren't really other options at RB, but either Walker or Stones, Flanagan etc should hold down the role.

Smalling and jones is the ideal partnership but for some reason they don't play together. Sir Alex clearly saw summit in them. Cahill has proved he is talented enough to be first choice CB so no complaints there. Left back we are spoiled for choice. Baines and shaw are 1 and 2. Kieran Gibbs will be kicking about. The right back is the problem area. Johnson, walker, Richards and jenkinson are the 4 that stand out.

I can't argue with the rest if the team to be fair - been though I'm not convinced on Sturridge, but I can't think of anyone else.

I'd also add Matt Lowton to the RB area, I still think he played for a better side than Villa, he'd have been capped already.

England have problems in a few areas. We don't have a natural goalscorer - the fact that Ricky Lambert even made a World Cup squad is just so wrong. He'll be okay against crap teams, but when we come up against the big guns, he'll be out of his depth.

I'm actually glad we're out at this point, if Italy had beaten Costa Rica we would still have had the hope, so now, it's all done - get the kids on the pitch and see what they can do.

you don't like Lambert because it looks like he shouldn't be good. He's a technical assist machine, some of his link up with Lala he doesn't even look, just knows where to flick or lift the ball. He's too old to matter anymore though, he's not an impact sub, so now there's no point to him having been there. I say fuck picking the best 11 individuals just play a fucking team who compliment eachother, someone try that. That's been England's real problem since 98. Maybe pick 11 who can pass a ball without taking 7 touches because we get closed down and we always will. Did anyone see France taking the piss out of the Suiss? If it was England we'd have made a right fuss out of that game and maybe have nicked a draw vs the Suiss, if we got lucky.

It's not that I don't like him. It's the fact that a guy who was essentially a lower division journeyman made it to the World Cup. He should not be one of the top 20 English strikers, let alone one of the top 5 and going to the World Cup. Same with Phil Jagielka, compared to centre backs who have played for England in the past 10-15 years, he's just not in the same league as a Rio, Terry, Sol, Tony Adams...

That's the English football problem. And making kids play Conference teams in League 3 isn't going to change a damned thing.

he's not a classic journeyman, he's a technically sound player who only got a chance late on, through either loyalty or clubs not taking a risk on him. It's no surprise to me that southampton got to the premier league when they had Lala, Schniederlin and Lambert. I rate all 3 highly, but Lambert is older and unfortunately MS is French. I think the next squad will be stronger than our world cup squad. And the Euro squad will look better still. There are positives, at least. I rated Henderson for the first time, although I didn't really watch the games with tactical eyes, but he might be one of those who plays better for England. Alot of others play better for their clubs instead. England is their pre season...

or post season holiday/fitness work

The thing is we say this after every tournement. Change all the team an start from scratch. I don't think we need to. The foundations are all ready there.

Joe hart - he'll be there for years. Can only see jack butland challenging him.

Gary Cahill: near to 30 now but has a few more years in him until the likes of smallin and jones get to that level (no way are any of those full backs).

Jordan Henderson: can sit in the holding midfield role. I said a while back he'll be the new Steven Gerrard. I still think that. Not go best against Uruguay but has been solid in qualifiers and against Italy.

Ross Barkley: the number 10 role. Done great the 2 times he has came on.

Daniel Sturridge: if he keeps scorin thence eat but my only worry is if Suarez leaves Liverpool will Sturridge's goals dry up?

There is te spine. Build the rest of the team around that - not one player.