England

[benjii]

Embarrassing.

[Give it to Ron]

How abysmal are we.... what sort of challenge from Ferdinand was it for their goal.

Englands tactics are back to the 60's...well thats if we have any apart from aim for Carroll.

[JackFrost]

you benjii timed it to perfection

[benjii]

[Give it to Ron]

hahaha snap...

[Smirking_Saint]

You thought it would be different ? We have Carroll on his own up front.

[benjii]

You thought it would be different ? We have Carroll on his own up front.

 

I'm not dismayed at the tactics, the formation, the fact we're losing when we have a weakened team out... none of that. It's the sheer lack of quality of our players. No touch, no intelligence, no clue.

[benjii]

Having said that, some of the selections confuse me too.

 

Lescott is not good enough to play in internationals. Simple as that. A youngster who might turn out to be good enough should be playing instead. Likewise Jagielka - right back? FFS.

[dubai_phil]

Some days I bemoan the fact that I couldn't be ars3d to pay for a 3rd satellite subscription so miss the EPL & Internationals.

 

But most days I think thank fook I don't have to watch that rubbish

[Give it to Ron]

So where was the midfielder who let the goalscorer run 25 yards unmarked?

For the love of god how atrocious is this...hoof..give it away.... no direction, control, formation or ability

against a poor French side.

[Smirking_Saint]

I like Jagielka, he is a good player, but yeah right back !! I thought that.

 

Lescott is sh*te, Gibbs doesn't play.

 

I don't get why we don't play with more youth, especially in friendlies such as this. Also, when Capello came in he spoke of the fact that if you are not playing for your club then you will not play for england, well that soon went out of the window didn't it !!

 

I would have gone with

 

Foster

 

Richards Jagielka Shawcross Baines

 

Johnson Huddlestone Wilshere Milner

 

Carroll Walcott

 

Look at the German model FFS, also look at the fact that most International teams (top teams) including the French have dumped not only the underperformers but those that will not make the Euros, personally i would use the Euros as a training ground and pretty much frop the bulk of players that won't make the next world cup.

 

IMO that means the end of Lampard, Terry and Rio at the very least, we need to make these young players into the new superstars but they need game time to do that.

[Turkish]

Why didn't he pick Wilshire? He is quality. Also i like Cahill at Bolton, decent centre half, would give him a go and Smalling must be worth a punt, only played a few times for Man U but good prospect. Rodwell at Everton is a class young player too but only just back from injury.

[Smirking_Saint]

Why didn't he pick Wilshire? He is quality. Also i like Cahill at Bolton, decent centre half, would give him a go.

 

Forgot about him, yeah top player

[Turkish]

It's interesting too note that most of the England players need two or three touches before deciding what too do with the ball, whereas the French players know immediately, plenty of movement, good first touches, then looking to move it on, Englands play is so slow and ponderous in comparison.

[doubleonothing]

Think Wilshire is injured isn't he?

[Turkish]

Think Wilshire is injured isn't he?

 

yeah he you're right, got injured in training, just had a look on google, he is going to be our main central midfielder for years to come if he can stay clear if injuries.

[benjii]

I think Huddlestone and Wilshere are injured but I agree with the sentiment.

 

The fact is, we are weak at the moment. Ferdinand and Terry are going downhill. We have one decent keeper. Our best striker looks like an angry thumb and is a cockle. Our wingers can't get regular starts for their clubs. We still haven't sorted out the balance or pattern of play of our midfield.

 

With that in mind, we should be thinking ahead. I don't doubt we will limp into the Euros but will, in most likelihood, then see a repeat of the embarrassing world cup. We should be looking four years ahead and concentrating on identifying players with the technical aptitude to develop into an international side. If we lose a few matches on the way then so be it because the current governance and structure of the English game gives us virtually no chance of ever achieving anything unless we take some radical action.

[doubleonothing]

Crouch with little more than a consolation

[benjii]

 

Crouch always scores for England!

[Smirking_Saint]

I think Huddlestone and Wilshere are injured but I agree with the sentiment.

 

The fact is, we are weak at the moment. Ferdinand and Terry are going downhill. We have one decent keeper. Our best striker looks like an angry thumb and is a cockle. Our wingers can't get regular starts for their clubs. We still haven't sorted out the balance or pattern of play of our midfield.

With that in mind, we should be thinking ahead. I don't doubt we will limp into the Euros but will, in most likelihood, then see a repeat of the embarrassing world cup. We should be looking four years ahead and concentrating on identifying players with the technical aptitude to develop into an international side. If we lose a few matches on the way then so be it because the current governance and structure of the English game gives us virtually no chance of ever achieving anything unless we take some radical action.

 

Exactly my thoughts, such is the current set up in England we will unfortunately have to put up with limping away from tournaments, playing the long ball and 442, ignore the youth in favour of over paid fading force egos and a media who still hype up our chances.

[Turkish]

I think Huddlestone and Wilshere are injured but I agree with the sentiment.

 

The fact is, we are weak at the moment. Ferdinand and Terry are going downhill. We have one decent keeper. Our best striker looks like an angry thumb and is a cockle. Our wingers can't get regular starts for their clubs. We still haven't sorted out the balance or pattern of play of our midfield.

 

With that in mind, we should be thinking ahead. I don't doubt we will limp into the Euros but will, in most likelihood, then see a repeat of the embarrassing world cup. We should be looking four years ahead and concentrating on identifying players with the technical aptitude to develop into an international side. If we lose a few matches on the way then so be it because the current governance and structure of the English game gives us virtually no chance of ever achieving anything unless we take some radical action.

 

I said exactly this after the world cup. the FA should forget about the Euros and build a team for 2014 with players like Wilshire, Rodwell, Johnson, etc a squad of 20 decent players who will be in their prime in 2014. Get rid of the likes of Lampard who has never performed for England and build for the future. If we qualify for Euros it's a bonus but put the team under no pressure to do so. It'll never happen though as the FA would lose too much money by us not qualifying which means we will limp from one disaster to the next. Euro 2012, if we qualify, will be as bad as the world cup and given we will have no whipping boys, we wont get out of the group stage.

Edited 18 November, 2010 by Turkish

[Give it to Ron]

That was an embarrassment....we are just going nowhere and learnt nothing from the WC.

[benjii]

It's too much to expect something decent to come out of the FA.

[dubai_phil]

I liked this from the Yahoo txt commentary

 

Yahoo Sport

 

Fabio Capello looks peeved. And well he might. His team is rubbish.

 

 

[Dazza82]

I dont think we should get rid of all the senior pros, right now. Players like Barry,Lescott,Warnock and Jagielka as good as they are for their clubs should get no where near an England team again.

 

But players like Terry,Rio,Gerrard,Lampard and Cole should still be around to pass on the 'knowledge' to younger players like Henderson, Smalling, Cahill, Gibbs and Carroll.

Players with natural talent like A.Johnson and Wiltshire should be in cos they will be big players for England as long as they fulfill their potential.

 

Id Like to see

 

Hart

Richards Cahill Terry Cole

Milner Huddlestone Wiltshire Johnson

Walcott Rooney(fit and on form)

 

With Gerrard and Rio in the squad adding extra experience

[Dazza82]

You could also turn this to 4-3-3 or 4-5-1

 

------------Hart

Richards Cahill Terry Cole

--Milner Huddlestone Wiltshire

Walcott ---------------- Johnson

------------Rooney-----------

[SuperMikey]

Nasri was quality tonight, think he's very underrated.

[LGTL]

Well that was a waste of time. Wembley gets worse with every visit. Roll on March and Wales away.

[warsash saint]

I thought i was fairly knowledgable on football, but I did not recognise half the England players

[Turkish]

You could also turn this to 4-3-3 or 4-5-1

 

------------Hart

Richards Cahill Terry Cole

--Milner Huddlestone Wiltshire

Walcott ---------------- Johnson

------------Rooney-----------

 

I dont get the whole thing with Milner, how is he worth £25m? I just dont see what he contributes, he is a competent player but that is about it. I've always been a fan of Carrick but he's never really been given a chance at international level. I think he is great at keeping the ball which is really important at international level and plays the role of sitting infront of the back four really well.

[skintsaint]

why doesnt Crouch ever start, should play him with Rooney off the shoulder a bit like VdV for spurs.

[Sour Mash]

Can't believe anyone is even remotely surprised. Surely giving Capello a new bumper contract is one of the worst decisions in English football. What value does he add at all for his circa £6million a year?

[Window Cleaner]

So where was the midfielder who let the goalscorer run 25 yards unmarked?

For the love of god how atrocious is this...hoof..give it away.... no direction, control, formation or ability

against a poor French side.

 

No Ron,it was a good French side, don't confuse a type of football you either don't like or don't understand with the efficiency of the players executing it.Many of your English papers say that it was a decent side the French put out.This is the way football is played in France (and most of continental europe) the English just don't understand it that's all because it's not gung ho enough for them.

[Window Cleaner]

I liked this from the Yahoo txt commentary

 

You should have heard Wenger and the other TF1 commentator going on about their lack of technical ability.

On an aside note Wenger said that Theo is the fastest player in Europe.

[Window Cleaner]

I dont get the whole thing with Milner, how is he worth £25m? I just dont see what he contributes, he is a competent player but that is about it. I've always been a fan of Carrick but he's never really been given a chance at international level. I think he is great at keeping the ball which is really important at international level and plays the role of sitting infront of the back four really well.

 

Milner is worth 25 million because at Manchester City money is just an accounting notion.It means nothing, look at that Balotelli, totally unproven but they paid 20 million for him anyway,now he's back off to wherever he came from, probably for a quarter of the price, idem Adebayor.

[Crab Lungs]

I dont get the whole thing with Milner, how is he worth £25m? I just dont see what he contributes, he is a competent player but that is about it. I've always been a fan of Carrick but he's never really been given a chance at international level. I think he is great at keeping the ball which is really important at international level and plays the role of sitting infront of the back four really well.

 

A midfield of Carrick, Huddlestone and Wilshere would creat no end of problems internationally. I think we'd see the ball retained, moved quicker, faster but we won't see them until Lampard and Barry give up the ghost. Johnson and Gerrard supporting a striker - not sure who, but probabl Defoe if I was to choose. Much better football side IMO.

 

Why won't they just f**k off ((

[Window Cleaner]

A midfield of Carrick, Huddlestone and Wilshere would creat no end of problems internationally. I think we'd see the ball retained, moved quicker, faster but we won't see them until Lampard and Barry give up the ghost. Johnson and Gerrard supporting a striker - not sure who, but probabl Defoe if I was to choose. Much better football side IMO.

 

Why won't they just f**k off ((

 

Huddlestone, Wilshere, Carrick..All injured aren't they??? one of the perennial problems of English football, players who are always injured

[Bentley]

Putting Wilshere in the squad would help a tiny bit, but I don't think people realise that the way he's been taught to play (Arsene Wenger style) won't work for the other players. He passes quickly, likes quick one-twos (see Benzema and Malouda last night) and the ball played along the ground into space.

 

I think Gerrard would be the only one from last nights team who would realise that, but at the same time, I doubt that he would resist a chance for a shot from outside the box when he receives the ball. He also needs to stop trying so many ****ing 'Hollywood' balls. Gibbs was bursting down the left about 3 metres in front of Gerrard, and Gerrard decided to spin 180 on his heels to try and hit a ball to Walcott.

 

I'll hold my judgement of Henderson, because he unselfishly passed to Gyan at the weekend at Stamford Bridge rather than try and take it for himself.

 

Barry is just god awful. How he gets a game is beyond me. Everyones calling for Crouch to be played, but it's one issue I can sympathize with Capello on. Crouch has got most of his goals against the rubbish teams, and I just don't feel confident for him against a top side.

[Window Cleaner]

Putting Wilshere in the squad would help a tiny bit, but I don't think people realise that the way he's been taught to play (Arsene Wenger style) won't work for the other players. He passes quickly, likes quick one-twos (see Benzema and Malouda last night) and the ball played along the ground into space.

 

I think Gerrard would be the only one from last nights team who would realise that, but at the same time, I doubt that he would resist a chance for a shot from outside the box when he receives the ball. He also needs to stop trying so many ****ing 'Hollywood' balls. Gibbs was bursting down the left about 3 metres in front of Gerrard, and Gerrard decided to spin 180 on his heels to try and hit a ball to Walcott.

 

I'll hold my judgement of Henderson, because he unselfishly passed to Gyan at the weekend at Stamford Bridge rather than try and take it for himself.

 

Barry is just god awful. How he gets a game is beyond me. Everyones calling for Crouch to be played, but it's one issue I can sympathize with Capello on. Crouch has got most of his goals against the rubbish teams, and I just don't feel confident for him against a top side.

 

Wilshere was in the squad, pulled out with an "injury", Wengs probably didn't want him playing against his team mates,

[Dazza82]

I dont get the whole thing with Milner, how is he worth £25m? I just dont see what he contributes, he is a competent player but that is about it. I've always been a fan of Carrick but he's never really been given a chance at international level. I think he is great at keeping the ball which is really important at international level and plays the role of sitting infront of the back four really well.

 

Milner is not worth 25m but that is just a 'Man City' price. He is a good engine and has a good delivery. Also i think Carrick was at his best about 4 years ago,whenever it was when he joined Man Utd, i dont think he is good enough for England now and Huddlestone has taken over in the pecking order imo

[benjii]

Can't believe anyone is even remotely surprised. Surely giving Capello a new bumper contract is one of the worst decisions in English football. What value does he add at all for his circa £6million a year?

 

Well, that was a very clever move from the FA actually. You just wait. One day the genius of that move will become clear to all.

[Give it to Ron]

No Ron,it was a good French side, don't confuse a type of football you either don't like or don't understand with the efficiency of the players executing it.Many of your English papers say that it was a decent side the French put out.This is the way football is played in France (and most of continental europe) the English just don't understand it that's all because it's not gung ho enough for them.

 

What complete patronising comments,....yes us English no nothing about good football, passing sides, technique or French football it all has to be 100 mph and lump it and run doesn't it ....christ.

That French side are not a good side - yes they are technically good and keep the ball well but they will come totally unstuck against better teams than England.

English papers say it was a good French side....well thats it then I bow down to Fleet St and their expertise....Turnip Taylor was about their level.

Your post is the most arrogant ignorant thing I have read in ages - you know nothing about what I like or know about football

[Hopkins]

You can throw out all the excuses about bad management/bad press/over reaction/injuries/celebrity culture etc etc but it comes down to one quite simple thing. As a poster above mentioned, The French national team has had all its problems yet the thing the above poster failed to mention is how simple and basic there football was on Wednesday night...That is our problem. As a nation and as a footballing culture we are way behind any top nation and that shows up immensely when we come up against any half decent side who can do the simple things as a football side. Technically, the French, Spanish, Germans etc etc are way ahead of us, players like Nasri on Wednesday rip us to pieces because he's technically superior to our players. Football is a pretty basic game when broken down, technique shines through immensely at international level and we struggle. We have some of the best impact players in the world, Rooney,Gerrard etc, however all perform at there clubs who if you look have simple but effective and techically gifted players playing alongside them. For example, Essien, Fabregas, Scholes, Alonso.

 

The difference in technique was obvious Wednesday (And to be fair our squad was obviously depleted, but it happens every time we play anyone good...when was the last time we beat someone half decent? Even Montenegro it showed up), every time a french player got the ball, they relaxed, composed themselves and played simple, patient football. As a nation, our culture pressures us into doing everything at 100mph, hence why when Gerrard gets the ball he looks to hit a killer pass almost every time, hence the reason at one point in the game Milner found himself on the left wing with nobody ahead of him but insisted he took on two defenders and lost out, whereas a Nasri/Malouda would have happily cut back and inside and played a simple pass. Hence the reason we have this fascination with playing a big target man upfront, whereas the majority of good teams do not and will not even contemplate calling up a bloke like Andy Carroll, who has scored a few goals and won a few headers in a very small amount of the season. Tbf to him, he did alright, for a lad who was expected to hold everything up and win everything in the air, but the fascination with playing a big man upfront is baffling.

 

To be fair to England, we have a slight hope in the future...Jack Wilshere is the nearest young player I have seen who is technically good enough to play at international level, however he's come through in-spite of the system and not because of it, and I fear he'll be forced to play for England at 100mph like everyone else.

[S-Clarke]

Great post Hopkins.

 

The media often say ''England need to play the fast game at international football'' etc - but it doesn't work and never will. International football has always been about patient, measured play. Not this gun-ho approach. Ok you may get the odd great result playing that way, but consistent success against big nations will never follow.

 

Technically we just do not have the players to cope with tight spaces and short passing. As you said with Nasri, another thing with him is that he's always got control of the ball - even if he's surrounded by defenders (same with Alonso, Xavi, Ineista etc). All we do is panic, hoof it and lose it.

 

The mentality needs to change from grass roots, but i don't think it ever will.

[Thedelldays]

what I hate about England..is how certain players are labelled as "the best player in the world"....mostly done by the press...but wayne rooney, steven gerrard, frank lampard, john terry, ashley cole have all in the recent past been told they are the best in the world......

 

that simply is not the case

[S-Clarke]

what I hate about England..is how certain players are labelled as "the best player in the world"....mostly done by the press...but wayne rooney, steven gerrard, frank lampard, john terry, ashley cole have all in the recent past been told they are the best in the world......

 

that simply is not the case

 

True, our media are awful. The god awful show on sky sports on sunday says it all.

 

They hype them up for 4 years, then when the time comes to go to the world cup they try their best to uncover stories to ruin our chances. No idea

[Andy_Porter]

what I hate about England..is how certain players are labelled as "the best player in the world"....mostly done by the press...but wayne rooney, steven gerrard, frank lampard, john terry, ashley cole have all in the recent past been told they are the best in the world......

 

that simply is not the case

 

Spot on mate, Jaime Redknapp recently said on Sky Sports that we should be building the team around Wilshere, now I've no doubt he's a quality player and one day we might be building the team around him but now? it's ridiculous to even think it.

 

I know so many people who don't know the first thing about football but seem to think England should be winning everything becaue watch Sky every weekend and listen to TalkSport and believe all the ****e about Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney etc.

 

Ferdinand was probably the only Englishman that would get into that French side, the other 10 would struggle to get into the squad.

[Andy_Porter]

Technically we just do not have the players to cope with tight spaces and short passing. As you said with Nasri, another thing with him is that he's always got control of the ball - even if he's surrounded by defenders (same with Alonso, Xavi, Ineista etc). All we do is panic, hoof it and lose it.

 

The mentality needs to change from grass roots, but i don't think it ever will.

 

Exactly, we don't have any players in midfield that can play the killer pass that leads to an assist, or in fact any real creative players.

[saint_bert]

The problem in my opinion is that fans are so brain washed into believing these players are "World class" by Sky and MOTD that its become second nature to believe it.

 

I had a debate with my mate yesterday an he tried telling me we had 5 World class players! 5!

 

I dont think we even have one. Gerrard-biggest myth in football. Rooney- scored loads last season but is not and never will be a natural goal scorer.

 

Can any help me with these missing players that are world class?

[saint_bert]

Spot on mate, Jaime Redknapp recently said on Sky Sports that we should be building the team around Wilshere, now I've no doubt he's a quality player and one day we might be building the team around him but now? it's ridiculous to even think it.

 

I know so many people who don't know the first thing about football but seem to think England should be winning everything becaue watch Sky every weekend and listen to TalkSport and believe all the ****e about Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney etc.

 

Ferdinand was probably the only Englishman that would get into that French side, the other 10 would struggle to get into the squad.

Id still take Mexes over him now