England v Italy

[S-Clarke]

Lambert?

 

Not sure he's the sort of ''on the shoulder'' type I was referring to, but he's probably the only natural goal scorer we have in our ranks at the mo.

[Noodles34]

Hmm.

 

As long as by "youngsters" you dont mean Barkley and Wilshire. They were crap.

 

Yes, a, let's play Lampard again, cause we have done wonders over the years with him.

How you can judge subs coming on against a winning Italian side is beyond me.

[S-Clarke]

Anyway, forget this now - done and dusted. so far, this has been the best world cup of my lifetime in terms of games, goals and entertainment. England can do well, or crap - but it's not going to ruin my enjoyment of this epic start to the world cup.

[richie]

Rooney will not get dropped - fact.

 

****ing should be.

 

Roy will pick the same players for the next game but will move Rooney to the right and Welbeck left.

[alpine_saint]

Anyway, forget this now - done and dusted. so far, this has been the best world cup of my lifetime in terms of games, goals and entertainment. England can do well, or crap - but it's not going to ruin my enjoyment of this epic start to the world cup.

 

Yep. Looking forward to where the Dutch go from here.

 

Talking a lot of sense tonight, S-Clarke.

[sandwichsaint]

Anyway, forget this now - done and dusted. so far, this has been the best world cup of my lifetime in terms of games, goals and entertainment. England can do well, or crap - but it's not going to ruin my enjoyment of this epic start to the world cup.

 

Agree .... v. entertaining so far!

[Saint Billy]

This is England's future, once we get shot of Rooney and Gerard, we have some real bright talents to go forward with, can we not for once, get behind them?

 

Jesus calm down, no ones knocking the kids, most are tired of the old stalwarts ala Rooney, Gerrard, Johnson who hardly ever produce in an England shirt and didn't again tonight.

 

I would have rather had kids in for those three as well and really start building for the future.

 

Stirling is going to be immense as long as his free spirit is not sucked out of him by drawing board tactics.

[alpine_saint]

How Johnson keeps Clyne out of the squad, I'll never know.

[S-Clarke]

Yep. Looking forward to where the Dutch go from here.

 

Talking a lot of sense tonight, S-Clarke.

 

What do you mean tonight, i always talk sense

[Saint Billy]

How Johnson keeps Clyne out of the squad, I'll never know.

 

Yeh defeats me.

[shurlock]

Sterling and Sturridge should get another game. Gerrard should be benched, but who do you play instead ?

 

Rooney is never going to make a mark on a WC. Put him on the bench and play Lallana there instead.

 

At least, Lallana has experience playing in that position. He instinctively knows to sprint out wide and cover the fullback when teams try to switch play and exploit the narrowness in a 4-2-3-1. Contrast this with the indiscipline and laxness of Rooney/welbeck.

 

We're also blessed to have DMs who can also cover plenty of grass, unlike Gerrard.

[Lord Duckhunter]

**** me, pirlo is class. Could play the game smoking a cigar. He knew when to slow the game down,when to quicken it up. Its one thing English players lack, learning the tempo of the game. He's a ****ing magician, yet if he was English it would all be about his lack of work rate . We ruined people like Tony Currie, whereas the Europeans value them. I remember Currie ****ing all over the Germans at Wembley, but he didn't fit the English game. If pirlo was English he'd have been sat at home tonight.

 

Do people still think Ashley Cole is finished, Baines isn't in the same league.

 

Rooney and Wilshire WTF?

 

There's the core of a decent side, but we need to grow up quick and learn the lessons.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Poor. And watching Costa this evening, I wouldn't be betting on an England win in the next two games either. We are just too damn pedestrian.

[Graffito]

Just got home and only skimmed this page but appears to be very negative. I thought a England did well overall and I'm positive about going through. The big problem was down our left, mostly first half, where Rooney simply didn't cover. Rooney's cross for the Sturridge goal aside, Italy's right back managed to neutralise both Rooney and Baines going forward. Seems like Roy playing what he considers to be his best players rather than his best team. Either play Rooney central or drop him.

[ericofarabia]

How Johnson keeps Clyne out of the squad, I'll never know.

 

How he keeps ME out f the squad is an effin mystery.

1/ AWOL for 2nd goal

2/ Sterling takes one for the team getting booked covering the douchebag

3/ Our loss of possession stats when he had the ball ( and sadly Sterling as well) must be sky high.

 

Clynne and Chambers must be shaking their heads, but also having a knees up party knowing their time is nigh.

 

Maybe we've been spoilt watching The Southampton Way!!

[ericofarabia]

Just got home and only skimmed this page but appears to be very negative. I thought a England did well overall and I'm positive about going through. The big problem was down our left, mostly first half, where Rooney simply didn't cover. Rooney's cross for the Sturridge goal aside, Italy's right back managed to neutralise both Rooney and Baines going forward. Seems like Roy playing what he considers to be his best players rather than his best team. Either play Rooney central or drop him.

 

In my mind SRL would have been far more effective in the role Shrek was given tonight.

[shurlock]

In my mind SRL would have been far more effective in the role Shrek was given tonight.

 

Are you serious?

 

Lambo getting up and down to attack as well as cover Baines? Requires a motor and iron lungs, not Lambo's game.

[Saint_clark]

Are you serious?

 

Lambo getting up and down to attack as well as cover Baines? Requires a motor and iron lungs, not Lambo's game.

 

I guess you'd have seen Welbeck in that role and Lambert up top instead.

[St Jim]

Just got home and only skimmed this page but appears to be very negative. I thought a England did well overall and I'm positive about going through. The big problem was down our left, mostly first half, where Rooney simply didn't cover. Rooney's cross for the Sturridge goal aside, Italy's right back managed to neutralise both Rooney and Baines going forward. Seems like Roy playing what he considers to be his best players rather than his best team. Either play Rooney central or drop him.

 

This ^

 

I thought that was one of the most encouraging England performances I have seen in a long time. We simply don't have the quality of a Pirlo or De Rossi and for me that was the difference. Pirlo controlled the game in a way no English play can.

 

I agree that Roy has picked who he considers his best players and not necessarily the players to fit the system. Although Rooney didn't really do any wrong (apart from that one chance), I feel the system doesn't suit him unless he's playing central and for me Sturridge plays that role better in this system.

 

Another thing I note is for all of Sterling's pace, and flair (and I thought he did well, scared the Italian defence every time the got the ball) I think there's a lack of an end product. Personally I'd like to see Lallana play that role with Sterling coming on against tired legs.

Edited 15 June, 2014 by St Jim

[positivepete]

Gerrard escaping criticism - is the left-sided DM. Nowhere near the play when the Italians go marauding down that side.

 

The way Gerrard and Henderson stuck to the middle third of the pitch in contrast to the way Morgan and Cork or Victor patrol across the width of the pitchwas very noticeable.

[Wade Garrett]

Thought Baines and Rooney were very poor.

[northam soul]

Pirlo is some player with the ball at his feet, some of his passes are sublime and I don't think he gave the ball away until about the 75th minute when he clearly tired.

We did okay going forward but a lot of our chances were from distance and Rooneys was a poor miss.

I thought instead of bringing 3 midfield players on and sticking Rooney up top for the last 15 he should of given lambert a go to offer something a bit different.

Baines was shocking although he probably wasn't helped much by our world class Rooney.I actually thought Johnson had a pretty good game, he got forward lots and played a couple of decent crosses which were crying out to be stuck away.

Uruguay wont play as bad as they did yesterday and are far more direct than Italy and a lot nastier.

[Batman]

The left. That is all you have to say. All game

[OldNick]

I'm sorry to say Rooney is not the man for the system we played. The pundits were right that you get 1chance and you have to take it at that level. Hodgson took off Wellbeck but should have had the bottle to take off Rooney.

I don't get the hype of Wilshire. Personally I would have played AL ( not because he is at present a Saints player, although I didnt feel any pride when he came on, as he doesn't seem one of us now) instead of Sterling from the start and brought him on when the game was stretched, his energy for the last 35 or so minutes could have been devastating, I know he was the star player but we lost, had we been more measured and then hit them when the fatigue set in we may have done better.

Baines had a poor game although he had little cover.

All in all I still think it was the best England performance in the WC for a long time

[Special K]

Easy win for Italy. Didn't really get out of 3rd gear. We huffed and puffed but were well short. It will be very difficult to qualify from this group now.

[OldNick]

Easy win for Italy. Didn't really get out of 3rd gear. We huffed and puffed but were well short. It will be very difficult to qualify from this group now.

I don't agree, they scored from a clever corner kick routine, it was a lottery if the shot was likely to go through all those bodies, and then a 2nd bit of bad defending. We were the most likely to win before they got the 2nd. Had they had to chase the game we would have torn them a new one

[Professor]

Have to put this in context - ie that Italy are probably one of the best four teams in the competition and England did only lose by one goal. Both the Italian goals could have been prevented, and England could have scored a second so in that sense it could have gone either way, but in the game I saw, Italy looked the better side, more in control, keeping possession and strong in defence.

Are England better than Uruguay or Costa Rica? I think so. Doesn't guarantee beating them both but must be probable.

[St Jim]

I'm sorry to say Rooney is not the man for the system we played. The pundits were right that you get 1chance and you have to take it at that level. Hodgson took off Wellbeck but should have had the bottle to take off Rooney.

I don't get the hype of Wilshire. Personally I would have played AL ( not because he is at present a Saints player, although I didnt feel any pride when he came on, as he doesn't seem one of us now) instead of Sterling from the start and brought him on when the game was stretched, his energy for the last 35 or so minutes could have been devastating, I know he was the star player but we lost, had we been more measured and then hit them when the fatigue set in we may have done better.

Baines had a poor game although he had little cover.

All in all I still think it was the best England performance in the WC for a long time

 

Agreed. I think he should be deployed as an impact player, particularly in this heat. As I've mentioned before, I have concerns about his end product. It's all well and good terrorising defences but if you don't produce something at the end of it, is is in vain. For me Lallana is a smarter player which is so valuable at this level.

[DT]

Shaw would never have been so easily fooled as Baines was for the cross for Italy's second goal. In fact, Shaw is just better.

[Cabrone]

Didn't think that England played too bad atall, loved the attacking intent with players not scared to shoot if a chance came up. This was light years ahead of the dross served up in 2010.

 

Sterling looked a real live wire, and Sturridge took his one big chance well. Rooney played the pass but overall was pretty subdued, if you are going to play him play him where he's at his best. Johnson as usual got stuck in no man's land a few times, in one Italian attack the Italian player was already ahead of him yet he just jogged back like he didn't have a care in the world. He's not good enough.

 

Maybe my expectations are low but all I wanted was for England to go out ad give it a real go and they did. It was a tight match which could have gone either way so I'm not too dissappointed.

 

Hopefully Uruguay play against us as bad as they did yesterday and England can get some points on the board.

[Wes Tender]

It was blatantly obvious to the commentators and everybody else watching the game that despite the hapless Johnson playing, the Italians correctly identified our left flank as another weak spot and attacked it all evening. Rooney hardly ever provided the cover that Baines needed and having watched Saints as virtually a season ticket holder, Hodgson should have seen how effective Shaw was with a player like Rodriguez in front of him. So why not Shaw with Wellbeck ahead of him, allowing Rooney to get central from the off? As for Johnston, just how bad does he have to be before Hodgson realises that either Clyne or Chambers would be better options?

 

When Sturridge came off, it was crying out for Sir Rickie to come on and he would have added a damned sight more than Willshire who just ran into blind alleys every time he got the ball. Willshire is vastly overated and thought that he could do what he does for Arsenal against arguably the best defensive team in the World when they are protecting a lead. Ricky would have provided a big target man, as well as the ability to hold up the ball and play some penetrating passes into the box.

 

As for Italy's two goals, both were down to poor defending, but well taken by them. Following the performance of Costa Rica and the expectation that Uruguay surely can't be as bad again, especially if they have a fit Suarez playing, it begins to look as if we are already facing an ignominous return home after just three matches.

[beatlesaint]

Problem seems to be that Roy thinks he has to play Rooney come what may but hasn't got a bloody clue where to fit him in the system he wants to play.

He was awful last night, how he stayed on the pitch for 90 mins I just don't know.

 

I thought we looked quite good going forward, dodgy at the back but with Johnson at right back what else would we be ?

[Giordano]

Congratulations to Both teams.

 

BUT That result cost me a LOT of money. However in a way i don't feel bad because the players to a man did everything that was asked of them and that they were capable of doing.

On a different night Eng would have got the draw that i feel they deserved. And It was about the best Eng performance that I've seen under Roy too-all those slagging Eng off are probably just emotionally upset at the result.

Mark my words -IF England can play like that at that intensity v Uruguay and Costa Rica they will get through to next phase.

So how come Eng lost? For me in this order :

1. Prandelli is a better tactician than Woy.Not marking Pirlo was negligent and a poor choice by Woy-handed over the initiative to a team that was desperate not to have to fight for the ball too much. Prandelli was quoted as saying his dream was to win the WC playing seven matches with seven different formations.amazing.

2. Ball retention technique amongst Italian team way superior - essential in that heat and humidity. Play the same game in an Eng winter and it might have been 2-4 to Eng.

3. Pirlo is a footballing God playing with mere mortals.

4. Italy played as a cohesive team with great humility. Eng relied excessively on individual flair to win the game. I think it was Cannavaro said Italy had nobody any good at 1 to 1 , unlike Eng, but that as a team they had great awareness and spatial /movement expertise. True.

5. Footballing tournament intelligence. Italians have it in the DNA -England do not. Grind out tournament success year after year decade after decade -often with inferior players. I think its basically called being pragmatic about winning the game however and whatever it takes.

5. No SFC players in starting 11. In a match where ball retention was king which English players in his squad would understand and execute that the best -from which team with the best ball retention stats in the EPL? C'mon Woy...

That aside i see Eng progressing even if ultimately its Brazils WC to lose imo. All these matches in these conditions will eventually dap the legs and much like Mexico 1970 we might see a team literally fall over the line into the final but not have enough energy to put up a good fight in the final. The best squad with the luckiest draw/logistics for play& travel will win....

[benjii]

Although I applaud Hodgson giving some players a chance there are some fundamental and glaring problems with this squad and team.

 

Squad:

 

A Cole is much better than Baines and should be there. I think Shaw is also better than Baines.

 

Clyne (and probably several other players) is/are much better than Johnson and should be there.

 

Central midfield: I can't believe the over-reliance on Gerrard and Henderson. At least one of Carrick or Barry (or even Cork) should be there to protect the back four. The balance is completely wrong and it's not something that Lampard or Wilshere will fix. Neither of those latter two really deserve to be there.

 

Team:

 

Rooney out wide: obviously a stupid idea. Lallana, Ox (if fit) or Milner would do a better job.

 

Barkley: massively over-rated IMO. Should have put Lambert or Lallana on earlier.

[Andy Durman]

If I was England manager I would have played Shaw at left back and Clyne at right and tried to take the game to them and defend in their half.

 

I would have replaced Gerrard with Cork.

 

I would have replaced Rooney with Lallana.

 

If I was England manager we would be celebrating a win.

 

Roy you have the tools, but not the understanding of the modern game.

 

There is no place for sentiment in football or Gerard and you can't win games on reputation (Rooney).

[VectisSaint]

Problem seems to be that Roy thinks he has to play Rooney come what may but hasn't got a bloody clue where to fit him in the system he wants to play.

He was awful last night, how he stayed on the pitch for 90 mins I just don't know.

 

I thought we looked quite good going forward, dodgy at the back but with Johnson at right back what else would we be ?

To be fair, Johnson was fine, the issue at the back was Baines, awful, not helped by having the awful Rooney in front of him.

[Andy Durman]

It was blatantly obvious to the commentators and everybody else watching the game that despite the hapless Johnson playing, the Italians correctly identified our left flank as another weak spot and attacked it all evening. Rooney hardly ever provided the cover that Baines needed and having watched Saints as virtually a season ticket holder, Hodgson should have seen how effective Shaw was with a player like Rodriguez in front of him. So why not Shaw with Wellbeck ahead of him, allowing Rooney to get central from the off? As for Johnston, just how bad does he have to be before Hodgson realises that either Clyne or Chambers would be better options?

 

When Sturridge came off, it was crying out for Sir Rickie to come on and he would have added a damned sight more than Willshire who just ran into blind alleys every time he got the ball. Willshire is vastly overated and thought that he could do what he does for Arsenal against arguably the best defensive team in the World when they are protecting a lead. Ricky would have provided a big target man, as well as the ability to hold up the ball and play some penetrating passes into the box.

 

As for Italy's two goals, both were down to poor defending, but well taken by them. Following the performance of Costa Rica and the expectation that Uruguay surely can't be as bad again, especially if they have a fit Suarez playing, it begins to look as if we are already facing an ignominous return home after just three matches.

 

Totally agree

 

Do we really need to pay so much money to these trainers we they can't see what is so obvious.

 

Roy watched most of Saints, but what did he learn? was he asleep or thinking of how he should invest the ridiculous sums of money paid to him.

 

Roy you are so underachieving with so much English talent available and whats worst is that you don't have in the squad alot of the answers.

Edited 15 June, 2014 by Andy Durman

[Giordano]

Italy. 93.2% pass completion rate in that match. Apparently Best WC stat since 1966. Essentially a lesson in how to adjust your play to fit the conditions. Then again, that's not the first time Italy have given a good team a football lesson the the WC and won't be the last. Just wish Team Eng have stayed awake in class and actually LEARN from this result. Fingers crossed. They will best Uruguay and CR playing sameish way - because frankly those are NOT Italy / but a good team - nope, same kind of thing can easily happen again.

[eelpie]

Lambert?

 

Lambert should have come on instead of Barclay, or failing that, Lallana. The last stages of the match when Italy were happy to defend their lead in depth were when Rickie would have been at his best. All those corners into the box and no Lambert to head into goal or harass tired defenders! What a waste of a tactical opportunity. And if Rickie wasn't used then why did Woy take him to the World Cup?

[Turkish]

Hilarious how everyone was claiming that expectations were low and everyone thought we'd struggle to get out of the group, yet now as expected we've narrowly lost to a decent side everyone is in meltdown about how sh*t we are.

 

Granted, a few players shouldn't be near the squad, Rooney was awful apart from his one cross, left Baines so exposed time a after time. He's only in the team because of his name and on current form shouldn't be in the side. If there is a worse right back than Johnson in tournament then I'd be surprised. Thought the rest did okay considering their ability, which before the tournament started loads of people claimed they now realised yet as soon as we lose yet again to a top footballing nation is quickly forgotten and the usual witch hunt starts, with of course *insert saints players name* as the answer, what is the question?

[Graffito]

Congratulations to Both teams.

 

BUT That result cost me a LOT of money. However in a way i don't feel bad because the players to a man did everything that was asked of them and that they were capable of doing.

On a different night Eng would have got the draw that i feel they deserved. And It was about the best Eng performance that I've seen under Roy too-all those slagging Eng off are probably just emotionally upset at the result.

Mark my words -IF England can play like that at that intensity v Uruguay and Costa Rica they will get through to next phase.

So how come Eng lost? For me in this order :

1. Prandelli is a better tactician than Woy.Not marking Pirlo was negligent and a poor choice by Woy-handed over the initiative to a team that was desperate not to have to fight for the ball too much. Prandelli was quoted as saying his dream was to win the WC playing seven matches with seven different formations.amazing.

2. Ball retention technique amongst Italian team way superior - essential in that heat and humidity. Play the same game in an Eng winter and it might have been 2-4 to Eng.

3. Pirlo is a footballing God playing with mere mortals.

4. Italy played as a cohesive team with great humility. Eng relied excessively on individual flair to win the game. I think it was Cannavaro said Italy had nobody any good at 1 to 1 , unlike Eng, but that as a team they had great awareness and spatial /movement expertise. True.

5. Footballing tournament intelligence. Italians have it in the DNA -England do not. Grind out tournament success year after year decade after decade -often with inferior players. I think its basically called being pragmatic about winning the game however and whatever it takes.

5. No SFC players in starting 11. In a match where ball retention was king which English players in his squad would understand and execute that the best -from which team with the best ball retention stats in the EPL? C'mon Woy...

That aside i see Eng progressing even if ultimately its Brazils WC to lose imo. All these matches in these conditions will eventually dap the legs and much like Mexico 1970 we might see a team literally fall over the line into the final but not have enough energy to put up a good fight in the final. The best squad with the luckiest draw/logistics for play& travel will win....

 

Some good points here, particularly from Italian perspective, but don't you think the problems for England down the left were key with Damian (is it?) able to play so advanced and tie up both Baines and Rooney? Or are you saying that a man on Pirlo would have dealt with this by wresting control in CM? An extra CM rather than an attacking midfielder might have done this for England. Someone to tuck in on England's left. But I can't criticise Hodgson too much. He went for it like we wanted.

[Lord Duckhunter]

If I was England manager I would have played Shaw at left back and Clyne at right and tried to take the game to them and defend in their half.

 

I would have replaced Gerrard with Cork.

 

I would have replaced Rooney with Lallana.

 

If I was England manager we would be celebrating a win.

 

Roy you have the tools, but not the understanding of the modern game.

 

There is no place for sentiment in football or Gerard and you can't win games on reputation (Rooney).

 

Lol, funny how everyone who starts a sentence with " you know who Woy should play" always seems to end up recommending players from the team they support.

 

If you canvassed every single premiership manager and player I doubt if one would play cork instead of Gerard. In fact I doubt if cork himself would pick himself over Gerard.

[Cestrian Saint]

Rooney's had too many opportunities. It's time for a change. 4-4-2 with Sturridge & Lambert up front & a midfield of Barkley, Gerrard, Wilshire & Sterling. Same back 4 I guess, although I'd like to see Johnson dropped.

[CB Fry]

Hilarious how everyone was claiming that expectations were low and everyone thought we'd struggle to get out of the group, yet now as expected we've narrowly lost to a decent side everyone is in meltdown about how sh*t we are.

 

Granted, a few players shouldn't be near the squad, Rooney was awful apart from his one cross, left Baines so exposed time a after time. He's only in the team because of his name and on current form shouldn't be in the side. If there is a worse right back than Johnson in tournament then I'd be surprised. Thought the rest did okay considering their ability, which before the tournament started loads of people claimed they now realised yet as soon as we lose yet again to a top footballing nation is quickly forgotten and the usual witch hunt starts, with of course *insert saints players name* as the answer, what is the question?

Wonderful outrage on here before kick off that England legend Adam Lallana dropped for Sterling. Funnily enough no one outside of the Saints Web bubble picked up on this earthquake of injustice. Why was that?

[St Jim]

Rooney's had too many opportunities. It's time for a change. 4-4-2 with Sturridge & Lambert up front & a midfield of Barkley, Gerrard, Wilshire & Sterling. Same back 4 I guess, although I'd like to see Johnson dropped.

 

We lost but that was probably the most fluid England I've seen in years. We lost because we simply don't have the level of quality players Italy have (probably just 2 players short) in Pirlo and De Rossi. Not even Lallana, Shaw, Cork or JRod or any other Saints player will change that (Andy Durman)

 

Good riddance to the 4-4-2 I say, more of that performance please.

[Shandy_Top_89]

Mixed feelings here.

 

The first 55 mins had some of the best England football I've seen in an attacking sense. Even though I have bias, the key mistake was Rooney on the wings, he is number 10 for a reason and if Stirling beats him to his starting position he should be on the bench. They wouldn't have had anywhere near the joy on the wing with Lallana, purely as he is used to tracking back. Despite Baines not having the greatest game I feel a bit sorry for him, he received no support from the rest of the team and was frequently outnumbered when Italy came forward.

 

The other major issue was our substitutes, we dipped in attacking quality when Wilshere and Barkley came on. I think Barkley has loads of potential, but I can't see why he is receiving praise for his play last night. He saw a lot of the ball but apart from that one shot shortly after he came on, he wasted possession every time he got on the ball and missed a number of key passes in order to run at the (by that time) stacked Italy defence which had responded to the weakness Stirling exposed earlier in the first half, losing the ball nearly every time.

 

Encouraging but frustrating.

[Chez]

I think Rooney is being a little harshly treated when it comes to giving Baines protection. No matter who the player is they are always going to struggle to be right up next to the striker one minute and then standing in front of the left back the next. The formation makes that role very tough. The idea that Lallana will do that better is folly. He struggled big style to track full backs in his first season in the prem when played left wing.

[Turkish]

Wonderful outrage on here before kick off that England legend Adam Lallana dropped for Sterling. Funnily enough no one outside of the Saints Web bubble picked up on this earthquake of injustice. Why was that?

 

Another one that amuses me is the indignation that Clyne should start for England. Just to be clear I rate Clyne very highly, however he's been kept out of the saints team for large parts of the season by an 18 year old. Can you imagine the meltdown on here if any player from any club in any position was starting for England after being kept out of their club side by a teenager in his debut season. Yet when its one of ours he should be a shoe in for England ahead of first choice players in clubs that finished above us.

[Saint Fan CaM]

I think Rooney is being a little harshly treated when it comes to giving Baines protection. No matter who the player is they are always going to struggle to be right up next to the striker one minute and then standing in front of the left back the next. The formation makes that role very tough. The idea that Lallana will do that better is folly. He struggled big style to track full backs in his first season in the prem when played left wing.

 

Thing is though Lallana (and others in the Saints team) have been coached to place their bodies in the most optimal position to reduce the threat of a telling pass. Lallana has learnt that well whereas Rooney has no clue whatsoever. Not saying Rooney is a bad player, just that it's increasingly difficult to see where he fits into this squad.

[Dig Dig]

Another one that amuses me is the indignation that Clyne should start for England. Just to be clear I rate Clyne very highly, however he's been kept out of the saints team for large parts of the season by an 18 year old. Can you imagine the meltdown on here if any player from any club in any position was starting for England after being kept out of their club side by a teenager in his debut season. Yet when its one of ours he should be a shoe in for England ahead of first choice players in clubs that finished above us.

 

I'd have Clyne, Chambers and Dodd over Glenn Johnson though