Euro 2016

[Saint_Ash]

I'd vote for Pards.

[Charlie Wayman]

How do people explain 50 years of continuous systematic failure of the England football set-up then? Surely it cannot all be down to the recently departed coaching set-up and current players or indeed having an English coaching set-up at all as opposed to a foreign one such as Capelli or Erikson?

 

We have accused generation after generation of being over-hyped, over-paid, over-egged and frivolous and yet come the next generation with so-called clean starts and no baggage (or WAGS in tow) the results remain the same.

 

There is something rotten in the State of English Football and the finger can only point at the FA - which is exactly what this over-bloated, self-grandiosing organisation has achieved in 50 years.

 

It is they who should be ashamed but there is not a hint of any of those faceless bureaucrats resigning this morning.

 

Give the job to the Premier League and leave to FA to run Sunday morning league football which apparently they are quite good at.

[tajjuk]

 

Give the job to the Premier League and leave to FA to run Sunday morning league football which apparently they are quite good at.

 

They really aren't, have you seen some of the pitches the kids play on? Not to mention their stipulations on refs etc that are just a pain in the behind.

[mrfahaji]

Not a "man" on the pitch last night. No leaders. Need a manager who will concentrate on team ethic and work rate. We were not a team last night and haven't been for a long time. We're a relegation threatened club that needs a reboot.

 

Big Fat Sam

 

As much as we would play awful football under Allardyce, at least the players would know what they were meant to be doing. We could cause a few upsets too, maybe knocking out the more successful nations, like Bulgaria and Switzerland.

[Saint IQ]

End of the day I think blaming the manager is too easy, he would have drilled them on the long throws and they didn't follow those plans and didn't pick up players.

 

They were then very lazy and didn't close down for the second goal, probably because they thought Iceland were no threat and then of course Hart compounds it by letting a fairly tame shot that wasn't in the corner through him.

 

I watched the Italy v Spain, they played with Pelle up front who isn't even a regular for us, Giaccherrini who struggled for Sunderland, they had far far less talent on display than we had but they played as a team, they worked hard and they played to their tactics with everyone doing their role.

 

England went out because they were lazy, didn't concentrate and didn't play with passion and tempo. Why the hell do our players charge around blood and thunder in the premiership then turn up at tournaments and think they have to play like Spain?

 

Honestly I think we should just give up on international football, there is something wrong, there has been more than enough talent around, something happens to our players at tournaments.

 

Blaming the manager is too easy yet you say Italy played well with average players (poorer squad than we have). All blame should be on the manager, Wilshere came on at half time and showed he should of not even been in the squad in place of Drinkwater and Noble, he just strolled around and couldn't even run.

 

At half time we had a midfield of Alli, Rooney and Wilshere...It was never going to work and just showed how inept and clueless/senile Roy is.

 

Always said if we do well in this tournament it will be in spite of Roy, we had a good squad although out of form Sterling and no 90 minutes for over a year Wilshere shouldn't of been there. Other than that Kane should of been dropped after 2 games but we had a better squad than most out there

 

Pretty much had 10 men when Wilshere came on with no defensive midfielder breaking up, spraying passes and dictating play. Feel sorry for Dier who did nothing wrong and was proabably one of the only players who can hold his head high

[Pancake]

Pretty much had 10 men when Wilshere came on

 

9. We carried Kane all match. Absolutely useless.

[Saint IQ]

9. We carried Kane all match. Absolutely useless.

 

------------Forster-----------

Clyne-Smalling-Cahill-Bertrand

--------Dier--Rooney-----------

Sturridge--Alli--Lallana-------

----------Vardy----------------

 

Would of got us to Extra time or at least put up more of a fight, Rashford on earlier? (was Lallana injured?)

 

Fair play to Iceland though, it just shouldn't of been so easy for them especially in that second half

[tajjuk]

Blaming the manager is too easy yet you say Italy played well with average players (poorer squad than we have). All blame should be on the manager, Wilshere came on at half time and showed he should of not even been in the squad in place of Drinkwater and Noble, he just strolled around and couldn't even run.

 

At half time we had a midfield of Alli, Rooney and Wilshere...It was never going to work and just showed how inept and clueless/senile Roy is.

 

Always said if we do well in this tournament it will be in spite of Roy, we had a good squad although out of form Sterling and no 90 minutes for over a year Wilshere shouldn't of been there. Other than that Kane should of been dropped after 2 games but we had a better squad than most out there

 

Pretty much had 10 men when Wilshere came on with no defensive midfielder breaking up, spraying passes and dictating play. Feel sorry for Dier who did nothing wrong and was proabably one of the only players who can hold his head high

 

Italy players did there job and worked hard. they played for Conte and for the nation.

 

Ours did neither, they didn't put the effort in and thought they could turn up and win.

 

Players are to blame, whatever people think of Roy that was still on paper a good team with talented players.

 

How often can we keep blaming management? We had in Capello on of the most successful managers around, players still could not form a team or play well.

[buctootim]

How often can we keep blaming management? We had in Capello on of the most successful managers around, players still could not form a team or play well.

 

Exactly. Its down to the players. For the smaller countries playing for the national side is mostly a chance to give up the lower leagues, low wages and obscurity for a chance to shine on the big stage. Even if you fail you're a hero because you tried hard against bigger opposition. For England players its just a chance to play yet another high pressure match for less money and get criticised unless its both a stellar performance and result, every time. Its not just their fault. Its the situation of modern football.

[Give it to Ron]

Italy players did there job and worked hard. they played for Conte and for the nation.

 

Ours did neither, they didn't put the effort in and thought they could turn up and win.

 

Players are to blame, whatever people think of Roy that was still on paper a good team with talented players.

 

How often can we keep blaming management? We had in Capello on of the most successful managers around, players still could not form a team or play well.

 

So not changing wingers - swapping over to move them around is not the managers job? Didnt do that once!

Rashford 4 mins is not the managers job?

Taking Barklay and not giving him one minute match time when we cant buy a goal is not the manager?

How many times has Sturridge played wide right for England? It wasnt working did he get put him up top or alongside the ineffective Kane?

Letting Kane take free kick when he has put 5 in the crowd is that not a managers job?

Sorry there is no defending this - it was a debacle from start to finish.

[hughieslastminutegoal]

Still liked the line from Tyldesley second half "Iceland are having trouble getting the ball out of defence" as 4 of them played the ball around between themselves in the little square between the corner flag and the edge of the penalty box under no real pressure then winkled it out up field.

 

Shearer hit the nail on the head when he said "against Portugal in the warm ups we were still experimenting with a formation".

 

Whoever takes over needs to stop this infatuation of drawing the squad from the usual residents of the Premiership top 4/6. You just have to look at Italy and the huge pool of players they have to draw on, many of whom play for the top teams in Europe, yet they have a bloke playing in a number 9 shirt who is 30 years old (?) and earns his corn playing for Southampton!!

One of the lads in the Icelandic team plays for relegated to League 1 Charlton!!

 

And then change it again when the completion starts.... that's if you can call it a formation at all. There was little sign last night of any kind of team awareness, it's like each one gets the ball and then wonders where his team mates are, he can't look up before he gets the ball under control... if he gets it under control.

 

They all seem to forget any coaching they've ever had, freeze and stare intently at the bloke with the ball. And when time's running out, put your head down and run like a headless chicken towards the other end - again paying no attention to what anyone else on the pitch is doing.

 

Its a feckin mystery what happened to their brains when in a major competition.

[Saint IQ]

Italy players did there job and worked hard. they played for Conte and for the nation.

 

Ours did neither, they didn't put the effort in and thought they could turn up and win.

 

Players are to blame, whatever people think of Roy that was still on paper a good team with talented players.

 

How often can we keep blaming management? We had in Capello on of the most successful managers around, players still could not form a team or play well.

 

IMO our pool of players to choose from was much poorer under Capello, you wait till we get a capable manager in we might not win anything but at least we'll have an identity and some sort of tactics. I'll say it again, if we had Conte as our manager the last 2 years we would of made the semi's or final comfortably. I stand by that

 

I don't buy the players don't care nonsense of course they do they just played as if they had no leadership. (Rooney can be blamed for that as well as Roy)

 

If it was on paper a good team with talented players, Roy should of done far far better with them, that's his job. You're contradicting yourself saying "we had good players so why blame the management". The last 2 tournaments have been the worst exits from major tournaments in decades.

 

Shearer was spot on.

Edited 28 June, 2016 by Saint IQ

[Window Cleaner]

Its a feckin mystery what happened to their brains when in a major competition.

 

Although quite a few of them would seem rather underendowed in that department. I'm sure that Rooney, Sterling and Alli wouldn't make up one reasonably normal IQ between them. Then again they're not there to solve complex spatial puzzles and mathematical sequences and the like...or are they?

[iansums]

Game of Thrones was good.

[angelman]

Game of Thrones was good.

 

I watched epsidoe 1 of the 6th series. Didn't have the faintest idea what was going on and fell asleep. Having said that, I haven't really understood what has been going on since the beginning and only watched if for the tits, which quite frankly I could have just gone on to the internet to look at.

[hughieslastminutegoal]

Exactly. Its down to the players. For the smaller countries playing for the national side is mostly a chance to give up the lower leagues, low wages and obscurity for a chance to shine on the big stage. Even if you fail you're a hero because you tried hard against bigger opposition. For England players its just a chance to play yet another high pressure match for less money and get criticised unless its both a stellar performance and result, every time. Its not just their fault. Its the situation of modern football.

 

Pity no one has told the Germans - they might not have bothered to turn up.

[Winnersaint]

Game of Thrones was good.

 

Got to half time. Then GoT seemed a much more exciting option, as it proved to be.

[Jai27]

Actually I don't think Southgate would be to bad he could bring through the under 21s. We need to stop picking players on what team they play for and build an England team more like a club side start young and bring them through as a team playing a certain style every game. If it was me I'd build the England team around Stones, Ali, Kane, Dyer and Rashford, Shaw and the England under 21s.

 

To be honest I genuinely think our under 21's would have given Iceland a better game.

[buctootim]

Pity no one has told the Germans - they might not have bothered to turn up.

 

 

The German players dont have to put up with this kind of crap every match.

http://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/its-absolutely-shocking-coleen-rooney-responds-to-the-suns-front-page-featuring-her-son-kai-6-crying-34839948.html

[tajjuk]

IMO our pool of players to choose from was much poorer under Capello, you wait till we get a capable manager in we might not win anything but at least we'll have an identity and some sort of tactics. I'll say it again, if we had Conte as our manager the last 2 years we would of made the semi's or final comfortably. I stand by that

 

I don't buy the players don't care nonsense of course they do they just played as if they had no leadership. (Rooney can be blamed for that as well as Roy)

 

If it was on paper a good team with talented players, Roy should of done far far better with them, that's his job. You're contradicting yourself saying "we had good players so why blame the management". The last 2 tournaments have been the worst exits from major tournaments in decades.

 

Shearer was spot on.

 

We've won something like 3 knock out tournament games in about 20 years.

 

We change manager all the time Hoddle, Erikson, McLaren, Capello and now Roy and it gets no better, it's the players, they don't play when they put on an England jersey. All the performances in knock out games have basically been the same, slow, lacking tempo, lacking fight, lacking ideas.

 

Was it Roy's fault Hart goes from world class to flapping clown?

 

Was it Roy's fault two spurs players fell asleep against that long throw?

 

Was it Roy's fault that the players just strolled around and put no pressure on the ball for their second goal?

 

Whatever Roy did is irrelevant, there was more than enough talent on that pitch that if they had managed themselves they still should have won.

 

Again players, especially England players get off far too easy far too often with these inept, lazy performances.

[Saint_Ash]

The players need to shoulder some of the blame and I think they will, they won't get off lightly but the buck stops with the Manager. He has been useless and he hasn't even got the balls to come out and say what went wrong.

[Saint IQ]

We've won something like 3 knock out tournament games in about 20 years.

 

We change manager all the time Hoddle, Erikson, McLaren, Capello and now Roy and it gets no better, it's the players, they don't play when they put on an England jersey. All the performances in knock out games have basically been the same, slow, lacking tempo, lacking fight, lacking ideas.

 

Was it Roy's fault Hart goes from world class to flapping clown?- a manager with balls would of dropped him by now

 

Was it Roy's fault two spurs players fell asleep against that long throw?- No but the rest of the game was especially after bringing Wilshere at half time

 

Was it Roy's fault that the players just strolled around and put no pressure on the ball for their second goal? No but it was well known our defence was our weak spot

Whatever Roy did is irrelevant, there was more than enough talent on that pitch that if they had managed themselves they still should have won.

 

Again players, especially England players get off far too easy far too often with these inept, lazy performances.

 

Whatever Roy did is irrelevant? I give up.

[Saint IQ]

The players need to shoulder some of the blame and I think they will, they won't get off lightly but the buck stops with the Manager. He has been useless and he hasn't even got the balls to come out and say what went wrong.

 

Exactly got to run without answering any questions and for 3.5m a year. Outrageous , big wigs at the FA are to blame.

[adrian lord]

"These things happen.."

 

FFS is that all you can come out with?

[suewhistle]

So not changing wingers - swapping over to move them around is not the managers job? Didnt do that once!

Rashford 4 mins is not the managers job?

Taking Barklay and not giving him one minute match time when we cant buy a goal is not the manager?

How many times has Sturridge played wide right for England? It wasnt working did he get put him up top or alongside the ineffective Kane?

Letting Kane take free kick when he has put 5 in the crowd is that not a managers job?

Sorry there is no defending this - it was a debacle from start to finish.

 

Yep, and playing an unfit Wilshere, not taking another wide player, dropping Lallana who at least in his previous game was moving off the ball and making things happen (even if he still can't shoot..), leaving Rooney on when his awful passing and general slowness produced groan after groan (and then laughter) in the pub I watched it in, with my Saints hat on why not give FF a match? And on and on...

[Window Cleaner]

Yep, and playing an unfit Wilshere, not taking another wide player, dropping Lallana who at least in his previous game was moving off the ball and making things happen (even if he still can't shoot..), leaving Rooney on when his awful passing and general slowness produced groan after groan (and then laughter) in the pub I watched it in, with my Saints hat on why not give FF a match? And on and on...

 

Even taking the Wheelchair was an error on the part of the manager, just had to be one Arsenal player in the squad didn't there.

[suewhistle]

I agree, but didn't want to go too far over the top..

[whelk]

I watched epsidoe 1 of the 6th series. Didn't have the faintest idea what was going on and fell asleep. Having said that, I haven't really understood what has been going on since the beginning and only watched if for the tits, which quite frankly I could have just gone on to the internet to look at.

 

there are tits on the internet?

 

Reminds me of Robert de Niro and the nude pen in Extras

[whelk]

"These things happen.."

 

FFS is that all you can come out with?

 

'players did all that was asked of them'. Should we not asked them to play better and win more?

[adrian lord]

^ clearly Roy asked the players to overhit passes, run in opposite directions and generally screw things up

[Saint IQ]

If you have a cautious manager clearly afraid of failure, it will get through to the players. They needed a leader.

 

It's not hard to play against England when they have no idea of their own system. England beat themselves in most games. 1 win, late on, against Wales. Pathetic.

 

It is Roy's fault we didn't find a team in 2 years of easy qualifiers.

It is Roy's fault we didn't win the group.

It is Roy's fault we had unfit players there.

It is Roy's fault we had Rooney in midfield.

It is Roy's fault Alli was out of position

It is Roy's fault Sturridge was out of position

It is Roy's fault Kane looked confused about his role

It is Roy's fault Kane was taking corners

It is Roy's fault Sterling was playing

It is Roy's fault Drinkwater, Walcott, Chamberlain, Townsend and others weren't there.

 

I think that's enough. Having a lot of rubbish managers will bring the inevitable 'can't be about the managers then'. But it's far enough back to make comparison irrelevant, they all get different groups of players, some very good, some less so.

 

It's not JUST management. There's a huge psychological block, and far too much arrogance. Every tournament idiots like rooney in the media saying 'we'll do it this time', talking themselves up when they've done nothing. I don't want to hear anything from an england player until they've made a semi final.

 

But that doesn't change the fact our managers have been awful. Overpaid and awful. Every single time, a group of individuals and no team. Names picked over making a team gel, no balls to put good players on the bench. Good players out of position, poor players in the team because of their past or their club, unfit players picked. They never learn.

 

For me it's summed up against Wales. It seems innocuous to many I know, and I'm biassed because I can't stand Sturridge, but we scored a last second winner and everyone was celebrating. Yet all on Sturridge's mind seemed to be a chance to do his dance on the big stage. All about him, his brand, not the team. That dance looks fcking stupid and arrogant when so often it's surrounded by ultimate failure for liverpool and england. save it for when you've won something you overhyped selfish *****.

 

Agree with everything except you can't blame him for not taking the Ox, he's injured

 

Wilshere, Henderson shouldn't of been there who were both not fit, when we have players playing week in week out for teams that finished high in the table ie Noble and Drinkwater

 

Sterling's form was so poor the last 12 months Puncheon would of been a better option let alone Townsend.

[mrfahaji]

I agree with much of what adriansfc has said, except I think Alli was being played in his best position (in fact my concern was that he was going to be moved to accommodate Rooney, but that didn't happen).

[mrfahaji]

Agree with everything except you can't blame him for not taking the Ox, he's injured

 

Wilshere, Henderson shouldn't have been there who were both not fit, when we have players playing week in week out for teams that finished high in the table ie Noble and Drinkwater

 

Sterling's form was so poor the last 12 months Puncheon would have been a better option let alone Townsend.

 

fixed

[Saint IQ]

R.Carlos on Hodgson:

 

He told me I would never succeed as left back. I told him that he doesn't understand football.

 

What went wrong at Inter? Did you not like the Italian style of football?

 

My problem at Inter was Hodgson, Roy Hodgson. He wanted me to play as a forward when I'm a defender – I prefer to have space ahead of me to run into rather than be a winger already up there; for me it's better to have 80 metres to play in than 20. I didn't like the system or where Hodgson wanted me to play in it. He wanted me further up the pitch, sure, but stopped, still, rigid. The Copa America was coming up and I was playing at left-back for Brazil, so I wanted to play there for Inter too. I had to leave because I didn't want to jeopardise my chances with the national team. If I couldn't play the way I do I wouldn't be able to play for Brazil. I spoke to Massimo Morratti [the Inter president] to see if he could sort things out and it soon became clear that the only solution was to leave.

 

Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/roberto-carlos-one-one#TCixo3RXogWBdb5V.99

[Saint IQ]

fixed

 

How noble of you, I blame this headache.

[benjii]

If you have a cautious manager clearly afraid of failure, it will get through to the players. They needed a leader.

 

It's not hard to play against England when they have no idea of their own system. England beat themselves in most games. 1 win, late on, against Wales. Pathetic.

 

It is Roy's fault we didn't find a team in 2 years of easy qualifiers.

It is Roy's fault we didn't win the group.

It is Roy's fault we had unfit players there.

It is Roy's fault we had Rooney in midfield.

It is Roy's fault Alli was out of position

It is Roy's fault Sturridge was out of position

It is Roy's fault Kane looked confused about his role

It is Roy's fault Kane was taking corners

It is Roy's fault Sterling was playing

It is Roy's fault Drinkwater, Walcott, Chamberlain, Townsend and others weren't there.

 

I think that's enough. Having a lot of rubbish managers will bring the inevitable 'can't be about the managers then'. But it's far enough back to make comparison irrelevant, they all get different groups of players, some very good, some less so.

 

It's not JUST management. There's a huge psychological block, and far too much arrogance. Every tournament idiots like rooney in the media saying 'we'll do it this time', talking themselves up when they've done nothing. I don't want to hear anything from an england player until they've made a semi final.

 

But that doesn't change the fact our managers have been awful. Overpaid and awful. Every single time, a group of individuals and no team. Names picked over making a team gel, no balls to put good players on the bench. Good players out of position, poor players in the team because of their past or their club, unfit players picked. They never learn.

 

For me it's summed up against Wales. It seems innocuous to many I know, and I'm biassed because I can't stand Sturridge, but we scored a last second winner and everyone was celebrating. Yet all on Sturridge's mind seemed to be a chance to do his dance on the big stage. All about him, his brand, not the team. That dance looks fcking stupid and arrogant when so often it's surrounded by ultimate failure for liverpool and england. save it for when you've won something you overhyped selfish *****.

 

Great post!

 

And add a gutless prepared resignation speech into the mix as well.

[OldNick]

At the end of the day none of those players are the absolute stars at their clubs. They need the foreign players around them to help them tick.Although I suppose Kane and Ali are at Spurs.

Sturridge as a winger??? Kane taking set pieces ???? Taking off Dier who added strength to our midfield against the strong and athletic Icemand players.

Has Hodgson actually had a proper post match iinterview? If not why havent the FA made him do one instead of skulking away. We as fans last night needed answers

[Saint IQ]

It's fine to differ on opinions on the best players, who to take etc., but Hodgson annoyed me with his contradictions. Maybe he's old, forgetful, but I got the impression he was just in a mess and couldn't work out what he was doing.

 

He said he wouldn't take players if they weren't fit. He said Walcott hadn't played enough this season. How can you say that with a straight face while picking Wilshere? I mean Walcott played more than Rashford too didn't he? Whatever your opinions on the players, the statement is nonsense.

 

He said Clyne wasn't picked when at saints as we couldn't just pick on short bursts of form. a) he'd been good for 2 years and b) he's picked plenty of short bursts of form before and after that.

 

Every conference he contradicts himself. All I want is a manager who knows what he thinks, doesn't settle for pathetic displays, doesn't pick injured players or people out of position and puts team before individuals. Is it really such an impossible ask? Is there someone with the balls to come in and say 'sorry wayne, you're done'? Southgate wouldn't would he.

 

Tim Sherwood

[mrfahaji]

It's fine to differ on opinions on the best players, who to take etc., but Hodgson annoyed me with his contradictions. Maybe he's old, forgetful, but I got the impression he was just in a mess and couldn't work out what he was doing.

 

He said he wouldn't take players if they weren't fit. He said Walcott hadn't played enough this season. How can you say that with a straight face while picking Wilshere? I mean Walcott played more than Rashford too didn't he? Whatever your opinions on the players, the statement is nonsense.

 

He said Clyne wasn't picked when at saints as we couldn't just pick on short bursts of form. a) he'd been good for 2 years and b) he's picked plenty of short bursts of form before and after that.

 

Every conference he contradicts himself. All I want is a manager who knows what he thinks, doesn't settle for pathetic displays, doesn't pick injured players or people out of position and puts team before individuals. Is it really such an impossible ask? Is there someone with the balls to come in and say 'sorry wayne, you're done'? Southgate wouldn't would he.

 

Excellent post, even better than the previous one!

 

I like Southgate, and certainly think it would be unfair to judge his credentials based on his playing career, but it would be something to have an England team known for it's fragility and perennial underachieving managed by the man who missed a sudden-death penalty against Germany in a Semi Final at Wembley.

[mrfahaji]

At the end of the day none of those players are the absolute stars at their clubs. They need the foreign players around them to help them tick.Although I suppose Kane and Ali are at Spurs.

Sturridge as a winger??? Kane taking set pieces ???? Taking off Dier who added strength to our midfield against the strong and athletic Icemand players.

Has Hodgson actually had a proper post match iinterview? If not why havent the FA made him do one instead of skulking away. We as fans last night needed answers

 

As much as it's disappointing and emotions are riding high (not so much for me to be honest, I found it to be the perfect embodiment of our country right now - a joke and an embarrassment), I'm not really sure what Hodgson could say about the performance that would satisfy anyone, other than to give the mob more ammunition.

[lambtiss]

He hasn't lost his knack ..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ7rXwLBapg

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Arry` wanted it and sulked because he didnt get it, he be a good fit f`sure...

[Bewildered]

[Saint_Ash]

Harry Kane is not the sharpest tool in the box.

[Jai27]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2069[/ATTACH]

 

If true, wow. Joe Hart should be ashamed of himself and Harry Kane needs to do some GCSE retakes over the summer instead of playing in tournaments.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

Harry Kane is not the sharpest tool in the box.

 

Just played like a blunt one

[Saint_Ash]

"I don't know what I'm doing here"

 

[Window Cleaner]

Harry Kane is not the sharpest tool in the box.

 

Although probably about the median for footballers. As I said elsewhere you'd probably need the sum of 3 or 4 to get a decent IQ score.

[Jimmy_D]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2069[/ATTACH]

 

Would have been funny, but...

 

[Saint_Ash]

Would have been funny, but...

 

Nah, let's believe it anyway!