I actually think they can take this one as well.
Whats the point though... Germany would pummel England.
Whats the point though... Germany would pummel England.
How is this game still 0-0? So many chances and defensive blunders on both sides.
Semifinal between Germany and England would be fantastic. Especially if it went to penalties.
Semifinal between Germany and England would be fantastic. Especially if it went to penalties.
The English commentators are a ****ing disgrace.
Nice game.
Looks like politics are finally creeping into the championship. First Germany vs Portugal, then vs. Greece, now vs. Italy and hopefully against Spain for the final.
Vain
Looks like politics are finally creeping into the championship. First Germany vs Portugal, then vs. Greece, now vs. Italy and hopefully against Spain for the final.
Vain
Mark Lawrence is particularly bad.
oh cock! now there's just one acceptable winner: Germany
Come on....
...he's not even that good.
hahaha i knew it 
That was the worst game I've ever seen.
It looked like Hodgson told them to try and score in the first ten minutes, but after that concede two thirds of the pitch and give it back to Italy asap.
What a whimpering shambolic way to go out of a tournament.
I would rather they had lost 3-1 than progress to the semi finals by "playing" like that. Italy weren't even that good or dangerous in possession.
So lame, and I'm quite glad I don't have to put up with more "we can do it" b.s between now and what would have been certain elimination on thursday.
I don't know why they bother with the commentators for England matches. They were all talking up their chances before the match, and once that penalty went in, it was: "that's their level, this is where we expected them to get to, this shows the improvements we need to make in English football". B.s before, and "we knew this would happen" afterwards
It looked like Hodgson told them to try and score in the first ten minutes, but after that concede two thirds of the pitch and give it back to Italy asap.
What a whimpering shambolic way to go out of a tournament.
I would rather they had lost 3-1 than progress to the semi finals by "playing" like that. Italy weren't even that good or dangerous in possession.
So lame, and I'm quite glad I don't have to put up with more "we can do it" b.s between now and what would have been certain elimination on thursday.
I don't know why they bother with the commentators for England matches. They were all talking up their chances before the match, and once that penalty went in, it was: "that's their level, this is where we expected them to get to, this shows the improvements we need to make in English football". B.s before, and "we knew this would happen" afterwards
In all honesty if we follow the trend and learn to pass and keep possession like every other team then we can be good. Too many times did we end up in a dangerous position only for Young, Rooney or Milner to give it away either in possession or from a bad pass. Although everyone thinks he is god Rooney was unfit and should not have played, he had 2 major chances that I can't help but think Defoe or Welbeck would have taken. Hey-Ho I actually think Roy knows what he is doing and at least he can communicate with the players in the same language which is a decent start. We didn't deserve to win but I expect a Spain v Germany final. Germany 4 - Italy 0 is my bet for the semi.
Is there some law that says you can't sub Rooney off even if all he does is give the ball away?
I don't understand why he's so highly rated. He plays better for Man U but with England he spends too much time deep in his own half and when they do counterattack he's nowhere to be seen. All the forwards were useless last night, but Rooney's the only one we're constantly told is 'world class'. Nonsense.
I don't understand why he's so highly rated. He plays better for Man U but with England he spends too much time deep in his own half and when they do counterattack he's nowhere to be seen. All the forwards were useless last night, but Rooney's the only one we're constantly told is 'world class'. Nonsense.
+1
The whole tournament has been a media disaster. What made me laugh was people were saying constantly before the tournament.
"Everybody has low expectations for England this year, and because of that they could do really well". Do the not understand how stupid that sounds? The sentence contradicts itself. Also, how can a team that includes 4-5 champions league winners not be expected to qualify from a group with Sweden and Ukraine?
I don't think there has been any improvement under Roy either, but he did play to England's strengths. but defending the ball and hoofing it can only get you so far. That's really all it appears England can do.
There was a stat doing the rounds on Twitter that the player the completed the most passes for England was.... Joe Hart.
It would have been too much if England had a decent goal keeper and won a penalty shooting at the same time
This is football fans and the football media we're talking about here, who by definition have about 3 brain cells between them
Yeah he definitely did play to our strengths which is a plus point, and to be fair to the guy he's only been in the job a month. We definitely didn't close Italy down enough in the middle third, which gave them free reign to run at us in our final third. To give credit to us we did, for the most part, defend pretty well in the final third but it would be a damn sight better if we never gave them that opportunity!!
We'd have played quite a bit better had Ashley Young been on his club form - he kept giving the ball away down the left when normally he's pretty good at running down the flanks, cutting back and popping one into the box. Second half Italy definitely seemed to have worked out that the only way we score is with crosses into the box because they were getting alot of defenders out wide whenever we came forward with the ball. Which didn't really help Young.
How did he play to your strengths, he played 2 strikers, when his plan all along was to sit in and bring the Italians to them. Anyone with a brain knows this is senseless, especially when 1 of those strikers is Carroll and the other one is an unfit Rooney (I hope he was unfit, if that's a fit Rooney then he's shite). He also played 2 basically old guys in center mid, which when your full team is set up to counter-attack seems pointless. Gerrard and Parker ran the legs off themselves chasing balls they were never going to get. I really don't see how any part of the England tactics last night was thought out or suited to the team.
Our "strengths" are Gerrard's excellent ability at long-range passes and crosses, pace out wide, Carroll being able to hold up the ball and Welbeck being pretty nifty in the final third.
Our strengths are defence and we pretty much played a 9-2 formation. What we witnessed was really as good as it will get with this bunch of players. It was mind-numbingly awful. It's hard to comprehend how a team which features players that have when Champions League trophies can play so poorly, but Roy produced performances that were as good as England will ever play.
lol Gerrard's hollywood balls should never be considered a strength!
The problem that England face is that football has moved on. It's not about being physical and quick, but patient and probing. They can't retain possession because their natural instinct is to boot it long, and thats easy to defend against. 442 is also a dead formation, the only top European club team to play it was Manchester United, and that's mainly been because they have not been able to identify a 10 until they signed Kagawa, so have resorted to playing Rooney there.
Some people would say he's at his best playing in that role...
Gerrard's past his best now anyway.
I thought Gerrard played well. Him and the back four did alright, the problem was none of the forwards could keep the ball or score goals.
Carroll looked pretty confident but had no supply and for some reason Rooney was favoured over him. When you think of the younger players who didn't go or didn't play (Walker, Richards, Gibbs, Jones, Smalling, Rodwell, Wilshere, Cleverley, Sturridge, etc.), I think you could put Carroll at the head of a 4-2-3-1 with the next generation of players that will come through perhaps in qualification for the next world cup. We've got a midfield there that can pass the ball well and keep possession, and can be coached long term.
Carroll looked pretty confident but had no supply and for some reason Rooney was favoured over him. When you think of the younger players who didn't go or didn't play (Walker, Richards, Gibbs, Jones, Smalling, Rodwell, Wilshere, Cleverley, Sturridge, etc.), I think you could put Carroll at the head of a 4-2-3-1 with the next generation of players that will come through perhaps in qualification for the next world cup. We've got a midfield there that can pass the ball well and keep possession, and can be coached long term.
If you use Carroll up top, you will always play long ball football. Rooney was always going to be off the pace, they should have got him into a practice match or two before sticking him in.
4213
Hart, Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Cole, Cleverly, Carrick, Wilshere, Ox, Young, Rooney. Technical midfield that can hold onto the ball for more than a second, with decent pace on the wing, so long as Young isn't tired and a team that could do ok at 2016 minus Carrick who could be replaced by a Huddlestone by then. 2014 will be won by Uruguay.
4213
Hart, Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Cole, Cleverly, Carrick, Wilshere, Ox, Young, Rooney. Technical midfield that can hold onto the ball for more than a second, with decent pace on the wing, so long as Young isn't tired and a team that could do ok at 2016 minus Carrick who could be replaced by a Huddlestone by then. 2014 will be won by Uruguay.
Yeah it's a shame Tom Huddlestone's always injured (same with Wilshere), I really rate him.
And a shame no England manager seems to think that Carrick is worth anything. If he was any other nationality he'd be far more appreciated.
The General Football Discusion Thread
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