currently holand 2 England 0

[Mellotron]

And what was it you said after the last game? That we gave Spain a lesson in how to play football without a football or something? I liked that one.

No...why would we give a possession team a lesson in how to play WITHOUT the ball? That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I said we gave a perfect example of how (as a MUCH weaker side) to play against a team who will have the lions share of the possession. And we played it perfectly, which is why we had a chance - and took it - to win the game.

Re: Holland game, my point is we're still trying to find negatives when there was plenty positive. We DID outplay the World Cup finalists in the first half. It was about 7 chances to 1. That IS a positive, as negative and one eyed as you are determined to be.

If it was the other way round, and we had nicked it 3-2, you definitely be mentioning how Holland "schooled" us in the first half, or something similar. No question.

 

[The Large One]

The England players looked as though they were struggling to play with a concept slightly alien to them - keeping the ball. The Dutch, for the most part, showed them how to do it.

However, I would say that the Dutch defence (brutal at times) was a total MESS for the two England goals.

 

[sten_super]

The England players looked as though they were struggling to play with a concept slightly alien to them - keeping the ball. The Dutch, for the most part, showed them how to do it.

However, I would say that the Dutch defence (brutal at times) was a total MESS for the two England goals.

I would agree that England tried hard at doing something they weren't accustomed to - and I think they deserve credit for that.

At least 4 of the goals (not sure on the second Dutch one?) could be attributed to defensive errors. For the first Dutch goal Smalling was pulled horribly out of position as he naively followed Huntelaar and for the third Baines didn't put a challenge in when he should have done.

 

[Blackadder]

Some of you wankers on here must be calling for the keeper to be dropped just like you did after the liverpool game even though we are unbeaten in the league this year

I am intrigued. Now that you have (possibly) sobered up. What was your opening post about?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No...why would we give a possession team a lesson in how to play WITHOUT the ball? That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I said we gave a perfect example of how (as a MUCH weaker side) to play against a team who will have the lions share of the possession. And we played it perfectly, which is why we had a chance - and took it - to win the game.

Re: Holland game, my point is we're still trying to find negatives when there was plenty positive. We DID outplay the World Cup finalists in the first half. It was about 7 chances to 1. That IS a positive, as negative and one eyed as you are determined to be.

If it was the other way round, and we had nicked it 3-2, you definitely be mentioning how Holland "schooled" us in the first half, or something similar. No question.

You were definitely rambling on about how England gave a master class in playing football without the ball and you did use this, or very similar, wording. And you are quite right, it did not make a lot of sense.

1) the match report I read said that Holland played within themselves for the first half, and when they decided to step it up a gear they, predictably, took England apart. They were pretty much in a "city-break" mood.
2) Surely the entire world knows about Robben's left peg? Why on earth did the defence let him go onto his left twice, and therefore score twice? It was not as though Robben used any trickery to get onto his left side, the defence just waited for him to move instead pre-empting the left and force him to go the other side. Morons.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

You were definitely rambling on about how England gave a master class in playing football without the ball and you did use this, or very similar, wording. And you are quite right, it did not make a lot of sense.

1) the match report I read said that Holland played within themselves for the first half, and when they decided to step it up a gear they, predictably, took England apart. They were pretty much in a "city-break" mood.
2) Surely the entire world knows about Robben's left peg? Why on earth did the defence let him go onto his left twice, and therefore score twice? It was not as though Robben used any trickery to get onto his left side, the defence just waited for him to move instead pre-empting the left and force him to go the other side. Morons.

It was clear what Mellotron meant after the Spain game.

I would have thought that you-as someone who belabors the point about our players technical and tactical inferiority to pretty much every other nation-would have been impressed with the victory over Spain. The way we set up and played was as clear a demonstration of the management and players acknowledging and accepting that we were up against a far superior team as you could wish to see. Surely the acknowledgement of our deficiencies and acceptance of our position is a good thing?