England - press reporting 6 changes vs Slovakia

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

No problem with us having to face harder teams.

Knowing England, if we did win the euros but only played a "hard" team in the semis and the final, people would instantly say "Sure we won it, but we didn't really play any top teams. Wow, we beat wales and fluked a win against France. Big deal"

Bring on Monday.

 

[One Love]

You can't judge him on resting so many players until we're out.

It may turn out to be a master stroke.

 

[SK1NT]

If this turns out to be true then I'm not happy about there being WHOLESALE changes tbh. There's a game to win and a group to win here, now is not the time for taking our foot off the gas. In particular I think Rooney should certainly be starting. He's still learning and adapting to that deeper midfield role, and whilst its been a success so far, we've played nobody yet. Its one thing bossing the game from the middle when you're up against a second rate Russia (which had its best midfielders crocked), and a one-man Championship team...it'll be quite another when a proper team turns up. Rooney needs to play, he makes us tick.

By all means start making a few changes if or when we've got the game won, but not until. I'm already fearing a disjointed, unconvincing performance where we basically scramble through, and are left with Roy talking about "looking for the positives...". I can hear it now.

I feared the same and you were spot on

 

[Marshy]

i dont think we have done a lot wrong in all 3 games so far.

Absolutely bossed all 3 and created more than enough to win all 3 comfortably

Just a mixture of poor finishing and a bit of bad luck, now is the time to start taking those chances.

Against better opppsition we will have more room to get our front men going.

Equally we will look far more like conceding.

I am still hopeful though

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

watched Wales, far more entertaining.....England's performance highlighted the lack of strength in depth in our squad..

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

So the 6 changes.

Clyne for walker - Clyne was arguably our MOM, plus walker needed a rest

Bertrand For Rose - as above Rose needed a rest - his replacement didn't play well

Henderson for Rooney - Rooney shouldn't have even been in France according to some

Alli - Wilshire - Alli has looked tired

Vardy - Sterling - Sterling has been poor so far, Vardy scored from the bench last against Wales and missed a sitter last night

Sterling - Kane - Kane has looked half the player he is and again Sterling scored in previous games.

I can't see anything in those changes that would have made a difference - in face some are changes people had been calling for.

We take the numerous chances we had nothing is mentioned

I agree with most of that although i didn't think Bertrand played badly, he was ok but not as good as Rose has been however we didn't fail to win because of a left back. As you say we created the chances it was just the finishing that was lacking

 

[One Love]

watched Wales, far more entertaining.....England's performance highlighted the lack of strength in depth in our squad..

You didn't watch the game. Then you criticise the performance!

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

20% chance ish of us landing Portugal, Wales Crotia

wales also have 20% chance of getting czechs who are inconsistent but on their day are no pushovers

 

[Bold Seagull]

i dont think we have done a lot wrong in all 3 games so far.

Absolutely bossed all 3 and created more than enough to win all 3 comfortably

Just a mixture of poor finishing and a bit of bad luck, now is the time to start taking those chances.

Against better opppsition we will have more room to get our front men going.

Equally we will look far more like conceding.

I am still hopeful though

It is unusual in an international tournament to face 3 sides that showed no ambition, defended in their own half and in 270mins of football we had just 18 shots against us, while managing 64 ourselves. That those 18 shots have turned into 2 goals, and our 64 has only turned into 3, our finishing is a real worry. I'm not sure there is a lot Roy can do when players who have been prolific all season, miss guilt edge chances.

Thought the changes mostly worked okay last night, I actually thought Clyne impressed as he looks more comfortable whipping a first time ball in than Walker, and Bertrand also had a solid game.

One criticism I would have is not the changes, but why in facing 3 teams who have shown such little ambition we've had Dier patrolling in front of a back 4? Second half especially it was this shape that seemed awkward and unnecessary. I would have been inclined to have taken Dier off and bought Rooney on than Lallana who was having a good game. Then when it was clear they were hanging on toward the edge of their box, Rashford for some pace and unpredictable brilliance would have been a preferred choice over Kane, who again looked jaded just jogging on the friggin pitch.

I think we have a very good squad there, creating lots of chances, and working for each other. Got to stick it in the onion bag though!

 

[SK1NT]

One criticism I would have is not the changes, but why in facing 3 teams who have shown such little ambition we've had Dier patrolling in front of a back 4? Second half especially it was this shape that seemed awkward and unnecessary. I would have been inclined to have taken Dier off and bought Rooney on than Lallana who was having a good game. Then when it was clear they were hanging on toward the edge of their box, Rashford for some pace and unpredictable brilliance would have been a preferred choice over Kane, who again looked jaded just jogging on the friggin pitch.

I think we have a very good squad there, creating lots of chances, and working for each other. Got to stick it in the onion bag though!

That's a good point i hadn't thought of. I rate Dier but there was no need for him to play at all against a team that was barely getting into our half. Should have gone gung ho all out attack...

 

[Stat Brother]

That's a good point i hadn't thought of. I rate Dier but there was no need for him to play at all against a team that was barely getting into our half. Should have gone gung ho all out attack...

You do reaslise the other team is allowed to score goals as well.

Leaving Cahill and Smalling on their own would have been tantamount to Roy handing in his letter of resignation.
Even with Dier there, Hart was equally busy as the Slovenia 'keeper, granted that says more about how England played in the final third, but the point still stands.

Once again it's no difference to Bridcutt in front of Greer +1, controlling 2/3rds of the pitch, and frustratingly still not scoring, but being reasonably confident they're not scoring either.

Had England gone 'gun ho all out attack' there's the real possibility of them flying home today with just 3 points, or worst still just the 1.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Well, I'm looking forward to England v France in the quarters, provided we don't shag it up in the second round. Its the last QF too, which is nice.

Bet the French are pissed off, they had the draw all lovingly sewn up, piss easy group, a third place team in round 2 and then Austria or Wales in the quarters.

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

Had England gone 'gun ho all out attack' there's the real possibility of them flying home today with just 3 points, or worst still just the 1.

they were already on 4 points or did i misunderstand?

 

[SK1NT]

You do reaslise the other team is allowed to score goals as well.

Leaving Cahill and Smalling on their own would have been tantamount to Roy handing in his letter of resignation.
Even with Dier there, Hart was equally busy as the Slovenia 'keeper, granted that says more about how England played in the final third, but the point still stands.

Once again it's no difference to Bridcutt in front of Greer +1, controlling 2/3rds of the pitch, and frustratingly still not scoring, but being reasonably confident they're not scoring either.

Had England gone 'gun ho all out attack' there's the real possibility of them flying home today with just 3 points, or worst still just the 1.

No i think that they would be topping the group.

I would have preferred a more attacking midfielder. Slovakia offered nothing. Just my opinion

3 points? would they have been deducted a point for not playing Dier?

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

No i think that they would be topping the group.

I would have preferred a more attacking midfielder. Slovakia offered nothing. Just my opinion

3 points? would they have been deducted a point for not playing Dier?

Indeed, although i would probably have left Dier on and swapped Henderson off

 

[Pavilionaire]

So the 6 changes.

Clyne for walker - Clyne was arguably our MOM, plus walker needed a rest

Bertrand For Rose - as above Rose needed a rest - his replacement didn't play well

Henderson for Rooney - Rooney shouldn't have even been in France according to some

Alli - Wilshire - Alli has looked tired

Vardy - Sterling - Sterling has been poor so far, Vardy scored from the bench last against Wales and missed a sitter last night

Sterling - Kane - Kane has looked half the player he is and again Sterling scored in previous games.

I can't see anything in those changes that would have made a difference - in face some are changes people had been calling for.

We take the numerous chances we had nothing is mentioned

I don't think you can analyse the changes on an individual basis and come up with the correct conclusion unless you also factor in the CUMULATIVE effect of the six changes.

We took too much out of the side that has been working well, the XI that went out of the pitch knew it and we struggled to create good chances. There was nothing about that starting XI that suggested swagger, flair or momentum. The worry is that everyone else could see it apart from Hodgson. Are Wales resting Bale, or Ramsey? Not a cat in hell's chance!

 

[Pavilionaire]

He's been shit all season. Leaving him out is one thing Hodgson has got right. Personally I wouldn't have brought him at all.

My comments were more about pointing out how far he'd fallen than the merits of selecting him. That said, with 20 mins to go I would rather have seen him come on than Kane, who looks like he needed a complete rest from last night's match.

Go back a year and you would have thought Stones, Barkley and Sterling would have been three key players for England in this tournament, but it looks like they'll end it having contributed nothing between them.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

We took too much out of the side that has been working well, the XI that went out of the pitch knew it and we struggled to create good chances. There was nothing about that starting XI that suggested swagger, flair or momentum. The worry is that everyone else could see it apart from Hodgson.

This is revisionist though.

The consensus from whiny England fans and the press is that it has NOT been working well. You decry the absence of 'swagger and flair', yet the only player in the squad who possesses either, was universally slaughtered after the first two games, and everyone demanded he be left out.

 

[Justice]

No i think that they would be topping the group.

I would have preferred a more attacking midfielder. Slovakia offered nothing. Just my opinion

3 points? would they have been deducted a point for not playing Dier?

Because we stopped Hamsik playing he is quality. Let him control the middle of the park and your finished.

 

[pasty]

All summed up rather nicely for me by Phil McNulty on BBC website

Phil McNulty on BBC