*********** ENGLAND v ITALY (QF) - Kiev *************

[inland seagull]

we were told before the tournament that it would be wrong to play the long ball game, how many times did we lose the ball byplaying silly little 5 yard passes to players who were marked by 2 or 3 Italians. How many long passes did Pirlo play and how many times did we try and get the ball beyond the full backs?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Restrict the number of non English players in a team/matchday squad.

Won't happen - getting and staying in the Premiership is about a quick foreign fix, not bringing youngsters through.

 

[Marxo]

Roy picked the players who were doing ok in the premier league, unfortunately Young and Rooney weren't up to it and with Lampard and Barry injured there wasn't an able replacement when Parker conked out. Wilshere would have made a big difference, maybe there is hope for the future.

 

[fratsomrover]

Utter rubbish !! Poor show, poor performance, second best throughout. The best team won. It highlights the lack of ability of English players. We might have the best league in the world, but it doesn't help the national team when most of the Premiership players are foreign. Worth noting that not many foreigners play in Italy. Thought we looked as if we might have a cutting edge when Carrol came on but Rooney and Young were incredibly poor and I could not see why he left them on the pitch. If you're playing poor, you should be substituted and its a shame Hodgson didn't have the balls to pull Rooney and Young off. Roll on the start of the English season and I'm looking forward to another good season at the Amex.

 

[Surf's Up]

Young was crap and has been crap all tournament, Gerrard was knackered after about 65 minutes, Milner was just Miner, Rooney was completely out of touch and off the pace and I lost count of the number of times Johnson gave the ball away - the rest were ok but only ok - another typical England performance then. Those that are calling for a fundamental re-think of the English youth coaching system are absolutely right.....teach shit and you get shit.

 

[Bwian]

We did about the best we could, I feel for Ashley Cole, did he ask to take a penalty or was he selected to take one ?

I'm just sorry he hit his shot with as much power and conviction as a frigging girl. And as for Ashley Young...

 

[vegster]

Ashley Cole has (had) a very good penalty conversion rate, that's the first he's missed I reckon.

I was not being hard on Ashley Cole, he has been a consistently good performer for many years ...I was suggesting that he was not an experienced or regular penalty taker .

 

[del strangefish]

6-0 Thrashing by Germany skilfully avoided.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

we were told before the tournament that it would be wrong to play the long ball game, how many times did we lose the ball byplaying silly little 5 yard passes to players who were marked by 2 or 3 Italians. How many long passes did Pirlo play and how many times did we try and get the ball beyond the full lot of backs?

Pirlo's game has a lot of long-range accurate passing. Long-ball game is based on punting the ball forward and playing a percentages game.

 

[Falkor]

now there killing limp biscuit

 

[kevo]

If you're playing poor, you should be substituted and its a shame Hodgson didn't have the balls to pull Rooney and Young off

My reaction when Young missed his pen - why is he even still on the pitch? Three substitutions and Hodgson leaves on our worst player! Everyone could see how often Young was giving the ball away and misplacing passes. Utterly baffling.

 

[severnside gull]

come on, we weren't that bad, held Italy to a goaless draw. dull, frustratingly ineffective, yes poor. just not very very.

Lots of endeavour but from the first minute we couldn't put together two consecutive five yard passes even when under minimal pressure and that at any level is poor. For internationals it is very very poor bordering on unforgiveable.

On the plus side we were fantastically organised so very hard to beat and that is at least a starting point for Hodgson to build on.

Our best players were probably Terry and Johnson which isn't a good start for future rebuilding but Rooney and Young who should have been stand out players were truly awful throughout.

Again on the plus side Wellbeck and Carroll, Walcott and Oxo all showed some promise and we finally got consistent performances from Gerrard after all these years - he needs to be captain.

It's not doom and gloom by any means - we are okay.; a middling good football team who will make life tough for most sides but won't challenge the best. Okay but not as good as we aspire to be or hope we are

 

[TheBlueAndWhiteStrips]

AS long as we are producing players that are afraid to keep hold of the ball we will always struggle internationally. Poyet's vision is the way forward.

 

[TheJasperCo]

Lack of technique, skill and composure will always hold England back until we revolutionise our youth coaching.

We are what we are an above average international side that will everynow and then get to a quater or semi final nothing more.

Well done Roy, you got them together and deciplined. Don't blame the manager blame the coaching at youth level.

The FA are happy to print money in the premier league they need to invest in youth football properly.

Yep, spot on. Hodgson can only work with what he's got. We need better youth coaching at grassroots, so that promising player can be fed through the academies and into the starting line-ups of first team squads.

 

[peterward]

We continue to be an utter embarrassment on the European stage with our hoofball shit. We've learnt nothing in forty plus years, absolutely nothing. Most of the rest of the footballing world has long since moved on, we're still footballing dinosaurs.

not sure the premier league helps tbh for English players, plus at youth level and the lower leagues its always "get it up there", teams like West Ham, Stoke and Bolton do nothing for that reputation, that said even they are effective playing long ball. i would prefer to play long ball than park the bus and defend deep

 

[Bwian]

Utter rubbish !! Poor show, poor performance, second best throughout. The best team won. It highlights the lack of ability of English players. We might have the best league in the world, but it doesn't help the national team when most of the Premiership players are foreign. Worth noting that not many foreigners play in Italy. Thought we looked as if we might have a cutting edge when Carrol came on but Rooney and Young were incredibly poor and I could not see why he left them on the pitch. If you're playing poor, you should be substituted and its a shame Hodgson didn't have the balls to pull Rooney and Young off. Roll on the start of the English season and I'm looking forward to another good season at the Amex.

It's not though is it? Not when it allows other countries to develop their players while ours don't get a look in because all the authorities and SKY are interested in is making money. Time, once again, to start all over again. kick out those responsible for the shambles that is England.

 

[hart's shirt]

...its a shame Hodgson didn't have the balls to pull Rooney and Young off.

That might have made Young relax a bit more with his penalty.

 

[stickboy]

No we won't. Regardless of how Rooney plays tonight, it won't be proved that he's shite. Everyone know he's a good footballer, and worthy of a place in our team.

[MENTION=4019]Triggaaar[/MENTION] ok.

 

[Silk]

I ended up almost wanting Italy to win. I've seen us play a lot better and lose. Very, very poor. I was going to say Rooney should be left out our world cup finals squad but I don't think we'll even qualify. Truly awful.

 

[Albion Dan]

Utter rubbish !! Poor show, poor performance, second best throughout. The best team won. It highlights the lack of ability of English players. We might have the best league in the world, but it doesn't help the national team when most of the Premiership players are foreign.

I just don't buy this argument. Most of the team are big players at top six clubs in the Prem. Roy should have done away with Young much earlier as he's been off form all tournament, and Theo came into the game far too late when the rest of the team were knackered. We have done ok anyway. Nobody expected to even get out the group.