Post match interview with Leon Balogun (Ian Abrahams) here if anyone interested :
https://soundcloud.com/talksport/leon-balogun-with-moose
https://soundcloud.com/talksport/leon-balogun-with-moose
You're possibly right but lets face facts here, the "golden generation" went out and underachieved.
We are at our lowest ebb and these young lads just need to not completely **** it up at a major tournament and we have a little improvement to work with.
Just don't lose to another Iceland boys and I will be happy.
This match sums up why so many people want - and wait for - England to fail. First half - Nigeria have been shocking. England have done the basics right (No, there was some very creative passing out wide). Second half - England went missing and there was no tempo to the match (the ridiculous amount of substitutions killed the flow of the game).
There's a world-class creative central midfielder missing. Only Jordan Henderson can unlock good defences. Worrying lack of options in this area of the pitch.
Largely because of inept foreign managers, the appointment of Capello, was ridiculous.
Largely because of inept foreign managers, the appointment of Capello, was ridiculous.
But yes, you’re right, they badly under-achieved, and a loss to a favourite in the second round or quarter finals, would be a success for me.
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I caught ten minutes toward the end of the second half then returned to watching my gloss paint drying, there was a really exciting bit when a mozzie flew really close.
Ridiculous might be a bit strong. With the exception of Fat Sam (100%), Capello has the best win percentage of any England Manager (66.7%). No other manager got close to that. He turned as into one of the best teams (if not the best) at qualifying for tournaments. He was, without doubt, head and shoulders above Taylor, McLaren, Allardyce and I hate to say it, Southgate.
I'm not sure that makes sense. Our first foreign manager was Sven who came in when the supposed best of the English at the time, Keegan, was an abject failure and couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen. We went out to Brazil in 02, surely one of the favourites. 06 went out on penalties to Portugal complete with Ronaldo when we lost Beckham just after halftime with injury and the infamous Rooney sending off. In 2010 we lost to Germany when instead of going in at half time level having been two goals down an on the up, we had a genuine goal disallowed. 2014 was disappointing in that we went out in the group stage but, based on FIFA rankings, ours was the toughest group. Italy also went home early as did Spain, the former not even being on the plane to Russia!
Seems to me that the in thing is to be negative about the national team. Maybe if people lowered their expectation and were realistic and just followed them, much like with Brighton. But that's football, when Brighton were a poor team we could only muster about 6/7k at the Goldstone and Withdean. Get a bit a success and everyone wants to know!
Seriously wonder exactly how many players are actually picked by the England manager and how many are picked on their advertising merit ratings , i mean who would you want in defence some donkey who can hit 90 yard pinpoint diagonals for fun or somebody who's hair looks nicer using head and shoulders shampoo
Same.Long time ago Trig. I’ll leave getting excited to the young uns.
It's no good complaining about too much criticism of the NT when your own post is a little bit "revisionist" itself.
2002 - England were playing against a 10 man Brazil for around 40 minutes, never looked like equalising and were deservedly beaten. 2010 - the ghost goal masks the obvious that the Germans were certainly worth their three goal win. As for 2014, two defeats (one to a team you just castigated) and a draw with Costa Rica. This is merely "disappointing"?
Let's not even mention the Euros.
However, it is what it is and in the last few years England have not had sufficiently creative midfield players. Even when they did. our famous lack of tactical match awareness has been apparent. The last time England beat a major nation in a competitive fixture was 2002 (The Argies went out in the group stage that time as they couldn't beat Sweden either)
England should always expect to do their duty and reach the quarter finals, but that's as far as it goes because with the current lot, despite their good fortune to have massively high profiles, aren't as good man-for-man as the other top nations. That's not the fault of the players, they can't help not being good enough.
Ridiculous might be a bit strong. With the exception of Fat Sam (100%), Capello has the best win percentage of any England Manager (66.7%). No other manager got close to that. He turned as into one of the best teams (if not the best) at qualifying for tournaments. He was, without doubt, head and shoulders above Taylor, McLaren, Allardyce and I hate to say it, Southgate.
I'm not sure that makes sense. Our first foreign manager was Sven who came in when the supposed best of the English at the time, Keegan, was an abject failure and couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen. We went out to Brazil in 02, surely one of the favourites. 06 went out on penalties to Portugal complete with Ronaldo when we lost Beckham just after halftime with injury and the infamous Rooney sending off. In 2010 we lost to Germany when instead of going in at half time level having been two goals down an on the up, we had a genuine goal disallowed. 2014 was disappointing in that we went out in the group stage but, based on FIFA rankings, ours was the toughest group. Italy also went home early as did Spain, the former not even being on the plane to Russia!
Seems to me that the in thing is to be negative about the national team. Maybe if people lowered their expectation and were realistic and just followed them, much like with Brighton. But that's football, when Brighton were a poor team we could only muster about 6/7k at the Goldstone and Withdean. Get a bit a success and everyone wants to know!