***England v Sweden Semi-official Thread***

[Goldstone Rapper]

My word some of you lot are fickle, reading through this thread.

Great to see the younger (next) generation making an impact and showing a bit of bottle.

It reflects the fact it was a topsy-turvy game. Great credit for England for somehow winning the game, but most people could see that spell we had in the middle of the game (way before the Swedes scored) was very sloppy,

 

[RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased)]

edited

Wow, my schizophrenic relationship with football has a Japanese term. Tsundere eh?
We both love that, no I don't

 

[Mackenzie]

Kia Ora is a greeting in Maori.....and a fruity juice drink, which is too orangey for crows.

FACT

 

[Northstandite]

I went away with a feel good factor.
Lots of positives e.g. the younger players rising to the occasion; and some to work on e.g. possession, defence was a backpeddling chaos for a while, and need to get our counter attacking final passes away first time.

5live phone in at the moment is 75% doom mongers.

We know we ain't going to win it, but this will be a positive experience for the squad, with the class of Rooney, Wilshire & Cahill to add to future games/campaigns.

Hopefully we've seen the back of snails-pace Barry & Lampard.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Joe Hart has a reputation for sledging his opponents (I don't have a problem with that) and looks like Ibrahimovich was just gaving him some back. Nice that Hart got the last laugh though.

OK it wasn't a rock solid performance but England managed to grind out a result for change.

Is anyone else getting fed up of hearing Hansen and Lawrenson giving it large about England - why are they pundits of choice for England games on the BBC and what the f**k do they know about current international football? Plus that t**t Mark Bright. I'd rather listen to David James who is at least as articulate and has much more recent insight.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I'd just like to say an England team came back from 2 1 to win 3 2 that is immense whatever way you colour it.

 

[brunswick]

Gerrard is the weak link - absolute rubbish, ruined the shape and offered nothing.

gerrard used to be a headless chicken and go for outragous passes, now he is too old to be a headless chicken or fast enough to get the ball.

he is the weak link, but the other options are liverpools youth team......eek.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Yeah but amazing cross I agree.

 

[Beach Hut]

Thought we really dug in, two soft goals but great spirit to come back.

Quality goal from Danny - awesome

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

The only othe option at cm is Henderson which is shocking. We've got Wilshere if he comes back from the dead.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Thought we really dug in, two soft goals but great spirit to come back.

Quality goal from Danny - awesome

World class finish.

 

[Bwian]

Gerrard is the weak link - absolute rubbish, ruined the shape and offered nothing.

gerrard used to be a headless chicken and go for outragous passes, now he is too old to be a headless chicken or fast enough to get the ball.

he is the weak link, but the other options are liverpools youth team......eek.

You're right, apart from setting up the first goal, switching play to the right to set up the move for the third goal he offered nothing.

Oh sorry, I forgot. It's NSC and some idiot has to slag off Gerrard-looks like you're tonight's nominee.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

The only othe option at cm is Henderson which is shocking. We've got Wilshere if he comes back from the dead.

I agree its scary that Jordan Henderson is curfrently the only option. I just hope that Wilshere isn't another injury prone Hargreaves type 'cos we will need him. We don't have many young world class players, for now at least. Would like to see Oxo-Chamberlain get a bit more pitch time.

 

[brunswick]

You're right, apart from setting up the first goal, switching play to the right to set up the move for the third goal he offered nothing.

Oh sorry, I forgot. It's NSC and some idiot has to slag off Gerrard-looks like you're tonight's nominee.

if you think gerrard had a good game i suggest you re-watch the 90 minutes and get back to me. we were awful in that position and building a team around gerrard is something we should have tried when he was 25, not more or less 35.

 

[banjo]

Da der da da da da der da da da da da da da da der, da da da da da da der da da da da da da der da da da da da da derrrr da da England !

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

The CM position for England relies on Wilshere not being a crock.

In the long term. I would have liked to see lampard as our main cm at this tournament just not with Gerrard.

 

[clapham_gull]

if you think gerrard had a good game i suggest you re-watch the 90 minutes and get back to me. we were awful in that position and building a team around gerrard is something we should have tried when he was 25, not more or less 35.

He is more or less 32.

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

if you think gerrard had a good game i suggest you re-watch the 90 minutes and get back to me. we were awful in that position and building a team around gerrard is something we should have tried when he was 25, not more or less 35.

I see your point - his cross for the 1st goal was stunning but we probably expect too much of Gerrard these days, I'm not sure he has the legs to produce the sort of trademark performance from 3-4 years ago when he was a dynamo for 90 minutes and so dangerous going forward. We are rather lacking in world class players and overly dependent on the ageing Gerrard and Parker who both have to play more holding roles these days. We desperately need to get Wilshere fit and get some younger players properly blooded. At least Hodgson has the balls to give Oxo-Chamberlain some pitch time, but would he have featured if Lampard and Wilshere were fit? I'm not a fan of Lampard these days but thought he showed some reasonable form late season and in the Champs Lge, so suspect he may well have been in the squad. Finally thank goodness Barry wasn't available, otherwise it would have been all donkeys in midfield.

Personally I think we could take a bit more pressure off our midfield if we didn't make silly mistakes and give the ball away so often. I really hope that Hodgson instills more focus on retaining possession and forwards not giving away silly fouls - and then defend the resulting free kicks properly, like for both Swedish goals. Neither of those were particularly Gerrard's fault.

 

[Triggaaar]

Saw it said moyles commentary on the red button, I thought it meant David !

Wife asked if it meant Chris, I said no, must be someone else. What on earth was Chris Moyles commentating for?

Saw Sky's chief football correspondent Nick Collins give the assist for our first goal to Milner. Nice to know we can rely on Sky for insight into the game.

 

[W.C.]

I saw that, what was that all about?

I think it's just that he's a complete tool.