Where does English football go from here?

[Mellotron]

Played well against Italy, not quite so good against Uruguay and were unlucky to lose. Big difference was clinical finishing. We need someone who can anticipate and snaffle a half chance like Suarez did against us. Rooney shot straight at the keeper from 6 yards out, Suarez buried his 2 chances. We were certainly easier on the eye than in SA and although we are out a game earlier we have improved since then. Need some pace at CB a better RB and a finisher, otherwise we are a pretty decent side

A sensible, rational, intelligent summary.

No space for it here. You HAVE to be all doom and gloom don't you know?

 

[Drebin]

Played well against Italy, not quite so good against Uruguay and were unlucky to lose. Big difference was clinical finishing. We need someone who can anticipate and snaffle a half chance like Suarez did against us. Rooney shot straight at the keeper from 6 yards out, Suarez buried his 2 chances. We were certainly easier on the eye than in SA and although we are out a game earlier we have improved since then. Need some pace at CB a better RB and a finisher, otherwise we are a pretty decent side

Agree. We played better football in the first two games than we did in the last two tournaments (well, since 2004, really) and as beorthelm says, other established football nations failed just as much as we did. England always go out of these tournaments as soon as we meet a decent team, and this year we met two in the first two games. Such is life. This year we had no slovenia, algeria or trinidad & tobago to at least get a point off. The difference between the last world cup and this is that in SA we watched four games of dross from a limited team. This year we watched a limited team have a go at playing football in one less game.

We do indeed need a decent finisher. We haven't had a world class striker since Michael Owen lost his mojo in the mid-2000's. Even though football left him behind somewhat, in his pomp he would stick away any chance he was given.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Instead of dropping down a league it would be nice to see some of our young players try and play abroad.

 

[jimhigham]

Hodgson has had 2 tournaments and we have declined to not getting out of a group which we struggled to qualify for, so the next step is we won't qualify for the next World Cup

2002 World Cup = Quarter Finalists
2006 World Cup = Quarter Finalists
2010 World Cup = Last 16
2014 World Cup = Group Stage (last in group)

The trend is not good. I'm not taking anything for granted for 2018.

 

[perseus]

Played well against Italy, not quite so good against Uruguay and were unlucky to lose. Big difference was clinical finishing. We need someone who can anticipate and snaffle a half chance like Suarez did against us. Rooney shot straight at the keeper from 6 yards out, Suarez buried his 2 chances. We were certainly easier on the eye than in SA and although we are out a game earlier we have improved since then. Need some pace at CB a better RB and a finisher, otherwise we are a pretty decent side

I thought playing Rooney out left was a success! Made a goal. It was the rest of the team. Sturridge on the other hand was second rate.

I thought our worst performance was against Costa Rica.

 

[nwgull]

2002 World Cup = Quarter Finalists
2006 World Cup = Quarter Finalists
2010 World Cup = Last 16
2014 World Cup = Group Stage (last in group)

The trend is not good. I'm not taking anything for granted for 2018.

I'm not saying it means much, but remember how crap we were at Euro 88: lost all 3 group matches. We then came within a penalty shoot out of the final 2 years later with the same manager and similar team.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I'm not saying it means much, but remember how crap we were at Euro 88: lost all 3 group matches. We then came within a penalty shoot out of the final 2 years later with the same manager and similar team.

I think it's important to learn from history. Sir Bobby Robson took over after World Cup 1982, promptly dropped star player Kevin Keegan and England failed to qualify for Euro '84. Robson offered to resign but this was rejected. Robson then qualified for WC '86 in some style and was unlucky to come up against Maradona at his best. Two years later we lost every group game in Euro '88, Robson again offered to resign, again this was rejected.

The press were constantly on his back for the next year or so, i.e. the headline "In The Name Of Allah, Go" after a friendly draw with Saudi Arabia, before making it to the semi-final of Italia '90 and penalty heartbreak.

So - with reference to Hodgson - we've been here before. Where Robson got lucky is that he had Bert Millichip at the FA who backed him throughout and he had the emergence of Paul Gascoigne post-88 to take England to another level. If our FA stays strong, Hodgson sticks to his beliefs and the players buy into him for another 2 years we might be OK.

 

[Puppet Master]

I worry about not qualifying for Russia 18 too. Fat chance of us getting seeded for the qualifiers now.

 

[Hamilton]

Perhaps we can stop our children playing stupid games of 11 a side with full sized goals at the age of 12 upwards.

Perhaps we should just focus on technique and ball play. Let's face it, we've tried to address training the youth - and I'm sure there are some coaches desperately trying to do it right - but it still seems pretty inadequate.

 

[boik]

WELL LOOKING AT THE PAINTED FACED, WIG WEARING fans we've got its a bit like a circus act now
regards
DR

You're right. If the fans all shaved their heads and kicked the sh*t out of each other then the team would play much better!

 

[Uncle Buck]

From memory the Premier League was set up by the FA to benefit the England team, but it seems at some point the FA allowed the Premier League to become a separate organisation. Certainly the FA does not seem to have that much say in the league. EU employment laws do not help as the clubs are not bound to play domestic talent.

However England have this year and a couple of years ago won the European U17's tournament, so there is some talent coming through. Ross Barkley was put of the earlier tournament victory and he is probably going to be the core of the team for a while to come.

This World Cup did show up some deficiencies, but it was also margins, Rooney buries that shot against Italy and it was 2-2, Rooney takes his chances against Uruguay and at least a draw and if Sturridge had not done an Andy Cole impression against Costa Rica and that was a victory. However at this tournament we could not defend and whilst for once we created chances we could not take them.

Alongside there being an issue that not enough English players start in the Premier League first 11's, there is also the issue that not enough play for the clubs competing in the Champions League. The 2 Everton defenders look comfortable in League football, but too be honest out of their depth against top players. If they had been at say City, they might have been exposed at club level or developed as players.

This World Cup should see the last of the 'golden generation' go, although I suspect they want Gerrard to hold on for 2016 and the vanity of getting Shilton's record might swing this.

In Phil Jones, England have one of its better technical footballers, but because he is a good footballer, he never plays in his best position of centre back, which is very English, the view he can do a job elsewhere works against him. He needs to play at centre back for his club, is Jonny Evans really a better player for Utd. A centre back pairing of Cahill and Jones does not look that bad. Shaw at left back seems to have something, right back, pass, as the best option is probably Flanagan, but he has to be play left back for Liverpool to accommodate Johnson (has he really been to 2 World Cups? Sven saw past him after that farce in Denmark).

Midfield, again, only England can not play the best retainer of the ball they have (Wilshere) and instead play a busy idiot in Henderson and not even play him and Gerrard in the system that worked so well for Liverpool. Chamberlain looks a decent player, but needs to play in the centre, Barkley is the real talent and to also have Sterling available is not a bad place to be. Maybe Rodwell leaving City will mean he comes back into contention as he did look a half decent holding player.

Upfront worries me. Rooney should take Charlton's record, but again ends up out wide to accommodate lesser players. Sturridge is just Andy Cole, needs 5 chances to score. Welbeck is the international version of Alex Revell, runs around a lot, but not really sure what for. Lambert should not have been there, to be honest they would have been better off with Crouch, at least he scored for England. Andy Carroll has more talent than he is given credit for, but he often seems to be on a self destruct path.

Maybe England need to look at Walcott up front, lightening pace and his finishing has improved with Rooney and Barkley / Sterling behind.

Just rambling really, but I feel better for it...

 

[somerset]

From memory the Premier League was set up by the FA to benefit the England team, ..
.....

Wasn't it set up despite the FA?.....I thought the PL was a separate entity formed by the clubs to benefit the teams therein, they resigned from the FL and affiliated with the FA again through the PL.......

 

[Uncle Buck]

Wasn't it set up despite the FA?.....I thought the PL was a separate entity formed by the clubs to benefit the teams therein, they resigned from the FL and affiliated with the FA again through the PL.......

It was originally known as the FA Premiership.

 

[somerset]

It was originally known as the FA Premiership.

yes because all football in the UK is regulated by the various fa's......but the proposal and initiation was separate, the fa were just the necessary umbrella organisation.....it was never to assist England team.......it was to assist the clubs in Europe however.

 

[Uncle Buck]

yes because all football in the UK is regulated by the various fa's......but the proposal and initiation was separate, the fa were just the necessary umbrella organisation.....it was never to assist England team.......it was to assist the clubs in Europe however.

Actually you are correct;

At the close of the 1991 season, a proposal was tabled for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1991 by the game's top-flight clubs, established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League.[13] The newly formed top division would have commercial independence from The Football Association and the Football League, giving the FA Premier League licence to negotiate its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow English clubs to compete with teams across Europe.[6]

I just remember the justification being for the benefit of the England team, which it obviously is not.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

From memory...

Just rambling really, but I feel better for it...

I agree with pretty much all of what you wrote(except for Andy Carroll...). It's so frustrating seeing Jones stuck on the right or even talked about as defensive midfield. Just stick him at centre back and he'll be fine alongside Cahill.

I liked the three man midfield that we played against Costa Rica. It definitely needs a defensive midfielder. Maybe Rodwell is that man or maybe someone will appear over the next couple of seasons. If not it might be worth giving Huddlestone a go there. He won't be that good defensively but he has a fine range of passing and should be able to team up with Wilshere and Barkley pretty well.

Attacking wise we're well stocked . Up front I wouldn't mind seeing a proper front 3 of Rodriguez, Sturridge/Rooney and Walcott. That would leave Sterling, the ox and Lallana all on the bench but with the three of them and the three up front you could make numerous decent attacking permutations.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

You're right. If the fans all shaved their heads and kicked the sh*t out of each other then the team would play much better!

at least they were showing some passion WHAT HAS WIG WEARING AND FACE PAINTING EVER DONE FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM........... honestly
regards
DR

 

[red star portslade]

England's problem is, and will always will be this...

All the players are English..

 

[nicko31]

I'm going against the grain by saying that in many areas the team has improved. Certainly better at ball retention and we could easily have won all three games. We need to sort our defence out massively, and Sturridge needs to learn how to finish like he does for Liverpool

Could of isn't good enough. We failed and Roy should be held to account. What did the Italians do?

 

[nicko31]

I worry about not qualifying for Russia 18 too. Fat chance of us getting seeded for the qualifiers now.

Be a good one to sit out, though Qatar will be even worse