England v Ireland

[Clinton Baptiste]

#BarnaBlueGetsItWrongAgainAgainAgainAgain

Back to the England squad though, and I'd say certain ingredients are there for a fairly promising future. Hart's a shoe-in between the sticks and, despite a poor season, is still a commanding and reliable 'keeper. Baines certainly looks capable of following on from Cole and Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have the potential to be a very efficient pairing at the back, they just need to get game-time together at United. Wilshere's been nothing short of fantastic for Arsenal since his return, and Chalobah's one of the best English prospects I can remember coming through in that holding-midfielder position.

The problem is, probably as ever, in attack. Welbeck's hugely underrated in my opinion and is every bit the "modern forward" in the sense he's multifaceted, but he's not the natural born goalscorer that other countries have had like Inzaghi, Klose or Trezeguet. We've noone with that killer instinct, and no one coming through looks like taking that mantle so we're relying almost entirely on Rooney knocking the drink and fags on the head and buckling down to see if he can really do something with the twilight of his career.

Also, I've no idea why Stuart Pearce is still in a job. England's U17 and U19 squads play a fantastic brand of football whilst remaining supremely competitive, and have actually won competitions doing so, picking up some impressive scalps along the way. The U21 squad, however, are even blander than the seniors at times and there's little to no invention.

Think you must be the most optimistic england fan in the world ESB. Jones is a victim of his own versatility. Smalling seems to be injured a lot. With Vidic and Rio there, cant see them getting that much time together. Chalobah is a bright prospect but he is at Chelsea who when they need a new player go and spend £20m pounds on one rather than pick a youngster. Until the premier league put a cap on foreigners nothing will change for the best.

Attacking options I agree are woeful. Rooney hasnt played well for years, Defoe is streaky, Sturridge looks good but injury prone a bit. Problem is half the squad arent regulars in their teams. The midfield is all hard work with no creativity. The players believe they are better than they actually are. The only truly gifted midfielder Wilshire looks like another Owen Hargreaves with his injury record.

Roy has never played good football anywhere he's been and he is taking us backwards. No tactical nous other than stick 10 men behind the ball. We used to worry about how to beat the big teams (Spain, France, Italy) now we have to worry about how to beat the mid ranking teams too.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I wouldn't say I'm particularly optimistic... I think the ingredients of a reasonable squad are there, but I should've perhaps qualified that with my belief that I don't think we'll win a tournament in the next two/three decades unless we end up hosting one. That's how long it'll take this country to reap the benefits of the NFC at Burton.

I think Jones will begin to settle into the centre-half position at United and, with Ferdinand probably retiring after next season, more chances will be afford to both him and Smalling in that berth. I think things are changing at Chelsea too, Abramovich has gone on record to state that now is the time for Chelsea to start producing players of their own and Chalobah is very much at the forefront of that desire.

I do think the Premier League can be blamed for the rather dismal state of the English talent pool, but not by refusing to cap the number of foreign players. The Premier League is solely responsible for this short-termist, win at all costs approach that chairmen have adopted as they chase the windfalls that come with remaining in the Premier League and attaining European football. Premature sackings and whatnot have forced coaches to re-evaluate how they look to construct squads and instead of looking towards the academy for players who can be moulded in three years or so, the pressure is on to find players who are ready now and they're brought in from abroad. I thought it was poignant that Ferguson paid special mention to how we was afforded the time to build a football club, not a football team, at United... They've subsequently produced more England internationals than any other team in the country.

But yeah, I'd agree about Hodgson in particular. He was the right choice from the available candidates at the time, but his tenure has been seriously underwhelming to date. Displays have rarely been confident or of the expected calibre, and his insistence that England can match the bigger nations on the international stage is wearing thin.

 

[mrsblue]

England record against the top nations is very poor indeed.

Since 2003 they have played 25 games winning just 5 whilst drawing 9 and losing 11,shocking stats.

The prem has too many overseas players and Roy was A bad choice.

 

[EastStandBlue]

England record against the top nations is very poor indeed.

Since 2003 they have played 25 games winning just 5 whilst drawing 9 and losing 11,shocking stats.

The prem has too many overseas players and Roy was A bad choice.

Roy wasn't a bad choice, he was the best candidate available given how the FA foolishly dictated that the person to replace Capello had to be English and was rightfully picked ahead of Redknapp.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Rooney has been under-performing for England for so long now it's beyond a joke.

 

[MK Shrimper]

England record against the top nations is very poor indeed.

Since 2003 they have played 25 games winning just 5 whilst drawing 9 and losing 11,shocking stats.

The prem has too many overseas players and Roy was A bad choice.

And we're 4th best in the world? :hilarious:

 

[mrsblue]

Roy wasn't a bad choice, he was the best candidate available given how the FA foolishly dictated that the person to replace Capello had to be English and was rightfully picked ahead of Redknapp.

I would of gave the job to Harry!

Roy is renowned for dour style of football and so it proves with poor displays and little idea how to break teams down.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I would of gave the job to Harry!

Roy is renowned for dour style of football and so it proves with poor displays and little idea how to break teams down.

Yes, because QPR certainly graced the league with an attractive brand of free-flowing football after 'Arry was afforded the chance to spunk tens of millions of pounds around Europe in a desperate attempt to salvage his reputation. Redknapp's a charlatan.

 

[mrsblue]

Yes, because QPR certainly graced the league with an attractive brand of free-flowing football after 'Arry was afforded the chance to spunk tens of millions of pounds around Europe in a desperate attempt to salvage his reputation. Redknapp's a charlatan.

Mark Hughes killed QPR.

Harry gave Westham their highest league finish,He won the cup at Pompey and saved Spurs from relegation and turned them into a very attractive team,Oh and almost forgot his exploits at Bournemouth.

Saving Rangers was always going to be tough and near on impossible as their horrid start under Hughes was way too much.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Mark Hughes killed QPR.

Harry gave Westham their highest league finish,He won the cup at Pompey and saved Spurs from relegation and turned them into a very attractive team,Oh and almost forgot his exploits at Bournemouth.

Saving Rangers was always going to be tough and near on impossible as their horrid start under Hughes was way too much.

Saved Spurs from relegation!? You simply cannot be serious with that assumption. Redknapp took over after eight games and, once again, spent an awful lot of money to overhaul that squad. Everywhere Redknapp's gone, he's used an extremely inflated budget to make up for his managerial shortcomings but the game has evolved past his tactical understanding. There are numerous stories of his lackadaisical approach to tactical briefs and instructions baffling players, my favourite one being him barking "Jus' fackin' run abahhht" when Pavlyuchenko asked him what role he was to have when coming on as a substitute once.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Sadly the only way at the moment England will be successful is probably with a foreign coach. No english managers get top jobs anymore, theres no line of succession for the national job. Harry wouldnt have made much difference he wouldve played the same rigid 4-4-2 that is outdated. You get the impression with Roy that his first priority is to not lose the game rather than to really take the game to the opposition.

 

[mrsblue]

Saved Spurs from relegation!? You simply cannot be serious with that assumption. Redknapp took over after eight games and, once again, spent an awful lot of money to overhaul that squad. Everywhere Redknapp's gone, he's used an extremely inflated budget to make up for his managerial shortcomings but the game has evolved past his tactical understanding. There are numerous stories of his lackadaisical approach to tactical briefs and instructions baffling players, my favourite one being him barking "Jus' fackin' run abahhht" when Pavlyuchenko asked him what role he was to have when coming on as a substitute once.

Spurs were in dire trouble when Harry took over which I think was 3pts from 8 games..He transformed them,Yes he has spent plenty but name one top flight manager who has not?

Whether his tactical know how is old hat makes no difference simply because his players in the main will run through brick walls for him,His record for small clubs is top notch whilst he was unlucky Spurs failed to qualify for the CL.

Chelsea and City have spent vast amounts which is sadly the way football has gone.

 

[ozzie]

Sadly the only way at the moment England will be successful is probably with a foreign coach. No english managers get top jobs anymore, theres no line of succession for the national job. Harry wouldnt have made much difference he wouldve played the same rigid 4-4-2 that is outdated. You get the impression with Roy that his first priority is to not lose the game rather than to really take the game to the opposition.

i agree,when you think about erikson & the italian,they were not that bad,at least we got to the finals. then think of "our "managers, taylor,super mac,keegan,wilkinson and soon to be hodgson, we dont produce good managers,if so where are they around the world?? the english press have a lot to answer for,wanting an english manager,now got one & we could well be watching brazil 2014 at home(again).but i agree,hodgson was the better choice than redknapp.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Watch out for England getting a thrashing against Brazil on Sunday.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Watch out for England getting a thrashing against Brazil on Sunday.

:net: Nice casting BB.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

:net: Nice casting BB.

Ha!My dear old Dad was the fisherman in our family.

 

[Beefy]

Hodgson no better than the previous incumbents. Only picks players from the top teams. When did Rooney last play well for England?!

Six goals in seven for England for Rooney now. He doesn't do it in tournaments but in the two years between he's consistently scoring goals.

 

[Napster]

Watch out for England getting a thrashing against Brazil on Sunday.

#barnabluegetsitwrongagain

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

#barnabluegetsitwrongagain

I notice only one person correctly predicted a draw and nobody (including your good self) forecast it would be 2-2.

However having said that, it would be churlish not to admit that England fully deserved their draw on the strength of their second half performance.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I suggest we get practicing penalties asap as Woy seems to be a draw specialist.