England weren't *that* bad. In fact I thought they were better than usual.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

The confusing performance was that of Gerrard. Is he not match fit? He seemed terribly immobile and lacking in drive.

[7evens]

Old

[Peter]

[PSRB]

Gerrard was terrible all game

As you can imagine, I'm slightly pissed off at all the flak coming PJ's way. Possibly partly at fault for the 1st but I'm not having it at all for the 2nd

[7evens]

It's all well and good people blaming the clubs but if coaching at grass roots level was put on a more professional footing, the clubs would have a wider talent pool from which to scout.

[Ben.]

coupled with the age thing, more defensive responsibilty , they want him to dictate play* from deeper with his passing.



*ping the ball 40 yards into touch

[Rich]

I'm a bit upset with him, tbh. He didn't have a good game.

[PSRB]

There were 5 England players around him and he still managed a pin point cross

[7evens]

As much as we all hate the c**t, Terry has played alongside Cahill all season and although that's not a pre requisite, the options at CB are fairly limited but they would have made a far better central pairing.
Baines was also largely ineffective. Even Gibbs would have posed more of an attacking threat, but Cole really should have had that slot.

[Pokster]

[PSRB]

European qualifiers bar Spain (who played 2 games less)

That's why he was picked.....he was also excellent in the game against Italy

['Neg]

[Snin]

:-) can't believe you moved out Sterling to allow a fat granny shagger to have a tap in but totally unbalance team..also how **** is Jags ? well out of his depth unfort

[Pokster]

Baines sort of wandered towards the font than moved as they took the kick so ending up on neither post. To get caught out like that twice is rubbish

[Snin]

have scored would he ? dont let family ties cloud your judgement imo

[Pokster]

[PSRB]

[7evens]

As opposed to Germany, Spain and Italy with over 25-30k each ?

That has to make some kind of statement ?

[PSRB]

have come across to cover Suarez. If Gerrard doesn't jump for the header it goes straight to Phil, nothing wrong with where he was

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Let's blame Cahill, that Chelsea :****er:

[Pokster]

but just having more coaches doesn't mean grass roots will be better as nearly all coaches for junior teams are just dads helping out (in our league they have to be qualified to level 1 but if you like football you should be able to get that)

It is pitches and training facilities that are rubbish imo, we need more 3G pitches for all year round training, and the cost of renting them has to be subsidised to make if affordable to teams.

There is a lot of work going on to improve junior football, smaller pitches, smaller goals, less players per side but far more needs to be done

[7evens]

Players only retire when they want a make a point.

Jags was bloody woeful by his standards last night. Got pulled out of position far too often.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

work was when Denilson did it at White Hart Lane once.

He was magnificent in that game. I thought we had a worldy on our hands.

[Berni]

I'm given to understand that these are the things that English players have and others don't. These are the qualities that strike fear into the hearts of cowardly, diving foreign types, no?

Given which, how come England are a bit ****? I am confused. :shrug:

[PSRB]

but England's problems were all over the pitch not just him and Cahill

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Did you hear Hoddle describing with glee how Terry Butcher used to scream and shout in the tunnel and headbutt the wall to scare the opposition?

How well did that work out then? You'd think they would have noticed that this tactic of being stupider than the opposition isn't necessarily the winning formula.

[7evens]

The FA and PL clubs should be forced to allocate more investment towards these types of facilities.

[Ben.]

albeit he went sideways and backwards a bit often for my liking.
Gerrard is almost exclusively hollywood passes and speculative shots, even his five yard passes are absolutely rifled at people.

[Supermac1976]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

I'd be tempted to punch him in the throat.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

so on... Hoddle: "We don't 'ave it in us, it's not in our DNA."

****ard.

[Berni]

Cowardly Lion out of The Wizard of Oz, though. Strange.

This is what bothers me. I was thinking last night that the 1990 Semi Final was the high water mark of English football since 1966 and that's as long ago from now as 1966 was from it. Given this record of extremely modest achievement, you would have thought that England football fans would have started to have a more realistic idea of their place in the footballing world, but no. Weird.

[Ben.]

We should just use him exclusively in training to improve our players control.

[Berni]

have some sort of moral superiority over the rest of the world. Delusional f**k.

['Neg]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

it. I believe it's the FA who are responsible for the England team, no? Would it not make sense to try to train a few coaches so that kids get a proper footballing education? I'm sure I hear this point trotted out every 2/4 years, but nothing ever seems to happen.

[PSRB]

Godin foul, was a clear 2nd yellow

[Ben.]

this after a week of everyone calling for him to play in "his best position".

[Berni]

Put it this way: if an England player got sent off for that, Adrian Chiles would be recommending the petrol bombing of the ref's house.

[PSRB]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Godin saved us from the f**king dance. wd Godin and wd the ref.

[Ashberto]

He was with him at first, then wandered inside leaving him free.

[PSRB]

and then we'll f**k it up against Costa Rica :-(

[Berni]

Leighton Baines is a ghastly little north-western-looking oik, though, isn't he?

[Ashberto]

[Berni]

we were still **** and didn't even qualify for a World Cup between 1970 and 1982.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

f**k living in a hotel with Hendo for 8 weeks.

[PSRB]

as Gerrard was too upset

[Luis Anaconda]

The predominant side of that time was largely made up of foreigners

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

wd pj.

[Luis Anaconda]

have ever seen. How he stayed on the pitch is beyond me.

fwiw don't think PJ was at fault for either goal. First one was an absolute peach of a cross mainly due to Cavani being given the entire freedom of Brazil to set himself and put it in

[Berni]

[Ashberto]

The only foreign players I recall in the English league were the Irishers playing for Arsenal.

[Red N White Army]

Of course you need some competitive spirit, but winning seems the be all and end all, even at u8/9. Which leads to the big lads playing most games as they can bully teams, but focus should be on more technical players. Who are normally small f**kers. Or something.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Luis Anaconda]

and beside Scotland won the 78 World Cup you know - Ally McLeod said so

[Luis Anaconda]

Maybe more 80s than 70 but definitely a large number of Scotsmen around and Welsh and Zimbabweans

[Ashberto]

Your lot looks more 80s to me.

[PSRB]

[Luis Anaconda]

[PSRB]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Pokster]

apart from cup games, it is meant to be get the kids playing and get them enjoying it rather than you must win

[redgunamo]

Winning ought to be part of the enjoyment, not separated from it surely? If you're trying to produce elite players, that is.