Uruguay v England

[tavyred]

Much as I wouldn't have him near the team if we had a decent keeper but Joe Hart is the only one who proudly sings the anthem and he genuinely looks like he cares.

I agree, the trick is to have the talent to compliment the passion of course. Hart will like fellow Englishmen Lescott and Richards be out the door at Man City soon and yet more foreigners will experience champions league football courtesy of the English FA.

 

[richard_portland]

As our last game is meaningless and doesn't impact the rest of the group, other than whether Costa Rica finish first or second I think one of the other goalkeepers should play for experience or even 45 mins each. Shaw should get a chance to replace Baines, and Oxlade-chamberlain , lallana and barkley should all get to start. Definitely don't play Gerrard and I would say rest Rooney as well, and treat it is valuable experience towards Euro 2016.

With the expanded format we will surely be involved.

Although I have no love for the Italians I hope they at least draw with Uruguay to stick it right up Suarez. He is a great striker but we either need to learn to defend or get someone to take his knee out.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

And all this would have been so much different if the players could engage their brain for a couple of seconds. We've scored two goals. How? And we've looked dangerous at times, particularly against Italy. How? By getting around the back and getting to within touching distance of the byline. To quote Barnesy's immortal rap;

You've got to hold and give
But do it at the right time
You can be slow or fast
But you must get to the line
They'll always hit you and hurt you
Defend and attack
There's only one way to beat them
Get round the back

And we did it so bloody easily, why didn't we just carry on doing it? You can play whatever system you want to do it but you can't beat that ethic.

We need two other things before we're going to go anywhere. A commanding centre half who is going boss and organise those around him and a striker who first, second, third and last thought is about putting the ball in the back of the net and recognises the only way he is going to do that is by playing within the width of the 18 yard box and that his work doesn't start until he is within 35 yards of goal. Rooney is too busy dropping back to the half way line to get involved in play and the amount of times I saw Sturridge receiving the ball out on the touch line was ridiculous.

 

[ecfc70]

Much as I wouldn't have him near the team if we had a decent keeper but Joe Hart is the only one who proudly sings the anthem and he genuinely looks like he cares.

our national anthem is a bit of a contentious issue though isnt it?
it is the national anthem for the UK and glorifies the reigning monarch of these fair isles
if scotland can sing about their purple weed and wales about something to do with big fish then why is it we English cant find a song that gets the heart pumping about the country they represent?
however, while we continue to have this anthem then they should sing it with gusto to get fired up not look like they are miming it because they are feeling like a little kid at a wedding who dosnt want to be there

 

[Willy Nilly]

**** me, it's 2014 and we are still talking about singing the national anthem and playing with passion.

Amazing.

There was no lack of effort in either game. It just didn't happen for us. At least we played half decent and bar some mistakes could have won both on another day.

Some promising kids coming through.

Some of the old guard hopefully finished now.

Onwards and upwards. Better than the tedious ****e from 2010. That Algeria game. Jesus.

 

[Willy Nilly]

I agree, the trick is to have the talent to compliment the passion of course. Hart will like fellow Englishmen Lescott and Richards be out the door at Man City soon and yet more foreigners will experience champions league football courtesy of the English FA.

Nothing stopping young English players joining clubs in other countries to play Champions League footy but they'd rather bench warm and drive Bentleys.

 

[Willy Nilly]

Our terminal decline continues apace. Club obsessed players supported by club obsessed supporters wonder why international football is so difficult.

We were so much better back in 1994!

 

[tavyred]

Nothing stopping young English players joining clubs in other countries to play Champions League footy but they'd rather bench warm and drive Bentleys.

It depends on what you think England's premier league is for, if you think our top clubs can be foreign owned,foreign managed and mostly represented with foreign players then clearly anything goes,but if you feel that a league operating under the auspices of the English FA should have reference to the long term health of game in this country then clearly some restrictions on clubs need to be made.

 

[StroudGrecian]

To quote Barnesy's immortal rap

Please don't do this again.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

It highlights the point though. The times when we were successful or at least carrying a threat were when we got around the back.