Interesting team picture ahead of last night's draw bore that so thrilled the nations football hacks and pundits, just look at Danny Welbeck next to John Terry, thadda boy Danny.
As to the game, given the squad at his disposal and the tactics Hodgson is going to employ, i suppose it was probably as good a performance as England could have hoped for and a reasonable point. Of course that's totally different from saying it was an impressive display or anything to get worked up about. As usual England couldn't keep the ball, though the use of a 4-4-2 can probably be blamed for that as much as England's lack of technical proficiency.
I'm not really one for getting worked up about the national team, but i am looking for Welbeck to do well and put himself on the international footballing map. He didn't do himself any harm on that front last night, playing centre foward in front of that line up with the inevitable lack of decent service would be a big ask for anybody. But i thought Welbeck was the man that caused the French defence the most problems on the night, despite all the press coverage of Oxlade-Chamberlain's big night. Even when his first touch wasn't as good as it might have been, he managed to keep hold of possession, a priceless asset in any centre forward. It would have been a toss up between Lescott and Welbeck for England's best player on the night.
I am looking foward to seeing Rooney to getting back into the team to see how their partnership goes at this level, if that meant Young going to the flank in place of Milner, that would have more attacking potential than last night's line up. Unfortunately it looks like Milner may be vital to Hodgson's strict 4-4-2 hard working team ethic and it would be Oxlade-Chamberlain who would make way.
Andy Mitten profiles Michael Carrick, describing him as undervalued by England and some United fans but never by those who know the game. Last night didn't alter my view that he should walk into that team, Parker may have worked hard and got the blocks in, but his use of the ball is just no where near what should be required at this level.
I can't really see Carrick's international career resuming after his virtual retirement for the England set up, by the time of the next tournament, Cleverley and Wilshere, injuries permiting should be taking up the central midfield reigns.
After being unconvinced that Rooney could do the business in central midfield, i have to say that his displays there for United in the middle of our injury crisis last season has led me to revise my opinion on that. Given that England lack any strength of depth, as Rooney enters his early 30's i can see him moving further back, just as Scholes career trajectory has led him from attacking midfielder to anchor midfielder. I'd go as far as to say he'd do as good a job there as anybody we have got in the squad now.
George Soros talks of the accidental empire, and joins others in being fairly critical of German actions and worried about German intentions. Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer describes Europe's situation as serious, very serious, asking who would have thought it would be British conservative prime minister calling for a fiscal union. Of course there is deep disquiet amongst his tory colleagues at Cameron and Osborne's European policy at the moment.
Paul Mason looks at the perils of European optimism, comparing the inability to imagine failure as reminiscent of 1914. Martin Wolf publishes a correspondence with a respected official of the German finace ministry, which seemingly worries him as dangerously optimistic and wrong.
As to the game, given the squad at his disposal and the tactics Hodgson is going to employ, i suppose it was probably as good a performance as England could have hoped for and a reasonable point. Of course that's totally different from saying it was an impressive display or anything to get worked up about. As usual England couldn't keep the ball, though the use of a 4-4-2 can probably be blamed for that as much as England's lack of technical proficiency.
I'm not really one for getting worked up about the national team, but i am looking for Welbeck to do well and put himself on the international footballing map. He didn't do himself any harm on that front last night, playing centre foward in front of that line up with the inevitable lack of decent service would be a big ask for anybody. But i thought Welbeck was the man that caused the French defence the most problems on the night, despite all the press coverage of Oxlade-Chamberlain's big night. Even when his first touch wasn't as good as it might have been, he managed to keep hold of possession, a priceless asset in any centre forward. It would have been a toss up between Lescott and Welbeck for England's best player on the night.
I am looking foward to seeing Rooney to getting back into the team to see how their partnership goes at this level, if that meant Young going to the flank in place of Milner, that would have more attacking potential than last night's line up. Unfortunately it looks like Milner may be vital to Hodgson's strict 4-4-2 hard working team ethic and it would be Oxlade-Chamberlain who would make way.
Andy Mitten profiles Michael Carrick, describing him as undervalued by England and some United fans but never by those who know the game. Last night didn't alter my view that he should walk into that team, Parker may have worked hard and got the blocks in, but his use of the ball is just no where near what should be required at this level.
I can't really see Carrick's international career resuming after his virtual retirement for the England set up, by the time of the next tournament, Cleverley and Wilshere, injuries permiting should be taking up the central midfield reigns.
After being unconvinced that Rooney could do the business in central midfield, i have to say that his displays there for United in the middle of our injury crisis last season has led me to revise my opinion on that. Given that England lack any strength of depth, as Rooney enters his early 30's i can see him moving further back, just as Scholes career trajectory has led him from attacking midfielder to anchor midfielder. I'd go as far as to say he'd do as good a job there as anybody we have got in the squad now.
George Soros talks of the accidental empire, and joins others in being fairly critical of German actions and worried about German intentions. Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer describes Europe's situation as serious, very serious, asking who would have thought it would be British conservative prime minister calling for a fiscal union. Of course there is deep disquiet amongst his tory colleagues at Cameron and Osborne's European policy at the moment.
Paul Mason looks at the perils of European optimism, comparing the inability to imagine failure as reminiscent of 1914. Martin Wolf publishes a correspondence with a respected official of the German finace ministry, which seemingly worries him as dangerously optimistic and wrong.
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