So England depart a major tournament as soon as it play against its first decent opposition, what a suprise. It would have been a travesty if they had fluked it on penalties. In fact when, whoever the commentator was, on the night, proclaimed it a cruel way for England to have gone out, i virtually spit my drink out. Would it have been cruel for Greece or France to have gone out if they had managed what was so obviously their similar game plan. I think not, and neither did anybody else. The commentary, summarising and analysis so far has been truly abysmal, and i'm afraid the Beeb has been fucking awful
I had given England a chance before the Sunday night on the basis that they might scrape through against a less than stellar Italian outfit. And let's face it, that's what Italy are, take Pirlo out of that team and they wouldn't be that much better than England.
As usual England couldn't keep the ball and as usual it cost them. The English player's legs wouldn't allow them to take the fight back to Italy as Pirlo increasingly bossed the game. I've never bought the hype that Gerrard was a world class player and i don't rate Scott Parket at all, but i'll admit to feeling sorry for them on the night. Four four two doesn't work at this level any more, if indeed it ever has, as was obvious for anybody to see in South Africa. It seems to me that Hodgson was just as tactically rigid as Capello during his tenure, not just on the night, but all the through the group stages. If he carries on with this formation during the World cup quaalifiers will he cop for any flak.
When you are obviously technically inferior to the opposition, as England were, the obssession with just two men in the middle of the park just seems mind-boggling. Michael Owen has pointed out that England have a player as good as Pirlo, Paul Scholes and Ferdinand has come out and wondered how Carrick wasn't in the squad. But though they are both right, would Carrick or Scholes have been able do that much better in that formation, i doubt it.
I should have been amazed when Hodgson took Welbeck off, after just sixty minutes, but it just seemed to sum up the tactical ineptitude. Welbeck had been the only man to look as technically proficient as the the Italians, as Ferdinand has said this morning the only time in the match England looked like a proper team was when he dropped deep to link up play.
I'm not sure what to say about Rooney on the night, yes England didn't use him in the way they should have done, but he was still poor, very poor. I wouldn't have brought Carroll on in a million years, he epitomises England's neanderthal approach to the game, but if Hodgson was determined to bring him on, then it should have been Rooney coming off.
In reality the only difference between the world cup in South Africa and this tournament was that there was a better spirit in the squad and the team got and rode their luck. In every group game, at various points of the ninety minutes, the game could have gone a different way. England never once threatened to dominate any of the group games against as ordinary teams as Sweden and Ukraine.
Most of the squad reviews have showered praise on the defence with seven or eight out of ten for the lot of them. Yet in every game we rode our luck with almost every team we played missing glorious chance's, not least Italy. That doesn't suggest we were that watertight at the back to me.Some of the tabloids managed to award higher marks to Carroll than Welbeck which just goes to show one of the reasons why this country fails at this level. If Andy Carroll is your idea of an international footballer,
why don't you just campaign for the return of Graham Taylor as England manager.
At least the best four teams of the tournament have reached the last four, Germany have been the team of the tournament so far, not as water tight as Spain at the back but with more goal threat up front. The criticism of Spain doesn't wash with me, i agree that they aren't the most exciting team we have seen, but that doesn't make them boring. Let's face it, if every team you play, parks the bus against you, it won't make for great viewing, it does make two teams to make a game of football.
Portugal have a decent team, not as good as the above pair, but they undoubtedly have the player of the tournament so far. Can Ronaldo keep his ego in check against the Spanish though, he will have to play for the team at times tonight, which, though he can do it, he did it for us at times, is obviously not his forte. Nani has had an in an and out four games so far, he needs to be at the top of his game tonight.
As i have said i don't think Italy are that strong, Pirlo is a great player, but i can't see past Germany in that semi if the Germans turn up. As for the other, i have a sneaking feeling that Portugal might just do it, they will get chances i'm sure of that and Spain haven't been at there in the last third of the pitch so far, so i'll for Germany Portugal final. So get your money on Italy and Spain.
I had given England a chance before the Sunday night on the basis that they might scrape through against a less than stellar Italian outfit. And let's face it, that's what Italy are, take Pirlo out of that team and they wouldn't be that much better than England.
As usual England couldn't keep the ball and as usual it cost them. The English player's legs wouldn't allow them to take the fight back to Italy as Pirlo increasingly bossed the game. I've never bought the hype that Gerrard was a world class player and i don't rate Scott Parket at all, but i'll admit to feeling sorry for them on the night. Four four two doesn't work at this level any more, if indeed it ever has, as was obvious for anybody to see in South Africa. It seems to me that Hodgson was just as tactically rigid as Capello during his tenure, not just on the night, but all the through the group stages. If he carries on with this formation during the World cup quaalifiers will he cop for any flak.
When you are obviously technically inferior to the opposition, as England were, the obssession with just two men in the middle of the park just seems mind-boggling. Michael Owen has pointed out that England have a player as good as Pirlo, Paul Scholes and Ferdinand has come out and wondered how Carrick wasn't in the squad. But though they are both right, would Carrick or Scholes have been able do that much better in that formation, i doubt it.
I should have been amazed when Hodgson took Welbeck off, after just sixty minutes, but it just seemed to sum up the tactical ineptitude. Welbeck had been the only man to look as technically proficient as the the Italians, as Ferdinand has said this morning the only time in the match England looked like a proper team was when he dropped deep to link up play.
I'm not sure what to say about Rooney on the night, yes England didn't use him in the way they should have done, but he was still poor, very poor. I wouldn't have brought Carroll on in a million years, he epitomises England's neanderthal approach to the game, but if Hodgson was determined to bring him on, then it should have been Rooney coming off.
In reality the only difference between the world cup in South Africa and this tournament was that there was a better spirit in the squad and the team got and rode their luck. In every group game, at various points of the ninety minutes, the game could have gone a different way. England never once threatened to dominate any of the group games against as ordinary teams as Sweden and Ukraine.
Most of the squad reviews have showered praise on the defence with seven or eight out of ten for the lot of them. Yet in every game we rode our luck with almost every team we played missing glorious chance's, not least Italy. That doesn't suggest we were that watertight at the back to me.Some of the tabloids managed to award higher marks to Carroll than Welbeck which just goes to show one of the reasons why this country fails at this level. If Andy Carroll is your idea of an international footballer,
why don't you just campaign for the return of Graham Taylor as England manager.
At least the best four teams of the tournament have reached the last four, Germany have been the team of the tournament so far, not as water tight as Spain at the back but with more goal threat up front. The criticism of Spain doesn't wash with me, i agree that they aren't the most exciting team we have seen, but that doesn't make them boring. Let's face it, if every team you play, parks the bus against you, it won't make for great viewing, it does make two teams to make a game of football.
Portugal have a decent team, not as good as the above pair, but they undoubtedly have the player of the tournament so far. Can Ronaldo keep his ego in check against the Spanish though, he will have to play for the team at times tonight, which, though he can do it, he did it for us at times, is obviously not his forte. Nani has had an in an and out four games so far, he needs to be at the top of his game tonight.
As i have said i don't think Italy are that strong, Pirlo is a great player, but i can't see past Germany in that semi if the Germans turn up. As for the other, i have a sneaking feeling that Portugal might just do it, they will get chances i'm sure of that and Spain haven't been at there in the last third of the pitch so far, so i'll for Germany Portugal final. So get your money on Italy and Spain.
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