Now I've had time to let it fester. I can see some pros and cons.
For starters Rooney has to be dropped. Just not good enough. I continually slate Danny Welbeck, however I have to admit that I thought he had a decent game last night. I just still feel like he's not offering enough going forward though.
Raheem Sterling, take a bow young man. Different gravy. Caused the Italian back 4 untold problems, and his eye for a through pass was excellent. He seemed to very much be on the same page as Sturridge.
Steven Gerrard, is for me, as frustrating to watch as it was Lampard for us last season. Slows the game down so much. Italy's midfield all make their pass by their third touch, at most. Usually do it in 2. Gerrard wants to spend 5 minutes on the ball, and then every other pass has to be a Hollywood ball. Half of which go straight down the recipients throat, this resulting in them losing the ball.
Johnson and Baines are just woeful. Neither can defend, and Johnson is so wasteful going forward. Baines' marking was like a 5 year olds marking. I think the decision not to take Cole is going to be very costly.
Barkley was excellent when he came on. Said from the off that he should have started. Hodgson bottled playing 2 youngsters across the attacking trio. Rooney is not a left winger! And he is not the in form no 10. Therefore - bench!
Overall. I thought we started both hands very well. But the tempo nosedived soon after. Italy were far superior in possession. Quick tempo passing throughout. Something we're just not capable of.
I wasn't impressed by Uruguay or Costa Rica. But I'm not sure if we've got enough in the tin.
Line up for the next game:
-----------------------Hart----------------------
--Smalling---Cahill---Jagielka---Shaw--
-------------Wilshire---Henderson---------
Sterling----------Barkley----------Lallana
------------------Sturridge-------------------
Last night...
posted on 15/6/14
This England team will never keep a clean sheet. So easy to get past Gerrard
posted on 15/6/14
Lallana 10, Sterling and Ox wings.
posted on 15/6/14
I'd actually play jones at rb over smalling other than that I hav been saying ur team for a while. Jags and Cahill actually didn't hav much to deal with. But Johnson is terrible and baines not tried at this level. Johnson is the weak link.
posted on 15/6/14
U start with that team u getting knocked out
posted on 15/6/14
Wilshire and Barkley shouldn't start for me, Barkley is too erratic and needs to fine tune his game, right now he's best as an impact sub,
posted on 15/6/14
comment by The Blue Kenyan (U1641)
posted 1 minute ago
Wilshire and Barkley shouldn't start for me, Barkley is too erratic and needs to fine tune his game, right now he's best as an impact sub,
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A lot of overeaction from last night.
posted on 15/6/14
Gerrard is awful. Brought his Liverpool DM stats to England
posted on 15/6/14
If Hodgson is going to persist with this formation, he has to drop Rooney.
Shoe-horning a player in for the sake of having him in the team is bad for the team.
It was the same in South Africa when Gerrard was nominally our left midfielder but in reality Gerrard spent as much time in that World Cup on England's left as I did.
Speaking of Gerrard that Gerrard-Henderson duo is a major concern too. Liverpool let in 50 goals and that's not just down to their defenders, they don't get enough protection from their midfield and it's the same for England.
Gerrard obviously won't be dropped but we need a proper holding midfielder next to him. Unfortunately we don't really have one, the best we can do is probably Phil Jones and thats a depressing prospect.
posted on 15/6/14
=============================
For starters Rooney has to be dropped. Just not good enough.
=============================
M.O.J.O.,
I was think the same thing. Maybe he comes on in the second half as a substitute? He was awful yesterday. There does not seem to be any "on field" leadership and certainly none from the bench. Someone please shake Hodgson and let him know that the game has ended!
posted on 15/6/14
Unfortunately we don't really have one, the best we can do is probably Phil Jones and thats a depressing prospect.
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Hodgson could have taken someone like Barry or even Carrick for that job.
I'm a Chelsea fan but I have no idea why he took a 36 year old Lampard instead.
Very strange.