Well, there we go again, some people will say unlucky England, losing on penalties but really! As soon as they come up against a team who can actually play a bit they look second rate. Credit to Hodgson, they kept their shape and credit to the defence and Hart, they didn't get mullered.
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I don't think anybody with any sense who watched the game last night, or englands performances throughout the tournament would say they were 'unlucky'!

And going on 40 shots against would certainly point towards them gettin 'mullered'!

Stopped reading after this paragraph to be honest!

0-0 mullering? Can't be aced to read the whole post? Thanks for the contribution

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

I'll give you Greece, but that was 8 years ago.

That Italy team could play a bit even if they chose to play dirty as well, that's my point, a good team can do both.

Well given the players that Hodgson had at his disposal in a short period of time, I dont think he had any choice to employ the kind of tactics he did, we had three natural central MF, two are too old, the other nowhere near good enough (IMO) but had we had Wilshere, Rodwell & maybe employed Oxlade in a central role we would have played better footie.

I for one long to see England play good posession football but with the likes of Gerard, Barry, Terry & Lamps in the team that will never happen, it will always be route one coz thats their mentality (esp Lamps & Terry)...its always the same, e lump it up, then other teams will pass around nicely for 2-3 mins till we get the ball again and lump it forward again, its a horrible circle that we are in. I think now is the time for those four to call it a day, they have had there last chance (again) and failed (again) and by the time the WC starts they'll be in their mid thirties, its time for them to stop being selfish and hand the batten over to younger more hungry players who will play better, but that wont happen as long as Hodgson's in charge, no matter who's in charge they'll be lingering around stopping others who will play better & giving England a more realistic chance of glory.

As for last night, i think we WERE mullered in terms of possesion and the amount of chances they had, it amazes me that we didnt get beaten 4-5 nill seeing as they hit the post twice, a goal disallowed and Montilivo skying it over from about 10 yards out.

5 's BTW, good read that Mike, agreed with everything you said apart from the "we didnt get mullered"bit.

Ok. we got mullered in every department except the score.

BTW I expect the Germans to tonk Italy.

Hate to say it Mike, they'll tonk the finalists too, <spit> they have without doubt (barring the Denmark game) been the best side in this competition...now that hurt

Also, not only do we need a change in tactics, if we are to suceed in winning the world cup/Euro's we need a change in footballing mentality, right from coaching the youngsters & finding good natural technical players, it seems that our youth are coached in old school ways instead of a more continental style, we have good technical players coming through but will no doubt be coached the wrong way. We need to keep up with the times in terms of footballing mentality tactics wise coz lumping it up has time and time again proved that it dosnt work for us

Hodgson has definitely made us harder to beat, but we still lack creativity or flair. We still suffer from the "British disease" of thinking hard work and effort will suffice. It won't. We lack the ability to do the basics.

Here's a few things I notice when watching England:

Firstly, and most annoyingly, as it is the most basic of all football 'skills' is the fact that we constantly give the ball away needlessly, failing to make even the simplest of passes, either through apparent over-casualness (?) or through attempting to pass to a player clearly surrounded by the opposition, putting him in trouble. (especially infuriating when said player is all of one yard away!) There are simple passes and there are pointless passes. Guess which we are masters at?

Secondly, the few flair players we have (Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain) appear to be shackled by team tactics. Where are the driving runs that, at the very least, unsettle defenders or win us those free-kicks, and at best result in a goal? You know...the ones that work so well at club level. Which brings me to...

Thirdly, (and i have to admit, this is more of a personal thought than a tactical one) players such as Rooney, rarely seem to be allowed to play for their country as they do for their club, in a free-roaming manner. For Man Utd, Rooney seems to be all over the pitch, but seems restricted to a strict centre of the field regime for England. Like I said, this is more a personal thought, you may not agree, but it reminds me of the Glenn Hoddle days, when he seemed similarly restricted for his country.

Fourthly, we simply are not comfortable enough on the ball. It seems like the first thought when receiving the ball isn't, "what can I create with this?", it's more a, "Oh Jeez, i have to get rid of this thing." Panic sets in. C'mon people, it's a football, not a bomb! Use it!

And lastly...where has the tackling gone when attackers run at us? Facing them while backing off achieves nothing...they're still coming forward, you know? Similarly pointless is when we simply run alongside an advancing forward...helloooo...that's doing NOTHING to stop them! Get a tackle in, a block, anything. Stop being so scared of being penalised. There's nothing wrong with a good, strong tackle. Just make sure not to lunge!

OK, I think i've got that off my chest. All in all, i'm not too disappointed with the displays at Euro 2012. We're harder to beat than we have been for a long time and the spirit seems good. If we can just add a touch of class and excitement, we'll not be a bad team at all.

Oh....and sort those penalty kicks out! Curse, my foot. You just can't take penalties!!!

So Hart studied10 years worth of Italian penalties taken..

..why ?..

.. a penalty is a bit like women indicating when driving a car

Taking a penalty is very much like making love to a beautiful woman.
Ensure the ball is fully pumped and studs clear of dirt. Knead the spot, especially when greasy surface or long grass. Keep your shot selection under wraps, focus on the target and give it both barrels.
The worst that can happen is you've hit the bar early.

No coincidence that A Young is a certified wa nker

Well, didn't see that result coming! Maybe England aren't so sheet after all............

We're fourth best in the world though, don't you know

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/04/england-rise-to-world-no4?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29