The 2011-2012 Football Thread

[Jaffa Cake]

It may be beneficial for our players to not gaze at the floor as they walk up to take their penalty, they might look to have a bit more confidence about them then.

Still, no complaints really.

 

[2020mike]

I look forward to the English tabloids commentary on this game tomorrow.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I look forward to the English tabloids commentary on this game tomorrow.

Hey, we deserve some credit – everyone was slapping themselves on the back that we managed to avoid Spain in the quarters, but we've now also managed to avoid Germany in the semis.

So, you know, yay us and all that.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I think Hodgson deserves credit overall, he quickly settled on a starting XI and tactical approach, and he got the team playing about as good as can be expected. England can now look forward to their World Cup qualifying campaign. There are some obvious weak areas that need to be worked on. Passing in particular. Even if you play a counterattacking game you still need to complete your passes.

Italy will be excited that they are through, but they know the next match will be a hundred times harder - against a deep, rested, in-form Germany. It would be a huge upset if Italy got through to the final.

You have to give Young and Cole credit for stepping up to take their penalties, they will take a lot of heat for missing now but at least they went for it.

 

[daneoni]

Pirlo Man of the Match. Oozed class throughout and capped off with a sensational penalty.

 

[Queso]

Pirlo Man of the Match. Oozed class throughout and capped off with a sensational penalty.

Oh, that was class, but it could all gone so horribly wrong. Apple should make laptops out of the same material his gonads are constructed of.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I think Hodgson deserves credit overall, he quickly settled on a starting XI and tactical approach, and he got the team playing about as good as can be expected. England can now look forward to their World Cup qualifying campaign. There are some obvious weak areas that need to be worked on. Passing in particular. Even if you play a counterattacking game you still need to complete your passes.

Indeed, Hodgson and his side have done as well as anyone realistically expected. Last eight is round about our place, despite what some sections of our media would have you believe.

Still, I'm sure we'd have won if 'Arry had been manager.

Apple should make laptops out of the same material his gonads are constructed of.

Cripes.

 

[Iamnezzy]

Ah well, all over for another tournament, i can enjoy it now , well done to Italy.

 

[jsolares]

Italy don't deserve to win it either, really. They have been a little better than England but they don't look very dangerous either.

Someone should have scored by now.

Hard to look dangerous when there's 11 englishmen in the box
And germany defends just as well but is more dangerous up front... should be interesting

 

[takao]

seriously though how England miraculously managed 120 of not conceding against Italy was quite the feat ...

what i really wonder though is why opposed to the first half and part of the second england simply decided to play so deep ? When they didn't they actually managed to press Italy into a few errors

on the penalties: when i saw Young coming up to the spot i knew it was over for england


on the other side it's yet again simply marvelous to watch Pirlo play ... and then after 120 minutes the nerves to shot such a penalty ?


for the semi finals it's gonna be interesting match up ... Italy is nemesis at tournaments for Germany so it's tough for them, on the other side Germany has so many different attacking options that it's gonna be difficult for Italy to set up their squad

 

[daneoni]

They missed Wilshere and Lampard. Especially the former, knows how to win the ball, keep it, and pick out a pass. Just look back to the Barcelona game at the Emirates.

Rooney also still hasn't proven himself on the International stage after his initial debut. They're lacking in the wide areas too.

You know you have it bad when you look to Jordan Henderson to come and be your match winner, when Germany on the other hand have Gotze, Muller, Klose etc on the bench, and Spain have Fabregas, Navas, Torres etc.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

They're lacking in the wide areas too.

There was one wide boy tipped for England, but he seemed to fall out of the reckoning after his tax evasion trial...

 

[daneoni]

There was one wide boy tipped for England, but he seemed to fall out of the reckoning after his tax evasion trial...

Trying to 'wing' his taxes was he

 

[2020mike]

Hey, we deserve some credit – everyone was slapping themselves on the back that we managed to avoid Spain in the quarters, but we've now also managed to avoid Germany in the semis.

So, you know, yay us and all that.

What I was meaning was how the tabloids im sure will rip this effort apart. Honestly this years England team has looked to be one of the better ones in the past couple of years IMO. I give Roy a lot of credit for coming in when he did and being able to assemble a decent performance. Im sure though some people will be calling for his head come tomorrow.

 

[oscillatewildly]

Knew Young would miss. Useless to the end.

...

Knew you'd put that. Lawrenson to the end.

---

Hodgson asked too much of Gerrard and Parker, I thought he'd sit Welbeck and put another body in the middle.

Up front - using Carroll to flick on just gave the ball away. And as mentioned, Rooney didn't look match fit.

Overall, low expectation is the way to go.

Cheers,
OW

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Hodgson asked too much of Gerrard and Parker, I thought he'd sit Welbeck and put another body in the middle.

Up front - using Carroll to flick on just gave the ball away. And as mentioned, Rooney didn't look match fit.

Maybe if Gerrard and Parker didn't sit so deep they would have bee a little more effective. I'm not sure though.

I think Carroll did well to knock the ball down and control it. His passing let him down but he was not the only player guilty of that. If he and Rooney get more palying time together (and if Rooney is fit), I think we should expect them to improve in holding on to the ball.

Low expectations? i suppose, but perhaps realistic is a better word. England will never win anything until they accept their place in the footballing world. You don't have to be the absolute best to win things, but you have to know where you really stand and play to your strengths. I think Roy has done that here. There is much work to be done, but Hodgson seems to have a grip on his job that previous managers have lacked. And maybe he has been more levelheaded about what England can achieve and how to do it.

Although, he'll need to work on convincing Ferdinand to come back and play while Terry is in jail.

 

[oscillatewildly]

I don't think Hodgson made the best of the midfield - the Gerrard + Parker ask was all tournament; an extra body to share the load re defence - stop being pushed back and allow the wide players to attack. Instead they kept in reverse, leaving the wide men having to beat 3 or 4 just to make contact with the front men. Then it was lump it up.

Cheers - and night,
OW

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I don't think it's the number of men in midfield that is the problem; I think the problem is a lack of flexibility in the midfielders' play. English midfielders seem to have two operating modes: rigid positioning or headless chicken. Maybe the current iteration of the 4-4-2 will work better with the current squad once they've had more experience with it.

The midfield does seem to sit a little far back though.

 

[Happybunny]

I look forward to the English tabloids commentary on this game tomorrow.

The English newspapers have been quite soft on blaming the team and manager.

I did read some of the comments and to a man they were highly critical of Wayne Rooney.




The English papers were far more friendly about their team, than the Dutch papers were to their team.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

The English newspapers have been quite soft on blaming the team and manager.

It's strange – I can only imagine that they must be up to something...

 

[pachyderm]

It's strange – I can only imagine that they must be up to something...

lol.

in a group of 4 out of 16 teams to score points in every match.

won 2 and tied 1.

won their group.

that's better than most of you lot expected.

and i'm sure the italians cheated.. i just don't know how yet.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

It's all Lethal Bizzle's fault.

 

[jeremy h]

lol.
and i'm sure the italians cheated.. i just don't know how yet.

Well, of course they did... they kept stealing the ball from our chaps... most unsporting of them. At least we did the decent thing and generously offered them the ball back to them as soon as we'd managed a couple of passes.

 

[takao]

with the quarter finals over it is now certain: not a single squad made it through from the groups A & D, all semi final teams are from group B and C

 

[pachyderm]

Well, of course they did... they kept stealing the ball from our chaps... most unsporting of them. At least we did the decent thing and generously offered them the ball back to them as soon as we'd managed a couple of passes.

fair play!