UEFA Euro U21 Championships

[Mattshark]

Watching the England U21's shows very little promise for the future of England.

[Rich]

Pearce has failed in making them into a team that's for sure.

I was expecting a top, top performance after the Spain draw. Deflated.

[Liverpool]

To think Spearing couldnt get in the squad, Wilshere and Carroll would have made a difference, England tactics are ****.

[Gaz]

To think Spearing couldnt get in the squad, Wilshere and Carroll would have made a difference, England tactics are ****.

I'm still trying to figure out if England have any tactics, No doubt Carroll and Wilshere would have made a difference, wouldn't have hurt to give them some Tournament experience. I'd take Spearing any day of the week over Mancienne. Watching this too we should have asked for Sturridge as part of the Torres deal, he'll be a really good player in a few years

[Shaggy]

Did Spearing miss the cut? He was called into the squad wasn't he....did they trim it down and he missed out?

[Liverpool]

Did Spearing miss the cut? He was called into the squad wasn't he....did they trim it down and he missed out?

There was a final 40 then someone got injured so Spearing was called up.

[Shaggy]

Surely they haven't taken a squad of 40?

[Fredo]

OptaJoe Opta Sports
by pffred
45% - Of the 29 long passes attempted by England in the first half against Ukraine, only 13 (45%) found a teammate. Hoof.

[Liverpool]

Surely they haven't taken a squad of 40?

nope that was a first draft then cut down to 23, why bother calling him up to the 40 when he clearly rates 39 ahead of him?

[Kenneth]

I'm still trying to figure out if England have any tactics, No doubt Carroll and Wilshere would have made a difference, wouldn't have hurt to give them some Tournament experience. I'd take Spearing any day of the week over Mancienne. Watching this too we should have asked for Sturridge as part of the Torres deal, he'll be a really good player in a few years

I suggested this when it was rumoured at the time but it didn't go down well with the 'it's a million million pounds or he stays' attitude that prevailed.

[PTP]

yeah that was dire last night - i don't want to be too hard on them because they are youngsters etc - but ****ing hell - it looked like the fa got a call the night before the tournement started inviting them to compete, and they fa had 2 hours to scurry round and phone everyone up who hasn't gone on holiday yet and see if they fancied a game

the critical error - is it seems that the team is 'built' around michael mancienne - and already discussed in here....he is ****ing ****

Oh and Welbeck is ****ing **** as well! in fact out of the two games so far, there is only 3 players who have shown anything, Jones, Walker and Sturridge.

as already mentioned there is no cohesion. They seem to lack the technical ability to relax, don't panic, take an extra touch, roll it back to the full back if there is nothing on....it almost looks like, the tactics are...as soon as you get the ball, get rid of it as fast as you can, ideally in a forward direction and run after it

[PTP]

oh - and i can't see this side beating the czechs - we don't look good enough to go out and **** anyone....we grab a goal....but i think englands defence have an error in them,especially if under a bit of pressure.

[Gaz]

**** it, if they get knocked out then at least Henderson can get back and have a decent rest before pre-season training starts

[saj]

Did Spearing miss the cut? He was called into the squad wasn't he....did they trim it down and he missed out?

He pulled out through injury

[Exiled_red]

I think the England Under-21's is a tough job for a manager, as you are always likely to have your best players taken away from you at the last minute by either the senior team or by their clubs refusing to allow experienced first team players go to youth tournaments. And this has proved the case for England U21s with Wilshere and Carroll, Spain for example don't have this problem they have the likes of Mata there. So at some level I have some sympathy for Pearce for that, but I don't rate him as a manager, he has passion and says the right things but I think he's seriously lacking in tactical ability.