England v Italy match thread

[Suarez]

It's the whole culture of this country, from the dinosaurs at the FA to the press up to the dumbing down/overhype from England fans which for me outweighs what Gerrard and co may be feeling.

For me they don't exist, I blank them out. Gerrard has given us so much joy over the years, winning things on his own at times and could've gone anywhere he wanted but he didn't. My love for the guy far outweighs my dislike for those you mention. His best days are unfortunately behind him and he's approaching that fateful day when he'll be hanging up his boots for good. I would've loved to have seen him lift the trophy as it won't be happening for him at Liverpool in whats left of his playing career.

On different note, Hart may be a good shot stopper, but this tournament has highlighted how piss poor his distribution is. I think it was the France game where England were passing the ball around trying to run the clock down, France weren't pressing as they were happy with the draw too, they passed the ball back to Hart, no pressure and he just ****ing hoofs it, gives the ball to France who made an attack out of it in the dying minutes.

[dom9]

BBC commentator Alan Green, speaking on Radio 5 live, sees little reason for optimism: "The way England played might have got us out of the group, but in terms of threatening to do well at a major tournament, it's not remotely adequate.

"My suspicion is that England will never do well under Roy Hodgson. I hope he proves me wrong. I know he's very well respected across the continent. I think he's accustomed to dealing with ordinary players and making them better as a unit."

[Alex]

Bang on from the miserable old ******* there.

[kemm1]

I don't buy this bollocks that England players are technically and tactically inferior. I counted 4 champions league winners in the starting line up, and most of the rest have won the league.

I do buy into the theory that the manager is technically and tactically inferior though.

Djimi Traore has a CL winners medal. I fundamentally disagree, England's players on average are technically inferior and we have no depth on quality technical players. Almost every tournament in my lifetime its the same thing. We get beat by a team with more possession of the ball and get technically outplayed but we the England fans find bull**** excuses typically using the manager as a scapegoat.
This exit has nothing to do with Roy this is all about the FA and their lack of modern football development from the ground up. We can change managers AGAIN for 2014 and we will get the same results.

[Kenneth]

roi

Good point.

[dom9]

Opta @OptaJean

39% - England averaged 39% possession at EURO 2012, their lowest ratio at a EURO finals (since 1980). Reactive.

[Tee]

Wonder how Harry Redknapp would have done in charge of England at the Euros. I think the team would have been far more adventurous and attacking. He really should have got the job ahead of Roy.

[RedReet]

TBF in 80 they were in a group with Italy who went on to win the World Cup 2 years later, Belgium (finalists) and Spain.

This year they had to face the mighty Ukraine and Sweden.

[kemm1]

Opta @OptaJean

39% - England averaged 39% possession at EURO 2012, their lowest ratio at a EURO finals (since 1980). Reactive.

Yes Roy is ****, but I still don't think it matters if there is a different manager.

[Muddled]

I don't agree. Man for man, Italy are a better team. The attacking options for England are a ****ing joke. Milner, Young, Welbeck, (Rooney) is appallingly **** by international standards. In fact, I'm struggling to think of another team in the entire tournament with a poorer attacking four.

Milner & Young had an appalling tournament, Welbeck was left isolated and looked lost whilst Rooney was either short of fitness, or just struggled to get into it. With hindsight, Rooney should have been left at home and we should have decided on a front-line pairing that could have grown in to the tournament - it was very stop-start, played, dropped and devoid of a plan.

However, I do think the Italians were there to for the taking. We allowed them to dictate the play and we made them look better then they are; when we allowed our wide players to get forward, we created problems behind their rather high full-backs - but we got a nose bleed and Roy wanted to retain his shape, so we invited a barage of attack and hedged our bets for the outcome of a penalty shoot-out.

I agree, the best team went through. But I'm of the opinion that a different set-up would have caused Italy problems and that we could have sneaked through to be royally bent over my the Germans.

[Tee]

Ashley Young was THAT bad that I was actually wishing Roy would bring on Downing for him.

[red g]

Yes Roy is ****, but I still don't think it matters if there is a different manager.

Disagree, We could have easily won every game we have played with some attacking intent something Redknapp loves and Woy despises.

[Muddled]

Yes Roy is ****, but I still don't think it matters if there is a different manager.

That was as Roy as it's going to get. Some players have to take responsibility for not showing up, but I can't think of manager who would have played similar to that. Even Fat Sam would have looked better in comparison with his percentage football.

[kev776]

I would sack Woy and all of his backroom "jolly boys outing" staff and install Beckham as General Manager, Gary ****face as his number 2.

Say Goodbye to:

Milner, Terry, Cole, Gerrard, Parker, Ferdinand, Barry, Downing.

Bring in the best of the under 19 and 21 teams and just play them as they play for their clubs, none of this rigid back 8 nonsense.

The only time England came near Italy was the first 20 mins when we played like an English team, the rest was ****.

[TheStig]

Absolutely I've said it before, England will never ever win anything, unless they change the whole freemason political FA bollocks and actually work on merit. It really is a nation of losers and abject failure. Glad our boys aren't injured, that's all that matters really.

I made this point to my dad yesterday when at half time the commentator said "Just 45 minutes from glory". Glory? It was the semis! You wouldn't hear the Germans, Spanish, etc claiming that making it to the semis was glory.