Group D: Uruguay - Costa Rica - England - Italy

[Kenneth]

Wellbeck's injury might actually push Roy to pick the best starting lineup, even though they'll be carrying Rooney. It's the defence that will cost England, it's just terrible by international standards.

[Tee]

I know Hodgson is ridiculed and he does himself no favours when he opens his gob, but I think he has actually done a good job with the way England play. Maybe I am reading it wrong, but I like what he is doing so far and I think with a touch of luck England could be the dark horses of this tournament.

[Chris]

I think they look pretty ****. Scraped through a crap group, schooled in friendlies at home to Chile and Germany reserves and more recently looked utterly dismal v Honduras and average v Ecuador.

He is utterly remarkable at dumbing down expectations though, half the country seem to think it's almost impossible to qualify from this group and just entering the tournament is an achievement.

[Tee]

I think they look pretty ****. Scraped through a crap group, schooled in friendlies at home to Chile and Germany reserves and more recently looked utterly dismal v Honduras and average v Ecuador.

He is utterly remarkable at dumbing down expectations though, half the country seem to think it's almost impossible to qualify from this group and just entering the tournament is an achievement.

Fair points, but it seems to me very much like LFC, a project in progress and there have been definite signs in the recent games of a slick possession based game (although goals have been difficult!).

[Liverpool]

My prediction for the Italy game is they (we) will struggle to link up the midfield and attack properly, lots of sideways and backs passing between the defence and Gerrard/Henderson. Whoever is playing in front of the those two needs to have a great game for us to have any chance, coming to get the ball and driving forward, but Lallana's natural tendency is to run away from the ball when the mids have it so he can pick it up and do more damage further forward so he's going to get marked out the game. Rooney will come short pick it up with his back to goal give it straight back to whoever just passed it to him, and repeat several times.

Step forward Raheem Sterling Although I fancy him to be stuck on the wings.

[Darkon]

I think both Italy & Uruguay are poor and people predicting them to do well will be basing it on past exploits. England on the other hand are actually being underestimated.

I think England will win this group, but i wouldn't bet a penny on this group. All three big teams are of a similar level.

At least there is some recent exploits to predict from! On the other hand there is the usual tendency to overestimate the strenght of the English squad, that is pretty mediocre tbh. I don't think England are underestimated, they are viewed fairly realistically by many this time around. Every time England have faced a good opponent they have been in trouble, and their two rivals in this group are exactly that.

England have a chance of course, not mission impossible, but for me they are the underdog of the three.

[Reece]

Looks like Suarez won't start tomorrow.

[ame]https://twitter.com/LluisFlaquer/status/477517049552723968[/ame]

[topscorer]

Well a real sucker punch with the result but I have to say I enjoyed watching England play for possibly the first time ever. Very entertaining.

I hope Hodgson doesn't revert to type for the Uruguay game. If he sticks to the game plan I'm sure we will come good and we will grow in confidence. Who knows, we might progress far in the end.

[DannyMan2006]

Should have beat Italy. Good performance overall, buy key problems in game not addressed.

First off, the left side of England was a joke. Time & again they took us apart on that side. All it took was Candreva to tuck inside and let the full back overlap to totally perplex Hodgson. Rooney was hopeless at tracking back, Welbeck faired no better. Biggest crime of all? Total lack of understanding between Baines & his Everton teammate Jagielka.

Had Baines & Jags actually communicated, we wouldn't have been outnumbered. Or Roy could have woken up and put Milner on, or even just swapped Gerrard with Henderson who would have better covered the ground left open by Rooney. So many options & Roy did nothing.

Whilst on the subject of the world cups second highest paid manager, what was going through his mind to pick that team? We have known about this tournament for a while now. But Roy's preparations seem to be non existent. Prior to the Italy game, when had Sterling played in the 10 role? Never. When had Rooney played wide left? Once.

Rooney played wide left against Honduras, a team who barely bothered to get over the half way line. All year (and beyond) he's had chances to play Rooney wide left. Here's an obvious thing, experiment before you get to the games that matter. Only throw the dice in very extreme & desperate circumstances that derive as a result of injury.

Fine line between bravery & stupidity. Roy wasn't brave playing Sterling central & Rooney left. He was stupid. To compound it, when Raheem was our most dangerous player, he brings on Barkley. I like Ross, but when a player is thriving in a position, you don't bring on another player whose best position is central & put Sterling out wide.

I fancy England to get enough points to qualify still, but Roy is complicating matters.

[DannyMan2006]

I forgot to add, for the first Italian goal we let Pirlo & Marchisio sit on the edge of the box with only Sturridge covering. Pirlo dummy and we are so far away from Marchisio that he actually gets time to take a touch and roll it with his foot to set up a cleaner strike. Didn't even have to hit it first time. Embarrassing.

Did we learn? No.

They get another corner before half time and it's a repeat, Pirlo & Marchisio on the edge with only Sturridge close. This time they took the time to work it across the box & then in for Candreva to hit the post. Idiotic. I'm not sure a top class manager would have allowed that set up, but you also have to question the in game management of the England players, many of which are LFC players.

[baitman]

some good observations Danny

after this WC its going to take some time to purge the hodgson crack out of our lads.
we might get very little out of them for a few months while brendan tries to make them forget the trauma. maybe a few extra mind meld sessions will bring them back from the dark side

[Angryred]

England should beat Uruguay but will struggle agains Costa Rica in that afternoon heat/humidity...don't give me that acclimisation after a month!...I lived in Australia with similar conditions & after 6 weeks, still couldn't bear it!

[tanner]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/world-cup-chris-waddles-radio-7299371

[fah-q]

So over to us to help.

I can see us losing to Costa Rica now then drawing with Uruguay.

[danperkins]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/spor...-radio-7299371

He's absolutely spot on