San Marino draw against Estonia. The last time they didn't lose was 2004 and its only the 3rd time in their history they haven't lost a competitive match
A dull England match but I don't feel there was much wrong with the performance. I don't know why we can't do the play seen in Welbeck's 2nd goal more often.
A Berahino start against the Scots would be nice. I'd drop Lallana.
Slovenia are really poor and yet could easily qualify automatically.
They probably will qualify, which shows what a poor group this is, the problem is the opposition is so poor that we aren't really learning anything about the England team because they are just not being tested like they will be at the euros and like they were at the world cup.
San Marino draw against Estonia. The last time they didn't lose was 2004 and its only the 3rd time in their history they haven't lost a competitive match
Add to this result with the Faroe Islands win last night and Liechtenstein winning tonight, I dare say no one would have expected them all to be unbeaten over this weekend. What a crazy set of results, but fair play to the normal whipping boys, they have to have there day some time and it's been in one big weekend.
Let me guess....do you just happen to support a certain Manchester Club?
I don't comment on his performance when he plays for your team but tonight he's playing for mine so I reckon that entitles me to comment openingly on his performance.
Let me guess....do you just happen to support a certain Manchester Club?
I don't comment on his performance when he plays for your team but tonight he's playing for mine so I reckon that entitles me to comment openingly on his performance.
Let me guess....do you just happen to support a certain Manchester Club?
I don't comment on his performance when he plays for your team but tonight he's playing for mine so I reckon that entitles me to comment openingly on his performance.
He took the penalty and scored. How many has he missed for England?
I'm not certain what your issue is here, although I could have a decent stab at it. (and no Whedon, this is nothing to do with victims, before you start).
He took the penalty and scored. How many has he missed for England?
I'm not certain what your issue is here, although I could have a decent stab at it. (and no Whedon, this is nothing to do with victims, before you start).
Let me guess....do you just happen to support a certain Manchester Club?
I don't comment on his performance when he plays for your team but tonight he's playing for mine so I reckon that entitles me to comment openingly on his performance.
Ninny just asked for you to pick an alternative. No need for that post. She wasn't even attacking you.
Who would you rather take the penalty, if not Rooney? He's the captain and so is probably more likely to take the penalty. Who else would take it? Welbeck? Henderson? With Lampard and Gerrard retiring from international football we've become a bit short on penalty takers. Sturridge isn't really a penalty specialist so I think he'd be useful in a shootout but not as a usual taker. Maybe Ross Barkley can become a penalty taker, or Lallana.
If Ricky Lambert plays then he'd be a suitable choice since he is a penalty specialist. Don't see him ever getting picked for a penalty over Rooney, though.
Yes, fair comment. O'Neill is taking a hammering on the Irish forums for his crude tactics. Scotland under Strachan at least tried to keep the ball down and play football (and the very basic stuff Ireland played last night probably made Scotland look a bit better than they actually are).
It is not often a team makes Scotland look good as really we are no better than Ireland. 1-0 was only due to a piece of magic and really it reminded me of a Celtic vs Rangers game, big on atmosphere and kicking people but low on quality football. The first goal always looked like it would settle it.
I wouldn't be too disheartened if I was Irish though as O'Neill is a good manager and had less time than Strachan so it will gel if he gets the players playing correctly. That game didn't decide anything.
Welbeck is very underrated imo. Does a lot for the team as a forward even without the goals.
Our midfield has gone backwards at an alarming rate. Not one is anywhere close to Scholes, Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard back a decade ago.
None of them currently come close to Scholes, but Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard all had bad patches of form themselves. The only ones going backwards are Henderson and Wilshere. Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner and Lallana are all very effective. Lallana has the potential to surpass Scholes as a playmaker. Whether that happens remains to be seen. Sterling has to regain his form from last season but he's still very inexperienced and has bucket loads of talent and confidence. And of course Walcott is still to return. I'd say we had a good deal of midfield talent.
I agree about Welbeck. Play him up front and he will score. The key question is where will Hodgson play him Sturridge is fit again?
Rooney was disappointing again. His first touch is consistently abysmal and he can't seem to score for England except from set pieces. He had a couple of good chances in the first half and fluffed both. It might be a confidence thing but at present he's nowhere near World Class level.
None of them currently come close to Scholes, but Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard all had bad patches of form themselves. The only ones going backwards are Henderson and Wilshere. Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner and Lallana are all very effective. Lallana has the potential to surpass Scholes as a playmaker. Whether that happens remains to be seen. Sterling has to regain his form from last season but he's still very inexperienced and has bucket loads of talent and confidence. And of course Walcott is still to return. I'd say we had a good deal of midfield talent.
I agree about Welbeck. Play him up front and he will score. The key question is where will Hodgson play him Sturridge is fit again?
Rooney was disappointing again. His first touch is consistently abysmal and he can't seem to score for England except from set pieces. He had a couple of good chances in the first half and fluffed both. It might be a confidence thing but at present he's nowhere near World Class level.
I think Hodgson should just make a choice between Welbeck and Sturridge (based on form at the time of the match) and be done with it, rather than trying to shoehorn them both in. It would be a nice luxury having either of them come off the bench, particularly as Lambert isn't in form.
Agreed, but I think Hodgson is one of those managers who pick the best eleven players and try and fit them into a formation. That's certainly how it looked in the World Cup.
4-3-3 worked so much better after half time. I'd rather that was tried from the start rather than the usual variations on 4-4-2 (with or without diamond). Having three up front would allow him to pick both Welbeck and Sturridge in an attacking role. They could switch who played wide to mix it up.
The real problems remain in central defence and defensive midfield.
It is not often a team makes Scotland look good as really we are no better than Ireland. 1-0 was only due to a piece of magic and really it reminded me of a Celtic vs Rangers game, big on atmosphere and kicking people but low on quality football. The first goal always looked like it would settle it.
I wouldn't be too disheartened if I was Irish though as O'Neill is a good manager and had less time than Strachan so it will gel if he gets the players playing correctly. That game didn't decide anything.
Yes indeed, I think last night was as much to do with an under performing Ireland as Scotland playing well. Scotland are decent but there's not much evidence to suggest they are a vastly superior side to Ireland.
The pressure is certainly on O'Neill to start winning his matches at home though. The next two games are at home to Poland and Scotland and he simply can't afford two draws (or worse) there. Some Irish fans have suggested today that the defeat might be no bad thing in that it may force him to re-evaluate his tactics.
It's surprising that Germany only beat Gibraltar 4-0 last night, I would have expected a possible double figure scoreline.
I haven't seen the game, but apparently Germany were appalling. The Bild (and Low) went absolutely nuts over it. Gibraltar almost scored and someone within the Germany team (I didn't look up who it was) only won 30% of his one-on-one duels with a Gibraltar player. And one of the four goals was a Gibraltar own goal.
Comments
Our midfield has gone backwards at an alarming rate. Not one is anywhere close to Scholes, Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard back a decade ago.
Lallana, Sterling & Jagielka were also very poor.
A Berahino start against the Scots would be nice. I'd drop Lallana.
They probably will qualify, which shows what a poor group this is, the problem is the opposition is so poor that we aren't really learning anything about the England team because they are just not being tested like they will be at the euros and like they were at the world cup.
I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it is common practice to have a designated penalty taker.
Who should take them then?
Add to this result with the Faroe Islands win last night and Liechtenstein winning tonight, I dare say no one would have expected them all to be unbeaten over this weekend. What a crazy set of results, but fair play to the normal whipping boys, they have to have there day some time and it's been in one big weekend.
Let me guess....do you just happen to support a certain Manchester Club?
I don't comment on his performance when he plays for your team but tonight he's playing for mine so I reckon that entitles me to comment openingly on his performance.
Answer the question then please.
He took the penalty and scored. How many has he missed for England?
I'm not certain what your issue is here, although I could have a decent stab at it. (and no Whedon, this is nothing to do with victims, before you start).
To be honest, I didn't think it was a penalty.
Ninny just asked for you to pick an alternative. No need for that post. She wasn't even attacking you.
Who would you rather take the penalty, if not Rooney? He's the captain and so is probably more likely to take the penalty. Who else would take it? Welbeck? Henderson? With Lampard and Gerrard retiring from international football we've become a bit short on penalty takers. Sturridge isn't really a penalty specialist so I think he'd be useful in a shootout but not as a usual taker. Maybe Ross Barkley can become a penalty taker, or Lallana.
If Ricky Lambert plays then he'd be a suitable choice since he is a penalty specialist. Don't see him ever getting picked for a penalty over Rooney, though.
It is not often a team makes Scotland look good as really we are no better than Ireland. 1-0 was only due to a piece of magic and really it reminded me of a Celtic vs Rangers game, big on atmosphere and kicking people but low on quality football. The first goal always looked like it would settle it.
I wouldn't be too disheartened if I was Irish though as O'Neill is a good manager and had less time than Strachan so it will gel if he gets the players playing correctly. That game didn't decide anything.
I agree about Welbeck. Play him up front and he will score. The key question is where will Hodgson play him Sturridge is fit again?
Rooney was disappointing again. His first touch is consistently abysmal and he can't seem to score for England except from set pieces. He had a couple of good chances in the first half and fluffed both. It might be a confidence thing but at present he's nowhere near World Class level.
I think Hodgson should just make a choice between Welbeck and Sturridge (based on form at the time of the match) and be done with it, rather than trying to shoehorn them both in. It would be a nice luxury having either of them come off the bench, particularly as Lambert isn't in form.
4-3-3 worked so much better after half time. I'd rather that was tried from the start rather than the usual variations on 4-4-2 (with or without diamond). Having three up front would allow him to pick both Welbeck and Sturridge in an attacking role. They could switch who played wide to mix it up.
The real problems remain in central defence and defensive midfield.
Yes indeed, I think last night was as much to do with an under performing Ireland as Scotland playing well. Scotland are decent but there's not much evidence to suggest they are a vastly superior side to Ireland.
The pressure is certainly on O'Neill to start winning his matches at home though. The next two games are at home to Poland and Scotland and he simply can't afford two draws (or worse) there. Some Irish fans have suggested today that the defeat might be no bad thing in that it may force him to re-evaluate his tactics.
I haven't seen the game, but apparently Germany were appalling. The Bild (and Low) went absolutely nuts over it. Gibraltar almost scored and someone within the Germany team (I didn't look up who it was) only won 30% of his one-on-one duels with a Gibraltar player. And one of the four goals was a Gibraltar own goal.
25 million and he can't take a decent corner. So frustrating when the ball can't get past the first man.
And quite deliberately so.