Indeed. On another day it could have easily been a different result.

Wayne Rooney because he did not bother to defend properly. He can tackle as he demonstrated on Barkley!

Hart. England and goal keepers just don't mix

Gerrard and Rooney

Worst players - Rooney, Gerrard, Henderson, Johnson.

I think tactics played a huge part. Rooney shouldn't have played on the left, needed a 3 man midfield, Gerrard and Henderson didn't deal with the main man Mr. P who ran the show once again, and we got exposed on the left with Baines and Rooney.

Overall I think the attack was great, defence was shaky, but the midfield was the real problem. I would have gone with Rooney as worst player but he shouldn't have been on the left, and Gerrard and Henderson were 2 against 4 so can't put too much blame on them. Blame has to go to the manager Hodgson, not dealing with Mr.P - he should have been manmarked but was allowed to run the show.

We were unlucky not to get a draw. We deserved one as the game was very evenly matched.

Don't think our tactics were a problem (apart from possibly playing Wayne Rooney on the left).

In effect, we didn't really have less players in the middle than Italy as Wayne Rooney was playing pretty centrally most of the time anyway.
We did have five players across midfield.
Italy had more possession than us - true.
But it depends what teams do with the possession and how teams play without the ball too.

baines, but why focus on the negatives? was a good performance and we should take heart from it.

Don't think anyone played terribly but it'd be between Johnson and Baines for me. With Marchisio playing centrally it allowed Johnson plenty of space but he was wasteful. Baines looked troubled defensively and didn't offer much going forward either.

Leighton Baines stood out for me as one of the worst.

I bet Roy is regretting not taking Cole now.

Rooney but it wasn't his fault...playing him on the left wing leaving the Italian right hand side open play for there wingers was a tactical disaster for Hodgson !...and he didn't see it and didn't move Rooney to the center in the 2nd half where he is at his best ..yes his cross created Sturridges goal but surely we have a left winger that can fill that role and defend aswell ? Everyone could see Rooney was out of position so why cant the manager see that !

I'd say Rooney - no positional discipline, didn't do what was asked of him. It was hard for Baines simply because Rooney offered little protection.

Also didn't think Gerrard took any sort of control of the game. As captain he needs to lead by example. Wilshire was pretty poor from the bench on as well.

Baines. He is not an international class defender.

If Rooney can be criticised for missing a goal or two. The defence had an absolutely shocking game didn't they? I think Italy mounted 4 attacks. A pathetic set piece goal that the defence should have been all over, and a simple cross and header which all of the back four were guilty for.

People can focus on "Rooney didn't give Baines protection". Protection from what? A winger. Baines should know how to defend first and foremost. He wasn't very good.
I don't remember Cahill having a good game either. Hart had little to do and was generally all over the place when called upon.

To be fair to Gerrard, anyone would find it difficult to control a game if their opposite number was Andrea Pirlo.

Pirlo is peerless at what he does & opposition players must have sleepless nights wondering how to deal with him.

As for Wilshire, he should be nowhere near Brazil; at least, not as an England footballer.

He hasn't played enough football due to being more fragile than balsa wood; in fact, he probably gets injured adjusting the climate control on his Bentley Continental GT!

Not only that, Gerrard and Henderson were faced with De Rossi, Verratti and Marchisio in addition to Pirlo. I don't know if there are two midfielders in world football that could control a game against those four, let alone a 34 year old and a young midfielder whose qualities are mostly of an attacking nature.

I wonder why everyone is only talking about Messi vs Ronaldo. I am yet to see a better player than Pirlo.

Robben has been player of the tournament so far.

Yes, Robben played incredible against Spain, but Pirlo has been player of the tournament at WC 2006 and Euro 2012. He is consistently the best in the world.

It's a bit more difficult when you're trying to cover two players because someone's to lazy to track back. I noticed more than once Baines yelling at Rooney to do his defensive duties.

Baines had a pretty poor game by his standards, but he's still the stand out left back in England.

England made it easy for Pirlo.
I suspect Costa Rica & Uruguay will have have a player stuck on him.