England Team Thread

[Pilotwings]

Feck me what a strike by the boy Rooney..

0-1:Rooney!!

Yep good to see. Forget about england and focus on UTD.

[EJG1980]

I can't believe the spin McClaren put on the match afterwards, saying that apart from the few minutes when Russia's goals went in it was all England and that we didn't deserve to lose. What match was he watching??

First half, yes, all England, and we deserved to be winning. The second half though... apart from our early chances we didn't really do anything at all in the apart from sit too deep and invite Russia on to us. Oh, and give the ball away as soon as we did manage to win back possession. All the promising looking attacks were coming from Russia and they easily did enough to say they deserved to win the game.

I saw an interview in The Mirror this morning where Gerrard said that "when the going gets tough, the tough get going". He must have been talking about a team other than England, because once again, as soon as the pressure was on against a half decent side, we cracked.

I half hope Russia beat Israel because if we qualify for Euro 2008 I can see us having a Euro 2000 style campaign with McClaren at the helm. And even if we do qualify, do we really want a manager who struggles to get out of a group whose best teams were Russia and Croatia?

[glazza]

We just couldnt hold it together for the last 30 mins or so..Rooneys challenge was outside the box on the russian bloke but what the hell was he doing in the left back position anyways ffs..as for Robinson i think he shoud have been dropped games ago and Scott Carson or even David James should have been in goal as god knows how bad he has been for Spurs this season and late or not he should have got that ball away from the six yard box way more than what he did,but hes not solely to blame for tonights defeat you win as a team and loose as a team end of.

We have a very faint hope which isnt in our own hands and that scares the life out of me but we threw this group away with the very poor result at home to Macadonia.We should have won that game by a mile and we would have qualified already but once again England promise so much and then let you down so badly.

[Kongster]

Scotland will have a right laugh if they qualify for Euro 2008 and England don't....

But anyway, if England don't qualify, they'll only have themselves to blame and McClaren can expect to get the sack.

England have good individuals but as a team they are just not good enough to deliver when the going gets tough.

[Oh_Mutants]

To be fair Robbison couldnt do anything about either goal really.

Apart from the second one. It was a nice height for him, he saw it all the way.... should've done better. In that situation as a keeper you need to make a judgement call; either the ball is catchable (which it may have been) and you hold it or, if it's not, you have to get the ball out of the danger area (push it round the post, out to the wing etc). The absolute last thing you do is weakly parry it straight out in front of you in the six yard box. Robbo was ridiculously unfairly criticised for the freak Croatia goal, but he really should have done better with tonight's goal.
But then equally, Gerrard should've buried his chance to make it 2-0, goodnight Russia.
Very disapponting

[MarioMark]

Never mind! One more match left, c'mon England! If we win this we have won the World Cup!!!


... ooops, wrong thread.

[abigsmurf]

Watched the game, England performed well in the first half (although there weren't quite enough chances made).

In the second half Mclaren obviously thought it was a good idea to sit back on a 1-0 lead when the foundation for our defence is out injured. Although the penalty was outside of the box, Russia were looking like they were going to score and the final score reflected the performances.

No doubt Lampard will get critisism again despite him not really having a chance to make an impact and people will gloss over Gerrards poor game, continually losing the ball mid field and not even putting that attempt on target.

[prinnysquad]

we didn't really do anything at all in the apart from sit too deep and invite Russia on to us.

In the second half Mclaren obviously thought it was a good idea to sit back on a 1-0 lead when the foundation for our defence is out injured.

This has been the cornerstone of England's tactics for years now, a hideous devil-child spawned during the Sven years and carried like an Olympic torch by Mac's boys. We're meant to be elite players, ffs. Hold onto the ball and GO FOR MORE GOALS. THIS LESSENS THE CHANCE OF THE OTHER TEAM BEING ABLE TO WIN. The fact that the basics are so lacking speaks volumes about the criminal waste of this 'golden generation'.

Steve McClaren, the grinning buffoon.
Look at this face at tell me you don't want to hurt it bad:

[Nu-Eclipse]

This has been the cornerstone of England's tactics for years now, a hideous devil-child spawned during the Sven years and carried like an Olympic torch by Mac's boys. We're meant to be elite players, ffs. Hold onto the ball and GO FOR MORE GOALS. THIS LESSENS THE CHANCE OF THE OTHER TEAM BEING ABLE TO WIN. The fact that the basics are so lacking speaks volumes about the criminal waste of this 'golden generation'.

Couldn't agree more.

For the last several years, England have been a proven accident waiting to happen when they go 1-0 up. Why, oh why are we still talking about an England side who are unable to retain possession of the ball for any prolonged period of time against opposition with reasonable technical ability?

Possession really is nine-tenths of the law at international level. Until England sort this, it will continue to be the same tired song.

[Jebus]

The vitriol being posted...I wonder, did we expect anything other than us to **** it up?

I've become SO disenfranchised with the England team, I barely even celebrate when we score.

[saturn-gamer]

Israel will be a very hard game for Russia, provided that Israel still gives everything. But, England is not in control anymore. You have to rely on luck, big football nations always have luck. Although Guus always has luck too...

Its also sad that Scotland didn't beat weak Georgia. They are easily in the group of death, it would be a major stunt. I hope they'll finish Italy off.

[Malavon]

No doubt Lampard will get critisism again despite him not really having a chance to make an impact and people will gloss over Gerrards poor game, continually losing the ball mid field and not even putting that attempt on target.

Agreed with that completly, I just can't understand why Lampard isn't being given a proper chance especially due to Gerrads continuous average performances.

Just watched an interview with Mclaren and my God is he a twat. He was saying that Englands performance was faultless and they did everything he could have expected of them. Maybe that's the problem - he's ****ing clueless.

[toythatkills]

I've only got the benefit of MotD highlights so can't have the full picture, but we looked rubbish, looking at the comments that seems misreprented though.

Question - Was Lescott EVER at left back?

[abigsmurf]

Agreed with that completly, I just can't understand why Lampard isn't being given a proper chance especially due to Gerrads continuous average performances.

Just watched an interview with Mclaren and my God is he a twat. He was saying that Englands performance was faultless and they did everything he could have expected of them. Maybe that's the problem - he's ****ing clueless.

Mclaren lacks guts. It took him a long time to realise that you can't play Gerrard and lampard in the same line up but the problem is Gerrard seems to have earned himself an undeserved automatic place for a contested position. Mclaren seems to think it's Gerrard or Gerrard and Lampard.

He should've used the friendlies and the 'easy' games to sort it out but it's still unresolved and it's leading to a weak midfield in a squad that should have one of the best midfields in the world.

I'm looking at the players we have and the way games are playing out and I have to say I think it's down to poor management. Players are lacking in passion (which a good manager should instil) He plays people out of position then wonders why we don't get the fluidity of movement we see in the premeireship. We also need a manager that can can go "Ok, we're 1-0 off, lets put on a performance for our fans and to silence the papers". 1-0 wins don't cut it against quality sides playing cup football.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Question - Was Lescott EVER at left back?

No. Lescott was absolutely dire.

I felt really sorry for Joe Cole - he effectively had to do the work of a Left-Winger and a Left-Back for England last night.