I actually thought we played pretty well, good pace and style. Shame a couple of our players didn't quite have the cutting edge but that's the whole idea about playing youngsters in this kind of game. I came away feeling good about the passion and effort of the players which shone through far more than it has done in recent years. Was impressed by Milner, Johnson, Defoe and Gerrard the most.
People who think we should be smashing Ukraine with a depleted team perhaps need to understand we aren't Spain/Germany/Brasil etc. We are the West Brom of internationals, and all this Fifa rankings crap is nonsense. Best I hope for is us to play like we want it, and if the result comes then great.
I thought Ukraine looked excellent, loads of energy, top technique in certain areas and a cracking goal.
Hit post twice, had goal disallowed, on another day we'd have won that. Hodgeson in.
Oh, and Andy Townsend was rubbish. That Defoe header across... leave it out
The commentators rather missed the significance of the England equaliser, not so much for our point, but more for the 2 points it cost Ukraine, if they're our main rivals for top spot.
I agree that playing Cleverley as the 'attacking' player in midfield was risky, when you compare his goal scoring record with, say, Lampard who's made a career out of scoring goals from midfield. It's good to play young players, but I wonder if Carrick would have been better, as he could have player deeper and allowed Lampard the more attacking role.
Unlike what I was hearing on the radio after, I thought we did ok. If all out players were available, there were only 4 players from last night that would make the starting 11.
Fear that due to our lack of quality available at left mid, this is all coming a bit too soon for Oxlade Chamberlain.
You must be getting used to mediocrity........England were useless......not because they were lucky to get a draw, but the actual football was shocking. The desire to keep the ball was obvious, but the movement off it and the required passing to make retention possible was embarassing. Ukraine were a good side.
The game showed the lack of depth available to Uncle Roy but equally the ineptitude of some the players he did pick. He also made a few strange choices. Cleverley missed 2 sitters, Welbeck the same .. premiership young millionaires !! .. he might as well have played Lambert and Shelvey. Sterling called up before Ince .. a strange one, Lescott and Jagielka selected in front of Cahill, no Carrick. We were short of : Jones, Carroll, Johnson, and a few I can't think of. All in all not a bad result but England in the world top 3 !! .. do me a favour.
PS I agree with AFKA's comments on Oxlade-Chamberlain .. too much too young, Ince is a better bet
its a shame that no doubt cleverley will be used as a sort of scape goat, he's young, not really a goal scorer. Personally i thought he done alright apart from roy hogson playing him in the wrong place. He’s a midfielder but we needed someone up there with our lone striker defoe, (at home, 1 forward) man who cant hold a ball up. the rest of the midfield was made up of half the team, the ox was in the middle, with gerrard, lampard (who apart from the goal did nothing) and milner. no wingers. then welbeck comes on, and he plays, guess what, in the middle. so defoe is played as our target man. a guy who would have trouble getting into most theme parks cos of his height.
oh and the defence was pretty rubbish as well. Overall, it was a trial watching that and it proves what level we are at. We weren’t hopeless and i don’t expect much but a few changes even with the players we have could of made quite a difference.
He hasn't .. but he's THE best young midfielder/winger in England. His feet are so quick and his ability to get out of tight spots with the ball under perfect control is almost Messi like (excuse me while I drool !!), he scores goals and never looks like a rabbit in the headlights, he is very confident .. his weaknesses ? tackling and he can be a little bit greedy ... he, even now with no top grade experience, is worth a go. Him, Johnson and Carroll with Rooney behind could be lethal .. all we need now is a midfield to make the bullets .. I'd go for Carrick & Gerrard with Rooney in the 10 role. Sorry Frank L, you and Gerrard just DO NOT complement one another
Comments
Any team that is "woeful" doesn't end up getting a 1-1 draw.
People who think we should be smashing Ukraine with a depleted team perhaps need to understand we aren't Spain/Germany/Brasil etc. We are the West Brom of internationals, and all this Fifa rankings crap is nonsense. Best I hope for is us to play like we want it, and if the result comes then great.
I thought Ukraine looked excellent, loads of energy, top technique in certain areas and a cracking goal.
Hit post twice, had goal disallowed, on another day we'd have won that. Hodgeson in.
Oh, and Andy Townsend was rubbish. That Defoe header across... leave it out
I agree that playing Cleverley as the 'attacking' player in midfield was risky, when you compare his goal scoring record with, say, Lampard who's made a career out of scoring goals from midfield. It's good to play young players, but I wonder if Carrick would have been better, as he could have player deeper and allowed Lampard the more attacking role.
Fear that due to our lack of quality available at left mid, this is all coming a bit too soon for Oxlade Chamberlain.
Couldn't believe England were 1/3, didn't the bookies watch the euro 2012 game!!!
Enjoyed it.
Sterling called up before Ince .. a strange one, Lescott and Jagielka selected in front of Cahill, no Carrick. We were short of : Jones, Carroll, Johnson, and a few I can't think of. All in all not a bad result but England in the world top 3 !! .. do me a favour.
PS I agree with AFKA's comments on Oxlade-Chamberlain .. too much too young, Ince is a better bet
the rest of the midfield was made up of half the team, the ox was in the middle, with gerrard, lampard (who apart from the goal did nothing) and milner. no wingers. then welbeck comes on, and he plays, guess what, in the middle. so defoe is played as our target man. a guy who would have trouble getting into most theme parks cos of his height.
oh and the defence was pretty rubbish as well. Overall, it was a trial watching that and it proves what level we are at. We weren’t hopeless and i don’t expect much but a few changes even with the players we have could of made quite a difference.