Chris Smalling looks very good at the moment though - really thought he'd gone backwards up until a year or so ago, but he's come on leaps and bounds recently.
Some of the comments on BBCSport were ridiculous. People calling for Roy's head after one away game against reigning the European Champions. I wouldn't say we are or will become world beaters under him, but this was a friendly against tough opposition with a number of first 11 players unavailable.
Also worth pointing out Spain hardly created anything clear cut, beaten by a wondergoal from a RB who as the most advanced player(caused by a mistake from Sterling) and a rare mistake from Joe Hart, other than that I can't think of any clear opportunities they had. On the other hand, we didn't create much and when we did get to their 18yard box, we looked more spongefoot than Church himself.
why is it we can't keep and pass the ball around like the top sides? or is it simply we're shite?
Often think the same myself. We haven't got players that are as technically gifted. There aren't too many (if any) of the current England pool of players that would get in the Spanish, German, Italian or French squads)
Chris Smalling looks very good at the moment though - really thought he'd gone backwards up until a year or so ago, but he's come on leaps and bounds recently.
England best player last night. I've always been anti Smalling, but over the last year, as you say, and particularly this season he has been a different player. Probably made himself England's first choice centre back.
Working at a school in Spain I can see why their players are far more technically gifted: the focus in training and matches is always on possession on the ball and movement off the ball. Even under pressure in defence, there is never the 'get rid' mentality. Consequently, players at all levels are far more confident on the ball and are more aware of teammates' movements. The games do lack the more frenetic breakneck pace of the English style though. If we could only somehow combine both!
We had the ball at one point in defence (at nil nil), Hoddle on ITV was saying just keep it, and I was thinking the same, keep the ball, bore the crowd, frustrate the Spanish players. Then Jones (I think) hoofs it up front where we lose it, completely unnecessary.
As others have alluded to on this thread - and has been remarked on before - England will never win anything whilst training and coaching of seven year old kids is left to well-intentioned dads with less tactical nous than Harry Redknapp and parents are allowed to roam the touchline screaming "don't let 'im do that to ya Kai - 'ave 'im!"
Despite all the lip service paid to changing the way the game is taught in this country, nothing has really changed. The faster, bigger kids always get favoured over more skilful ones, because they'll always be more successful - until they reach senior football, where they couldn't trap a bag of cement if you dropped it on them, and end up being Phil Jones.
Having just watched David Beckham's All Star charity Match , it makes you realise that if we didn't win anything with those players, this current crock ain't coming close
Having just watched David Beckham's All Star charity Match , it makes you realise that if we didn't win anything with those players, this current crock ain't coming close
Yes, seeing Becks and Scholes makes you realise how many current England attacking midfielders are all pace and power, but lack the class that the best players have
Personally I think I only real chance of beating the top sides is to stop playing them at their own game and hit them with a more English style. It's all well and good knocking it around at the back trying to pass your way out against inferior opposition but the top sides press and close down too quickly. When Hart has it, get numbers forward and hit it long moving the play into the oppositions half. I don't think we are that far off the top nations in an attacking sense but we seem to put ourselves under pressure at the back by trying to emulate the "continental " style of play
Having just watched David Beckham's All Star charity Match , it makes you realise that if we didn't win anything with those players, this current crock ain't coming close
So true, especially as quite a few other nations are very strong at the moment, Germany in particular.
Our best chances were 96 (most of the big teams poor, home advantage) and 2004 (Greece FFS. and the Czech were the best team so no one stood out).
But for Gazza sliding an inch further or Rooney's foot injury, maybe....
Having just watched David Beckham's All Star charity Match , it makes you realise that if we didn't win anything with those players, this current crock ain't coming close
So true, especially as quite a few other nations are very strong at the moment, Germany in particular.
Our best chances were 96 (most of the big teams poor, home advantage) and 2004 (Greece FFS. and the Czech were the best team so no one stood out).
But for Gazza sliding an inch further or Rooney's foot injury, maybe....
This is the Germany who struggled over Scotland and lost to both Poland and Republic of Ireland?
I think they're a long way off how good they were at the World Cup.
If England had been on the other side of the draw in 2002, it would have been an England-Brazil final, imo.
Having just watched David Beckham's All Star charity Match , it makes you realise that if we didn't win anything with those players, this current crock ain't coming close
So true, especially as quite a few other nations are very strong at the moment, Germany in particular.
Our best chances were 96 (most of the big teams poor, home advantage) and 2004 (Greece FFS. and the Czech were the best team so no one stood out).
But for Gazza sliding an inch further or Rooney's foot injury, maybe....
Or Sol Campbell's perfectly good goal being allowed to stand in the case of the latter, Neil.
Having just watched David Beckham's All Star charity Match , it makes you realise that if we didn't win anything with those players, this current crock ain't coming close
So true, especially as quite a few other nations are very strong at the moment, Germany in particular.
Our best chances were 96 (most of the big teams poor, home advantage) and 2004 (Greece FFS. and the Czech were the best team so no one stood out).
But for Gazza sliding an inch further or Rooney's foot injury, maybe....
This is the Germany who struggled over Scotland and lost to both Poland and Republic of Ireland?
I think they're a long way off how good they were at the World Cup.
If England had been on the other side of the draw in 2002, it would have been an England-Brazil final, imo.
If Gary Neville and Steven Gerrard were fit we would have won that world cup.
Having just watched David Beckham's All Star charity Match , it makes you realise that if we didn't win anything with those players, this current crock ain't coming close
So true, especially as quite a few other nations are very strong at the moment, Germany in particular.
Our best chances were 96 (most of the big teams poor, home advantage) and 2004 (Greece FFS. and the Czech were the best team so no one stood out).
But for Gazza sliding an inch further or Rooney's foot injury, maybe....
Or Sol Campbell's perfectly good goal being allowed to stand in the case of the latter, Neil.
Very true - very much a chance missed that year, sadly.
Comments
I thought I was negative and glum about England's prospects and recent history. Old curly is at another level!!
Also worth pointing out Spain hardly created anything clear cut, beaten by a wondergoal from a RB who as the most advanced player(caused by a mistake from Sterling) and a rare mistake from Joe Hart, other than that I can't think of any clear opportunities they had. On the other hand, we didn't create much and when we did get to their 18yard box, we looked more spongefoot than Church himself.
We had the ball at one point in defence (at nil nil), Hoddle on ITV was saying just keep it, and I was thinking the same, keep the ball, bore the crowd, frustrate the Spanish players. Then Jones (I think) hoofs it up front where we lose it, completely unnecessary.
Despite all the lip service paid to changing the way the game is taught in this country, nothing has really changed. The faster, bigger kids always get favoured over more skilful ones, because they'll always be more successful - until they reach senior football, where they couldn't trap a bag of cement if you dropped it on them, and end up being Phil Jones.
Our best chances were 96 (most of the big teams poor, home advantage) and 2004 (Greece FFS. and the Czech were the best team so no one stood out).
But for Gazza sliding an inch further or Rooney's foot injury, maybe....
I think they're a long way off how good they were at the World Cup.
If England had been on the other side of the draw in 2002, it would have been an England-Brazil final, imo.