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Chelsea won a tournament playing like that.

Chelsea won a tournament like that yes, but how often does a team win a tournament playing like that? That was one in a hundred. If Messi or Robben had simply scored their penalties it would have been a different story. Is it a coincidence that Spain and Brazil have been the dominant teams in recent years?

Look, there are 4 players IMO who would have improved us in possession of the ball:

Wilshere
Lampard
Carrick
Barry
(5 if you count Scholes)

For differing reasons none of them were able to play. Lets be fair to Roy he did well with what little he had. We were never going to dominate anyone with a midfield 2 of Gerrard and Parker.

To be fair hes only been in charge for a short while hes had to organise a team in a short space of time

The easiest way to do that is by making your teams defensive

Coaching defending is the easiest part of the game you could get 11 blokes in a pub to defend well vs a premiership team

John1, thats why i'm willing to give him a chance, but the stuff he has said, and the extent of our defensiveness, means I am not getting my hopes up.

Just hope Roy picks players like Jack Rodwell, Josh Meacharan and not experience players like Parer, Gerrard

His tactics would work better if we had better personnel

"How can we be sou outpassed and outplayed by a team that doesn't even play particularly good football?"

You haven't been watching the Italian's recently have you. They were excellent against Spain 2 weeks ago and could have won the match.

The gulf in class between the Italians and the English is embarrassing. Italy are one of the best teams in Europe, they have 4 World Cups and play some great football.

Just because they are ranked 12th by the joke that is the FIFA rankings and their players don't play in the PL, the English fans/media right them off as being average.


Pirlo is better than most of the English midfielders in the history of the team (probably on a par with Scholes) and he showed it today yet again on the big stage at the age of 33.

English need to change their mentality and style of football if they want to play with the big boys on the biggest stages of all.

Mchecaran has to play football first, Smalling jones bertrand walker Wilshire cleverly Rodwell welbeck chamberlain Walcott etc all good young players should be picked

I have been watching them. They were decent, a bit better than I expected but nothing special at all. How can a game like that be so one-sided? The history of the sides is irrelevant. Even if they do play good football, they are not a side that should be dominating us to that extent, but thanks to the rubbish tactics, we lost deservedly.

OH AH

I meant in terms of criteria I hope we pick players on technical ability not necessarily on form

Guys like Leon Osman for example very technical/clever footballer

Those are the sorts of players who'll adapt to International football and in tournaments when we need to keep the ball

i.wish.arshavin.was.my.dad

"possession stats don't interest me one bit". Oh really Roy? Well they are usually a good indication of how well a team has played and how dominant they have been.
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possession is one thing, its what you do with it that counts, so Roy may have a point.

People talked before the game about the Italians tiring. Considering that the likes of Pirlo are older players. Parker and Gerrard are around that age too. Pirlo makes the 120 without breaking a sweat, Gerrard gets cramp about 70 minutes in and Parker has to go off. Essentially because it is easier to keep the ball than run around knackering yourselves out.

On Hodgson, I don't think anyone could have a go at him. Brought in short notice with one of the worst pools in terms of talent to chose from and he essentially was forced into playing a negative 'dogs of war' team.

The technical players need to be allowed to play football though young had to drop back it looks like he has been told to do that as he did it every game never does that for us we just let him attack, so they need the technical players but have to be allowed to play

Pav That!

On Hodgson, I don't think anyone could have a go at him. Brought in short notice with one of the worst pools in terms of talent to chose from
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No matter how long he was in charge, his team wouldn't of been much different, any manager would of picked roughly the same squad.

Ashley Young for me isnt a technical player

Leon Osman is a better footballer than Ashley Young

In midfield you need players who can keep the ball

Nowdays you also need your defenders and goalkeeper to pass the ball

Lescott wa solid but on the ball he was very shaky and nervous

I think guys like Smalling and Jones could make a real difference in the dyanmic of the team more foward/quicker passes into feet brave enough to pass the ball to a guy being marked

Too often Cashley and LEscott took the safe option

John1

Yeah I agree in a way, but we are lacking big style up front mate.

What has Scholes ever done for England that was that special exactly?

Sorry but osman is not better than Ashley young no way

I'm confused.

What, exactly, did the OP expect from a team managed by Roy Hodgson? that is his style of play. always has been, always will be. For better or worse, he is the england manager for the forseeable future, so you'd better get used to it.

Of course, the style of play works better if you actually have your best players available in the centre of the park