English soccer team

I can understand someone like John Terry being a bit worn out but not sure a winter break would help!
No English team got to the semi-finals of the Champions League. It wasn't a long season for them but I suppose it is a handy excuse.

Maybe Italy didn't play enough because of their break!
 
RMCF said:
4) They pick the 11 best players in England, and then try to fit them into positions, rather than picking the best team
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I agree with everything else you said except this. Heskey, SWP/Lennon, Upson, James and Barry are not the best players England have available.

You can replace all 5 with Bent, Cole, Dawson, Hart and Carrick/Parker respectively. All are better players than the ones who started. They might not be world beaters but they are better.

The other point that nobody has mentioned is that the players just don't like each other.

I almost forgot to say that Glen Johnson is worst the full back I have ever seen play for England. I had to get that out there. Hopeless doesn't do him justice. How that guy is a international full back I'll never know. He can attack a bit but he can't take up a position to save his life.
 
VOR said:
The other point that nobody has mentioned is that the players just don't like each other.
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You would have to wonder about that as well. Especially after John Terry decided to speak for the 'boys' because he is a winner only to discover that the 'boys' didn't really think much of his idea to lead a players revolt.

Personally John Terry should never play for England again. He is not even an international class defender. (of which there is a big shortage at this world cup and as a defender in a previous life, that saddens me!).
 
Another point is that Capello did not seem to know what his best team was. Given his experience you would expect him to have his prefered starting 11 picked before the first game.
I don't think he used the same centre half, centre midfield or forward pairing for the 4 games. And he did not even use the same goalkeeper.
 
JT is only 29! It's painful how slow he actually is. And his style is just shocking.
Diving head first at the ball might go down well with the knuckle-draggers but it's no way to defend.
Then you watch Pique and you see speed, style, composure, tackling ability, positioning, strength and skill all rolled in to one.
 
Frank Lampard was a waste of space - didnt contribute anything. He was so bad, they were effectively playing with 10 men.

I think a lot of the players were under their club managers instructions to take it easy so they'd be fresh for the new season - reminding them who pays their wages. Both the Italian and French teams seemed to show signs of the same. It easy to see how friction between management and players can develop when the managers are trying to push the players in training, but the players are trying to conserve energy.


Rio Ferdinand got a lucky break - was able to use the excuse of a minor knock to get himself out of the WC.
 
Terry always appears to me that he plays the game conscious of what the lads in the pub & the tabloids are thinking - thats why he wants to take the penalty, go bald headed for a block, call the lads in a huddle etc.

Making lads like that captain is no good for them, their sense of importance just spirals and their lack of focus means football suffers. He should never be made captain again and told if he doesnt start producing on the field then he can say bye bye altogether - he's supposed to be good defender - not the embodiment of English bulldog spirit (or whatever mantra he repeats when he looks in the mirror..... ok speculation, embodiment might be too big a word !)
 
I see the calls to bring in Arry Rednapp as manager are getting stronger. You gotta love the English football community. Capello has won things where ever he has manged, has manged the biggest names in world football, has (had) a impecable reputation but the failure of the world cup is all down to him. It would never have happened if there was an Englishman in charge of the team (Steve McClaren, Graham Taylor, Bobby Robson, Kevin Keegan, Terry Venables anyone) so it's time to get old 'Arry to rescue the situation.
 
I am sending an email to the English FA to advise them to check out AAM and see where they went wrong. :D. As for me , I have no answers:(
 
VOR said:
I almost forgot to say that Glen Johnson is worst the full back I have ever seen play for England. I had to get that out there. Hopeless doesn't do him justice. How that guy is a international full back I'll never know. He can attack a bit but he can't take up a position to save his life.
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Being a Liverpool fan... he wouldn't tackle his breakfast :p
 
I heard they were getting a new coach soon - it'll be waiting for them in Heathrow:D
 
What does it say about the standard of english midfielders when capello begged scholesy to come out of retirement
 
ringledman said:
Not a lot, but Scholesy is a legend.

Most gifted English footballer of the past 20 years.
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Might have done a job v USA and Algeria, but would not have counted v Germany or the likes of Argentina, Brazil or Spain.

Past his sell-by too.
 
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