Fair point. However, how about keeping the ball better? Italy pressed much better and hassled England out of possession yet seemed fresher at the death because it just made the ball do most of the work at the best of times.
Italy vs England
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Fair point. However, how about keeping the ball better? Italy pressed much better and hassled England out of possession yet seemed fresher at the death because it just made the ball do most of the work at the best of times.
On past performance he'll do that himself eventually.
Listen, Welbeck had a good game yesterday. No doubt about that. Limited player but physical and worked his socks off. Deserves to play against Uruguay.
But to write off Lallanas performance after a 10 mins cameo is just stupid and agenda driven.
I'd start the same eleven bar Rooney against Uruguay and swap him with Lallana.
Lallana and Sterling to swap positions and move freely behind Sturridge would be much better.
Hodgepodge doesnt have the balls to drop him though.
I haven't written off Lallana yet, but if someone should replace Rooney it be should either Wilshire or Barkley.
It won't happen, like you said.
The heck you haven't. Neither Wilshere nor Barkley has any experience that I can remember playing left side of the three behind the striker.
I doubt your forecast is anymore than a hope for England fans. We expect a nail-biting, sweaty palm inducing, hair pulling slug fest with moments of extreme nerves and anxiety lasting right until the final seconds of each game. In fact, I don't even know why I watch, it's just too stressful.
Can't keep my eyes off it though.
You were quick to put the boot in though, quelle surprise, you seem to have it in your head that everyone thinks he's amazing and worth the money. It's ok to think he's a good player but to want to pay the correct price, which is more or less what I and others said throughout the Lallana thread, I think that's perfectly reasonable. Better than assuming that because he's English and overpriced, he's about as good as Downing, which the stupid agenda driven shit that you've resorted to.
Daniele De Rossi has described lining up against England captain Steven Gerrard as “a pleasure and an honour” after Italy were 2-1 winners in their Group D opener.
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge cancelled out Claudio Marchisio’s 35th-minute opener before former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli headed the winner five minutes after half-time on Saturday night.
Although the Roma midfielder showed no signs of being overawed during the World Cup clash, De Rossi spoke in glowing terms about England and Liverpool skipper Gerrard post-match.
“It is never normal for me to play against Gerrard,” De Rossi is quoted as saying. “It always gets me emotional, I won’t deny it.
“Of course, on the field you’ve got to get stuck in there, but it is always a pleasure and an honour. He’s also a very nice guy, always very approachable.”
De Rossi, who was part of the Roma side which finished as Serie Arunners-up last season, revealed that he was supporting Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
“I cheered on Liverpool until the end, but they lost the Premier League title in an incredible way,” De Rossi added.
Italy only did that in the final 1/3. Basically as soon as we got the ball they went into a tight defensive unit and when they won possession they would try to hump the ball up to Balotelli, if that didn't work, or it wasn't on, they would then plot a path via Pirljo, Candreva or Chellini.
I'm not sure they were fresher at all .. considering how much possession we dominated in the final 30mins or so. We deserved a draw and didn't get it as a result of not being as clinical but not by being out-played.
As good as Sterling was, Rooney should have played centrally with Sterling on the wing in that 4231
Wellbeck played ok but him and Rooney out wide cost us for both goals and made us more vulnerable.
Our players are more suited to the diamond - Rooney and Sturridge upfront, Gerrard deep, Sterling on the tip, Henderson with Barkley/ Wilshere on the sides.
Welbeck off bench for striking sub or Lambert depending what you need.
Lallana sub for Sterling if he tires.
Sadly Roy is 3 years behind.
Wellbeck played ok but him and Rooney out wide cost us for both goals and made us more vulnerable.
Our players are more suited to the diamond - Rooney and Sturridge upfront, Gerrard deep, Sterling on the tip, Henderson with Barkley/ Wilshere on the sides.
Welbeck off bench for striking sub or Lambert depending what you need.
Lallana sub for Sterling if he tires.
Sadly Roy is 3 years behind.
I think you're doing Italy a bit of an injustice there Froggy, I thought they got their tactics spot on and they did everything you expected Spain to do against Holland, they kept it tight but when they had the ball they passed it around at will, always wanting the ball however pressured the player was and always looking to get it from back to front in a few incisive passes. I thought they just showed their experience, that was the difference but by and large their game plan was efficient and decisive, like all the great International sides.
Oh I don't deny that for one moment Mark however that was also in part due to what I can only describe as our 'conserve energy' mode on the gear stick. We often just sat back and let them pass the ball around in front of us. I think some concessions had to be made in those conditions.
I think that would be suicide at International level, alot of what Italy did went down our left, because Rooney wasn't giving Baines enough cover. You're saying one minute that playing Wellbeck and Rooney wide cost us, and then you suggest playing a diamond with no one covering - however much the diamond suits Barkley and co, it won't remedy the defensive aspect on the flanks. Playing the diamond is leaving the fullbacks (who aren't the greatest defensively) wide open. I kinda agree with the idea of Rooney and Sterling swapping positions, but then look where the goal came from.
And I just want to say what a fantastic pass from Sterling that was too - brilliant vision and execution.
Great turn too, it was so positive, when everyone was trying to play Italy at their own game, protecting possession and playing the easy pass, he turned and went straight for the killer pass.
When you get the ball across Italy's six yard area several times (a good achievement) and only once do you have a forward actually running into that area to meet it, you need something changing in terms of the forwards. I think Sturridge and Welbeck confused each other with their movement rather than helped each other. There was one cross when Studge was outside the penalty area and Welbeck was out on the right and no one was in the centre. I think Lambert would have been worth trying as a sub in that second half.
Yeah, at least Lambert gives the attack a focal point and he'll hold possession (and position) and bring others into play. I think Wellbeck has done well at International level, despite his limitations, but as you say, him and Sturridge are too similar in their play and the runs they make, it just conjested the area. That said, I don't think it would work with Lambert alongside Rooney, or with one of them in behind, we need someone with the pace and movement that one of Wellbeck or Sturridge gives us.
I think Italy did more than just knock it to Balotelli. There was a lot of switching of play to the flanks. The fact that not all those attacking thrusts came to anything was mainly because of the marginal differences in individual quality especially in central midfield, and in cases such as these, the manger's tactics turn out to be the difference. This is a good England team led by a dinosaur, unfortunately.
he was following a runner. Johnson was not the reason england lost ffs.
What?
You didn't read the England Ecuador thread where basically everyone said that Welbeck is worthless and that Lallana is the saviour?
Lallana was wank yesterday and didn't offer anything, still he somehow deserves to start ahead of Rooney or Welbeck.
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