Euro 2012 - Knockout Stages

[Royal Rother]

The Rooney apologists seem to have gone quiet tonight.

[cmonurz]

Note to RR, THAT is an appalling Rooney performance. Carroll won almost everything once he came on, but had no options as Rooney was seemingly in lead boots. Game was crying out for Defoe, or for Walcott to get some possession, but can only imagine Theo had taken a shit on the dressing room floor or something, as no one seemed to want to give it to him.

Edit: and that's what I meant about Rooney bringing out a different side of you. Apologists? No. Just of a different opinion.

[Hoop Blah]

See, Cassano and Balatelli just don't give me much of a fear factor. Decent players of course, and Pirlo is still a clever player, but not the threat he was a few years back from what I've seem of him.

Hope Roy and his boys think the same (although I doubt it) then we stand a better chance from the start.

Cassano and Balotelli will give Terry and Lescott nightmares with their movement, always thinking a few steps ahead, always on the move and attacking from all angles.

As for Pirlo, he dominated the midfield against a Spain team that had the Barcelona quartet and has laid on 3 of Italys 4 goals (assisted 2, scored 1) so not the same threat?

I only see us being weak in defence when comparing our team with England, seeing as our best defender is likely out of the game with an injury (Chiellini) although it looks like Barzagli will come back so at least we have a defender for a defender replacement.

I think I will leave this here ^

I stand by what I said at the time,

On Pirlo:
I'm not saying he isn't good, I just don't think he's as good a player as he was. His return in assists and goals is obviously helped by his role in the side and how he dictates things. I do worry he'll have a few too many cheap chances to shoot from distance, England's weakness so far IMO, but if he plays as deep as he traditionally has done then he shouldn't worry Hart too much. He is still Italy's key man though and it may need Rooney to keep an eye on him if we don't want to give him too much time on the ball whilst we sit so deep.

We didn't get close enough to him and he pulled the strings, that was always the danger. He's still not as good as he once was, despite a good tournament and apparent a good season with Juve.

The front two, I don't think they threatened too much. Balatelli was more of handful than I expected but he didn't score and fluffed his chances which is why he doesn't scare me because he's so inconsistent.

It was another poor second half from England as we ran out of steam and had to carry Young and Rooney (I defended his previous peformance but he was pretty woeful tonight). Despite that we still created good chances to score a d should've had at least one penalty. We allowed Italy too much time and space, and failed on the ball too often (yet again) but we very nearly pulled it off.

[frimmers3]

Note to RR, THAT is an appalling Rooney performance. Carroll won almost everything once he came on, but had no options as Rooney was seemingly in lead boots. Game was crying out for Defoe, or for Walcott to get some possession, but can only imagine Theo had taken a shit on the dressing room floor or something, as no one seemed to want to give it to him.

but it is wayne..with his hair transplant and wag..surely it is only a matter of time before he delivers anything of worth outside of sky hyperbole....

[Royal Rother]

Gascoigne was probably the last English player I can think of to have the footballing brain and talent of someone like Pirio but, frankly, I'm struggling to think of any others.

Gascoigne is head and shoulders the best player / performer England have produced for 40+ years. Probably a lot longer than that.

[frimmers3]

Gascoigne was probably the last English player I can think of to have the footballing brain and talent of someone like Pirio but, frankly, I'm struggling to think of any others.

Gascoigne is head and shoulders the best player / performer England have produced for 40+ years. Probably a lot longer than that.

the reverend gets it right. apart from the best passer the world has ever seen in glen hoddle who was ignored because he could not tackle.

[Hoop Blah]

YOu could see those two were going to miss. Poor picks to take them.

Both have good records from the spot and have scored previously in shoot outs (I don't think Cole's missed in shoot outs before) so all to easy to say in hindsight but they've succeeded before so pretty obvious picks really.

I'd imagine Terry and Carroll (possibly Hart) were next in line, with not a lot more penalty taking prowess left on the pitch.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I don't know if you can get a triple whammy of deja vu of deja vu of deja vu but, if so, that's what is prompted by this England performance. I honestly have no idea why English teams are so technically deficient compared to their Mediterranean European and Slavic counterparts. It is unfair for us to expect us to have an Iniesta or Pirio as they are exceptional even in the countries they come from but, God, why can't we actually retain possession and pass the ball. I really have no idea whether it is at a coaching level or what but things haven't changed, basically, for the past 20 years. Gascoigne was probably the last English player I can think of to have the footballing brain and talent of someone like Pirio but, frankly, I'm struggling to think of any others. Thank God I don't really care much whether or not England win or lose because if you do it must be thoroughly dispiriting.
I'm totally with the Rooney is overrated camp. I very much doubt whether he instils the kind of fear in the opposition that many England fans appear to think he does.

Unlike their home nations...we (England) spend more time, effort and money importing (the likes of) their talents into our home leagues instead of developing our own kids and seeing them through to that same level.

Its been on the wall for at least a dozen years.

oxf*rd Sky and its money and likes off for the next dozen years or so....feel the pain....then reap the benefits

[superreadingfan]

You have to admit Rooney didn't have much coming his way because the midfield was utterly overrun most of the game, the few chances they got they were wasted, like Young being a div or bad pass after pass by Parker. I'm sorry but Parker should be nowhere near England starting 11 for a major tournament. There is lowering expectations by playing hopefuls to prove something and there is players who have never been good enough. Adam Johnson = hopeful, Parker = terrible.

[Simon's Church]

Didn't think it was that bad a performance, everyone knew England were shit before the tournament so there's no shame in going out on penalties to a team that dominated Spain for large parts a couple of weeks ago.

I'm sure the penalty takers would have been the players who put themselves forward and Cole has scored in two Champions League finals at anyone saying he shouldn't have taken one.

[cmonurz]

Talk about reactionary Ian. Young's was two inches from perfect, and as HB said, Cole is a decent penalty taker. Had a lot less faith in Gerrard, who has missed a few for Liverpool, and a legless Rooney, to be honest.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

YOu could see those two were going to miss. Poor picks to take them.

Both have good records from the spot and have scored previously in shoot outs (I don't think Cole's missed in shoot outs before) so all to easy to say in hindsight but they've succeeded before so pretty obvious picks really.

I'd imagine Terry and Carroll (possibly Hart) were next in line, with not a lot more penalty taking prowess left on the pitch.

Have to admit I did worry about playing for pens, with so little shooting prowess on the pitch.

...however, aside from Cole's I was happy with the pens standard for first time that i can recall. Others were either blasted into the sides or attempted (Youngs). Cole's was a normal England pen of a saveable tap, hoping the keeper goes the wrong way.

[Hoop Blah]

The Rooney apologists seem to have gone quiet tonight.

He was poor tonight, no doubting that, so no need to defend him.

Doesn't change the fact that he has been effected by a lack of match sharpness (and tonight fitness) and that he's still one of our best players of we can get him performing. He did ok at times against Sweden, but only showed his class 3 or 4 times tonight which frankly isn't good enough.

[Man Friday]

Didn't think it was that bad a performance

Well what is a BAD performance then? We hardly touched the ball for 100 minutes. We couldn't string more than two passes together. It would have been outrageous if we'd won on penalties. The authorities would had to have changed the rules.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

You have to admit Rooney didn't have much coming his way because the midfield was utterly overrun most of the game, the few chances they got they were wasted, like Young being a div or bad pass after pass by Parker. I'm sorry but Parker should be nowhere near England starting 11 for a major tournament. There is lowering expectations by playing hopefuls to prove something and there is players who have never been good enough. Adam Johnson = hopeful, Parker = terrible.

Like f*ck can you blame Rooney's performance on the midfield. When we did get chances to break Rooney kept hold of the ball too long or didnt find the pass. Every attack fizzled out as soon as the ball found Rooney. A Rooney in a ManU shirt would have taken a few shooting opportunities in among the deadhead dribbles he made

[Royal Rother]

Note to RR, THAT is an appalling Rooney performance. Carroll won almost everything once he came on, but had no options as Rooney was seemingly in lead boots. Game was crying out for Defoe, or for Walcott to get some possession, but can only imagine Theo had taken a shit on the dressing room floor or something, as no one seemed to want to give it to him.

Edit: and that's what I meant about Rooney bringing out a different side of you. Apologists? No. Just of a different opinion.

Oh right, you think he was better the other night? I'm not having that. He was equally poor in both games.

As for the different side of me - despite wanting us to win for national pride, I don't support England, I find them boring and frustrating to watch and have done for decades so I guess I tend to be pretty blunt about the weaknesses and harsh on the supposed superstars.

I should be flattered that you obviously hang on my every word.

[frimmers3]

as if england ever expect to win a major tournament again whilst sky rule the roost and the champions league is the arbiter of quality.

[SpaceCruiser]

I won't be bothering with watching any of the last three games of the tournament. I don't really care much for any of the last 4.

[Hoop Blah]

Have to admit I did worry about playing for pens, with so little shooting prowess on the pitch.

...however, aside from Cole's I was happy with the pens standard for first time that i can recall. Others were either blasted into the sides or attempted (Youngs). Cole's was a normal England pen of a saveable tap, hoping the keeper goes the wrong way.

Agreed, although I'd also have said Pirlo's pen was the most save'able (after Cole's), as he gave the keeper a chance. Most of the others were just about unsave'able.

[cmonurz]

One day, just one day, I want to see a keeper stand stock still on a penalty like Pirlo's.