Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

[morgieb]

By winning their first 2 games.

Yeah thanks captain obvious....cos I totally missed that

 

[NUFAN]

I actually always want England to do reasonably well in these tournaments because I follow the premier league (2 time CW Fantasy Football Champion) significantly more than any other league.

Please correct if I'm wrong but I feel as though English footballers rarely score the late equaliser or the winning goal in premiership games. I don't know if their is a stat to back this up or if its because so many foreign players in the league are naturally going to score the deciding goal more often but it just felt like the England squad were waiting for someone else to provide that moment of genius. In hindsight, I think Carroll would have been a better bench option than Lambert as the bench had really low impact in both games.

 

[wpdavid]

I know he is not the most popular on here at the moment but Wilshere is going to be really important for England in the next few years, just need him to stay fit.

Yeah, him, Henderson and Lallana should be the mainstays of the midfield now. With Sterling or Barkley in front of them.

And as Brumby said, surely Gerrard's time has gone.

 

[Uppercut]

I don't think Gerrard's time has passed completely but it's clear that they can't pick him in a two-man midfield. All of the clubs have moved to three midfielders now anyway and Rooney is the main reason England haven't followed suit, but I think the country will be more open to the idea of leaving him on the bench for the good of the team after this tournament.

 

[Furball]

I actually always want England to do reasonably well in these tournaments because I follow the premier league (2 time CW Fantasy Football Champion) significantly more than any other league.

Please correct if I'm wrong but I feel as though English footballers rarely score the late equaliser or the winning goal in premiership games. I don't know if their is a stat to back this up or if its because so many foreign players in the league are naturally going to score the deciding goal more often but it just felt like the England squad were waiting for someone else to provide that moment of genius. In hindsight, I think Carroll would have been a better bench option than Lambert as the bench had really low impact in both games.

England's problem in tournaments is that they come flying out the traps far too quickly. The difference in goal scoring between 1st halves and 2nd halves is incredible.

 

[sledger]

England's problem in tournaments is that they come flying out the traps far too quickly. The difference in goal scoring between 1st halves and 2nd halves is incredible.

Wouldn't matter if they could defend.

 

[Tangles]

Harry Redknapp: "When I was at Tottenham and full internationals came around, two or three players didn't want to play.
"They did not want to go and play for England. They'd come to me 10 days before the game and say: 'Gaffer get me out of the game because I don't want to play in that game'.
"I think it's only going to get worse because they see the stick the England players get.
"They're earning fantastic money at their clubs and playing Champions League and thinking: 'Do we need that aggro?'"

Saw this on the BBC. As a cricket fan and a United fan I'm familiar with the English press. Are the other European countries as harsh on their national teams and players?

 

[fredfertang]

For the public to get on the back of an individual player they have to have a real shocker - generally we save the bile for the manager - I think Harry is mischief making tbh

 

[Tangles]

For the public to get on the back of an individual player they have to have a real shocker - generally we save the bile for the manager - I think Harry is mischief making tbh

Unless your Becks/Rooney and get a red card or miss a crucial penalty.

There's probably something in the criticism of too many foreign players in the PL but I'm not sure how you fix the more young/English players in teams without a quota system. Which would last until the first court challenge for restraint of trade.

 

[fredfertang]

There's probably something in the criticism of too many foreign players in the PL but I'm not sure how you fix the more young/English players in teams without a quota system. Which would last until the first court challenge for restraint of trade.

Never really understood that one - if you follow that logic then with 18 first class counties as opposed to 4,5,6 and now 7 states we should have spent the last 100 odd years winning each and every Ashes series

 

[Tangles]

Never really understood that one - if you follow that logic then with 18 first class counties as opposed to 4,5,6 and now 7 states we should have spent the last 100 odd years winning each and every Ashes series

The Shield has limits on foreign players and the PL doesn't. A cricket team won't consist of 11 foreign players (Fulham iirc).

 

[silentstriker]

Too much criticism? Please. Subcontinental cricketers have been trying to use that excuse for decades. Sorry but someone criticizing you unfairly isn't the reason you're 30lbs overweight.

 

[Uppercut]

For the public to get on the back of an individual player they have to have a real shocker - generally we save the bile for the manager - I think Harry is mischief making tbh

Don't know about this, it's not been the case more recently but for a long time they were very quick to boo their own players. Apart from the Algeria game you had stuff like Rio Ferdinand being booed for having a brother who was racially abused.

 

[Furball]

Rio is a massive **** socket in all fairness.

 

[marc71178]

For the public to get on the back of an individual player they have to have a real shocker - generally we save the bile for the manager - I think Harry is mischief making tbh

Course he is. Still bitter that he didn't get the job.

 

[Tangles]

BBC saying Frank to play and captain. Not taking the final game seriously then.

 

[Pothas]

Just giving the young lad a chance.

 

[sledger]

May as well, it's not like they can really do much worse than the senior players I suppose. Will be grim if England somehow lose to Costa Rica though.

 

[The Sean]

England's team for tomorrow announced on Sky Sports - only Cahill and Sturridge keep their place:

Ben Foster, Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, Luke Shaw, James Milner, Frank Lampard (c), Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana, Daniel Sturridge.

 

[Tangles]

Giving guys with no WC games a go I can see but giving Frank a charity swansong? Would have thought it a good chance to play what he thinks is his next gen team. The Rooney haters will love his omission.