The International Football Thread

[Ollie 4,400]

What a horrible crock of shit that was. I'm sure all the players will think they did a great job but if they had just an ounce of bottle, they would've won this game. That Ukraine team weren't and aren't even that good at all, the game was there for the taking but boring, negative draw master Woy just went out to get the point. It may be a good point but we could've pretty much sealed the passage tonight. Same old shit England team.

Congrats to Bosnia, huge win. Absolutely huge.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

Ashley Young....Jesus Christ

[CHOULO19 24,332]

The funny thing is, I think, if he can get you out of the group stage, Woy will probably do well with the team. You'll probably still play incredibly boring football, but that will probably get you to the quarter finals or even semis if you get some luck.

[Hutcho 8,443]

At least sturridge and rooney are decent. And our boys generally are. But our midfield is terrible, as gerrard lamps and milner are all slow. And if you put lambert up front alone then you may as well run the game at a donkey pace. Should have just put caroll and crouch up there and let gerrard and Lampard fire balls at them all day.

[Hutcho 8,443]

The funny thing is, I think, if he can get you out of the group stage, Woy will probably do well with the team. You'll probably still play incredibly boring football, but that will probably get you to the quarter finals or even semis if you get some luck.

We always get to the quarters. That's not exactly an achievement. I would rather he at least set the team out with some pace and flair. Just play the U21 side with lampard cole, hart, gc, rooney and sturridge. Be better than the pile of shit we witnessed then.

[dave30 728]

Roy out

[zolayes 14,489]

We always get to the quarters. That's not exactly an achievement. I would rather he at least set the team out with some pace and flair. Just play the U21 side with lampard cole, hart, gc, rooney and sturridge. Be better than the pile of shit we witnessed then.

IF the U21s were decent I might agree ,,,but let's face the truth ,,,neither the present nor the future gives any reason for optimism.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

We always get to the quarters. That's not exactly an achievement. I would rather he at least set the team out with some pace and flair. Just play the U21 side with lampard cole, hart, gc, rooney and sturridge. Be better than the pile of shit we witnessed then.

With the current team, the quarters would be an achievement if I am honest. Well achievement is an exaggeration but it would be a good result. I honestly doubt you'd reach that if you play attacking football. I mean think about it, take Rooney (and perhaps Carick) out, who from England would get into the NT of Germany? Italy? Brazil? Spain? France? Netherlands? Argentina? Heck even Belgium? Those are 8 teams who have more quality. So getting into the quarter finals ahead of one of them is a good result, imo.

[Jase 43,479]

First Woy said our game against United was the best this season and now he claims the match against Ukraine 'was a very good quality game'!

[CHOULO19 24,332]

First Woy said our game against United was the best this season and now he claims the match against Ukraine 'was a very good quality game'!

Well he is a manager and tactically our game against united was one of the best you'll see in a season. No idea what he was talking about today, though. The game was just uninspiring and lacking any sort of quality from both teams.

[Tomo 21,733]

First Woy said our game against United was the best this season and now he claims the match against Ukraine 'was a very good quality game'!

Doesn't beat his two gems previously.

Saying Oxlade Chamberlain did well against Pirlo and Ambrosini, one left the club the previous summer and the other was suspended and then telling a fan on the London Underground that Ferdinand's England career was over.

The England manager every one, who we supposedly turned down Guardiola for

[Jase 43,479]

Well he is a manager and tactically our game against united was one of the best you'll see in a season. No idea what he was talking about today, though. The game was just uninspiring and lacking any sort of quality from both teams.

Not exactly consistent there. The game against United was similar to Ukraine v England, dull and lacking in quality if not just slightly better. Can't go look into the former from a tactical perspective and then the performance wise in the latter.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Not exactly consistent there. The game against United was similar to Ukraine v England, dull and lacking in quality if not just slightly better. Can't go look into the former from a tactical perspective and then the performance wise in the latter.

Not true. The game against united had tons of quality. Not on the ball but still quality that is hard to find. Both teams were incredibly disciplined. You could at almost any time see the shape that the manager drew for the players being implemented on the pitch. It was like a FIFA match with every single making the right movement almost every time. It also had quality with the amount of work-rate and defensive runs that every player from both teams made. It was a tactical master class especially from Jose who manged to frustrate united and stop them from creating almost any chances.

Today on the other hand, the tempo was just too slow. No one trying to do anything with the ball. There were spaces and frailties in both defense but neither team had the quality to exploit them.

[Jase 43,479]

Not true. The game against united had tons of quality. Not on the ball but still quality that is hard to find. Both teams were incredibly disciplined. You could at almost any time see the shape that the manager drew for the players being implemented on the pitch. It was like a FIFA match with every single making the right movement almost every time. It also had quality with the amount of work-rate and defensive runs that every player from both teams made. It was a tactical master class especially from Jose who manged to frustrate united and stop them from creating almost any chances.

Today on the other hand, the tempo was just too slow. No one trying to do anything with the ball. There were spaces and frailties in both defense but neither team had the quality to exploit them.

Well, now that you have explained it that way...

Don't necessarily disagree with what you said there but the lack of quality attacking wise in that United game certainly played a part in both teams being able to defend well and restrict one another to half chances. There were several instances during that game where either side could have exploited the space given or available but did nothing with it and allowed the other side to get back to defensive positions/setup. And I wouldn't go till that extent to call what Mourinho's game plan being a tactical master class. It was good but not till that.

As for the Ukraine v England game, it was not too different from that game at OT. Yes, it is as you said, there were space and defensive frailties in both sides that should have been exploited but otherwise, there wasn't anything much else really. Both teams were hopeless going forward and just defended when they had to. Nothing special but did what was necessary. Just that the other was better slightly and depending on which POV you want to look from.

[Hutcho 8,443]

With the current team, the quarters would be an achievement if I am honest. Well achievement is an exaggeration but it would be a good result. I honestly doubt you'd reach that if you play attacking football. I mean think about it, take Rooney (and perhaps Carick) out, who from England would get into the NT of Germany? Italy? Brazil? Spain? France? Netherlands? Argentina? Heck even Belgium? Those are 8 teams who have more quality. So getting into the quarter finals ahead of one of them is a good result, imo.

Yeah of course. But I mean just aiming to get in the quarters every 4 years is just a low bar to be aiming at.

realistically it is what we are looking at for the next decade.

last generation played under potential. Especially when we had one of the top defences at their peak along with the greatest cam in the world, and gerrard. A young rooney who looked like a world beater, and some older quality from the likes of Beckham.

To now, when the best players 7 years ago, are still the best players now. Except they are much older and obviously worse, but no one has taken over from them.

It wouldn't be that bad if we had one area where we were quality. But we haven't got that. Maybe strikers, as rooney and sturridge look good. He would have had a much better England career had he left us sooner than he did.

[Hutcho 8,443]

IF the U21s were decent I might agree ,,,but let's face the truth ,,,neither the present nor the future gives any reason for optimism.

True. But at least they have the optimism op youth and will just keep on running and trying. The guys in the actual team realise we are shit, and all their optimism dried up in 2006.

[Kojo 4,676]

Roy is a terrible choice for England.

We haven't played good football under him once, not once, even against San Marino we where average. The Euros was so painful to watch as most teams kicked our arses and we still managed to win two games somehow, then got played off the park by Italy.

Please sack him before the World Cup he's only going to ruin it, we play boring boring boring football. We wont get anywhere.

I'm not getting ahead of myself when I say this but England is actually starting to produce some very good technical players, players which have flair and ideas, not just determination and legs. Players like Wilshere, Chamberlain, Barkley and Sturridge are very exciting prospects, not fucking Danny Welbeck, Kyle Walker and Tom Cleverly, they are just average joes who can run around. Honeslty I would start playing Carrick a lot more too, someone who adds more to it rather than Gerrard who will just hoof the ball upfield, at least Carrick is more technical and will provide more insight on the ground.

Why we aren't playing Sturridge is just criminal it really is, especially when Welbeck is getting played, he may score a nice goal now and then but it doesn't make up for a below average 90 minutes of playing.

[Ainsley Harriott 2,732]

Anyone watching Colombia - Uruguay?