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Dan
SpinSwimScream
Sam
I didn't even notice Wilshere was playing.
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Dan
SpinSwimScream
.verse
Gerrard needs to take a leaf out of Pirlo's book. If he's going to play that deep role he's got to be doing more with his movement and passing other than his typical hollywood cross field balls.
England are going to struggle if their game plan is purely based around wide counter-attacking play.
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Franck
This World Cup has been great so far!
Tommo.
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George14brfc
Hibee
Nice to see Candreva finally deliver at international level, he's been great for Lazio this season but I have to admit I was sceptical he'd cut it at the top level.
Deano
Hibee
Deano
Ninja
Picked the right players, played the right formation but lost a game we probably should have won through shambolic defending and toothless attacking play.
I appreciate its difficult to break a team down when they get into shape, but the speed of action around the Italian box was so slow theres no point picking a trio of pacy players if you're going to get the ball to them that slowly.
That said, there was promise. Sterling, Welbeck and Sturridge played well and Barkleys cameo was good. I felt like Rooney was trying too hard though, desperate to shake off that goal stat and taking on shots he shouldn't have whilst snatching at chances.
Hibee
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Crane
Should have swapped Gerrard and Henderson so Henderson could have helped out on the left hand side. Baines was over run, as you said Rooney didn't protect him well enough. Everything came down that side (weird it not Johnson being raped!).
Ninja
Rooney had been playing on the right for about 10 minutes before the goal down Baines side came. It was an issue regardless of who was in front of him.
Shola
Baines just doesn't look good enough. He seems to give away a goal every time he plays someone decent. He just never seems to get called on it. I have very little faith in Lallana and Barkley. And Wilshere looks really out of form.
Thought Rooney was alright. And I have a lot of confidence in Hart, Jagielka and Cahill. Think Johnson is alright as well, shanking a cross out of play is a very minor error in the grand scheme of things.
Crane
Ninja
I think its more just the problem of having a full back more interested in going forward rather than defending, Baines is a good player, but I don't think its at all ground breaking to suggest he has a mistake in him. Had he closed his man down Welbeck allowing the pass to be made a touch easier than it should have been is a bit academic.
I think the problem, really, is the lack of a holding midfielder, most teams have one to cover for their attacking full backs but that Gerrard-Henderson axis just doesn't really give anything defensively.
Poe
Sterling, Welbeck and Sturridge all played well - play like that against Costa Rica and Uruguay and we'll qualify though.
Why did we leave Ashley Cole at home
Hart and our two centre backs were excellent tonight, though.
.verse
Didn't see the Uruguay/Costa Rica game, but how are those sides in terms of pace around their squad? I sense England won't be so potent in attack if they are up against sides that have a bit of pace down back to match up against Sterling/Welbeck/Sturridge.
Number 1
Barring the assist, Rooney did shit all, while both full-backs were useless. But I daresay all three will still be deployed against Uruguay, which could be interesting given its a "loser is out" tie.
Sam
Definitely an encouraging performance overall however. Far more positive than 2010, our reaction to both goals were pretty good, obviously we were a bit tired towards the end and Italy had a good shape. Would be good to drop Rooney for the next game for Lallana, but it won't happen. Gerrard wasn't very good last night, however Wilshere did nothing when he came on.
I don't blame Baines for the second goal, if Johnson was actually a good right back it wouldn't have ended up in the back of the net. Hart and both center backs were pretty good, Henderson was good, Sterling was absolutely excellent. Both Sturridge and Welbeck good too.
Disappointing, but also encouraging. Play like that in our next two games and make a couple changes with players we should beat Uruguay and Costa Rica.
Dan
Sterling and Sturridge starting brightly soon died off, as soon as the second goal went in for the Italians it killed us!
Poe
Henderson ran his socks off too.