FIFA World Cup group stages

[budgetmeansbudget]

Played about as well as I could have hoped for and still lost which doesn't bode well. Italy were no great shakes just better defensively than us. Hart had two saves to make and made neither.

[Red Devil]

Italy hit the woodwork again - this could have been even worse.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Oh and the Southampton bias on this thread is hilarious.

[Dilbert]

Rooney was disappointing. Very poor. No wonder ManU were 7th, if he is their best player…

[st_brendy]

Another brilliant 90 minutes from Wayne Rooney...

In all seriousness, I actually relatively enjoyed that performance from us, Rooney aside. I don't think we deserved to lose, and had either Rooney done his defensive job properly or Roy had done his job properly (by either leaving Rooney out, or leaving Welbeck out for his pace later), then I don't think we would have done.

[Red Devil]

Played about as well as I could have hoped for and still lost which doesn't bode well. Italy were no great shakes just better defensively than us. Hart had two saves to make and made neither.

Pretty much sums it up.

[SaintPowelly]

Oh and the Southampton bias on this thread is hilarious.

What Southampton bias ??

Roy Hogson is the only man in the world that wouldn't of started Lallana.

[dan08]

Oh and the Southampton bias on this thread is hilarious.

What Southampton bias ??

Roy Hogson is the only man in the world that wouldn't of started Lallana.

I wouldn't of.

[st_brendy]

Oh and the Southampton bias on this thread is hilarious.

Even though I questioned bringing Lallana on? I thought it was a very strange choice of (final) sub by Roy.

And never once did I even contemplate bringing Shaw on, despite all the damage being done down our left hand side.

[Gingerfinch]

We played ok, but looked tired late on. Still in it, with two wins.

[Durhamfootman]

decent enough for the first hour, but once Italy shut up shop, England were just too static. If the first hour was a pleasant surprise, that last half hour epitomised the way this team have played for a while now, and why expectations have been so low. Back to the final ball problem again. Perhaps that was tiredness kicking in. Italy just made sure they weren't having to chase the game as players got tired and the game slowed right down

Still....... not an unexpected result, but a bit disappointing after a promising start

[st_brendy]

We played ok, but looked tired late on. Still in it, with two wins.

And that was always going to be the case. So with Chambo injured, utilising the pace of Sturridge, Sterling and Welbeck all from the start was always going to be massive risk. We simply couldn't afford to find ourselves in a position to chase the game, but that's exactly where we did find ourselves.

I said it at the start. The likes of Lallana, Milner and Lambert are simply not suited to coming off the bench for the last 20 mins and injecting some pace and freshness into a tired team.

[Durhamfootman]

Second match on the trot that Barclay came on as a sub, had an immediate impact, and then disappeared for the rest of the game

[SaintPowelly]

Just the small task of facing Suarez next.

[st_brendy]

Second match on the trot that Barclay came on as a sub, had an immediate impact, and then disappeared for the rest of the game

It's why I put Lallana ahead of him.

Barkley can be brilliant, and I think that his best is better than Lallana's best. And whereas I can't see Lallana ever becoming world class, Barkley might just one day.

But right now, Lallana is a million times more consistent than Barkley. Putting Barkley in an England shirt is a risk - it may come off or it may not. I don't think putting Lallana in an England shirt is a risk at all.