England World Cup thread - the thread of certain disappointment

What like the ability to pass the ball or keep possession? They would have had a gazillion more pounds thrown at them to prepare than teams like CR but they still can't play basic football.

Fixed.

The thing is that there are some that think the football academies are not as good as raw talent learning their skills on the street. I think that there is a lot to be said for the latter. Africans that play with no shoes and whose parents earn a $1 a day are more likely to succeed than the european players. ----or S. American players etc.

I think England fans expect 200k per week players to play like 200k per week players. A good honest effort with a bit of heart and passion and pride. Four key ingredients that were missing, especially from the likes of Rooney and Gerrard whom both gave the same quality performances in South Africa and before that in Germany.

^ agreed

But by narrowing it down to 200k per week players, you're only talking about one - Rooney.

No one else in that team is earning that much. 

I didn't say all, I said some. Any idea on what Lampard and Gerrard were/are earning? And at 200k, per week, would you pay Rooney that for the effort he have given in this World Cup or the previous 2? 1 goal in 3 sets of finals. Is that worth it? No, but we know what he is capable of at League level, he isn't delivering on the international front.

England doesn't pay them ~200k per week. Man U/Liverpool/Chelsea etc do. And they normally perform for them. They also bring in that much in merchandise sales. You play for your contry for pride. Something they greatly lacked out there. That's what dissapointed me the most. I know they're good enough. I know they're the best players England has right now. If they'd played with the passion they show for their clubs we'd be talking about second round and possible/likely quarter finals football. They didn't. We're out. It's that simple.

The guy wants to do well more than anything, he even voluntarily trained during the break between the English squad meeting up and the Premier League season.

He played where and how he was told.

His failing to perform has everything to do with the situation around him and nothing to do with his efforts.

As mentioned previously in this thread, England need a manager that can drop Gerrard and Lampard - both career runnerups - and then play a formation that actually suits the players.

I think a big issue for England through the tournament was about where Rooney played and could have been put to bed very early on by the player himself.  Leading up to the first game everyone knew he was going to play on the left and there was a lot of press about his reaction to it - all he needed to do was come out and say "I am more than happy to play on the left, there is no story here, move on".  He did some half-assed mumbling about doing what the coach wants, but the underlying message was that he was not happy about it.  In that game Sterling was the best England player, yet was moved out to the right to allow Rooney to play where he wanted in the second game. I am sure that Rooney is a difficult person to deal with and I think the lineup became about his ego.

Also, if we have gotten to the stage where we a praising a professional athlete for doing some work to keep himself fit in the week or so between the end of the season and the squad meeting up for the World Cup, the world has truely gone completely fucking mental. I am sure that many other players (actually, I am sure that all the other players) did work in that week - the difference is that they didn't feel the need to take their own photographers with them to prove it.

Im by no means praising him just saying that you cannot attack him for lack of effort.

I'm just looking at all of this from a United's fans perspective. Rooney works at United. So do countless other English players, whom don't work for England. The common denominator isn't players who don't put the effor, is players who aren't utilised properly. 

I have to agree though he couldve put it too bed early.

Yep. Side has plenty of talent, didn't play to their potential, hit the post or missed their chances and hadn't quite clicked yet and still were in with a shot of progressing. Think Rooney would have got stronger as the tournament went on and the new boys would have come into their own as they spent more time together. It is the most exciting English squad in a generation. 

As it was they missed their chances and gifted Louis Suarez one opportuity and he took it. 

They weren't sure of their best 11 or shape, but they coulda been a thing at this cup...

bit mixed views on the Rooney thing- but Sterling's influence was missed in the second game. Got double marked. Don't think Rooney was as bad as his press has been.

After all the wailing and knashing of teeth, here's Brian Glanville's considered analysis: far more reasoned and coherent than the "pathetic" and "sack the lot" brigade...

http://sportact.net/england-world-cup-exit-requires-perspective-923-2014/

Perhaps, but lets face it, I was not impressed with England and I doubt anyone else was. From the Manager to all the players, it was a poor performance.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldc...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/arti...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/en...

They started brightly at least...

Hodgson 'encouraged' by performance

England manager Roy Hodgson has praised his young England team's disappointing World Cup campaign, saying what the team learned in Brazil will stand them in good stead for delivering even greater disappointments in the future.

"You have to remember that unlike Rooney and Gerrard, who have played like donkeys over numerous tournaments, the likes of Baines, Sturridge and Sterling are our young donkeys of tomorrow," said Hodgson. "I've every confidence these lads can go on to disappoint the fans for years to come."

There was, however, heartache for England  fans after it was confirmed that no England players had been implicated in World Cup match-fixing allegations.

"England didn't lose both games on behalf of a Far Eastern betting syndicate, they really are that bad at football," said a dispirited man in a tracksuit."

- latest Private Eye

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28101598

Phil Neville his article on why he was such a sh*te commentator at the world cup. FFS even the article is boring. Phil Neville - Commentary Plankton. 

Hehe Maybe he could change his name to Krill Neville!!!

You made me laugh on both posts. Sadly,  there's probably a grain of truth about them too.