I don't think we played negative football, we scored 8 goals in the group stages FFS and what would have been 2 against the hosts if that ref hadn't screwed us over (yes i do solely blame him for our exit, f***ing swiss ****). Eriksson is doing a decent job with what is, apart from a core of about 12 players, a very very average squad.
Big Phil - were you watching, SVEN ?
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Uncle Buck
Ghost Writer
- Jul 7, 2003
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ChapmansThe Saviour said:
More or less agree and you have to think that Rio will be back, who is a far better defender than Terry. I would be included to play a holding midfielder, especially when you consider how attacking the quartet he picked for this tournament can be.
fatbadger
New member
I'm with Barnet & Minghawk on this one. I don't think Sven did much wrong - and Jambo, England's tactics were amongst the most attack-minded, which is why we were joint leadig scorers in the first rounds, and scored more than either of the finalists over the entire tournament, despite playing two less games (England 10, Portugal 8, Greece 7). A case in point is Scholes's goal against Croatia. If Portugal had had the balls, the tactical know-how, the players and the manager's instructions to do what England did at that time (one attacker is foiled but another is flying into the six-yard box, who is foiled, but is replaced by another wave of attack), they would have won last night.
The problem was in defence where - let's be quite clear about this - the team ignored the manager's instructions. Does anybody really believe Sven told England's players to play that deep? Of course he didn't. You might say, well, Sven should be able to inspire his players and make them want to follow his instructions, which might well be a valid complaint, but I don't think much of the squad is psychologically prepared for that.
One final thing I must say about this tournament - the Champions' League was, we were told, going to raise the level of the game in Europe to another level. Of course, most of us knew that that was all hype - the aim was more money not better football. Well, I think this tournament showed up UEFA for what it is. Instead of better football, we saw a pile of insipid crap from pretty much all of the teams there. Would anybody on here take any of the sides we have been watching over the last month is favour of the French, Italian, Dutch, Belgian, Danish or Polish sides of the eighties?
The problem was in defence where - let's be quite clear about this - the team ignored the manager's instructions. Does anybody really believe Sven told England's players to play that deep? Of course he didn't. You might say, well, Sven should be able to inspire his players and make them want to follow his instructions, which might well be a valid complaint, but I don't think much of the squad is psychologically prepared for that.
One final thing I must say about this tournament - the Champions' League was, we were told, going to raise the level of the game in Europe to another level. Of course, most of us knew that that was all hype - the aim was more money not better football. Well, I think this tournament showed up UEFA for what it is. Instead of better football, we saw a pile of insipid crap from pretty much all of the teams there. Would anybody on here take any of the sides we have been watching over the last month is favour of the French, Italian, Dutch, Belgian, Danish or Polish sides of the eighties?
Oh this debate again, we haven't had it for a few days.....
Yes Sven is not the best manager in the world. Yes his substitutions are AWFUL. Yes he's not as animated as Barry Fry, and yes sacking him would send us back to the dark ages unless we are EXTREMELY lucky and could get a decent manager to build on the progress that Sven's made.
It as Chappers says, we always kid ourselves that we've got the players when we clearly haven't. Why are we always so arrogant and blinkered? Other countries produce footballers too you know - and they teach them the basics properly when they're young. In the 1970s everybody thought players like Keegan, Watson, Francis, Mullery, Robson, Thompson, Shilton, Clemence, Brooking, Chivers etc were all world classs - and we failed to qualifiy for a SINGLE tournament all through the decade.
"We've got the players, sack the manager". Plus ca change.
Yes Sven is not the best manager in the world. Yes his substitutions are AWFUL. Yes he's not as animated as Barry Fry, and yes sacking him would send us back to the dark ages unless we are EXTREMELY lucky and could get a decent manager to build on the progress that Sven's made.
It as Chappers says, we always kid ourselves that we've got the players when we clearly haven't. Why are we always so arrogant and blinkered? Other countries produce footballers too you know - and they teach them the basics properly when they're young. In the 1970s everybody thought players like Keegan, Watson, Francis, Mullery, Robson, Thompson, Shilton, Clemence, Brooking, Chivers etc were all world classs - and we failed to qualifiy for a SINGLE tournament all through the decade.
"We've got the players, sack the manager". Plus ca change.
Mick Beard BHA
Hirsute
SOME credit is due to England knocking in 8 goals in the group stages, BUT c'mon lads, you were in a bit of a weak group eh? Croatia and Switzerland?...
*waits for backlash*
*waits for backlash*