Football

much angst
very loss
such bad crosses

I'm hoping that was because of the conditions. Whoever held the lead in the second half was carrying all the trump cards. Italy are the masters of sitting back and letting the other team do the work. It's hard to unlock a ten man defence. Maybe it was time to launch a few balls into the box.

Exactly. Couldn't agree more. I reckon the northern hemisphere teams especially us are really going to struggle in the heat so you pretty much have to win the game in the first half.

England started sitting back after what I thought was a promising start, they've always done this and I find it infuriating... Obvs the conditions were gonna be tough going for a bunch of English pussies used to playing in the middle of February but...

Italy were clearly uncomfortable when Ingerlund went at them... I thought Sterling was pretty good and Lallana too, he was always trying to keep the momentum going towards the Italian goal... I also think it was a mistake to take Welbeck off, he was having a good game...

Rooney, what are you even on the pitch for, bro?

Glen Johnson is wack. He is only there because we havent got anyone one else who plays right back.

Also I didnt realise stevie g was playing and im sorry but Wishere is not magical

also lets just forget about that choke artist Rooney

My preferred team. Ill be sure to fax it over to Roy

                   Lambert - Sturridge
            Barkley  -  Sterling  -  Lallana
          Lampard

Shaw - Jagielka - Cahill - Who the fuck knows

ah the old 4-3-3-2 line up
a guaranteed winning lineup

Ha its either henderson, gerrard or lampard

gerrard was wack sorry. henderson was ok but maybe a cooler head like Lord Lampard should be the one in that position

Hahahahahahahahahaha.......

Hodgson says that's the best we've played in 2 years'

Fuck me

Thing is though he's not far wrong, as what he has to compare it with has been too dreadful to imagine. Often we've never competed or looked bright. Against Italy we did both on occasion and our passing (again compared to the dirge of our past) was an improvement.

Not too clever losing our first game mind. With Uruguay fighting for their lives on Thursday too we'll have to be up for it. I'd bring Oxlade-Chamberlain in and yank Rooney off, who's guaranteed to start regardless, no later than halftime if he's not producing. We only get one chance to stay in the tournament now and Hodgson needs to show guts, or else this World Cup might go down the toilet based on his weakness to do the right thing for the team rather than an individual.

We should still qualify as there were some encouraging signs. Obviously there is no room for error now and we need 6 points at of 6

Rooney was bad, I was actually thinking Milner would be a good idea, that's how crap he was, I mean, Milner.

Gerrard was shit. Rooney was shit. Baines was poor.

Yeah, Baines was surprisingly poor and I didn't notice Gerrard being poor but that's because I don't think I saw him all match. Overall not that bad though, at least we seem to have stopped giving the ball away quite so often.

Bloody mancs ruined it. Nasa had to retrieve Rooney's corner. Tat first 'goal' bt Sterling though, by the time I finished celebrating Italy had scored...

I actually kept looking at the screen until the score changed. BBC got it wrong.

Yeah, Baines was surprisingly poor and I didn't notice Gerrard being poor but that's because I don't think I saw him all match. Overall not that bad though, at least we seem to have stopped giving the ball away quite so often.

Madness.

good match last night, as encouraged by an England performance as Ive been for a long time, we didn't look overmatched, attacked brightly, but need an option on the otherside to Sterling. We found a player that put the fear into the italians with his direct play and kept feeding him, even when Italy had adjusted.

I'd rather we played Lallana rather than Welbeck, feel like he'll give us more going forward. And Rooney got a great cross in for Sturridge's goal. Was a bit upset when we were chasing the game with 20 to go, Lambert wasn't given a go. Still unsure about Wilshire, he doesn't seem to do enough, pretty enough, but doesn't impose himself.

Shocked, shocked, that Uruguay got taken out by Costa Rica. But the group stages of world cups always throw up shockers. Been the best world cup I've seen by far this early on..

Uruguay without Suarez are very ordinary, as Liverpool will find our next season. Campbell looked awesome, looking forward to seeing him against stiffer opposition, and fully expect Wenger to put him back out on loan next season.

England were all-right, wasn't embarrassed to be supporting them, which makes a change.

Bloody mancs ruined it. Nasa had to retrieve Rooney's corner. Tat first 'goal' bt Sterling though, by the time I finished celebrating Italy had scored...

I actually kept looking at the screen until the score changed. BBC got it wrong.

I had £2 on sterling for first goalscorer. I was devastated.

Roy should send Rooney out on a kamikaze mission to take out Suarez. Doubt he'd notice if a bite was taken out of his midriff.

Exactly. Couldn't agree more. I reckon the northern hemisphere teams especially us are really going to struggle in the heat so you pretty much have to win the game in the first half.

Like Holland?

Madness.

I remember seeing much, much worse. I'm not saying it was like watching SpainBrazilItaly, but there were fewer pointless passes to the opposition for no reason and everyone seemed more or less happy to have the ball.

Uruguay without Suarez are very ordinary, as Liverpool will find our next season. Campbell looked awesome, looking forward to seeing him against stiffer opposition, and fully expect Wenger to put him back out on loan next season.

England were all-right, wasn't embarrassed to be supporting them, which makes a change.

OK we'll do this again: Take LS goals out and Liverpool still scored more than your team. Does that make sense?
You better hope we keep LS, as the money generated will make us a MUCH better team.

One of the main reasons Baines looked bang average was because Rooney offered little support. If he attacked and england got countered who'd get the blame??

#lfgssknowfuckallshocker

OK we'll do this again: Take LS goals out and Liverpool still scored more than your team. Does that make sense?
You better hope we keep LS, as the money generated will make us a MUCH better team.

Suarez isn't just the sum of his goals tho is he. A good player generates goals for other players as well as scoring, which is why when you hear someone having a go at Walcott you know you can write them off as a know nothing, (ain't that right mikec?).

Yeah, nice spending spree on the back of selling your best player, worked for the spuds didn't it..

Bains got no protection but at times he looked as though he was struggling in the heat, running in treacle at times. Enjoyed the game and feeling positive about how England played.

^^^That's what made me think of Milner, might get Baines forward more and get some decent crosses in, but Milner is so boring.

^^^That's what made me think of Milner.

Nothing should make you think of Milner, you poor bastard, you have my sympathy.