Pretty poor tbh. We're set up as being hard to beat but we have little attacking impetus. Tom Cleverly really is the latest in the line of English footballers to be horribly overrated. I really don't know where to begin with him. For every one good thing he does, he makes two bad judgements/errors. We're losing the ball too easily in the centre of midfield and being open to the counter attack. Poland have wasted two or three good chances, we've just taken pretty much our only chance.

Very sloppy in posession. Carrick and Rooney in particular

 

Milner and Cleverley have done ok, but I can't quite understand what they offer us out wide? It's not like we don't have any wide options available?

 

I'd take one of Carrick or Cleverley off and bring Oxlaide-Chamberlain on

It I had to sum up that match in one word... I go for... shambles

Poor performance, but nothing I didn't expect. It's what you get when hiring Roy as your manager. Score, defend for 60 minutes, concede

The Roy Hodgson effect. A draw is a good result because we played poorly. Can anybody actually tell me the last time England put in a GOOD performance against a semi-decent team? Nope thought not!

 

We're going to go in to the game against Montenegro needing to win it.

It was hard to be too disappointed with England until after the equaliser when they looked devoid of any ideas to try and win the game.

 

The way we played didn't suit Poland at all, and they were a much greater creative threat in the first half when they were able to break and counter-attackk, just like in the summer against Greece (1st half) and Russia where they were superb, because they could play on the counter. Against Greece in the second half (vs. ten men) and Czech Republic, when the onus was on them, they were woeful. I didn't think they looked like scoring at all and only an error was going to allow it. Shame I was right.

Oxlade-Chamberlain coming on I thought made a difference, beforehand the players didn't seem to know what was going on with the shape of the team. You can't exactly expect Cleverley to play well in a completely unfamiliar position, we're really lacking a Number 10 in big games given that he's not really ready and Rooney's England form continues to be awful - although ironically he seems to have learned to play the defensive aspect of the role now.

 

Defoe as the lone striker doesn't work either, he can only consistently play as a poacher and cannot lead the line. Welbeck looks like a better bet but to be honest I'd rather have Carroll up there.

@OptaJoe

England have now mustered just one shot on target in four of Roy Hodgson's 11 games in charge. Shy.

 

Oh dear

I wish Scottish people on Buzzjack liked football, WHY NU1 CURR.

 

Pretty hard to like what's currently being served up by that tit of a national 'coach'.

Pretty hard to like what's currently being served up by that tit of a national 'coach'.

 

He'll not last long. Was shitting myself when he finally re-called Fletcher, would have been just Sunderland's luck for him to get a call-up and then come back with a knock in time for Sunday. Breathed a massive sigh of relief when he came off unscathed :lol:

 

As for England, i've said it before and i'll say it again, we are now a very, very average team with a very average manager. Our better players for the most part are ageing, and most of the younger players we've got in the side are distinctly average (in terms of international quality - it's one thing being decent in the Premier League but international football is a different kettle of fish). Until we sort out our youth system and start bleeding through real young talent, results against quality sides will continue to be mediocre. Look at Belgium, hardly a footballing institution in the grand scheme of things, and yet they're benefiting from having an organised, effective youth system. Same goes for Germany, Spain, the list goes on. That's what we're crying out for desperately in this country.

Yup, Belgium have made a spectacular return (and don't forget they finished fourth at the 1986 world cup - so they've been there before) - one thing England needs to do is to impress the importance of International games on some of their players. I'm pretty sure some current players just see it as something to boost their profile while still seeing their club games as the only ones that truly matter.

The thing that I find odd is that only ten years ago we'd fallen so far down the pecking order that we weren't top seeds for not just World Cups but qualifying campaigns as well. No matter how poor our talent pool is we're at least more consistent than we used to be.

Indeed. With the year for competitive internationals now over it'll mean that in a 5 year period we've lost one game that mattered in 90 minutes. I know it's common to say why are we so high up the rankings but with a record like that, why wouldn't you be?

 

England's competitive record in the last 5 years reads won 19, drawn 9 (including 1 lost on penalties), lost 2 (including one game where we had already qualified so didn't mean anything to England).

The thing that I find odd is that only ten years ago we'd fallen so far down the pecking order that we weren't top seeds for not just World Cups but qualifying campaigns as well. No matter how poor our talent pool is we're at least more consistent than we used to be.

 

Hosting Euro 1996 obviously did wonders. We're more consistent, but we're just not that good. I partly blame management, and I partly blame the media, and I partly blame we have too many big names. Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Terry, Cole etc. were all un-dropable. Saying that now I think we've some bloody brilliant players coming through... I just think the current crop of 20-22s are not all that good. But they're still young, so far too early to write some of them off now.

Yup, Belgium have made a spectacular return (and don't forget they finished fourth at the 1986 world cup - so they've been there before) - one thing England needs to do is to impress the importance of International games on some of their players. I'm pretty sure some current players just see it as something to boost their profile while still seeing their club games as the only ones that truly matter.

 

Rubs off on the fans too though. How many of us care about international games unless it's a major tournament. They're so boring. Club over country every time for fans, so maybe it should be for players too.

Updated squad for Sweden friendly:

 

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart [Man City], Fraser Forster [Celtic], John Ruddy [Norwich]

 

Defenders: Leighton Baines [Everton], Ryan Bertrand [Chelsea], Glen Johnson [Liverpool], Carl Jenkinson [Arsenal], Gary Cahill [Chelsea], Steven Caulker [Tottenham], Phil Jagielka [Everton], Ryan Shawcross [stoke]

 

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard [Liverpool], Jack Wilshere [Arsenal], Tom Cleverley [Man United], Leon Osman [Everton], Tom Huddlestone [Tottenham] Raheem Sterling [Liverpool], Ashley Young [Man United], Wilfried Zaha [Crystal Palace]

 

Forwards: Daniel Welbeck [Man United], Daniel Sturridge [Chelsea]

Gerrard might miss the match.

Dear god. Two strikers? Really?

Team to play Sweden: Hart Johnson Caulker Cahill Baines Osman Gerrard Cleverley Sterling Welbeck Young

 

Subs: Forster Ruddy Bertrand Jenkinson Jagielka Shawcross Wilshere Huddlestone Zaha Sturridge

 

6 subs allowed

Gerrard with match 100, good achievement! Well done Steve!

Edited November 17, 201212 yr by kety_smith