The "i'm not interested" international friendlies thread

[sandman]

Same thing as far as I was concerned. I wasn't sure hence the "I think" but you carry on trying to look cool in front of your internet clique.

The point, whether it's one goal or no goals, that he needs to drastically improve his record at tournaments still stands.

[Hoop Blah]

I can't believe the negativity about last nights performance and what people really expect.

We're building towards a tournament being played in high heat and humidity where controlling the ball and not playing at 100mph will be a signifciant factor. We'll also be up against Italy who quite often play 3 or 5 at the back, so being able to play 3 upfront to stop them playing might well be a way forward and is exactly the kind of thing people have been calling for instead of a typical English 4-4-2.

We do all the above pretty well, get some promising performances from young and old players, and create enough chances to win the game by 3 or 4 goals yet pretty much all we hear is negative comments on the tempo and Rooney not scoring a hatrick.

I really don't know what the media and dickhead joe public want.

[Hoop Blah]

Thought Denmark were unlucky to lose that and deserved a draw and if they'd had a decent striker instead of Bendtner and had Eriksen fit to provide the final ball to top off their approach play then they might have won.

On what basis were they unlucky and deserve anything more than losing that game?

For the record Bendtner has scored 24 goals in 56 appearances for Denmark. That's a pretty decent record and he's one of those that seems to do well for his country but struggles in the Premier League.

[Maguire]

Not to mention the various respected national journos like Henry Winter and Oliver Kay who are identifying him as the main positive from last night and a cert to go to Brazil.

While, of course, that doesn't necessarily prove anything, it does appear that Mags is just about the only person in the country who thought Sterling was 'dogshit' last night.

No, I think he's dogshit in general. Obviously that's not entirely true but what's the point in posting up caveated opinions on here?

Yeah, he's got a bit of pace but he doesn't have a footballing brain, his touch is suspect, and his delivery is woeful. The media are just doing their usual trick of building up a potential saviour in the run up to a major tournament.

As for sandman saying Denmark were unlucky to lose - WTF?! They were distinctly second best and only stayed in the game for as long as they did thanks to their goalkeeper. Like Hoop Blah, I couldn't understand the negativity coming from the commentators last night, particularly in the first half. I rather enjoyed it and thought England played pretty well.

[Ouroboros]

Somewhat agree with Mags. Sterling didn't look much like an international player last night IMO.

Looking at the odds to make the squad, the money seems to be going on 21 more-or-less nailed on, with two places up for grabs from Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson and Barkley, with Rodriguez, Lambert, Defoe and Caroll as outsiders.

Sterling vs Ox and Henderson vs Barkley then, perhaps.

[Vision]

I can't believe the negativity about last nights performance and what people really expect.

We're building towards a tournament being played in high heat and humidity where controlling the ball and not playing at 100mph will be a signifciant factor. We'll also be up against Italy who quite often play 3 or 5 at the back, so being able to play 3 upfront to stop them playing might well be a way forward and is exactly the kind of thing people have been calling for instead of a typical English 4-4-2.

We do all the above pretty well, get some promising performances from young and old players, and create enough chances to win the game by 3 or 4 goals yet pretty much all we hear is negative comments on the tempo and Rooney not scoring a hatrick.

I really don't know what the media and dickhead joe public want.

Pretty much agreed. Rooney was awful though.

[Royalclapper]

I can't believe the negativity about last nights performance and what people really expect.

We're building towards a tournament being played in high heat and humidity where controlling the ball and not playing at 100mph will be a signifciant factor. We'll also be up against Italy who quite often play 3 or 5 at the back, so being able to play 3 upfront to stop them playing might well be a way forward and is exactly the kind of thing people have been calling for instead of a typical English 4-4-2.

We do all the above pretty well, get some promising performances from young and old players, and create enough chances to win the game by 3 or 4 goals yet pretty much all we hear is negative comments on the tempo and Rooney not scoring a hatrick.

I really don't know what the media and dickhead joe public want.

I think quite a lot of folks, even some pundits/journo's/commentators just don't really fully understand International football.

It's like encouraging a teen or adolescent to stop watching 'Dawson's Creek/Home and Away' or something similar and start getting into more grown up drama stuff. "This is dry and boring" "Where's the action" "I don't get these jokes, why is this funny" type reactions might be the typical comments you'd get and they do have a point if that's what you like. Then again, if you're supporting a glamour club from your country and the National side just isn't cutting it, that's largely the attitude that you see reported.

[No Fixed Abode]

instead of Ashley Cole, a man who seemed to be ageing rapidly with every touch of the ball. The centre of defence as a whole definitely needs working on, Cahill was fine but Smalling is a disaster waiting to happen.

Ashley Cole had a sound game last night and put a goal on a plate with a gr8 cross for Sturridge who failed to convert.

Cahill and Smalling didn't do badly, I do think Smalling looks like he's lacking confidence though. The only time England were opened up were the Danish runners from midfield who weren't tracked by Gerrard/Henderson. We really could do with a Matic in that anchor role for England to sit in front of the back four....

[Sanguine]

LOL @ Brazil managing to miss out on Diego Costa, a Brazilian striker, despite being short on strikers.

FROFLed.

[sandman]

Their approach play was good particularly in the first half and Hart had to bail your defenders out two or three times. If Denmark had Eriksson then they would have created more opportunities than they did. Bendtner does have a good record for Denmark but he was poor for them last night. You know statto blah, the game that was actually played last night. England had a few chances that Schmeichel did well with but that masked quite how lacklustre your team were for large parts of the game.

Your team were lacklustre, sorry if that upsets you.

[Hoop Blah]

What I also found quite interesting was that Lallana was used in a more central role and not as one of the wingers, and that we played with Gerrard holding and quite a fluid and roving role for Wilshire and Henderson (although I do agree we didn't get them in the box enough).

That to me shows a lot more of an attacking intent and an open game from Hodgson than we've seen before.

[Sanguine]

What I also found quite interesting was that Lallana was used in a more central role and not as one of the wingers, and that we played with Gerrard holding and quite a fluid and roving role for Wilshire and Henderson (although I do agree we didn't get them in the box enough).

That to me shows a lot more of an attacking intent and an open game from Hodgson than we've seen before.

Also puts his squad choices in some perspective.

This from the Guardian.

Some tough choices await, but many England fans would give Hodgson more latitude if they saw a youthful, fearless, flowing complexion to the team that lines up against Italy in Manaus on 14 June.

and Hodgson has shown a willingness to put trust in younger players, in spite of what he says of the likes of Cole and Lampard. Given more fluid formation, particularly in midfield - I'd sooner take both Ox and Sterling, for their attacking abilities, than one lose out for the sake of taking Lampard with us.

[winchester_royal]

Not to mention the various respected national journos like Henry Winter and Oliver Kay who are identifying him as the main positive from last night and a cert to go to Brazil.

While, of course, that doesn't necessarily prove anything, it does appear that Mags is just about the only person in the country who thought Sterling was 'dogshit' last night.

No, I think he's dogshit in general. Obviously that's not entirely true but what's the point in posting up caveated opinions on here?

Yeah, he's got a bit of pace but he doesn't have a footballing brain, his touch is suspect, and his delivery is woeful. The media are just doing their usual trick of building up a potential saviour in the run up to a major tournament.

As for sandman saying Denmark were unlucky to lose - WTF?! They were distinctly second best and only stayed in the game for as long as they did thanks to their goalkeeper. Like Hoop Blah, I couldn't understand the negativity coming from the commentators last night, particularly in the first half. I rather enjoyed it and thought England played pretty well.

Fair enough. Six months ago I'd have agreed with you, but he seems to have come on massively since he last appeared in an England shirt. Maybe our expectations were set so low it was impossible for him not to surpass them - granted he didn't actually make too many meaningful contributions to goal scoring opportunities - and that's the reason behind the love in. I guess we'll find out this summer, because I will be amazed if he isn't on the plane as long as he carries on his current Liverpool form. I think he'll surprise you, and while this is undoubtedly a place for uncaveated and extreme opinions, it's also a place for mockery when they turn out to be horseshit

Fully agreed with your last paragraph though. Likewise Hoop Blah's post.

[No Fixed Abode]

What I also found quite interesting was that Lallana was used in a more central role and not as one of the wingers, and that we played with Gerrard holding and quite a fluid and roving role for Wilshire and Henderson (although I do agree we didn't get them in the box enough).

That to me shows a lot more of an attacking intent and an open game from Hodgson than we've seen before.

Also puts his squad choices in some perspective.

This from the Guardian.

Some tough choices await, but many England fans would give Hodgson more latitude if they saw a youthful, fearless, flowing complexion to the team that lines up against Italy in Manaus on 14 June.

and Hodgson has shown a willingness to put trust in younger players, in spite of what he says of the likes of Cole and Lampard. Given more fluid formation, particularly in midfield - I'd sooner take both Ox and Sterling, for their attacking abilities, than one lose out for the sake of taking Lampard with us.

Lampards Champions League experience will be invaluable - plus his knowledge of all those World Class players he's worked with over the years.

[winchester_royal]

What I also found quite interesting was that Lallana was used in a more central role and not as one of the wingers, and that we played with Gerrard holding and quite a fluid and roving role for Wilshire and Henderson (although I do agree we didn't get them in the box enough).

That to me shows a lot more of an attacking intent and an open game from Hodgson than we've seen before.

Yep. I thought there was a really nice structure about England last night, they just need the 2 midfielders to offer a little more imagination and intent going forward, which is what Hoddle was alluding to.

[No Fixed Abode]

What I also found quite interesting was that Lallana was used in a more central role and not as one of the wingers, and that we played with Gerrard holding and quite a fluid and roving role for Wilshire and Henderson (although I do agree we didn't get them in the box enough).

That to me shows a lot more of an attacking intent and an open game from Hodgson than we've seen before.

Yep. I thought there was a really nice structure about England last night, they just need the 2 midfielders to offer a little more imagination and intent going forward, which is what Hoddle was alluding to.

Wilshire spends most of his time on the deck. Hard to be creative from there.

[sandman]

"Ashley Cole did fine", is "fine" enough in a World Cup year for a player who is not playing regularly at his club? Shaw outdid him and it goes without saying that when you're a 33 year old outdone by an 18 year old then that is definitely ageing. Shaw should be ahead of Cole for the second choice at the World Cup if only to give him experience of going away to tournaments, something which the 33 year old Cole is not going to do for much longer.

Btw Azpilicueta played 90 minutes for the World Champions last night and did well perhaps some praise for him would be in order.

[Hoop Blah]

Their approach play was good particularly in the first half and Hart had to bail your defenders out two or three times. If Denmark had Eriksson then they would have created more opportunities than they did. Bendtner does have a good record for Denmark but he was poor for them last night. You know statto blah, the game that was actually played last night. England had a few chances that Schmeichel did well with but that masked quite how lacklustre your team were for large parts of the game.

Your team were lacklustre, sorry if that upsets you.

So Hart did his job, as a good keeper and key part of the side, and yet only really had two saves to make and I didn't see him having to bail out his defenders as such. Yes they created a couple of good chances they didn't take but we created a dozen equally good or better chances to score from but only got one.

Here's just a few of the chances we created

Cahill from a corner
Sturidge from Chaills knock down
Gerrard being taken down on the edge of the box when about to shoot (that should arguably have been a red card as it was a clear goalscoring opportunity)
Sterling from Rooney's ball across the box
Rooney (I think it was him at the far post) from Sterlings low ball across the face of goal
Rooney taking it round the keeper
Shaws first touch in their half putting a another ball across the goal that someone should've got on the end of
Likewise Lallana had a turn and cross that could've been put away
Wellbeck had two good chances, one very well saved
Lallana had another pull back from the touchline
Sturridge had a couple of good chances before he scored

That's not a bad return for such a supposedly lacklustre performance. Denmark are no mugs either. They're not a top side, but they're no muppets.

[Royalclapper]

What I also found quite interesting was that Lallana was used in a more central role and not as one of the wingers, and that we played with Gerrard holding and quite a fluid and roving role for Wilshire and Henderson (although I do agree we didn't get them in the box enough).

That to me shows a lot more of an attacking intent and an open game from Hodgson than we've seen before.

Also puts his squad choices in some perspective.

This from the Guardian.

Some tough choices await, but many England fans would give Hodgson more latitude if they saw a youthful, fearless, flowing complexion to the team that lines up against Italy in Manaus on 14 June.

and Hodgson has shown a willingness to put trust in younger players, in spite of what he says of the likes of Cole and Lampard. Given more fluid formation, particularly in midfield - I'd sooner take both Ox and Sterling, for their attacking abilities, than one lose out for the sake of taking Lampard with us.

Lampards Champions League experience will be invaluable - plus his knowledge of all those World Class players he's worked with over the years.

Nonsense, Lampard's Champions League experience will count for f**k all in Brazil, It hasn't accounted for a great deal so far.

Cahill's might do, if not to learn how to position the defence when under pressure (not a dig at Chelsea) it just needs improving. Any International Coach worth his salt will easily identify England's weakness both at right back and in central defence. I agree with Cole being reasonable though, as good as Shaw looks to be, his positional awareness is nowhere near as good as Cole's which you'd reasonably expect but it could well get exposed at a tournament.

[Hoop Blah]

granted he didn't actually make too many meaningful contributions to goal scoring opportunities - and that's the reason behind the love in.

On another night, with a bit more luck, Strerling could've had two goals and an assit. That's not a bad return.

I'd still rank him behind Oxlaid-Chamberlain and Townsend as well if Hodgson can get a similar impact out of him as he did in the qualifiers, but there's no doubt hes' coming on leaps and bounds at the moment and he's probably nailed on for the 23 now that Walcott is out.

I'd still like to see Adam Johnson in there but it seems he's out of favour.