England Expects. Again.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 11:54PM The England players and Fabio have had their meeting to discuss the performances, lack of passion and no doubt selections, formations and tactics. Doubtful it will be confrontational. Can you see it being confrontational? As long as they all pull together and the gaffer resorts to back to basics (i.e. players playing in the best positions), we'll be just dandy. That and some clarity on player instructions. You know, the stuff that should have all been ironed out and understood clearly pre-World Cup.
It's obvious morale has been hit. Based on what we've witnessed. And it's all - from the outside looking in - farcical if the players are genuinely upset/lacking motivation with Fabio's selections and instructions. Farcical because of the contract extension given to him and the fact that apparently the FA (an alleged source) expect him to resign if it all goes to shit on Wednesday which is easily the most stupid rumour leakage to have broken into the news headlines. Because, you know, all this team stuff should have all been ironed out and understood clearly pre-World Cup.
Glitch in the matrix.
Tactically, positionally we are a mess based in the game against Algeria. And the fact that players were at times incapable of finding a white shirt with a simple pass would suggest they are equally uncomfortable on the pitch as we are watching them in our living rooms/pubs. Which makes them a tad too weak in the head. Fragile. IMO. It's hard to fathom. I know it's easy not to love certain England players, but I don't buy the suggestion that they don't care enough. Although it's unacceptable for them to sulk/feel sorry for themselves/be down-hearted on the field once the whistle is blown for kick-off. We're not French. And yet here I am weaving a thread of uncertainty and contradiction.
If it turns out we're just shit, then fair enough. We - as a Nation - will have to stop banging on about the sixties at any given moment.
The players are surely equipped enough to apply more effort and application, no? They can't be that confused that they can't adapt on field and play akin to their Premier League form.
So stick Gerrard behind Rooney and drop Heskey. If you're going to play Lennon, perhaps Henry Winter can request a DVD for Johnson on how best to aid Azza down the wing in a supportive over-lapping role rather than run into an offensive position constantly, leaving our little man stuck in right-midfield completely redundant. No wonder he looks scared. Don't play him at all (including SWP) if there is no desire to release either of them down the flanks. And Joe Cole is required because we lack spark. Obviously, we still need Rooney to stop trying so hard and allow himself the patience and composure that's required in and around the penalty box to do the necessary damage.
He's struggling with it. No goals for England in a while. He needs a hug and a quick word in his ear. Wonder if Harry can be drafted in for a cheeky prep talk?
But alas, I'm sure nothing much will change. Other than Upson starting alongside Terry and probably SWP in for Lennon. Fabio is stubborn. Imagine if we get the starting eleven we are all banging on about wanting to see? Player power winning the day? Won't look too bright for Capello. At a push, we might see the Gerrard inclusion in the middle rather than stuck out left. I hope player power does win. At least then, none of the buggers can hide on the day.
Regardless of what transpires, it will come down to the players anyway. Pride and absolute determination please. None of that apologetic crap we got in the last game. Other nations are struggling too. But that's no redeeming excuse for our standards. In fact, it should be positively inspiring, because if we did manage to get our act together...ah, I won't go and say it.
I will however say this: Believe. I used that word a few times in this past season for Spurs. If the players don't have any belief, any faith - won't matter what the line-up is.
I know I've danced a little around the crux of the issue(s) at hand, but that's mainly because we are all making assumptions based on what we've seen, what Fabio said post-Algeria (lack of passion) and what John Terry said in the press conference today. It's obvious where the problems are - as a collective of players and also individually.
I don't care what is causing these problems because I have no direct input, neither do you so the responsibility is where it's been all along. With the manager and his players. Get them fixed, get them sorted out. And get focused.
Get a f*cking handle on it, and give us something to smile about.
spooky
Article was written prior to this follow-up Beeb news item about the 'talks' between Fabio and the players. Click here if you've not read it. Seems that player power won't be winning in the form of conformity from the gaffer - but the players might awaken finally on the pitch and give us some tempo. We hope.
Reader Comments (20)
We'll win, 2-1, won't be fluid but will have the right amount of passion. Ugly, but who cares. Can't see us getting any further than the QFs.
when was the last time we saw a world class display from an england team and i dont mean beat some shit team 2-0 i mean take a team apart with football....can only think of euro 96 was the time i was proud of the boys....We need to face up to a few things....1 sky has hyped football so much that we have forgot we are i n the real world...john terry 220k a week...the blokes a total cunt...he plays football.....we love football so much we have lost sight of what football is and its not win at all cost 4place means we are a big club bullshit......if we dont get our shit in order in the league we will never have a great english side.......our grass roots football is something that needs to be looked at the youth side of the game has to be worked on and lets face it come next season we will have man city they wont have an english man in the side same with the scum united not to many liverpool have a couple but apart from that who are the next lot of english players you are going to see...we gonna have heskey when he is 40 playing he may of got 10 int goal by then..........money sky must have 365 football has made us soft stupid and we forgot what its all about......
Spooky you touched on it when you mentioned 1966. We over-rate and expect too much in this country. We should stop with the divine right nonsense and dig deep. Sick of under achieving. 1990 aside and Euro 96, little to shout about.
usa are shit..
algeria are shit..
maybe we're shit?
oh, well..
fabiano to the lane!!
i want 3rd this term
Rooney is a red card waiting to happen
Don't think the problem's foreign players as South Upper says - it's foreign coaches. Look at the teams where UK - not only English - players don't get a look-in and they're under foreign coaches. And because teams with foreign coaches have tended to play Champs Lge every season - until now arf arf - it's the imported players mainly getting the experience of international football and not ours. If Tottenham do manage to become a CL regular and Harry stays in charge, you could see us providing the nucleus of the England team for many years to come because H - bless him - likes home-grown talent and there are more good young kids coming through. Could be worse - at least we;'re not French.
Why did John Terry take it upon himself to do the press conference yesterday. Does he think he's the captain. Gerrard should have done it, but I think Terry's arrogance is a problem in the squad. He think's he's the boss.
Relax. It could be worse.
We could be French.
OldSpur. Erm wot he said! I blame Whinger - the first team ever to put out an all foreign Prem League side and one that predominantly buys French/French speaking African players. Apalling. There should be a law.
I also blame egos. Look at how many of the Nike ad lot have lived up to expectations. Tossers. Oh. Yeah, and pass the fcuker to Lennon in space will you, you egotistical cnuts.
I am a bit surprised that there are still a lot of you thinking about beating Slovenia , they are after all a better team then Algeria and they have firepower up front and play with passion and love for their country. My little brother players in the reservers of Kaa Gent (Suler and Zlatan play there and they became friends) and he was chatting with Zlatan yesterday , they are not even scared of the England team any more ... Maybe the time has come for your lot to stand up and perform to make sure teams begin to fear England again.
I do hope it works out for you guys but then the performance will have to be a lot better then before and for once i will be supporting the other team.
When I used to watch England, I used to think that other Prem teams now know what it's like to support Spurs. Thankfully the Spurs part has changed. Hate to say it but Redknapp could do what he did for Spurs - bit of common sense management. Is it too late to sack Capello, and get Redknapp in on a short term contract until the end of the WC? He can tap up Joe Cole while he's there.
Belgian Spur is 100% correct - England used to beat teams before the kick off. Not any more - plus Slovenia NEED to win too, or I believe that they will be out. So beware - toughest game so far. The first thing is getting the performance right, after that, get the result right. If they don't perform, they may as well go home now - because they would get beaten next round anyway.
Have to disagree about Fabiano, yes he is a great player and there is no one else you would want to have a shooting chance - but I believe that getting the ball to him in the Premiership would be a problem.
England look so ordinary, its quite baffling. No spark whatsoever, and Wayne Rooney mouthing off at refs every opportunity is just a disaster waiting to happen. I'm not a big Defoe fan, but they looked a bit better after he came on and he might have set up a goal if Gerrard hadn't slipped in going for the pass.
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Rooney clearly isn't fit, neither is Barry. Ashley Cole is the only player who has performed to a decent standard that you'd expect from him in the Prem. Everything else is just very poor. I doubt whether Capello has the humility to make wholesale changes, although surely that is the sign of a great manager: identifying what is wrong and fixing it?
I'd drop Rooney (he's not fit, not performing and maybe needs a kick up the ass) and play Defoe & Crouch. Defoe looks fit and hungry and has no fear in shooting from anywhere and with Crouch, there is always "plan B" available, plus his danger at set pieces.
Johnson is appalling and we don't appear to have any other option and as for Upson starting......fcuk it, we'll probably dick Slovenia with a Lampard hattrick and all will be joy in our green and pleasant land.....some hope
If it's hungry players we're after, why wasn't big Tommy H invited.
...and where can I buy cnuts?
we had better hope Cappello gets it right or we ll be looking for a new Manager as 'arry will be off as sure as eggs are ovoid
Spot on about Lennon. Johnson has been caught out at the back so many times in the last two games and seems to be living off the fact that he can attack a bit. Well I'm sorry you are a right back so defend first and if aaron is struggling to beat a man then maybe pop up on the wing a couple of times. What he is doing is congesting the space we know aaron can play in instead of drawing their left winger out and leaving him one-on-one. Perhaps the 'Corluka has no pace and isn't very attacking' brigade can now see how important his style of play is for spurs and lennon?
Oh and drop lampard. What the f*ck has he done in any tournament he's played in other than miss penalties?
I like the bloke but he slows us down far too much.
capellos tactics ? maybe he is influenced by the godfather.
I hope the media reports are true and Capello has slapped the egos down.
I am not suggesting he has got everything right, but the England team performances so far remind me of Spurs, when the players decided they wanted rid of Ramos and downed tools.
And as for John Terry having an input in team selection and formation its a shame he did not get the same treatment as Anelka- a one way ticket back to London.
Will Fabio have the balls to drop him on Wednesday ?
As someone once said I would love it, just love it if he did.
If nothing else, this tournament has exposed our superstars as being very ordinary and for some of the golden generation, this will almost certainly be their last WC.
No doubt they will be sitting on the bench suited and booted next to Englands most over-hyped footballer, D Beckham Esq, at future tournaments.