Qualification for a major competition should be seen as exciting and a welcomed achievement; but for England fans, last night’s two-all draw in Montenegro just typified the current mentality and capability of the England national team: it doesn't amount to much. While Spain qualified some time ago for Euro 2012 at a canter, winning all their group games to date, for England it was more of a struggle and they seemed to crawl over the finish line - albeit with a game to spare. While Spain were the undistracted hare, England were most definitely the tortoise.
A side with so much capability fails to produce on so many occasions, and the scepticism amongst the England fans is now at its highest. I think it’s time to call a spade and spade and admit that our chances in Poland and Ukraine next summer are severely slim and our chances are actually dwindling as we play more matches.
The ever-changing England team are failing to gel and as a result are playing poorly. The catalyst, surely, is the manager. Fabio Capello, in his time so far managing England, has divided opinion and more often than not has failed to win over a large chunk of the English contingent. Although a highly regarded coach and a very good appointment by the FA, Capello seems to be producing an England team that is boring to watch, and he has rightly come under criticism for this amongst other things. I've never been a fan of Capello and he is yet to completely win me over. I don’t believe that he the man to lead England to victory, but I'd like to see him prove me and a lot of England fans wrong.
The players of England must also shoulder some of the blame of this dwindling form of late. The main criticism of the England team is that they underperform, underachieve and fail to entertain. I don’t expect a team of players who play against each other more than they play with each other to click automatically every time there is an International fixture; but surely the class and experience of these footballers, playing regularly in the Premier League, should allow them to put on better performances then those we are witnessing at the moment. It’s lackluster, it’s not entertaining and frankly: it’s boring. This is exactly why a lot of people find it hard to be patriotic and passionate about the team any more. Thankfully, I’m not one of those people, but I can see their point: why be passionate about a team who don’t look passionate themselves?
I can see I’m painting a bleak picture here. Of course it isn’t all doom and gloom: we have qualified, which is more than can be said for our last Euro campaign, but the manner in which we qualified is disappointing. It’s all well and good trying to defend the England team “it’s next summer, they’ll be better by then” – but will they? They always seem to crumble under the pressure of a big tournament and let the monster that is the English media get to them. I don’t expect England to win Euro 2012; I just expect them to play a little bit better than they have done during the qualifying campaign, or it’s going to be a very, very short stay in Poland and Ukraine next summer.
Showing posts with label Euro 2012 Qualifiers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Euro 2012 Qualifiers. Show all posts
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
A Narrow Victory
It was 4th against 117th at Wembley tonight; but that’s only if you believe FIFA’s rankings. On the pitch it was a different story, with England’s narrow 1-0 victory almost being threatened by a strong Wales performance in the second half and an extremely uncharacteristic miss from evergreen striker Robert Earnshaw to deny Wales a point.
England failed to begin the game at a canter; instead their build up play was slow and they subsequently let Wales into the game far too much in the opening stages. John Terry was out muscled early on by Steve Morison but thankfully for the Chelsea Captain the Welshman’s shot was well over.
As the half progressed England finally got into their stride and the movement up front with Wayne Rooney, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young was second to none. Midfielders James Milner and Frank Lampard were also involved in attacking moves, and you could sense an England goal on the horizon.
And that’s exactly what happened just ten minutes before half time. Downing skipped through the Welsh defence, who looked out of shape, and slid a ball into ex-Villa team mate Young who connected with the ball and fired it home to put his team ahead. It could have been two moments later when a superb cross from Young narrowly missed the head of striker Rooney and bounced agonizingly wide, as England went in at half time 1-0 up and definitely on top.
Bright out the blocks in the second half, Fabio Capello’s charges almost doubled their advantage with Wales not able to get the ball out of their box. Gareth Barry then tried a long range effort, akin to his goal at Tottenham in his last league outing, but this time the ball found the stands and not the back of the net.
The quick passing and delightful interchanges seen from England soon turned into ball-chasing and having to constantly close the Welsh side down who were able to hold onto the ball and frustrate England. It was to be Wales’ half.
Wales’ Youngest ever captain and Arsenal starlet Aaron Ramsey proved to be the heart of the team and Spurs’ main man Gareth Bale was also involved in the attacking moves created by the side from across the border. The introduction of Robert Earnshaw saw Wales’ best chance to equalise; after a freekick was lofted into the box, Darcy Blake did well to connect and pass the ball across the goal to the oncoming Earnshaw who found himself in a magnificent goalscoring position. The man all Wales fans wanted to be there was, but his poor connection with the ball only a few yards from Joe Hart’s goal meant Earnshaw’s shot sailed way over the crossbar and into the stands, much to the relief of the England defence.
The foothold England previously had on the game was all but gone now, and Wales had yet another chance to even the tie when Chris Gunter had a shot on goal just as the whistle blew for a foul. Nevertheless, his shot was expertly saved by Hart with a strong punch of the ball to avert any danger, even though the whistle had already been blown.
Nervously, England managed to see the game out and prevented any chance of a Welsh goal much to the disappointment of the travelling Wales contingent who sung loudly and proudly all night. A narrow victory for England but a victory none the less, meaning only a point is needed for them to qualify now when they visit Montenegro in October.
Are England 4th in the world? No. But more importantly, are Wales 117th in the world? Not in a million years.
England failed to begin the game at a canter; instead their build up play was slow and they subsequently let Wales into the game far too much in the opening stages. John Terry was out muscled early on by Steve Morison but thankfully for the Chelsea Captain the Welshman’s shot was well over.
As the half progressed England finally got into their stride and the movement up front with Wayne Rooney, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young was second to none. Midfielders James Milner and Frank Lampard were also involved in attacking moves, and you could sense an England goal on the horizon.
And that’s exactly what happened just ten minutes before half time. Downing skipped through the Welsh defence, who looked out of shape, and slid a ball into ex-Villa team mate Young who connected with the ball and fired it home to put his team ahead. It could have been two moments later when a superb cross from Young narrowly missed the head of striker Rooney and bounced agonizingly wide, as England went in at half time 1-0 up and definitely on top.
Bright out the blocks in the second half, Fabio Capello’s charges almost doubled their advantage with Wales not able to get the ball out of their box. Gareth Barry then tried a long range effort, akin to his goal at Tottenham in his last league outing, but this time the ball found the stands and not the back of the net.
The quick passing and delightful interchanges seen from England soon turned into ball-chasing and having to constantly close the Welsh side down who were able to hold onto the ball and frustrate England. It was to be Wales’ half.
Wales’ Youngest ever captain and Arsenal starlet Aaron Ramsey proved to be the heart of the team and Spurs’ main man Gareth Bale was also involved in the attacking moves created by the side from across the border. The introduction of Robert Earnshaw saw Wales’ best chance to equalise; after a freekick was lofted into the box, Darcy Blake did well to connect and pass the ball across the goal to the oncoming Earnshaw who found himself in a magnificent goalscoring position. The man all Wales fans wanted to be there was, but his poor connection with the ball only a few yards from Joe Hart’s goal meant Earnshaw’s shot sailed way over the crossbar and into the stands, much to the relief of the England defence.
The foothold England previously had on the game was all but gone now, and Wales had yet another chance to even the tie when Chris Gunter had a shot on goal just as the whistle blew for a foul. Nevertheless, his shot was expertly saved by Hart with a strong punch of the ball to avert any danger, even though the whistle had already been blown.
Nervously, England managed to see the game out and prevented any chance of a Welsh goal much to the disappointment of the travelling Wales contingent who sung loudly and proudly all night. A narrow victory for England but a victory none the less, meaning only a point is needed for them to qualify now when they visit Montenegro in October.
Are England 4th in the world? No. But more importantly, are Wales 117th in the world? Not in a million years.
Friday, 2 September 2011
At Ease
England cruised to victory in Sofia tonight, scoring three times in the first forty-five minutes and preventing any fight back from Bulgaria in a more than comfortable away win.
After ten minutes with a lot of passing but a not similar amount of goal mouth action; the next ten minutes more than made up for it. On thirteen minutes following an unsuccessful corner, Gareth Barry slid a ball through the Bulgaria defence which made its way to Gary Cahill, who gathered the composure of a centre forward and passed the ball neatly into the net to put his side 1-0 up with his first England goal.
Although leading, not much effort was required from the England team who passed the ball around the Bulgarians with ease, and managed to double their advantage when the clock hit twenty minutes. Stewart Downing’s corner found the head of Wayne Rooney, who, effortlessly it seemed, powered the ball into the back of the net for his twenty-seventh goal for his country.
In cruise control, England looked extremely comfortable on the ball with Barry and Spurs’ deadline day signing Scott Parker expertly controlling the England midfield. Bulgaria were not to be ignored though, and England were worried slightly when a cross to the far post was misjudged by Chris Smalling, but the Manchester United defenders blushes were spared when the chance came to nothing.
The tie was all but over just before half time, in a well created move which saw Rooney double his goal tally for the night. Ashley Young’s defence splitting ball found United team mate, who had the easiest tap in of his life. Worryingly for the Bulgarian defence no one seemed to notice the England talisman stroll into the box, and so England went in at the break three goals to the good; more than pleasing Fabio Capello and the travelling England support.
Bulgaria woke up after the interval with Joe Hart having to make his first save of the game after a Martin Petrov corner was met by an oncoming attacker, and England’s number one pulled off a quick reaction save to keep a clean sheet for his team – a mark of a good goalkeeper that, even after having nothing of note to do all game, was switched on to prevent the danger.
Liverpool winger Downing almost put the tie way beyond reach soon after when Theo Walcott put a looping cross into the box which was met by Downing who, running, headed across goal but was denied by the post just as he was wheeling away to celebrate.
Although Bulgaria enjoyed a lot of the second half possession, Hart wasn’t troubled in the England goal, in fact his only worry was the flares being set off behind him, such was the quiet night Manchester City’s keeper had.
The introduction of first James Milner and then Frank Lampard allowed England to maintain their lead and see out the game. A comfortable win for England with faultless performances from all, and a date with Wales at Wembley on Tuesday to hopefully all but secure qualification.
After ten minutes with a lot of passing but a not similar amount of goal mouth action; the next ten minutes more than made up for it. On thirteen minutes following an unsuccessful corner, Gareth Barry slid a ball through the Bulgaria defence which made its way to Gary Cahill, who gathered the composure of a centre forward and passed the ball neatly into the net to put his side 1-0 up with his first England goal.
Although leading, not much effort was required from the England team who passed the ball around the Bulgarians with ease, and managed to double their advantage when the clock hit twenty minutes. Stewart Downing’s corner found the head of Wayne Rooney, who, effortlessly it seemed, powered the ball into the back of the net for his twenty-seventh goal for his country.
In cruise control, England looked extremely comfortable on the ball with Barry and Spurs’ deadline day signing Scott Parker expertly controlling the England midfield. Bulgaria were not to be ignored though, and England were worried slightly when a cross to the far post was misjudged by Chris Smalling, but the Manchester United defenders blushes were spared when the chance came to nothing.
The tie was all but over just before half time, in a well created move which saw Rooney double his goal tally for the night. Ashley Young’s defence splitting ball found United team mate, who had the easiest tap in of his life. Worryingly for the Bulgarian defence no one seemed to notice the England talisman stroll into the box, and so England went in at the break three goals to the good; more than pleasing Fabio Capello and the travelling England support.
Bulgaria woke up after the interval with Joe Hart having to make his first save of the game after a Martin Petrov corner was met by an oncoming attacker, and England’s number one pulled off a quick reaction save to keep a clean sheet for his team – a mark of a good goalkeeper that, even after having nothing of note to do all game, was switched on to prevent the danger.
Liverpool winger Downing almost put the tie way beyond reach soon after when Theo Walcott put a looping cross into the box which was met by Downing who, running, headed across goal but was denied by the post just as he was wheeling away to celebrate.
Although Bulgaria enjoyed a lot of the second half possession, Hart wasn’t troubled in the England goal, in fact his only worry was the flares being set off behind him, such was the quiet night Manchester City’s keeper had.
The introduction of first James Milner and then Frank Lampard allowed England to maintain their lead and see out the game. A comfortable win for England with faultless performances from all, and a date with Wales at Wembley on Tuesday to hopefully all but secure qualification.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Disappointed Again
It seems to be the same old story. An England team oozing with talent, passion and potential falling at yet another hurdle on the road to qualification for Euro 2012. Capello had limited options up front but that's not where the biggest problems were today for England, because it was in fact the whole team that looked laboured, tired and as many will say; already on the beach.
At Wembley you want England to come out the blocks and hit the ground running, but today they began with too many sideways passes and too many tired legs, meaning Switzerland started to get more comfortable. However, things were still very end to end with both teams having chances in the early stages of the match; giving it more a cup-game-feeling rather than a qualifier.
Contrary to what we would have expected prior to the game, the young Switzerland team were the ones who scored first in the encounter. Tranquillo Barnetta saw his looping free-kick go past the whole of the England defence, and with Rio Ferdinand not able to get his head to the ball to clear it, Joe Hart could do nothing but dive to his left in vain as he saw the ball go past him and into the back of the net, to give the much more organised Swiss the lead at Wembley.
England were looking for a response but it wasn't them who got the next goal. Just three minutes after the first goal Switzerland won another set piece and after some downright stupid 'defending' from James Milner, Barnetta was able to slot his free kick through the wall and past an extremely shocked Joe Hart to get his and his teams second goal of the game.
Shell-shocked, England went in search of a goal and this time were fruitful. Defender Johan Djourou brought down Arsenal team mate Jack Whilshere in the penalty area after a promising run from the young England midfielder, and England were subsequently rewarded a penalty. Ever the professional, Frank Lampard hit a hard and low shot which went just under the arm of goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, who had dived the right way, and into the net to lift some pressure off the England team and relieve the fans somewhat just before half time.
The tempo was upped as the second half got under way and there was a penalty claim after a run from Theo Walcott was brought down by another Djourou challenge but nothing was given.
The introduction of Ashley Young at half time by Capello proved to be inspired, as a lovely move resulted in a goal for the winger and an equaliser for England. Milner cleverly clipped the ball into the penalty area which was chested down neatly by Leighton Baines for a well-taken goal by Young, once more raising the heads of Spurs, Liverpool et al.
As the fans breathed a huge sigh of relief, the players of England grew in confidence. Passing was now more neat - like that of their opposition's in the first half - and England began to press with a much sharper and persistent attitude. But still, Switzerland stood firm in their organised formation and England found them hard to break down. Milner began to cover more ground and did some nice interchanges with first Glen Johnson and then Leighton Baines; however neither provided any clear cut chances for his side.
One of the best opportunities of the game came a little later on, when Young ran at the Swiss defence and produced a powerful shot. Benaglio saved, and the ball fell to Darren Bent. With the keeper struggling to get back onto his feet, Bent found himself with a chance which even Cameron Jerome could not miss, but to sum up England's day he fired it over the goal and into the stands.
With time running out, Milner found himself with a good chance to get the ball into the box after pressuring Djourou and subsequently getting the ball off him. The Manchester City man passed the ball to the incoming Young who, under pressure, could only muster a shot which sailed high and wide.
Only minutes to go and Switzerland began to press for a winner, first getting corner and then receiving a free-kick thanks to Rio Ferdinand for bringing down Admir Mehmedi right by the by-line. Fortunately for England, neither came to any avail and the home side were free to breathe again.
The pendulum swung again and late substitute Stewart Downing had the chance to win the game for England in the last seconds of the match. The Swiss struggled to clear a last-minute Leighton Baines corner, and Downing found the ball at his feet which he fired into the side netting to end a somewhat disappointing match in the late afternoon London sunshine.
Putting things into context of the match, England did well to come from two goals behind, but many of us will be questioning as to why we were two goals down in the first place. Yet, putting things into a much bigger context: today was a game we should have won. The performance was not good enough from a side that we know can produce better, and by the end of the day England may find themselves second in Group G if Montengro win their game later on tonight. Not too worrying if it happens, but England must up their game for the next qualifier and fortunately, none of the team will 'be on holiday' by the time that comes around.
Full Time: England 2-2 Switzerland
At Wembley you want England to come out the blocks and hit the ground running, but today they began with too many sideways passes and too many tired legs, meaning Switzerland started to get more comfortable. However, things were still very end to end with both teams having chances in the early stages of the match; giving it more a cup-game-feeling rather than a qualifier.
Contrary to what we would have expected prior to the game, the young Switzerland team were the ones who scored first in the encounter. Tranquillo Barnetta saw his looping free-kick go past the whole of the England defence, and with Rio Ferdinand not able to get his head to the ball to clear it, Joe Hart could do nothing but dive to his left in vain as he saw the ball go past him and into the back of the net, to give the much more organised Swiss the lead at Wembley.
England were looking for a response but it wasn't them who got the next goal. Just three minutes after the first goal Switzerland won another set piece and after some downright stupid 'defending' from James Milner, Barnetta was able to slot his free kick through the wall and past an extremely shocked Joe Hart to get his and his teams second goal of the game.
Shell-shocked, England went in search of a goal and this time were fruitful. Defender Johan Djourou brought down Arsenal team mate Jack Whilshere in the penalty area after a promising run from the young England midfielder, and England were subsequently rewarded a penalty. Ever the professional, Frank Lampard hit a hard and low shot which went just under the arm of goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, who had dived the right way, and into the net to lift some pressure off the England team and relieve the fans somewhat just before half time.
The tempo was upped as the second half got under way and there was a penalty claim after a run from Theo Walcott was brought down by another Djourou challenge but nothing was given.
The introduction of Ashley Young at half time by Capello proved to be inspired, as a lovely move resulted in a goal for the winger and an equaliser for England. Milner cleverly clipped the ball into the penalty area which was chested down neatly by Leighton Baines for a well-taken goal by Young, once more raising the heads of Spurs, Liverpool et al.
As the fans breathed a huge sigh of relief, the players of England grew in confidence. Passing was now more neat - like that of their opposition's in the first half - and England began to press with a much sharper and persistent attitude. But still, Switzerland stood firm in their organised formation and England found them hard to break down. Milner began to cover more ground and did some nice interchanges with first Glen Johnson and then Leighton Baines; however neither provided any clear cut chances for his side.
One of the best opportunities of the game came a little later on, when Young ran at the Swiss defence and produced a powerful shot. Benaglio saved, and the ball fell to Darren Bent. With the keeper struggling to get back onto his feet, Bent found himself with a chance which even Cameron Jerome could not miss, but to sum up England's day he fired it over the goal and into the stands.
With time running out, Milner found himself with a good chance to get the ball into the box after pressuring Djourou and subsequently getting the ball off him. The Manchester City man passed the ball to the incoming Young who, under pressure, could only muster a shot which sailed high and wide.
Only minutes to go and Switzerland began to press for a winner, first getting corner and then receiving a free-kick thanks to Rio Ferdinand for bringing down Admir Mehmedi right by the by-line. Fortunately for England, neither came to any avail and the home side were free to breathe again.
The pendulum swung again and late substitute Stewart Downing had the chance to win the game for England in the last seconds of the match. The Swiss struggled to clear a last-minute Leighton Baines corner, and Downing found the ball at his feet which he fired into the side netting to end a somewhat disappointing match in the late afternoon London sunshine.
Putting things into context of the match, England did well to come from two goals behind, but many of us will be questioning as to why we were two goals down in the first place. Yet, putting things into a much bigger context: today was a game we should have won. The performance was not good enough from a side that we know can produce better, and by the end of the day England may find themselves second in Group G if Montengro win their game later on tonight. Not too worrying if it happens, but England must up their game for the next qualifier and fortunately, none of the team will 'be on holiday' by the time that comes around.
Full Time: England 2-2 SwitzerlandSaturday, 26 March 2011
Top of the group
It was an easy an much welcomed victory for the three lions of England this afternoon as they sealed the victory in the first half against a Wales side who never got going nor threatened that they would either.
Both sets of fans were up for the game and this wasapparent in the players too as the game started off at a high tempo, with Bellamy and Cole having a few words after a challegen by the fiery Welshman on the England left back, that was calmed down by Wayne Rooney.
From the off England were creative, in control and showed leadership - the latter being something that Wales seemed to lack in their starting line-up. The break-through came just six minutes into the match after a clever run and a nice ball into the box from reinstated captain John Terry. The ball wrong-footed James Collins whose untimely slip made sure the ball went straight through to Villa team mate Ashley Young, whom Collins subsequently bought down.
The referee made no hesitation and pointed confidently to the penalty spot after a clear foul by Collins on Young, and Frank Lampard stepped up to slot in a well taken penalty which quelled any nerves in the England camp and gave Wales a set back.
The only good thing about conceding early, although it dents your confidence and ruins your game plan, is that it means you have 80+ minutes to get back into the game. Unfortunately for Wales, they showed no signs of a come back. England continued to press and the stats re possession speak for themselves. Joe Hart barely had anything to do and would have been forgiven for lapsing in concentration with the few clearances he had to deal with after back passes from the defence - who had little to do themselves. The midfield and the front three had the majority of the ball; Jack Wilshere and Ashley Young particularly impressing and Scott Parker also playing well.
With England playing an attacking formation the second goal was looming, and just eight minutes after the first goal, game was virtually over when the away side got their second goal of the game. Glen Johnson played a brilliant and precise ball down the wing which found Ashley Young, who crossed the ball into the box for Villa team mate Darren Bent to tap in with force.
After just fifteen minutes Wales now had a mountain to climb, and if they didn't look like they'd score before they certainly didn't now. The second half saw England go into cruise control, allowing Wales to get more of the ball, however mostly when they got it they struggled to keep on to it and there were plenty of timed when England regained possession quite easily.
Joe Hart eventually had something to do in the second half, with a few shots from King, Morison, and a shot just wide from Bellamy, but none came too close. A succession of Wales corners also made sure England';s current number one was kept on his toes but all in all it was a quiet game for the Manchester City keeper.
Substitute Downing came really close to giving the away side an even better win near to the en of the game with a well hit shot, that was always swerving to the left, which took an even bigger swoop at the last second and went just wide of the post.
The game finished 0-2 although it could have been more. It was a very comfortable win for England against a Wales team who are still working on new tactics. The three points made sure England went to the top of their group again, and all England fans can be happy after not only a win but an enjoyable game too. Well Done England.
Full Time: Wales 0-2 England
Both sets of fans were up for the game and this wasapparent in the players too as the game started off at a high tempo, with Bellamy and Cole having a few words after a challegen by the fiery Welshman on the England left back, that was calmed down by Wayne Rooney.
From the off England were creative, in control and showed leadership - the latter being something that Wales seemed to lack in their starting line-up. The break-through came just six minutes into the match after a clever run and a nice ball into the box from reinstated captain John Terry. The ball wrong-footed James Collins whose untimely slip made sure the ball went straight through to Villa team mate Ashley Young, whom Collins subsequently bought down.
The referee made no hesitation and pointed confidently to the penalty spot after a clear foul by Collins on Young, and Frank Lampard stepped up to slot in a well taken penalty which quelled any nerves in the England camp and gave Wales a set back.
The only good thing about conceding early, although it dents your confidence and ruins your game plan, is that it means you have 80+ minutes to get back into the game. Unfortunately for Wales, they showed no signs of a come back. England continued to press and the stats re possession speak for themselves. Joe Hart barely had anything to do and would have been forgiven for lapsing in concentration with the few clearances he had to deal with after back passes from the defence - who had little to do themselves. The midfield and the front three had the majority of the ball; Jack Wilshere and Ashley Young particularly impressing and Scott Parker also playing well.
With England playing an attacking formation the second goal was looming, and just eight minutes after the first goal, game was virtually over when the away side got their second goal of the game. Glen Johnson played a brilliant and precise ball down the wing which found Ashley Young, who crossed the ball into the box for Villa team mate Darren Bent to tap in with force.
After just fifteen minutes Wales now had a mountain to climb, and if they didn't look like they'd score before they certainly didn't now. The second half saw England go into cruise control, allowing Wales to get more of the ball, however mostly when they got it they struggled to keep on to it and there were plenty of timed when England regained possession quite easily.
Joe Hart eventually had something to do in the second half, with a few shots from King, Morison, and a shot just wide from Bellamy, but none came too close. A succession of Wales corners also made sure England';s current number one was kept on his toes but all in all it was a quiet game for the Manchester City keeper.
Substitute Downing came really close to giving the away side an even better win near to the en of the game with a well hit shot, that was always swerving to the left, which took an even bigger swoop at the last second and went just wide of the post.
The game finished 0-2 although it could have been more. It was a very comfortable win for England against a Wales team who are still working on new tactics. The three points made sure England went to the top of their group again, and all England fans can be happy after not only a win but an enjoyable game too. Well Done England.
Full Time: Wales 0-2 EnglandTuesday, 12 October 2010
Below Par
I like to compare international teams to clubs. Tonight, England were much like Birmingham City: lacking lustre against teams of a lower calibre than themselves (the olny difference being England have more shots on target, and don't have Roger Johnson or Scott Dann in defence. Or an angry Scotsman in midfield...)
I'm not quite sure who was more bored in the first half; Joe Hart or the rest of us. The best chance of the half came really early on, with Crouch a whisker away from getting his outstretched leg onto the end of a clever ball from Gerrard, but even his long legs couldn't get a touch. It was more of a game of possession for England in the first forty-five, rather than chances. We kept the ball very well, but just failed to do anything with it (yet again, reminding me of Blues..) and with the Montenegro goalkeeper flapping at a few shots he had to save, we really should've taken the bull by the horns and taken advantage.
There was a large amount of freekicks and corners for England, in a half they dominated, but they couldn't make anything out of the set pieces they were awarded, which was disappointing to say the least. Young and Johnson both made some promising runs on both flanks, but, like the story of the night; it just didn't come to anything, and the first half slowed down to quite a pedestrian pace at the close of the half.
The second half started at most of a fast tempo, with former-captain Gerrard making a great run and just as good a cross, but that came to no avail. Re-instated captain Rio Ferdinand then made a run of his own but lost the ball, however Cole – the now most-capped left back – won the ball back and ended up winning a freekick in a good position... which we wasted. Again.
As yellow cards started to flow more freely than the game, England fans started to get more and more frustrated. Kevin Davies was introduced, who made an imidiate impact, nearly setting up a goal for Rooney, however the Montenegro keeper stood his ground and made two comfortable saves. Shaun Wright-Phillips was also introduced, but the little man just couldn't do it for England on the night.
It could have turned nasty for England, as with ten minutes to go Montenegro rattled Joe Hart's cross bar, and Hart could do nothing but watch it sail over his head and hit the woodwork – much to his, and the rest of the England team's, relief.
England threw, not the kitchen sink, but maybe a few utensils at the determined Montengro defence, but the away team kept their shut out and for the first time at the new Wembley, England failed to score.
As for the title of this match blog, it speaks for itself: we were totally below par tonight. But, we're second in the group with a game in hand of the leaders – and as for the qualifying games, there's still a long way to go yet!
See you in March.
Full Time: England 0-0 Montenegro
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Here's to new beginnings
This ‘England revolution’ being talked about lately isn’t really that much of a revolution. Sure, there’s new players coming through, which is exciting, and talk of a brighter future is also promising. But labeling it as a revolution is probably a bit too far fetched. I prefer to think of it as a new start.
The World -Cup-slate has been wiped clean; players such as Emile Heskey have left England behind for good, and a new crop of fresh, exciting talent is coming through. It’s a new beginning for England and hopefully this means a new start for everyone: no moaning about Capello’s World Cup decisions (although the whole country including me stands firm on the ‘Joe Hart should’ve played’ point - I don‘t think that will be let go anytime soon) and no ‘Wayne Rooney is rubbish’ comments (rubbish being a lighter term that most fans have used recently). Just a fresh start. Starting with the Euro 2012 Qualifiers.
And that’s just what we got.
A new-look England team took centre stage on the new Wembley pitch last night and played out an impressive 4-0 victory. That ‘oh-so-awful’ Wayne Rooney set up three goals; Jermain Defoe got a well-deserved hat-trick; young Adam Johnson came on and got his first England goal; Joe Hart showed everyone why he should’ve been picked for the World Cup, no, he showed Fabio Capello that all managers get it wrong sometimes.. And all in all it was a great team performance. This new England, complete with new kit, that everyone had been asking for, was displayed last night.
Sure, the first half was less-than exciting, even after going 1-0 up courtesy of Defoe’s first on his way to a hat-trick. But the team looked calm, collated and in control. The second half was much better, and we won with not so much if an ease, but with a total team performance.
The defence looked solid (barring a Dawson slip and a Johnson near-own-goal) and Joe Hart was playing his game as he always does; like he’s playing in the park with his mates - he is without doubt one of the calmest players I’ve ever seen (again begging the question of the ‘how is he too inexperienced’ topic, but, moving on…).
Playing Steven Gerrard in the centre is what we had all been crying out for: and last night Fabio Capello played him in the centre and probably wondered why he didn’t during the World Cup. Him and Barry together were great. So great, that most of the time you don’t even notice that they are there, because they just do their job. And they’re so good at it. Simple but effective.
Admitting Milner was a great player when he played for Aston Villa, for me, was hard. I thought he was decent, but not World class. Since he’s gone to Manchester City, I don’t know if it’s because I’m actually now watching him play without a pillow or my hands in front of my eyes; but the man is a machine. Bombing down the wing is his specialty, and didn’t he do just that last night. The guy was brilliant. If I were wearing a hat I’d be taking it off to him. He’s fast, powerful and skillful, and he’s just what we need. Down the other wing were Theo Walcott and then Adam Johnson, who are both similar players; expect Walcott has speed as his asset and Johnson has shots as his. Walcott made way for Johnson and almost immediately he showed just why shooting is his specialty, chipping in with England’s third goal of the night for his first goal for England. The midfield was great last night, and it begs the question; Will Frank Lampard come straight in when he comes back from injury?
Playing Rooney just behind Defoe was a tactic that worked brilliantly; Rooney, although still to scoring as prolifically as we would like, set up three goals - two of them being Defoe’s - and he put in a much better shift than all four games at the World Cup combined. He is definitely regaining whatever he lost in the Summer, and hopefully very soon we will have the Wayne Rooney that we all know and love back.
That brings me onto Defoe. He was brilliant. He played his game; got into the right positions and the way he finished off his hat-trick was sublime. People describe ‘The Perfect Hat-trick’ as one with your left peg, one with your right, and one off your head - Defoe’s wasn’t 'the' perfect one, but it can be described as ‘A Perfect Hat-trick’ because it was.
There’s one last player I haven’t talked about in depth, and that’s Joe Hart. Being a fan of Joe doesn’t take much effort: he’s a grounded lad, a brilliant footballer and one of the nicest people I have ever met. What is not to like about him? Nothing, is the answer, if you didn’t sense that it was a rhetorical question.
What that man doesn’t know about keeping calm under pressure isn’t worth knowing. Last night he played his first competitive game for England and he looked like he’d been between those sticks for ages. The first save he had to make was from his own defender Glen Johnson, who tried and failed to clear the ball, sending it straight at Hart who, always ready, pounced on the ball just on the line. Now, most ‘keepers would get up and shout a bit, maybe tell Johnson off. Not Hart. Joe got up, turned around and was laughing. His own player had nearly scored an own goal, and he was laughing.
But that’s what he brings to a team, if nothing else - which we all know he brings plenty else, but for the sake of argument - he brings some kind of aura of happiness. To put it another way: he just loves to play football, and because of that he always has a smile on his face whilst doing so. In my opinion, that makes the rest of the team a little calmer. If you know your goalkeeper is that alright about everything that may be coming his way, you know he’s got confidence in abundance. And that’s what we’ve been searching for in a ‘keeper for a while now; and it seems like we’ve found the perfect one - or near as dammit.
He was also involved in the fourteen or so seconds that made the match. 1-0 up, and Bulgaria go on the attack; the ball is fired, straight at Joe Hart so it was a relatively easy save to make, but he made it all the same. Next thing you know, the ball is at the other end and Defoe is slotting it calmly into the net...
If Bulgaria would’ve scored, England might have had a torrid time of it. 1-1 and the fans get on your backs slightly; 2-0 and the game is over. And with help from Joe Hart; the game was over.
England showed promise last night, but we shouldn’t get too carried away. I think we’ve all learned our lesson now not to go too over the top after winning just one game - see 2010 World Cup qualifiers, and then 2010 World Cup... In fact, on second thoughts, I advise you not to relive that again…
It’s time to look to the future; and with exciting players such as Joe Hart, Adam Johnson and James Milner (the ‘Man City’ revolution) and more experienced players such as Steven Gerrard, Jermain Defoe and Wayne Rooney; England seem to have the solution to success. Or at least, it looks that way.
The World -Cup-slate has been wiped clean; players such as Emile Heskey have left England behind for good, and a new crop of fresh, exciting talent is coming through. It’s a new beginning for England and hopefully this means a new start for everyone: no moaning about Capello’s World Cup decisions (although the whole country including me stands firm on the ‘Joe Hart should’ve played’ point - I don‘t think that will be let go anytime soon) and no ‘Wayne Rooney is rubbish’ comments (rubbish being a lighter term that most fans have used recently). Just a fresh start. Starting with the Euro 2012 Qualifiers.
And that’s just what we got.
A new-look England team took centre stage on the new Wembley pitch last night and played out an impressive 4-0 victory. That ‘oh-so-awful’ Wayne Rooney set up three goals; Jermain Defoe got a well-deserved hat-trick; young Adam Johnson came on and got his first England goal; Joe Hart showed everyone why he should’ve been picked for the World Cup, no, he showed Fabio Capello that all managers get it wrong sometimes.. And all in all it was a great team performance. This new England, complete with new kit, that everyone had been asking for, was displayed last night.
Sure, the first half was less-than exciting, even after going 1-0 up courtesy of Defoe’s first on his way to a hat-trick. But the team looked calm, collated and in control. The second half was much better, and we won with not so much if an ease, but with a total team performance.
The defence looked solid (barring a Dawson slip and a Johnson near-own-goal) and Joe Hart was playing his game as he always does; like he’s playing in the park with his mates - he is without doubt one of the calmest players I’ve ever seen (again begging the question of the ‘how is he too inexperienced’ topic, but, moving on…).
Playing Steven Gerrard in the centre is what we had all been crying out for: and last night Fabio Capello played him in the centre and probably wondered why he didn’t during the World Cup. Him and Barry together were great. So great, that most of the time you don’t even notice that they are there, because they just do their job. And they’re so good at it. Simple but effective.
Admitting Milner was a great player when he played for Aston Villa, for me, was hard. I thought he was decent, but not World class. Since he’s gone to Manchester City, I don’t know if it’s because I’m actually now watching him play without a pillow or my hands in front of my eyes; but the man is a machine. Bombing down the wing is his specialty, and didn’t he do just that last night. The guy was brilliant. If I were wearing a hat I’d be taking it off to him. He’s fast, powerful and skillful, and he’s just what we need. Down the other wing were Theo Walcott and then Adam Johnson, who are both similar players; expect Walcott has speed as his asset and Johnson has shots as his. Walcott made way for Johnson and almost immediately he showed just why shooting is his specialty, chipping in with England’s third goal of the night for his first goal for England. The midfield was great last night, and it begs the question; Will Frank Lampard come straight in when he comes back from injury?Playing Rooney just behind Defoe was a tactic that worked brilliantly; Rooney, although still to scoring as prolifically as we would like, set up three goals - two of them being Defoe’s - and he put in a much better shift than all four games at the World Cup combined. He is definitely regaining whatever he lost in the Summer, and hopefully very soon we will have the Wayne Rooney that we all know and love back.
That brings me onto Defoe. He was brilliant. He played his game; got into the right positions and the way he finished off his hat-trick was sublime. People describe ‘The Perfect Hat-trick’ as one with your left peg, one with your right, and one off your head - Defoe’s wasn’t 'the' perfect one, but it can be described as ‘A Perfect Hat-trick’ because it was.
There’s one last player I haven’t talked about in depth, and that’s Joe Hart. Being a fan of Joe doesn’t take much effort: he’s a grounded lad, a brilliant footballer and one of the nicest people I have ever met. What is not to like about him? Nothing, is the answer, if you didn’t sense that it was a rhetorical question.What that man doesn’t know about keeping calm under pressure isn’t worth knowing. Last night he played his first competitive game for England and he looked like he’d been between those sticks for ages. The first save he had to make was from his own defender Glen Johnson, who tried and failed to clear the ball, sending it straight at Hart who, always ready, pounced on the ball just on the line. Now, most ‘keepers would get up and shout a bit, maybe tell Johnson off. Not Hart. Joe got up, turned around and was laughing. His own player had nearly scored an own goal, and he was laughing.
But that’s what he brings to a team, if nothing else - which we all know he brings plenty else, but for the sake of argument - he brings some kind of aura of happiness. To put it another way: he just loves to play football, and because of that he always has a smile on his face whilst doing so. In my opinion, that makes the rest of the team a little calmer. If you know your goalkeeper is that alright about everything that may be coming his way, you know he’s got confidence in abundance. And that’s what we’ve been searching for in a ‘keeper for a while now; and it seems like we’ve found the perfect one - or near as dammit.
He was also involved in the fourteen or so seconds that made the match. 1-0 up, and Bulgaria go on the attack; the ball is fired, straight at Joe Hart so it was a relatively easy save to make, but he made it all the same. Next thing you know, the ball is at the other end and Defoe is slotting it calmly into the net...
If Bulgaria would’ve scored, England might have had a torrid time of it. 1-1 and the fans get on your backs slightly; 2-0 and the game is over. And with help from Joe Hart; the game was over.
England showed promise last night, but we shouldn’t get too carried away. I think we’ve all learned our lesson now not to go too over the top after winning just one game - see 2010 World Cup qualifiers, and then 2010 World Cup... In fact, on second thoughts, I advise you not to relive that again…
It’s time to look to the future; and with exciting players such as Joe Hart, Adam Johnson and James Milner (the ‘Man City’ revolution) and more experienced players such as Steven Gerrard, Jermain Defoe and Wayne Rooney; England seem to have the solution to success. Or at least, it looks that way.
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