Ira Gaines Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 It's not really going to matter what happens tonight. I don't buy that England are good enough to do their bit of the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Sturridge has worked hard but been ineffective. IMHO Lallana is not international class. Sturridge has been Englands best player. Although Sterling got most of the plaudits against Italy, I thought Sturridge was their best player in that match and the only one that was a consistent threat. I was surprised when they took him off. He didn't play as well against Uruguay but England's goal came from a great piece of skill from Sturridge that arguably few other England players could have produced. He's much more than just a hard worker, he's one of England's few good players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergie's no1 fan Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 It's not really going to matter what happens tonight. I don't buy that England are good enough to do their bit of the deal. Assuming Italy win tonight ( which pretty much wraps up the group for them ) and England are beating Costa Rica. Whats to stop Uruguay and Italy both settling for a point so they both qualify? A wee nudge and wink before the game to each other is bound to happen if it even comes to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Assuming Italy win tonight ( which pretty much wraps up the group for them ) and England are beating Costa Rica. Whats to stop Uruguay and Italy both settling for a point so they both qualify? A wee nudge and wink before the game to each other is bound to happen if it even comes to that. Don't think that will happen because Uruguay would be taking a big chance if Costa Rica got a result against England. You can't predict what's going to happen so you just have to go out there and try to win. I don't see this Italy/Uruguay draw conspiracy happening. Also winning the group could get you a relatively easy tie in the knock out stages. I'm sure Italy and Uruguay would much rather face Ivory Coast/Japan/Greece than Colombia who have looked pretty good up till now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Briggs Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 This is what they probably should have done last night IMO. If we've learned anything from the last 2 games it's that they don't have the players to play a 4-2-3-1 effectively. They'll beat Costa Rica marginally and drop out the World Cup, leaving us with another 2 years of them banging on about how they'll do well at Euro 2016 because no one's expecting much from them. They do but Hodgson has not played or taken them. Frank Lampard and Jack Wilshire who have been left on the bench. Michael Carrick, a good passer, played well with Gerrard in the qualifiers. Gareth Barry had an excellent season with Everton but has been ignored. Both were left out of the squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Parr Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 They might beat Costa Rica but there's no way in f**k they're keeping a clean sheet with that diddy defence/goalkeeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Briggs Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 They might beat Costa Rica but there's no way in f**k they're keeping a clean sheet with that diddy defence/goalkeeper. Joe Hart was a very good goalkeeper but his form has dropped over the last season or so. He has little competition for the England jersey as the alternatives are worse. Pellegrino wants a new number one at City but will keep Hart as back-up because he needs "home-grown" players. Hodgson is to blame for the dodgy defence. He should taken Ashley Cole and, FA permitting, persuaded John Terry to come out of retirement. It's also puzzling why picked Chris Smalling, who had a poor season even by his low standards, rather than John Stones. Hodgson also failed to take a second right-back. Presumably, Jones is cover for Johnson but he's not played there recently. Jon Flanagan is a natural right-back but hapless Hodgson probably hasn't noticed. Stones can play at right-back too. It's also worth pointing out that big-mouth Gary Neville can't be the great coach that he thinks he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Tourette Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Hodgson was always going not get stick if England didn't perform, though. At least he's failed trying something new. Imagine if they'd lost the first 2 games with Cole, Terry, Lampard, Barry and Gerard in the side? He would have been getting even more pelters than he is now. Only a few weeks ago, the English media were praising the bold Roy for ditching the bunch of ageing underachievers and taking the new, exciting youngsters with no fear/future of English football etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forameus Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I think it'll still go down to the final round of matches. If Italy don't win tonight, they're in danger of finishing second or possibly out completely (is that possible? or does it come down to head to head?) so they'll want to get a win and all but assure top spot. Then it comes down to the double on Tuesday. If Italy win comfortably tonight, England will be buoyed, but it's very possible that could happen and England still f**k up. I could actually see them winning, but not by enough. Let's face it, it's easy enough to see England scraping a win when needed, but it's another matter entirely to see them go to play Costa Rica and win by several goals. Italy to win both games 1-0, and England to beat Costa Rica 1-0. Costa Rica make the 2nd round by a single goal, England 3rd and Uruguay 4th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Joe Hart was a very good goalkeeper but his form has dropped over the last season or so. He has little competition for the England jersey as the alternatives are worse. Pellegrino wants a new number one at City but will keep Hart as back-up because he needs "home-grown" players. Hodgson is to blame for the dodgy defence. He should taken Ashley Cole and, FA permitting, persuaded John Terry to come out of retirement. It's also puzzling why picked Chris Smalling, who had a poor season even by his low standards, rather than John Stones. Hodgson also failed to take a second right-back. Presumably, Jones is cover for Johnson but he's not played there recently. Jon Flanagan is a natural right-back but hapless Hodgson probably hasn't noticed. Stones can play at right-back too. It's also worth pointing out that big-mouth Gary Neville can't be the great coach that he thinks he is. Do you think John Stones or Jon Flanagan would have made any great difference if selected? Ashley Cole has been involved in every England failure for about 15 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevthedee Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 if Italy win v costa rica then England just have to score a few goals and see what happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Briggs Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 if Italy win v costa rica then England just have to score a few goals and see what happens If Italy beat the Costa Ricans, Uruguay who would only need a draw to eliminate England. Costa Rica would have to match or better Uruguay's result to qualify. It's going to be very tough for England to get through with their dodgy defence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supras Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Joe Hart was a very good goalkeeper but his form has dropped over the last season or so. He has little competition for the England jersey as the alternatives are worse. Pellegrino wants a new number one at City but will keep Hart as back-up because he needs "home-grown" players. Hodgson is to blame for the dodgy defence. He should taken Ashley Cole and, FA permitting, persuaded John Terry to come out of retirement. It's also puzzling why picked Chris Smalling, who had a poor season even by his low standards, rather than John Stones. Hodgson also failed to take a second right-back. Presumably, Jones is cover for Johnson but he's not played there recently. Jon Flanagan is a natural right-back but hapless Hodgson probably hasn't noticed. Stones can play at right-back too. It's also worth pointing out that big-mouth Gary Neville can't be the great coach that he thinks he is. Good drink, that. Stones, to point out the obvious, is no where near good enough for the World Cup. Look at his disasterous performances when Distin wasn't there to bail him out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoRaj Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 You would surely have to fancy Uruguay to get a point against an italy team who would already be through and only need a draw to finish top Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintax Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Has a team ever progressed from the World Cup Group Stages with 3 points? It really would be embarrassing if it happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Has a team ever progressed from the World Cup Group Stages with 3 points? It really would be embarrassing if it happens Chile, 1998. That's just in the three-points-for-a-win era through. if it were still two points, NZ would have gotten through in 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I can quite easily see Italy winning their next two and England beating Costa Rica. The Costa Ricans beating Uruguay was always going to work in England's favour, unless they can repeat that performance in all their games which is unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Briggs Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Good drink, that. Stones, to point out the obvious, is no where near good enough for the World Cup. Look at his disasterous performances when Distin wasn't there to bail him out. Yep. Had a bottle this morning after celebrating a bit too much last night. Stones is young and raw but Smalling was even worse last season. I've never understood why Sir Alex paid even £7 million for Smalling. He was over-rated at Fulham too. Steven Caulker, who was sold by Spurs to Cardiff, is a possible alternative to both of them. His replacement was Chiriches who had a disappointing season. Caulker will probably go to another EPL club in the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Mojo Risin' Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Yep. Had a bottle this morning after celebrating a bit too much last night. Stones is young and raw but Smalling was even worse last season. I've never understood why Sir Alex paid even £7 million for Smalling. He was over-rated at Fulham too. Steven Caulker, who was sold by Spurs to Cardiff, is a possible alternative to both of them. His replacement was Chiriches who had a disappointing season. Caulker will probably go to another EPL club in the window. He's been linked with a move back to Tottenham. From what I've heard, he was only sold after he had fallen out with AVB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pub car king Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Wish I'd put that bet on England going home pointless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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