What was all this stuff before the game about Rooney neutralising Pirlo? Welbeck was on Pirlo more than Rooney was and now that Carroll has come on, he's the one getting into Pirlo. Feels like the whole team is half crippled in order to accommodate Rooney's unproductive flair play.
Decent half, despite the fact that Young, Johnson, Welbeck and Rooney have been poor. Rooney should never have gone to Euro 2012. Balotelli is showing him how a temperamental character should play in the big games.
Motta being out is not a positive considering how dangerous his replacement Montolivo is. He was great for them when subbed on before and has looked at least as lethal as Pirlo in his passing.
Surprisingly?
It's the main reason this tournament is still, pretty much, anybodies. As long as they're still in it of course.
Yes, even England.
As bad as their defence has been I never expected it to crumble under Greece's 1 or 2 skeleton crew counter attacks
I was sorry when the Czechs and the Greeks made it out of their group and these two games have only strengthened that feeling. Would be nice to see Germany kicked out but it's never going to happen against this kind of team that thinks you can progress through the knockouts without scoring.
I think Lampard, along with Gerrard, was one of the few English players in 2010 to do themselves any justice. Across a longer span, on the international stage they have both failed to live up to the hype and there is not much separating their England performances.
Baros is close to useless and Pilar has given it away with every single touch. Jiracek needs to be a one man team tonight if Czech want to have a hope.
I grew up down the road from Upton Park but never felt any community connection with all the cockney wide boys in my school and family who were West Ham supporters. I was a big football geek in the days of the 'Orbis Football Collection' sticker album and could probably name every team's squad. Of those, my favourite players like Platt (Italia 90 hero vs Belgium) and Daley (unstoppable wing torpedo) drew my attention to Villa.
I can't pinpoint exactly when I knew I was a Villan, but it was probably when watching that 1990 UEFA cup campaign when we were stuffed by Inter. Wasn't that when Pizzi took the ball over the byline before one of their goals?
We're owed that one, but knowing how that feels still makes me feel bad for the Ukrainians. Just that one time, I'm glad the goal line officials are totally useless.
Ukraine looking desperate and scared now with more hopeful long balls creeping in. Looking tired already too. We should have this in the bag.
And just as I say that Milevskyi does a Rooney :|
Rooney has been shit, as he always is for England when it matters. The rest of the team seem to have no interest in holding on to possession.
These are very negative tactics we're playing and it hasn't stopped them from opening us up. Woy has underestimated the Ukrainians, I think. Carroll and Walcott should have started.
Haven't tried it and don't really like zombie games, but it does look interesting nevertheless. There's a big thread on another forum I go to where people are loving the shit out of it.
I don't bemoan a tough draw for Ingurland. This is what tournaments are about, beating good teams, sometimes against the odds, and if we don't do it then at least we got sent home by somebody formidable.
Of course, as has been said, let's qualify first before worrying too much about that.