Jayson

I said it didnt help them break down switzerland. Even for players with some of the best of those attributes in the world, it is incredibly difficult when near an entire team sits around their penalty area & waits for the counter. Been shown a few times in this world cup. Being successful is much more about having a strong enough mentality to use the odd chance you do get with full confidence. Rather than letting the pressure effect your ability in that moment. We couldnt let it effect us more. We have had good chances to score in this world cup. Some other teams are just putting it in when it matters.

Spain have ball skill & control, didnt help them much against Switzerland. Our main issue against Algeria was just a team getting to many men behind the ball for us to handle. Same as it was for them. Dont really think theres much more to it than that. We couldnt deal with it, didnt have the space to create...that caused frustration and effected self belief. The longer it went on, the less they expected to beat the opposition. The lack of ball control is just related to that, hesitation in everything they do. Thinking about things to much. The ball/pitch wont help anyone atall either. Slovenia will do the same again. One of our best chances is them being a little overconfident & leaving the game a little more open than they should.

If Capellos doing his job correctly we dont draw 0-0 with Algeria. His record doesnt matter, the team wasnt performing and the changes he made didnt effect that. The players should be completely entitled to give their opinions on why it didnt work. You have to when you are representing an entire nations hopes.

He just blocked the guys impact, ofcouse hed use his arm

Comes across as a really nice guy.

Just saw the replay. Take back everything i said

some serious ass kissing of brazilians in here. Keita dived sure. But you're having a laugh if thats not a booking regardless

No it's not. It's a minor nudge -- the kind that you see continuously throughout every single game of football played. Never a booking. Minor nudge? He waited in his path and purposely put his shoulder/elbow into him. Clearly a booking.

did the ivory coast make kaka elbow the guy then

shut up lawrenson you clown

ahahaha idiot

rubbish from both players

the pathetic side of brazil here

just gave up

perfection

waheyyyy

bit ridiculous now

And thats what happens when Eto's upfront

It depends on how the team we're playing plays, it depends on the striker next to Heskey. Owen was different to Rooney. Heskey isnt someone you expect to be effective against a side that is putting 9 men behind the ball. Hes someone who hopefully wins a ball against a high defensive line...passes it off to the midfielder who puts through the other striker. Thats about it.

ya thats pretty normal. People generally dont criticise as much something thats working because....its working.

Having watched the first two games, he HAS been the best player. And that has to be the most terrible indictment against the rest of them David James did nothing wrong, Green did nothing RIGHT Rooney has been one of the WORST in the England team. Poor supply or not, he owes the FANS not vice versa. Barry was more useful than Heskey yesterday with his clearances. He gave away the ball due to lack of options but he was definately involved. Gerrard tried to get all over the place, obviously he doesnt suit being on the left atall and kept dropping inside. Nearly all our chances involved him though. Heskey just takes down long balls to provide to the others and had very little options. Still when Defoe came on, he was nearly put through twice within 5 minutes. We got more corners in those first minutes of him being on that at any other point in the game. That surely proves that changing the way we attack is influenced by the strikers we use & is something we should look to change if we want to be more dangerous going fowards.

Think Lampard was as much an issue as heskey really. Rooney is getting blame for something which isnt much his fault imo. Hes being massively marked out of games due to those around him.

Altitude? They hit the ball hard it goes to far. So they hit it less hard and it doesnt make it past the first man. Just seems like many havent learnt to judge it. Think its dependant on how quickly they learn to adapt to it, many just seem unable to

It's just confusing really. These aren't the finer details we're talking about, it is the fundamental ability to pass, control, and move. It's honestly frightening. I know everyone wanks on about the ball. I have endlessly. But our overhit crosses were shocking. Gerrard tested the goalkeeper in the first few minutes, when trying to loop over a cross for Heskey who i dont think had even made it into the area yet. Now thats not normal. I cant remember seeing Gerrard hit a pass that bad for liverpool in a long long time. Then you have the cutback for lampard that was awful. Let alone the two shots he had in the same half that would still have gone over had there been 8 goals stacked on top of one another. The shots that we kept down had no power behind them atall. Seems to me the pitch/ball is one of the reasons we cant control it. Lampard twice had chances in the area...the one he caused a save from & one from a corner. Where he just misjudged the bounce & it ended up behind him. These are to many coincidences. They dont seem able to handle the ball well. Far worse so than they did against USA even.

Would love to see that line up. I wont be suprised atall to see us start with the exact same team as the last couple games though. Depends how much Capello believes our problem is in our mentality, moreso than anything being wrong with the system thats been reasonably sucessful for us up till the world cup.