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2014 FIFA World Cup Brasil™ - Europe vs. America


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Thought England were excellent last night, lacked experience not just at the back but upfront in attack, but good signs for the future. The real issue is shoehorning Rooney and Gerrard in to the team, Gerrard will be gone in a year, but Rooney will be a problem for the next 4.

 

At times last night I felt there were too many runners and not enough thinking, Sterling was great first half but was done by half time, second half he struggled to keep it up which is to be expected due his age and conditions, needs to be more clever with his runs, which ones to make and which ones to let go or do something else.

 

Overall there's a great counter attacking team in there, just need to get the shackles off by getting rid of Gerrard and Rooney and allowing sheer pace to frighten teams to death. Sterling, Welbeck, sturridge, Walcott & Chamberlain posses enough of it, Wilshere, Henderson, lallana & Barkley to provide creativity and alternatives, the future is looking better than the era just gone IMO.

 

Stones, jones & Shaw, those 3 will be very good defensive options as well. Really at the back it's just finding a RB to cement his place. Kyle walker & Micah Richards lack the intelligence for this level, Johnson is poor defensively and getting on, it's about getting Clyne capped for me, and others like him.

 

4 years time I reckon we will be very excited about the World Cup, and not just watching other teams doing what we can only hope of. As long as we have a manager to match. Wonder if Rodgers would leave Liverpool for it?

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Still can't work out how Pirlo manages to play a football match without running, I guess if anyone knew he wouldn't be so good at it.

 

You make it sound as though he spends the entire game in one area. He's constantly moving around, dropping into space. He's laid back but he does put the work in.

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Still can't work out how Pirlo manages to play a football match without running, I guess if anyone knew he wouldn't be so good at it.

 

You make it sound as though he spends the entire game in one area. He's constantly moving around, dropping into space. He's laid back but he does put the work in.

 

I know, I just mean it never looks like he's pushing it. He just appears in exactly the right place like it ain't no thang.

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Still can't work out how Pirlo manages to play a football match without running, I guess if anyone knew he wouldn't be so good at it.

 

You make it sound as though he spends the entire game in one area. He's constantly moving around, dropping into space. He's laid back but he does put the work in.

 

I know, I just mean it never looks like he's pushing it. He just appears in exactly the right place like it ain't no thang.

 

Ah, I read it wrong. He does have a ridiculous reading of the game. Look at how teams try and deal with him and he's still instrumental.

 

I don't think we dealt with him badly yesterday, it's just so hard to snuff out any effect from him entirely.

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One of those players that you watch and think surely I could do that too, but then you realise when you're huffing and puffing and misplacing passes just how effortless it is for him.

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Still can't work out how Pirlo manages to play a football match without running, I guess if anyone knew he wouldn't be so good at it.

 

Pirlo isn't the only class midfielder around who strolls around the football pitch without seemingly breaking his stride to be fair.

 

Xavi has been doing the same thing, winning CLs and WCs without seemingly breaking a sweat although he does seem on his way down now tbh.

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Still can't work out how Pirlo manages to play a football match without running, I guess if anyone knew he wouldn't be so good at it.

 

Pirlo isn't the only class midfielder around who strolls around the football pitch without seemingly breaking his stride to be fair.

 

Xavi has been doing the same thing, winning CLs and WCs without seemingly breaking a sweat although he does seem on his way down now tbh.

I'm surprised Xavi has waned so much given the way he plays. I thought he'd easily be able to play till late 30s

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I think going to the finals of basically every tournament for 5-7 years is why he's dropped in last year or so. It's very difficult to consistently go to end of every tournament you play in for that prolonged period of time without any rest at all.

 

Has to be taxing not just physically but mentally too.

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Pirlo's job is made a lot easier by the fact that the entire team is set up around him. The Italian movement off the ball was brilliant, and that made Pirlo look majestic. And he is, every bit a majestic player. But I'm sure he wouldn't be as effective if he had Pardew-esque movement ahead of him.

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Probably the worst imaginable time to start doing backshift during the week. :anguish: Need moar football. Therefore Switzerland Ecuador is getting seen to, as well as the later games.

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