FIFA World Cup 2014 - GROUP D [Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy - 14/19/20/24 June] **spoilers**
- Thread starter Cosimo
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Soldato
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Lol. I don't think you noticed that I was being somewhat sarcastic
Gervinho was good for Roma this season, and he was good for Lille too. THe reason he didn't do well for Arsenal was because he was not playing consistently on the wings. He needs to be given a free role and he should be allowed to switch flanks etc.
Is he world class? Nope. Takes more than that to be world class, but he is a good player.
Caporegime
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LOL Lineker 
Caporegime
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Someone being a great crosser with his team doesn't translate to the same for England, in so much as you only have to have watched the game to see there wasn't great delivery. The reason why, firstly Baines had little support down the left, second particularly in the first game Rooney refused point blank to play left wing. There were few to no overlapping runs, few brilliant crosses and mostly there were very few blisteringly fast counter attacks for strikers to get on the end of.
He did categorically not get good service in these two games, and he particularly in against Uruguay started dropping deeper later in the game, mostly in the second half, and in doing so created a goal.
Two goals being made by crosses doesn't equate to loads of good crossing all game long, and the second goal only got made by a cross because of Sturridge's work when he dropped wide and deep.
Sturridge wasn't dropping that deep early on and almost certainly if his instructions were to do so he'd have done so from the start. A striker dropping deeper and deeper to get on the ball during a game without any quality service is very very common. The difference with Rooney is, he drops deep early looking for the ball, he doesn't make good runs to make space or look for the passes so no one can pick him out and when he does drop deep he rarely creates anything. Rooney dropped to the half way line literally dozens of times and did nothing of note. Sturridge did it a handful of times and created a goal. He dropped deep on the right wing, got the ball, turned a few players and instantly looked to pass forwards and in doing so made the goal.
Rooney drops deep, gets in space, gets the ball, and refuses to drive forward, rarely passes forward dangerously and on multiple occasions like the one Sturridge was in would have run backwards and passed to a defender rather than take on a few players and find the ball forward.
Size doesn't mean anything in leading the line, not least because Sturridge is tall, he just doesn't look it, and has plenty of pace.
It's the difference between a slow ass build up and a cross into a filled box when the striker has made his run and then has to stop, and a fast attack in which the cross can get between the defence/keeper and a striker can continue running on to the ball. There were LOADS of crosses like the former, and very very few like the latter, two of the latter resulted in goals. The former only happened when Rooney.... wait for it, ran beyond the defence, drove forward with pace and played as an actual left winger. When he didn't run at the defence, we had no space, no outlet to work in.
When your midfield/offence is slow because the guys in the middle slow down every attack, you end up needing to attack like Barca at their best, facing a solid and set defensive line. When you attack with pace, you face a broken defensive line that is retreating and will leave many more gaps.
Look at the England goals, poor defending, but it was players retreating, the back line turning in to 4 disjointed players. When the key men in the middle, in this case Gerrard and Rooney(others VERY guilty of it too) slow down every attack half the battle is lost.
He did categorically not get good service in these two games, and he particularly in against Uruguay started dropping deeper later in the game, mostly in the second half, and in doing so created a goal.
Two goals being made by crosses doesn't equate to loads of good crossing all game long, and the second goal only got made by a cross because of Sturridge's work when he dropped wide and deep.
Sturridge wasn't dropping that deep early on and almost certainly if his instructions were to do so he'd have done so from the start. A striker dropping deeper and deeper to get on the ball during a game without any quality service is very very common. The difference with Rooney is, he drops deep early looking for the ball, he doesn't make good runs to make space or look for the passes so no one can pick him out and when he does drop deep he rarely creates anything. Rooney dropped to the half way line literally dozens of times and did nothing of note. Sturridge did it a handful of times and created a goal. He dropped deep on the right wing, got the ball, turned a few players and instantly looked to pass forwards and in doing so made the goal.
Rooney drops deep, gets in space, gets the ball, and refuses to drive forward, rarely passes forward dangerously and on multiple occasions like the one Sturridge was in would have run backwards and passed to a defender rather than take on a few players and find the ball forward.
Size doesn't mean anything in leading the line, not least because Sturridge is tall, he just doesn't look it, and has plenty of pace.
It's the difference between a slow ass build up and a cross into a filled box when the striker has made his run and then has to stop, and a fast attack in which the cross can get between the defence/keeper and a striker can continue running on to the ball. There were LOADS of crosses like the former, and very very few like the latter, two of the latter resulted in goals. The former only happened when Rooney.... wait for it, ran beyond the defence, drove forward with pace and played as an actual left winger. When he didn't run at the defence, we had no space, no outlet to work in.
When your midfield/offence is slow because the guys in the middle slow down every attack, you end up needing to attack like Barca at their best, facing a solid and set defensive line. When you attack with pace, you face a broken defensive line that is retreating and will leave many more gaps.
Look at the England goals, poor defending, but it was players retreating, the back line turning in to 4 disjointed players. When the key men in the middle, in this case Gerrard and Rooney(others VERY guilty of it too) slow down every attack half the battle is lost.
Playing Rooney on the left is a problem, playing Rooney behind a striker not as good as VP is a problem. Instead of shoehorning them in, have the balls to drop both of them if they're not performing.
Like I said 18 months ago.
I'll look forward to this new England team with out all the **** United players
Perfect.
I'm surprised (well, not really) people are so keen to find a scapegoat, everyone performed poorly with the exception of Gary Cahill, who looked like he was defending by himself at times.
Hodgson is of course to blame too, it's not hard for a decent manager to beat him tactically and I just don't rate him as a top level manager. In a knockout competition you need to be able to change the game quickly as a manager.
I agree with you.
I'll look forward to this new England team with out all the **** United players
Perfect.
Said exactly the same thing last night. Sooner players like Rooney and Gerrard **** it all off and concentrate on their club football the better. They don't get any credit for it and are often the ones to blame for England Crashing out of any major tournament.
We all know DrunkenMaster loves a good stat to bend his own stupid ******* arguments. Unless of course the facts discredit his argument then he comes up with the usual clap trap about stats being meaningless
Soldato
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haha
I couldn't agree about Cahill enough, I felt sorry for him at times! I love Jagielka, since I'm a Sheff Utd supporter! I think he's a quality CB, but I think international level is one step too far for him.
Soldato
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Forza Italia, do me proud today boys!
