We played the same way, the same attitude, the same general style, the same players flopping, the same lack of effort. A different manager didn't change the attitudes of the players. Someone lumped England in with ALL the other group loses as if every group is equally difficult to get out of. Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica is not an easy group. We've had easier groups before and thus assuming that getting one stage further last time was "better" is really not something you can state for a fact. If we went out last time in a group with Spain and Holland, yet went through this time playing South Korea, Iran, Russia and Ghana or something, would we have done categorically better?
I don't think England did well, nor as bad as people said, but to ignore the quality of the group is daft.
We went through in the last World cup with a group including the USA, Algeria and Slovenia, in group terms last time was a very easy group and this time was a tough group. We only won a single game with a MUCH easier group.