Thursday 19 June 2014

We're shit and maybe we might realise we are now.

And so endeth another World Cup for England.

I know that mathematically we can still qualify for the last 16 but I am not sure we really deserve it.  And I am not sure I want it either.

I thought we were poor tonight, especially in the first half.  We could have been a few goals down by the break instead of just the one, scored by the greatest player on earth.

I thought Uruguay were nothing special but they had one high class player, Cavani, and one truly world class player, Suarez.

The positives for us? I'm struggling now.

Tin hat at the ready, I thought Rooney was our best player by absolutely miles.  He wanted the ball all night, tried to beat people all night and his desire got him the goal he deserved.

Hart was blameless for the goals and was forced to make a messy (not Messi) save from a bleeding corner.

But the rest?

I am a huge admirer of Johnson but only when he has a Milner in front of him, which he didn't tonight.  At least he wanted it enough to create Rooney's goal.

Jagielka, for all his qualities, is not an international centre half and neither is Cahill, unless he has Terry next to him.

And Baines?  Much better when Hodgson sent him forward but Ashley Cole he ain't.

Sterling showed none of the free-flowing brilliance he can produce and looked trapped within the system, as did Henderson who worked hard to little effect.

But Stevie G, oh dear.

My admiration for him knows no bounds but it looks as if his slip against Chelsea was a symptom of what was to come, that moment when the legs go and they don't come back again.

For all his prompting, his brilliant captaincy when we started panicking at 1-1 and his intelligent passing, a world class holding midfield player he ain't.

The Gerrard of a few years ago, when he carried the Liverpool team on his back, nearly was world class but he's a million miles away from that.

Rooney? I don't think he's world class, like a Suarez, a Messi or a Ronaldo, but he's as good as we have and he showed it tonight.

And Sturridge? He got the ball in all the wrong areas. I think he is about 75% of the finished article and if he really wants it, he could just make it.

Did Roy fuck up?  Maybe, maybe not.

We all have our own favourite players, our favourite formations, our favourite tactics.

I was calling for Wilshere for most of the game because he keeps the ball and he dribbles.  He's intelligent and he makes things happen.

And lots wanted Lambert but for all the wrong reasons - lump the ball, give him some headers, get some crosses in.  He's better than that but even Rickie can't shit miracles in ten minutes.

I'd rather we were out tonight instead of relying on other teams and then on us beating Costa Fucking Rica.

It drags out the misery before we lose again.

Will Hodgson be sacked?  Who knows?  Doubtless his paymasters at The Sun will be touting 'Arry once again as being the man who can make things happen.

In many ways I wish we were out because I could then get on with enjoying the rest of the World Cup.

The truth is that we are not good enough.  The truth is we are hearing about yet another golden generation which is breaking through but who is to say that they will be any better than the last lot?

They won't come from the top clubs like Chelsea, Man City or Arsenal from the top four in the Premier League who tonight gave us Joe Hart and Gary Cahill and fuck all else.

But never mind.

The Premier League starts soon and we can enjoy 'The Greatest League In The World' all over again.

We really are shit though and it wasn't just the sheer greatness of Luis Suarez who proved it tonight.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.