- Jun 13, 2008
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We were pretty terrible. Here's what I wrote in the other thread last night:
BBC seemed to be blinded by us looking dangerous on about 4 or 5 occasions and then Italy just dropping off and seeing out their lead, but lets talk about...
- Closing down the opposition. This was absolute dog shit from us. I don't care what the conditions were like, you cannot just give a team that much time and space to stroll up the pitch and decide what they want to do with it. Sterling, for all he has been raved about tonight it seems, led the way in this total lack of getting in and about their deep midfielders. Rooney and Sturridge were also pretty abysmal in their efforts. Welbeck hit and miss, but tried a bit more to put some pressure on. You cannot let them stroll up the pitch at walking space, leaving 4 men ahead of the ball, and drag our centre mids out repeatedly because it leaves space in front of the defence. I don't think Henderson and Gerrard had good games, but they didn't get much help from those in front of them. Likewise with Baines. Was far, far too easy to play through us.
- 1st goal. How fucking basic was that? Didn't even get enough markers out to the Italian players hovering on the edge of the box. At what age do you get taught to pick up every man at corners... 6 years old? We deserved to concede for such amateurish stupidity. Another case where I have to ask what exactly we are doing during the week and on the training pitch and tactical team meetings.
- Tactically schooled. Outnumbered in the centre of the pitch yet Italy still found ways to target us down one flank through clever positioning and movement. We never looked like getting to grips with it. Combine this with piss poor pressing and it really was too easy.
- Fitness. I only saw one team with people getting cramp...
This wasn't a good performance. We had a few lively moments, mostly down to individual skill. As a team we were all over the place and sorely lacking in most departments, especially when we didn't have the ball.
BBC seemed to be blinded by us looking dangerous on about 4 or 5 occasions and then Italy just dropping off and seeing out their lead, but lets talk about...
- Closing down the opposition. This was absolute dog shit from us. I don't care what the conditions were like, you cannot just give a team that much time and space to stroll up the pitch and decide what they want to do with it. Sterling, for all he has been raved about tonight it seems, led the way in this total lack of getting in and about their deep midfielders. Rooney and Sturridge were also pretty abysmal in their efforts. Welbeck hit and miss, but tried a bit more to put some pressure on. You cannot let them stroll up the pitch at walking space, leaving 4 men ahead of the ball, and drag our centre mids out repeatedly because it leaves space in front of the defence. I don't think Henderson and Gerrard had good games, but they didn't get much help from those in front of them. Likewise with Baines. Was far, far too easy to play through us.
- 1st goal. How fucking basic was that? Didn't even get enough markers out to the Italian players hovering on the edge of the box. At what age do you get taught to pick up every man at corners... 6 years old? We deserved to concede for such amateurish stupidity. Another case where I have to ask what exactly we are doing during the week and on the training pitch and tactical team meetings.
- Tactically schooled. Outnumbered in the centre of the pitch yet Italy still found ways to target us down one flank through clever positioning and movement. We never looked like getting to grips with it. Combine this with piss poor pressing and it really was too easy.
- Fitness. I only saw one team with people getting cramp...
This wasn't a good performance. We had a few lively moments, mostly down to individual skill. As a team we were all over the place and sorely lacking in most departments, especially when we didn't have the ball.