Brilliant qualifying campaign

Undefeated, 31 goals for, 4 against.

Best England team since 96 for me, with the best manager since then too. That doesn't mean we're going to win the World Cup or anything daft like that, but it does mean we're worth watching and we've got a team to be proud of.

 

agree on best manager

squad has potential but defence is worst in living memory

 

Look much better when we go into games to win

 

Really enjoyed the last 2 games, but I really think we lack strength in depth. Central defence and GK is very suspect (and again, who else can we bring in as cover?) Forward line and midfield is promising, for the first time in years, but again, not sure if there's much else there. What happens if we get injuries to Rooney and Hart before Brazil? We will have absolutely no chance of doing anything (and I don't even think Hart is all that good to be honest). Impressed with Townsend though, as I hadn't seen much of him before. Let's hope we can keep these 15 or so fit.

 

Worth watching are the important words. I posted the other week that I hadn't watched England for ages and I wasn't bothered but I watched the last game and this and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. Baines, Sturridge and Townsend are breaths of fresh air, they were up for it and attacked at every opportunity, thats the way to go, get at em and slow it down when needed. I know the finals are a different proposition tactically but we should be more positive than we usually are, like the last two games.

 

PS very pleased for Gerrard.

I think he is a great professional & I'm pleased he got the second. The WC will be his swan song, hope it at least results in at least a quarter / semi final appearance, which would be an achievement.

 

sounds familiar

 

Of course!

 

??? I'm confused.......... too much of the red wine, or is it me?

 

Don't think they're anywhere near the 96 side, however they've mostly been a pleasure to watch in the last two home games, and ultimately won a very winnable group, which in fairness is all you can ask of any team in qualifying.

You might be right about the manager though, chuffed to bits for Uncle Woy, if anyone deserves congratulations tonight it's him, given what he's had to endure from the press and the performances he's managed to coax out of the current players.

 

I still don't get it. It reads like there's a word missing from the end of the.

 

I don't think they're as good as the 96 side either, but I think they're better than anything we've had since.

If you discount Beckham, Rooney and Owen's first few years, it's been pretty grim since then. And neither Beckham nor Rooney ever did at at a finals. They were either injured, sent off or out of form. Rooney and Beckham's performances in qualifying over the years have been superb, it would be nice if Rooney could finally do it when it really matters.

 

A couple of enforced changes, Baines and Townsend have made a big difference..I think a couple of good games might be making some forget what an an uninspiring run we had before that.

 

It's arguable that we have 2 better keepers in reserve. Ruddy and Forster both very good gks.

 

Agree, delighted for Roy Hodgson and the players. Although nervy at to watch at times when Poland were pushing,
it was an enjoyable match. Just hope the English press don't crank up the expectation machine to ludicrous heights. But they will.

 

Don't think they're close to the 98 world cup side either. I think the rot started to set in sometime around the beginning of the noughties, and most of the squads/performances since then have been so mediocre/apathetic that any comparison is always 'best of a bad bunch'.

Knowing Rooney he'll probably find a way to **** up his run in to the finals anyway, either through injury or some boneheaded indiscipline, however it would be nice if they could all find a way to do it when it really matters, at least that would make it look like they give a sh*t about wearing the shirt. If they do that I'll get behind 'em.

 

I think there's a big over reaction from some..don't forget if Poland had popped one in before Gerrard settled it,and tbh they had chances..we could be be sat here looking at a play off,and things would look a lot less rosy.