With the Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere being the only England player that seemed to be trying to win the game against Republic of Ireland yesterday, it was no surprise that the match was a drab and unexciting game that leaves England still waiting for a win over the men in green.
But as much as the players were poor, I blame the manager. As reported by the Daily Star today, Roy Hodgson has called on the under fire and under performing Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling to develop a thicker skin after he was booed and jeered by the Irish fans.
Whether that affected his game or not is unclear but what is clear is that Hodgson put him in that position when he should have known better. Sterling has been playing well below his best for some time now and so I was surprised to see his name in the starting line up and even more surprised that the boss did not sub him at the earliest opportunity, perhaps halftime.
It seems an even stranger decision when you consider that he could have played the Arsenal striker Theo Walcott instead, a player that is much fresher after hardly playing during the season and coming off the back of four goals in two games. Yes Roy, top managerial skills to go instead for a player that is under huge pressure and is struggling for form and then suggest that he needs a thicker skin (or maybe he just needs a better manager.)
As well as Sterling, Hodgson started Lallana and Henderson from Liverpool and they produced about the same as their team mate, just what you would expect after a disappointing season at club level. At least it was a meaningless friendly I suppose but they now face a qualifier that needs to be won, so will Hodgson see sense and play the Arsenal striker? He better!
Is didier Deschamps related to schweinstiger?? Just asking..
Yep. They say their mothers last name is Lundrgren hahaha
Vardy was the only English player who had bite on the night.
Ibrohimovic rumour if only there was any truth in it, boy would he take arsenal to the nxt level. I will laff if ppl comment he’s similar to giroud “hold up” etc don’t need him.
Zlatan is coming!
HTeeTeePee://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2233856/Zlatan-Ibrahimovic–missed-Arsenal-reveals-Arsene-Wenger.html
@ArseOverTit
33 years old and on a 15 mil a year salary. Don’t think so…
How old is Wenger and what does he earn. It could be argued that Zlatan would have a bigger impact on our season for his purse…
Defenders are scared by Sanchez and Mesut but this guy is a different level.
Sell Wellbeck & Poldi and have akpom learn from one of the best ever so when ZI stops doing it his understudy/ies can be brought in.
All IMHO
Not saying it will happen under Wenger (most likely not as I said elsewhere) but I personally think he would raise the bar in our strike force and the club in general. Even @ 33.
@ArseOverTit
No comparison. At the most Zlatan could get us an EPL medal or 2. I can’t see him having more influence on out team than that. Then what?
I would rather have someone who can be a more lasting influence on the Club. And at that price, we could buy a couple of players that could…
Well let’s agree to disagree.
If his salary is correct, and we won the CL or PL, with shirt sales and additional revenue brought in from success we would surely recoup this value. Even though I doubt it is a correct figure.
If Walcott is worth 5.2M a year then Zlatan I think is worth (if any footballer is) 3 times that if Theo with all his experience, craft and firepower.
As for spending on a couple of players instead I’d rather have some real quality on the pitch and less back room.
But yeh, let’s agree to disagree. Wenger is with you on that one I’m sure although not sure if he will bring numbers in!:
Zlatan would be a very good omen if we got him,he’s won the league with every team he’s been with!
We should get him just got that fact; like a lucky mascot with exceptional footballing vision and skill to match.
Let’s hope Wenger is superstitious (I seriously doubt that though;)!
Except CL, maybe we can change that lol
England a country with no single world class player but best league in th world because of good marketing
Agree it’s the best league in the world and has the biggest market to promote its brand.
Zlatan to Arsenal, LOL that would be dream move, best CF in the World, with our mid he would score 30+ easily, Arsene and Zlatan didnt have good relationship back than, Wenger never won UCL Zlatan never won UCL, wouldnt be destiny to win it with Arsenal LOL, i am just kidding there is no way he is coming O_O
Zlatan will sooner rejoin Barcelona than join Arsenal 😉
I think Barca have it covered with their trident! aC Milan would probably want to bring him back though.
@arseovertit, spot on in regards to the salary comment, petr cech and zlatan what a statement that would finally be to our rivals. Oh well we can dream lol
Yeh, I just don’t get some people.
I’m sure Barca think Messi worth his salary
When you consider shirt sales and what he has helped deliver for the club.
All down to ambition again.
Enjoying international football when your English it’s impossible,
Roy Hodgson is a terrible choice of manager still think we should have Harry Redknapp he turned Tottenham into a half decent team. Would have been a far better choice I blame Spurs they wanted compensation then sacked him anyway absolutely disgusting.
Surely There must have been better candidates than Hodgson England have actually a pretty decent group of players to chose from yet the same old selecting players who aren’t England quality they play a couple of games then never get selected again. Yeah your club form should give you a chance at playing for England and no player should be guaranteed a place in the squad but it’s time to select a certain number of players the most talented and stick with them.
We need a better manager not only does player development need to improve in England they need to invest in management and coaching same old poor manages getting endless opportunities & people getting jobs based on playing careers good players doesn’t always make a good managers.
We need a Joachim Löw. We’ll go into the euros same old story. Play terribly maybe just reach the knockout stages. Roy should have gone after the World Cup. But then again no one better would have got the job.
As for the game it was only a friendly hopefully in the next game both Jack and theo should start deffinitly the most inform England players. Can’t believe it’s a week before the next England game usually they only spend a couple of days with the England team. Hopefully he won’t try imparting any wisdom on them.
England was crap, England has no WC players but the PL is the best. I think it’s down to Foreign players really like Aguero, Alexis, Costa, Koscielny, Fabregas, Van Persie, Kompany, De Gea, Cazorla, Ramsey, Lloris, Vertonghen, Benteke, Remy etc etc etc.
Also some decent English players like Walcott, Sterling, Cahill, Terry, Wilshere, Rooney, etc
But mainly foreign players.
Although English clubs didn’t do great in Champions League this season
Rooney showed yesterday why he isn’t worth £300,000 per week lol
Well I for one don’t care about friendlies too much. Yes players might take them seriously and all but….they are not official.
Simply put, England will never win anything with Roy at the helm.
Zlatan will never join us after the “I don’t do trials” fiasco. But his winning titles wherever he goes is like Maureen in that he only goes to already top clubs where they have seemingly unlimited money. Barca not hard to win it all at when Messi, Xavi, iniesta, etc were in their prime. PSG don’t really compete with anyone in Ligue 1. Milan was during Juventus “rebuilding”