What would you have done different?

[wingnut]

For those saying a that Cole and Terry should have played, just replay Germany's goals against us from the last World Cup and see how much our defence has changed between then and now.

[Ian Royal]

Question, and I don't have the answer. Why is it a player like Joel Campbell, who is not considered good enough to merit a place in Arsenal's squad, looks like a world-beater while with CR, while (for example) Jack Wilshire (who is considered to be vital to Arsenal's future) is not good enough to start with England?

This may say more about Arsenal than about England, but .... I thought I'd ask.

This is a very good question for which I have no answer.

Being the focus of a small nation that clearly has been set up as a team with a great togetherness and work ethic (and far less competition for places), is a slightly different proposition to being a cog in the squad of a team clearly in a transition period. There's also an element that it's easier to up your game in the World Cup for a handful of matches, than it is to perform across 38 league games.

[tmesis]

As much as I think the Hodgson era will take time to bed in (and even then I don't know if it will be as revolutionary as the French/Spanish/German footballing ethos) - we were given as tough an opening two matches as we could have got. We have played two very organised team with some excellent strikers - playing Brazil would have been easier given their defensive frailties.

Both Italy and Uruguay were beaten by Costa Rica, which suggests they aren't the great sides we'd like to believe they are.

For fixes, it's not a case of copying the French/Spanish/Germans. As Costa Rica, among others, have shown, there are so many smaller nations now able to do we can't that it's almost a case of working out what we do wrong rather than trying to copy some secret to success.

For this tournament, if I could have done anything it would be to have changed "the mood in the camp" to be more positive. We seem to be obsessed with dealing with the fallout from bad performances. The team always look like they fear failure.

It's a like a team suffering from a lack of confidence at home, nervous that any mistake will have the crowd on their backs, booing them and calling for the manager's head.

[Franchise FC]

Having performed well in the first game I would not have changed the formation to accommodate an underperforming 'star' player, thus moving the man of the match in the first game and losing his impact

Probably means I would have left out said 'star'

[sputnik]

Joel Campbell doesn't play for Arsenal because he's been unable to get work permit, this World Cup should sort that issue out.

He's had a work permit since July '13

[Terminal Boardom]

Considering the options open to Hodgson I can't think there was scope for radical change. What's more the problem is the number of players we have that play abroad. Two reasons spring to mind. Firstly, the vast amounts of money paid to ordinary players. Secondly, they are not good enough to attract interest from abroad. One other opinion is that the conditions in Manaus had a much bigger impact on the players and that they did not have the energy to be as competitive in their second game. How flat were Italy when they played Costa Rica?

[Whatevs]

Still there's always Andy Murray at Wimbledon

[Franchise FC]

Still there's always Andy Murray at Wimbledon

After the Seotember vote we won't have him either

[Starfish]

Joel Campbell doesn't play for Arsenal because he's been unable to get work permit, this World Cup should sort that issue out.

But ...

He's had a work permit since July '13

On 19 August 2011, Arsenal confirmed that they had signed Campbell, but it was revealed eight days later that he had failed to obtain a work permit to enable him to play in England. Campbell finally received that permit in July 2013.

So Zac, who can we trust? Why did you lie to us? Were you really making claims without having full knowledge of the facts first?

This old man is disappointed.

[Mr.Swainey]

Bollox to the Cole & Terry debate.

They're the past, and a very sh*t and unsuccessful one at that.

Baines did a great job, didn't he?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Talksport say YES

[Ian Royal]

Bollox to the Cole & Terry debate.

They're the past, and a very sh*t and unsuccessful one at that.

Baines did a great job, didn't he?

He didn't do a bad one. Cole had played the square root of sod all football this season and is in his 30s.

[AthleticoSpizz]

....and (Baines) was probably the best that we actually have

[Ian Royal]

....and was probably the best that we actually have

Possibly, if he'd actually played some football. Pathetic whining about Cole being left behind when he'd have made no difference what so ever.

It takes a while to build something new and you can't just drop it all and bring back the usual crowd who've consistently failed at the first sign of a set back. Especially when those players have virtually no chance of contributing at the next tournament.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Agree...and before we roll into the "other" options argument

[TBM]

....and was probably the best that we actually have

Possibly, if he'd actually played some football. Pathetic whining about Cole being left behind when he'd have made no difference what so ever.

It takes a while to build something new and you can't just drop it all and bring back the usual crowd who've consistently failed at the first sign of a set back. Especially when those players have virtually no chance of contributing at the next tournament.

Baines is nearly 30, so is it now time to play Shaw/Gibbs if that's what our future is?

[stealthpapes]

Probably change the entire footballing culture among English players and coaching staff from the year dot. Train in technical ability, stop shutting down schools' 'green spaces', ideally try and hope ridiculously remunerated English players realise that they aren't as good as they think they are (don't blame the players for this actually - in fact I don't really blame the players for England's performances hardly at all to be honest). Probably, above all, learn from the gifts and talents of teams such as Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany both in terms of playing and coaching ability and humbly appreciate why they succeed when England don't.
All really been said before and I don't think for a minute any of this will happen.

yeah, basically this.

[stealthpapes]

Nothing really. Apart from burned down fleet street a day before the WC started to make the whole WC experience more enjoyable

I don't think the media attention is any worse in England than in other countries tbh. Don't think that's to blame.

I'd like to think England has an especially poisonous relationship between team and press but yeah, you're probably right.

[stealthpapes]

quoting football365

* We have failed with English managers, we have failed with overseas managers. It's not the manager.

* We have failed in hot climates, we have failed in cold climates, we have failed in equitable climates. It's not the climate.

* We have failed in Europe, Africa, the Far East and South America. It's not the continent.

* We have failed by isolating the players beforehand, we have failed by not isolating them. It's not where they stay.

* We have failed after not preparing everything in minute detail, we have failed by preparing in minute detail. It's not the preparation.

* We have failed playing Wayne Rooney out of position and in position, in the team, out of the team. It's not Wayne.

* We have failed when the Premier League/First Division hardly had any overseas players, we have failed when it is stuffed with overseas players. It's not about nationality.

* We have failed playing 4-4-2, 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 and other variations thereof. It's not the formations.

* We have failed trying to pass the ball, we have failed playing long balls. It's not the length of our balls.

* We have failed with great team spirit, we have failed with poor team spirit. It's not the team spirit.

* We have failed playing a lot of youngsters, we have failed playing a lot of oldsters. It's not their age.

* We have failed trying to have a balance of young and experienced players. It's not the balance.

* We have failed when the side has been placed under great expectations, we have failed when there's been no expectations. It's not the level of expectation.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Bollox to the Cole & Terry debate.

They're the past, and a very sh*t and unsuccessful one at that.

Baines did a great job, didn't he?

Not especially.
But why woulld sticking to past players that have been an integral part of previous failed teams have been progress?