England

[TylerB]

Nice to see us playing with something like an identity at last this evening, albeit against the poorest Dutch side there's been in many years. The final ball wasn't there often enough but everything else was excellent tonight. They kept posession with a purpose for the majority, and defended as well as I've seen them defend. Italy will offer a much sterner test on Tuesday so let's see if we can build further on tonight's game.

 

Pickford 7

 

Rose 7 (just about)

Gomez n/a

Stones 8

Walker 7

Tripper 8

 

Henderson 8

Lingard 8

Oxlade 7

 

Sterling 7

Rashford 7

 

Subs:

 

Maguire 7

Alli 4

Welbeck 6

Vardy 5

Dier n/a

 

 

Alli was woeful and at this moment in time I'd be starting Lingard ahead of him every day of the week.

[toyahw]

We did kind of okay. Lot's to work on but the Dutch were pretty impressed. I thought we lacked a bit of intensity, giving the guy on the ball too much time. Not getting forward quick enough when we won the ball. And the eye-watering butt clenching ******* around with it at the back.

 

I thought everyone did okay today. Name one - Sterling. He gets so much ****. Give the lad a break. Dutch media had Henderson as the difference between the teams. Didn't see that myself but Ruud Gullit knows what he is talking about. Right?

 

All in all not too shabby. I thought the God Save Our Team chants were pretty funny from the England fans.

 

Atmosphere was good. No problem.

[TylerB]

We did kind of okay. Lot's to work on but the Dutch were pretty impressed. I thought we lacked a bit of intensity, giving the guy on the ball too much time. Not getting forward quick enough when we won the ball. And the eye-watering butt clenching ******* around with it at the back.

 

I thought everyone did okay today. Name one - Sterling. He gets so much ****. Give the lad a break. Dutch media had Henderson as the difference between the teams. Didn't see that myself but Ruud Gullit knows what he is talking about. Right?

 

All in all not too shabby. I thought the God Save Our Team chants were pretty funny from the England fans.

 

Atmosphere was good. No problem.

 

Henderson dd his job superbly well. He gave it away a couple of times but more often than not found an England player, and plenty of his passes were forward and got England going the right way. He also broke up play superbly. I still think he's searching for his best form after recent injuries but he's never been half as bad as some people insist. For once we're not expected to do anything in the World Cup this summer and playing without the pressure that comes with that we might just do alright and surprise a few people.

 

Pickford

 

Rose

Maguire

Stones

Dier

Walker

 

Henderson

Wilshere

Lingard

 

Sterling

Kane

 

Subs:

 

Butland

Gomez

Young

Trippier

Oxlade/Lallana

Alli

Rashford

 

I liked the look of the back 5 tonight and wouldn't see a big reason to change it, though I'd probably play Dier in the back three and put Walker where Tripper was tonight. Gomez is going to be an excellent player but he's had too many injuries this season and picked up another tonight, so this might be one tournament too soon for him to be a regular. Alli's standards have dropped massively this season, as expected for a 21 year old really. Rashford I wouldn't have any worries about starting but I do think he's better as a striker than a wide player, but he's not going to get in ahead of Kane in that formation. If Wilshere doesn't play for the remainder of the season then either Oxlade or Lallana should come in for him, although the latter also needs to find some form and a place in the Liverpool side too.

[toyahw]

A lot of players did their cause no halm tonight. McGuire is worth a mention. We're no world beaters, if we can just put a decent side together that could put up a decent effort, that will do for me.

 

Pickford did well. We were decent to be honest. But the Dutch really are toss at the moment. On the other hand they have a new manager and nothing to lose.

 

A quiet word for Ashley Young. He does a job. How the hell old is he?

[toyahw]

The subs were more lined up for the over the top game. We didn't do that. So they were wasted.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

Didn't see tonight's (meaningless) friendly against a clearly sub-standard Dutch side.......but :-

 

I despise Henderson (obviously only in a footballing sense, don't know him as a person!) and I don't see what he offers as an international, let alone a regular starter, let even more alone the f-ing captain!........let's see how he does in the World Cup when he comes up against quality opposition!

 

Still think we're as poor as we have been for many a year, with an FA "yes-man" in charge who's essentially a Championship-standard manager.

 

Saying that, with the World Cup draw as it is, we should be getting to the Quarters, where we'll get pasted by the first half-decent team that we come up against. (that's not really counting the Belgians in the final group game, where we should both already be qualified for the last-16 by the time we meet each other.)

[toyahw]

Surprisingly enough, the Dutch pundits were gushing about Henderson. They reckoned he ran the show.

[philpvfc]

Henderson possibly had his best game for England, played well. The Dutch were shocking, easily the worst Dutch team I’ve ever seen, even Panama will be tougher opponents in the World Cup.

[TylerB]

Henderson possibly had his best game for England, played well. The Dutch were shocking, easily the worst Dutch team I’ve ever seen, even Panama will be tougher opponents in the World Cup.

 

He played exactly how he does for Liverpool most weeks, and is why Klopp and other managers have rated him. A lot of his best work goes somewhat unnoticed. He can be a bit too safe sometimes with his passing but I'd rather him pass the ball across the pitch 10 yards than hit a 40 yard ball forward to the opposition all the time.

 

I know you don't rate him at all so fair play for at least seeing that he did have a positive game last night in his role.

[TylerB]

What England really lack is a play-maker. Someone that can thread a through ball or create a bit of magic from nothing. Lallana and Wilshere when in the team will help bring some flair and creativity when at their best, but neither player can be truly relied upon for different reasons. We hoped that Ross Barkley could be that guy as he has the natural talent but just doesn't have any consistency in his game whatsoever, and also has zero game intelligence.