England V Italy, Quarter Final 2012 (merged)

[Blue Haze]

Carroll did more from 60' than Rooney did all game. At least Carroll can win headers and gives 100%, not to mention his touch was probably better.

 

[Rocket-footed kolarov]

Joe should have taken one of the pens. Doesnt look great that he picked the wrong way for all 4 scored pens, though.

Woohoo! 6000.

Did n't he go the right way for Balotelli's Penalty, although that one is irrelevant as I don't think Mario will ever fail to convert a penalty kick.

I remember when that idiot Rooney tweeted about the Toure brothers exit from the African Cup of Nations.....Ah well Wayne send a tweet now you twat

Well said, the difference of course is that they were the far and away best team in the tournament and lost on pens despite not conceding a goal for the whole competition.

Italy had the advantage going in to the shootout anyway as most of their takers are specialists for their clubs where as we had Cole and Young; who despite taking them at AV was never really convincing and was behind Milner, and Jimmmy definitely would have put his away.

 

[lust overlord]

I thought the BBC panel summed things up correctly,no lack of effort and team spirit.Just a lack of everything else that makes a top side.
Rooney and Ashley young were woeful in all the match time they had.The rest had mostly good or average performances.
Tonight Hodgson got his tactics completely wrong too.

 

[mike channon´s windmill]

Balo penalty was a decent one if you ask me, but if he played better in front for the whole game penalty shootout wouldn`t be necessary at all. Simples.

Good game, really enjoyable despite lack of goals in 90 minutes.
The team that most off you wrote off long ago, was very close to reaching semis. Not a bad achievement after all.

Looking forward to England-Poland WC qualifier already :)

So you should be - you´ll beat us

 

[intheknow!]

Lot of hate here for Hodgson - give him a break; I thought he got a relative silk purse out of a pigs ear. We just don't have the players - Joe and the defence did well as did Wellbeck in my mind. Seriously lacking in midfield Gerrard and Parker pretty anonymous; and while on the topic of Gerrard does anyone else think he is a totally unispirational skipper?

He really didn't. He's wedded to 4-4-2, when the rest of Europe has moved on and he chose to play negative defensive tactics, he chose the players, he chose to play for penalties and he chose to play Ashley Young every minute of every game. Roy Hodgson is NOT the man to lead England, he's part of the problem. England don't produce the players because we don't have good enough coaches to coach them. Stuart Pearce and Roy Hodgson in charge of the England National team and the U21's is embarrassing!

 

[GazBaz18]

Can we go back to hating rags now everyone?

These four games made me hate Young even more.

Totally useless, plus a diver and a choker.

Ashley young is awful, and they brought Milner off before him.

 

[Rhineland]

I feel sorry for England, but at the end of the day Roy Hodgson's rather simple approach towards some sort of game plan - to soak up the pressure, forget about any real try for counter attack and only rely on Gerrard's crosses from free kicks - didn't pay off. It's harsh to go out on penalties, but Italy deserved to win it. Pirlo and De Rossi are pure quality! Hope that they will be tired when they face Germany on Thursday, but I bet they won't be...

 

[afhald]

MoTm = Pirlo pure class.

I'm very happy for my nation, but i feel what means to lose at penalty..anyway well done England; i hope you will support Italy (and Mario ofc) for the last 2 matches :)

 

[Zealot87]

Pirlo is pure class, really.

BTW, buy De Rossi.He could give to MC an incredible boost, really an oustanding player.

 

[citymad]

You've got to laugh at folks who say Rooney is world class. You only had to look at this game to see how overrated this fucker is. Did absolutley nothing all game except for the penalty. As for Young i knew he'd miss a) because he's wank and did nothing all game and b) his face before the kick said he was cacking himself. Hodgson has to take a part blame, you don't let players who've had a shit tournament take a penalty.
Only players who come out with any credit is Lescott, Terry, Johnson and Hart.