Roy Hodgson's Tactical Flaws Exposing Baines for England

Henderson failed to get close enough to Pirlo on enough occasions but there was a real need for them to stay central and try to prevent the Italians just playing through the middle.

The major fault for me was, as some pundits stressed, the failure of our wide players to react appropriately when the Italians committed numbers down our left flank.

Everybody wants to be a fancy dan, too much playing FIFA games on their consoles.

Silly me, I used to think this was down to the manager and the captain with over 100 caps to his name. Rooney is also meant to be an England great, you would think he could read the fucking game by now wouldn't you?

Too many of them are out for personal glory - with Rooney & Gerrard the main culprits. Fuck 'em all.

You can't dump the ball on Baines and turn your back, or switch it wide to him on his own against two opponents and expect to be successful.

I don't think anyone who really knows their football held Baines to blame on Saturday, it was clear what was going on, but as England fans we said we wanted to be attacking and have a go. We picked three strikers and a winger so can't really complain now that we weren't as solid at the back. That was the trade-off Roy made and it was what the fans and media were asking for.

Given the squad we have with us, Lallana for Welbeck solves this problem, by providing slightly more balance to the midfield, as Lallana's instincts are different to Welbeck's.

However, word on the street is that Welbeck will start on the left, Sterling on the right and Rooney behind Sturridge, but the England camp are constantly pointing out that they see these three positions, and even Sturridge, as interchangeable within a match. This is something I applaud, we can't moan that we lose out on something when we know the risk we've taken.

Baines whilst not a perfect left back has been as consistant as any. Many fullbacks these days make their names by being better offensively as are Cole and Johnston.

However I felt Johnson was expected to be the only one to attack whilst Baines was to be more defensive but the designated wing backs did not do their jobs. Sometimes it was supposed to be Rooney and when he switched with Sterling it was the RS man who was suppose to help and it didn’t happen.

Italy cleverly exposed this weakness as neither Rooney nor Sterling can tackle.

Overall none of the England players shone but having said that they should have had at least a draw but Italy always seem to get a result when they don’t necessarily play well and this Italian team are inferior to many of the past except for talisman Pirlo.

I would expect changes for tomorrow’s game but wouldn’t be surprised if Hodgson stuck by his guns and went with the same starting eleven although I personally would drop Sterling , move Rooney alongside Welbeck and play Lallana or Barklay.

After 30(?) years of defensive coaching he has lost his head and listened to the fans (to avoid critisism?) A young, talented, skillful group of players. But so unbalanced. Anyway, England can still get through the group stages with 4 points.

After 30(?) years of defensive coaching he has lost his head and listened to the fans (to avoid critisism?) A young, talented, skillfull group of players. But so unbalanced. Anyway, England can still get through the group stages with 4 points.

Apart from the lack of cover, there was very little (Eng) link up play on the left. Watching actually made me appreciate (more) the job Pienaar does for us.

BTW, for the goal, even though the cross came in, I thought Jones had plenty of time to get across and at least put Balotelli off. In my books, that was poor defending.

Here is a crazy idea – They could play Shaw at LB and Baines as DM (L)!

Actually, there was an article around a couple of months ago about Martinez looking to convert Baines to that role (a la Philipp Lahm).

Unless Roy can find someone and some way to use him properly, he will be always hung out on his own to flap in the breeze on the left.

If he can't be used properly, don't play him at all.

I lost count of the number of times he offered, only to be ignored by an RS "team mate" preferring to turn inside to trust the devil he knows.

To get the best out of Baines you have to use him, it was frustrating to see him getting caught between two stools when poor decision making by other players, repeatedly gave the Italians the opportunity to counter.

I agree, with KT, too many of these pricks seek only personal glory, but I also think Leighton should know that by now.

I'd love him to show the world what he can do, but if he is ignored again tonight and Roy's Boys go out, I sincerely hope its the last time we see him in an England shirt.

Give him the ball, FFS!

All the nonsense about Cole (never very good, OK at tackling attackers who happened to come near wherever he was standing for the half) does not explain how he would have coped unsupported when two or even three Italian players ran at him.

Furthermore, Rooney, for all his faults, is meant to be an attacking player operating mainly in the opponents half, even when his team is under pressure. And in the kind of climate that they were playing in, belting up and down the pitch would have resulted in him being completely spent after half an hour.

No the fault lies entirely in the midfield. There wasn't one, especially on the left side. Gerrard was his usual useless self, but being slower than ever didn't manage to get close enough to give one of his signature two feet off the ground, studs-up tackles on an opponent who was lying on the ground. Henderson looked about as effective as I would have been.

Much though I think him poor and overrated, I doubt that even Lampard would have been so signally useless as not to have seen the Italians overloading the England left and getting involved.

Incidentally, I see that Australia had a really good striker who has scored in every game so far, including possibly the best goal of the tournament to date. Certainly he looked a lot better than Lukaku. I wonder if we could sign him...

Players (presumably) are selected for internationals because they perform really well for their club sides.

Baines performs really well (best) for Everton when there is a decent link-man ahead of him.

Someone who he can form an understanding with.

As you suggest, at Everton, Pienaar is that man (and Oviedo made a decent fist of it when asked).

To play Baines in the way that Hodgson has, is fucking pointless.

What has got Baines to international level is his ability to attack and to help the attack.

Yes he's a more than competent full back from a defensive point of view, but even Everton supporters don't see him has an impassible stonewall.

The whole England set-up makes me laugh, hundreds of millions of pounds are thrown at it, there's academies all over the show, there's never-ending discussion and genius players who are going to do this and that and 'terrify the opposition by running at them' and the reality is they're fucking clueless.

For all the planning and talk of systems and positions and 'dropping into the hole' etc blah, against Italy, the 'plan' looked like little more than 'Chaaaaaarge!!'

And because of that, a 36 year old Italian made them look like puddins.

It baffles me how only we can see this. I don't know if there is an ineptitude amongst the English media (of course there is) or whether they are just blinded by their long standing loyalties to certain clubs/players.

Gerrard does not have the legs and is becoming more and more prone to errors. He is covered at Liverpool by Lucas. Johnson too is suspect defensively but again he has Lucas in front of him.

Every really good team defends all over the pitch and our forwards did not do this part of their game. If you watch players when they do not have the ball, it becomes clear that certain players stop running when they are not in possession. Pienaar runs throughout the game and is a great foil for Baines, as is McCarthy for Coleman. Barcelona were brilliant at it a few years ago but now their midfielders are getting too old to sustain that side of the game. We had Wellbeck, Rooney, Sterling and Sturridge who all stayed upfield and did not close down the Uruguay defence.

Hart for some reason was jittery and this transferred to the defenders. Jags had a poor game but so did the rest of the defence and the so-called defensive midfield. Rooney missed five really good chances over the two matches and Sturridge missed at least two or three. Italy and Uruguay missed far less and Suarez missed none!!!

But I said before the game that Suarez would score as Jags can't seem to handle him. I hope Martinez has taken note and makes changes when we play the RS next season. A 4-4-2 with Jags & Distin is always going to struggle against players of this quality.

Unfortunately Hodgson went overboard by using his two defensive midfielders also as de facto attackers. Combine that with two of the games most attacking fullbacks and there you have a recipe for disaster.

I have just read that the old chap will keep his job. Lord help us!

Why in seven hells would anyone think "Ashley Cole should have played"? – would we reach the semis then, Mark? I actually agree Baines has had a poor World Cup but for the various reasons stated above. Also, he is in good company alongside every other player who took part in those two games.

This is something I find particularly disrespectful in the media, the Ashley Cole question. He wasn't selected. Luke Shaw was. if Baines is found wanting then play Shaw, don't undermine two players by harping on about one over-hyped absentee who has achieved nothing for England, is on the decline, and won't do England any good in the future.

My point is, those great, experienced, quality players failed time and time again at every major tournament they played in, so what's the point in bringing them back?

Barkley's the new white hope but one or two poor games and the media will turn on him like they've done with Rooney. I feel sorry for the kid tbh.

Baines was left exposed at the back and had nobody willing to give-and-go when going forward. If we're not going to play to his strengths then you are right Mark, Cole should have played. Hell, stick Liam Ridgewell in there if you just want some lump who can defend.

Hodgson's big mistake was building a team around under-achieving 'star' players (Gerrard, Rooney), rather than building a balanced team.

Everyone was poor but our boys were by no means the worst and Ashley Cole wouldn't even have lasted til half-time in that Italy game before throwing the towel in and moaning about the lack of support.

The best DM in the Premier League last season, who was English, was deemed too old to play, yet older players were selected. The defence was exposed by playing two players who really let their club down all season. Some say Jags is not good enough, but to be fair to him and Cahill, they were left with no cover much of the time and then when the cover was available (see the goals against) they showed repeatedly that they got to their man but failed to make or win the challenges. How can any defender rely on that kind of second-rate cover?

Up front was just shambolic. Most posters on this site could have picked a more cohesive front four. There was no balance and the huge downside was only Rooney made the effort to track back, leaving a poor midfield to be over-run hence causing the defence to be caught out.

England need a new and progressive man at the helm. If Bobby were England manager, I would expect them to reach the semi-finals, simply because – with a game plan, the right players, and most of all belief – anything is possible.

And in matches against Italy and Uruguay, why weren't Pirlo (Italy) and Suarez (Uruguay) man-marked? Instead of being given license to roam as their best players? Both contributed normally to England being defeated in both matches.

At every opportunity, both of them would add their presence to our crowded attack. Any chance of creating space for crossing opportunities was blocked their own team mates. That stupidity was compounded with both fullbacks almost continually over the half way line at the same time. Thus leaving vast areas of space in our own half patrolled by just two centre backs.

If anything I would describe England's defensive set up as 2 with an 8-man attack.

Footballers are simple souls. I am a firm believer in old school 'walk through a brick wall' for a Cloughie/Shankly type of manager is what's required for success at any level.

Psychologists, faith healers, or voodoo priests are not the answer unfortunately. As soon as you start using these type of mental crutches, some sportsmen can no doubt suffer by over-analysing their game or changing what comes naturally on the pitch.

It seems Hodgson is bullet-proof after all.

Players shouldn't need to be motivated to play a World Cup in Brazil ffs. Any who do should've been sent back on the first plane in a straight jacket.

How sports psychology has changed for England. In 1966 it consisted of:

a) at the end of 90 mins prior to extra time, Sir Alf not letting any of the players sit down so as not to show the Germans they were tired;

b) Harold Shepperton (big lad) getting a grip of Nobby Stiles by the throat in the bog pre game and ’asking’ him... "You’re not going to let Alf down, are you???" ... Nobby shakes head

Four of the attacking players wanted to play in the middle where there is only two places available. One of those should have been Rooney’s and the other Sturridge to play off him. You can’t put square pegs into round holes. Instead, Roy bottles it and couldn’t face the possible flak from the media for benching a Redshite player and Welbeck.

Across the rest of the park, unfortunately England just don’t have good enough alternatives to Johnson, Henderson or Hart who is shaky. England need a manager who’s strong and will deal with the media on his terms not theirs. England were exposed as a bunch of "me, me, me" media darlings but weren’t united as a team. Look at Chile, they would die for one another.

Talk on SSN that Stevie slip-up might announce his retirement – big fucking deal and about fucking time the donkey was gone.

England players failed when it mattered in both games after tying things up. Hodgson was just not the man and the pre-tournament games were the indicator.

Form at club level does not always translate onto the world stage and part of his starting eleven proved that yet he inexplicably couldn't see that after the Italy game. The back four and the two in front were all over the place although, despite what others have said, I still think Rooney played well.

Regardless of the Costa Rica game, a shake-up is needed – and that will start with Hodgson going.

What idiot left him out of the England squad, I do not know

Yet, we managed to reach the semi-finals and lost only on penalties to the hosts.

That wanker Waddle doesn’t know how to take a decent penalty. Here’s wishing the great Bobby Robson was still alive...

A bit of game management and a good bounce of the ball and England could so easily have been into the next round. All the media has gone on about is how poor Baines and Jags have performed but as Jason Roberts said if you wanted a left back who doesn't go forward you would have picked Cole, Terry didn't want to play for England and therefore was left at home.

It was very disappointing and I also think that Roy Hodgson wasn't strong enough by playing players out of position he was asking for trouble and he got it. Too many of England's elite players think they run the gaff and they should be told in no uncertain terms to put up and shut up.

The thing that has really got my back up is the new fad that if players aren't performing in the CL then they shouldn't be considered for national duty. That would have meant that almost every player in the England squad shouldn't have been picked as the Liverpool and Everton contingent haven't had CL football in the last 3 or 4 years. CL football hasn't done much for the Spanish team this time around has it?

I do agree with your CL point though.

To top it off, Woy put Henderson in for Gerrard as a minder! A minder for what exactly? We all knew Gerrard did not have the legs for Brazilian heat and South American opposition. He was taught a lesson (along with Hendo) on how to cruise through a game against a piss poor side in second gear by Pirlo in my opinion.

I also agree with what Andrew (2) has said that we have no holding midfielder coming through. We need to have a solid disciplined ball winner and ball recycler , most good teams have one , England do not. Not even sure what the answer is there but again Woy did nothing to even search for the answer.

Although we have no obvious candidate for a New England manager I’d say bye bye to Woy if I had it my way as he’s clueless.

Lastly, why oh why did he play Lallana all year in a build up to World Cup if he was going change his mind last minute and play Sterling? Sterling spent half the season as back up to Courtinho before finding a bit of form in the final few months, surely it would have made perfect sense to have his pace as an asset when teams are tiring and stick with Lallana whom the team was used to !

Same here. Woy had no idea how to best use Baines.

He has been creating more chances in the top league in the world over the past few years than any other defender in world football and Woy clearly give him no licence to roam until the last 30 mins or so against Uruguay.

Same situation v Costa Rica where Shaw, who is also a creative full back barely left his half too! Can’t be coincidence can it?