Baines and Jagielka help England to victory

Leighton Baines, 6 - ThereÂ’s always a bit of an oddity about BainesÂ’s performances for England, which perhaps reveals more about the limitations of HodgsonÂ’s tactical approach. It was also something that was common during the World Cup. The left-back makes a number of runs up the left, which could offer England the opportunity for some dynamic and angled interchanging attacks. The problem is that he is rarely picked out, as England resort to the predictable.

So I see Sterling has caused a stir by complaining he was too tired to play a 2nd game. The Redshite looking after there own, Jags and Baines need to get into top form to kick start our season.

He does create chances, but because he isn't Sterling it doesn't matter. His ball into Rooney was on a plate, and would have been a great assist but for a big air shot.

Harold @4; you've pretty much nailed the whole Baines conundrum. Since Pienaar left for Spurs, there has been a Pienaar-shaped hole in front of Baines and this goes double for England games.

Pienaar had his swansong in his loan prior to his official return and many a true word may indeed be spoken in jest, but he's not been the same player since he cut his dreads off. He now needs a run of games to get fit, but isn't fit enough to play them... mugged again by the Cockney wide boys of Spurs, but this one's down to OFM. Roberto however has been mugged by Chelsea, so blame all round.

I don't think there IS an English Pienaar lurking anywhere... but there might be a Costa Rican one and as I no longer care about England, that will do for me.

If you read the Daily Nazi ratings, they slate him for not making runs, just as the dopey nuggets from ITV did.

Obviously as a Blue, I watched him carefully: he very rarely was in our own half, yet they state he didn't make any runs. He was pretty much playing as a winger.

As usual with the Engerluuund knobs on show, they either (as alluded previously) didn't pass to him when he was in a brilliant position or (my biggest bugbear in football) passed it behind him.

Boring game and overshadowed by that nugget Stirling being tired and/or dropped....

Hodgson is no better than Capello or Erickson and should have been a man and quit after the World Cup. Rooney as a captain works his ass off but the team lacks real class.< p>Seems to me that many players just go through the motions when picked for England... and as Hodgson is giving every English player a cap these days, there seems little esteem in pulling on a three lions shirt.

Baines has been a solid performer but is past his best although under the present system he rarely gets the ball when in good positions out wide. Henderson had a great chance to play him in and then fed a hospital pass.

On another note, Hodgson’s blue-eyed boy, Sterling, is complaining of fatigue and didn’t want to play. Was he up all night playing video games or beating up a woman?

There's plenty of life in the old dog yet. Nowhere near ready and shocked to be picked, he'll need lots of game-time to reach peak fitness.

Like you, I am also an Oviedo fan but he'll never have the "telepathic reverse pass to Baines" accuracy because he is a lefty and Pienaar is all right foot. The little South African cuts inside after receiving the ball off Baines who flies up the wing. With his right foot and without looking, he will reverse pass a perfectly weighted ball to land in Bainsey's path. Hey presto. The defence is in ribbons. We've seen it a million times.

Pity Roy Hodgson hasn't noticed. It's not exactly the world's best kept secret. He either needs a visit to the nearest optician or he has a large space between his ears.

This England team with all the media drooling over their favorite midfielders are the worst England team I have seen for years. The manager is the one to blame as he just wants a team of robots to play in a fixed system.

As far as the pundits go, I never listen to them as it seems their job is only to create controversy with comments of some players that make you wonder if you are watching the same game as them. It does not matter if you played professional or amateur football, the vast majority of supporters know if a player is playing good or bad and do not need an overpaid ex-player to tell them.

Stones was given average comments despite being played out of position, and now they all say what a big miss he is for us out injured! Jags can't do anything right. They just can't stand that Smalling or Jones aren't good enough.

Baines is one of the best attacking left-backs in Europe, but the Liverpool loviees don't pass to him. Twice last night he made great overlaps into space for Sterling, and Mr Fatigue cuts inside and either loses the ball (again!) or passes backwards.

Don't get me started on a 19-year-old NOT WANTING to play for England. If I had traveled all that way, paying good money, I'd expect the players to run through bloody walls to earn that shirt. Rodgers over the road has set a nasty precedent here...

Jags, pretty much did nothing wrong last night but got slated in the papers, averaging about
a 5.5/6

Delph and Rooney both used him spasmodically but his strengths are not used in attacking situations.This diamond tactic is too predictable and there is no plan B.

Wilshire seems to get plaudits but he is very slow and poor in the tackle.I can see him getting mugged by the better sides whose midfielders will run past him.

Jags was as good as anyone on view as far as I am concerned.