Cloete said:
Yeah that's a really poor show. Every single shootout...
Teams are just trying for 0-0's now so they can take you lot to penalties. Also you'd think the players would practice their penalties every 2 years between the euro and the wc. You need to start teaching the youth players penalties along with the obvious skills they're alerady learning.
I suppose it's all the pressure from back home. So much riding on each kick. Still, I would have loved to see Postiga score from another chip from the spot. I love seeing that carefree attituded in such a pressure filled environment
Typicial English, never learn from the past.
Euro 96 and 2004 England were knocked out in a penalty shoot-out, and in the World Cup in 1990 and '98 and still get knocked out, either Eriksson is an idiot for not getting them to practise penalties, or the players don't have the bottle for it (would that make them over hyped?).
If people like Lampard, Gerrard (just using them as an example, just like Beckham) can score crucial penalties for their clubs, and in very big matches (like EPL and in Europe), then why not for England where the pressure is already pretty big? I realise players aren't robots and they have their off days, but this has happened far too many times and it is not acceptable.
I'm glad Eriksson is gone, too many chopping and changing, too many needless experiements, too many different formations, I realise players get injured and suspended, but not change just for the sake of it? Do you want 4-4-2, or 4-5-1? Make up your mind.
Hopefully McLaren will be different, although I do fear with him is that he will play one way and England could be a goal or two down, and then he goes for broke by throwing on strikers in the 65th minute looking for a miracle. I agree that Stuart pierce should be the number 2, some players need a kick the backside (the way Wayne Rooney has acted on occassions has need this) and need motivating.