England out

Well another tournament over for England and yet again they were exposed as what they are: a thoroughly average side leagues below the best. I say the best, Italy were not exactly amazing but they dominated possession and chances to a frankly embarrassing level. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this will happen every time until grassroots training changes and that will take time. Germany fell apart towards the end of the 90's with a dramatic world cup exit to Croatia, an awful euro 2000 and of course a certain 5-1 humbling to England a year later. They sorted it out and over time they've developed into arguably the tournament favourites.

England deserve some credit for their graft in the tournament. They worked hard and battled for their lives and fair play to them it's the first time that's been obvious in years. But the truth is, as I said in my last blog, the expectation just because they didn't do quite as badly in an average group as expected was just daft. England cannot keep the ball and haven't been able to for years. Technically and tactically they are hopeless. I would never have chosen Roy Hodgson - England played like Roy Hodgson they were dull and hopelessly limited if hard working and well organised. To be fair, I don't know that a better manager would have done better. England are so poor that a Hodgson approach was probably the only option.

Hope for the future? I'm sorry I can't see where from. Gerrard was England's best player and he's 32 and has probably had his last competition. The fact is they battled their way through to a quarter final not looking convincing and were murdered by a superior team. They played outdated tactics with a one dimensional manager because that's all they were capable of. I don't think Hodgson got all his picks right - Crouch, Richards and Adam Johnson should definitely have been in and there was no need for the frankly risible Stewart Downing or a need to persist with Ashley Young who deserved his place in the squad on the back of his club form but was atrocious in the euros. And Wayne Rooney. Why is it he has to be picked? He had a good tournament in euro 2004. Not a lot since and England looked far better balanced with Carroll and Wellbeck up front. But these are just nit picks - the truth is England would have gone out at this stage no matter what because they're just not very good.

Ratings v Italy:

Hart - 8
Did very well against an onslaught.
Johnson - 7
Battled hard and almost found a way through.
Cole - 6
A truly awful penalty in the shootout but didn't do too badly in the game.
Terry - 7
Worked hard against an onslaught.
Lescott - 6
Like Terry.
Milner - 6
Grafts hard but offers little in creativity terms.
Young - 5
A terrible performance in an awful tournament.
Parker - 7
As ever plenty of hard work.
Gerrard - 6
His quietest game of the tournament, in the shadow of Pirlo.
Welbeck - 5
Isolated and not yet up to this standard, but a decent euros.
Rooney - 5
Frankly terrible.

Subs:

Carroll - 6
Offered more than the other strikers but not a lot.
Walcott - 6
Unable to get into the game.
Henderson - 6
Did nothing wrong but under the cosh.