.. in a nice break from worrying about the Millers, it's good to see a proper down to earth bloke in Charge of England, who can see what we see, and will give it his all to make us succeed.. good luck big Sam..
He will need all the luck that is going. The tough truth is that we just don't have enough top class players at our disposal. No manager can alter that in the time they get in the job. They are there to qualify for the next tournament and get to the quarter finals or better, not to re-shape the future of the game. Same old same old last night. We will qualify (again) and we will disappoint when the tournament comes round (again). Anyhow at least the Hart issue might get sorted soon. Judging by Big Sam's comments Rooney might be in goal for the next game if he fancies it. 'I'm not going to tell him where to play'. I couldn't believe my ears. One thing I did learn from last night is that Wayne Rooney shouldn't be our first choice left back.
It is NY. And he was barely a midfielder. Any competent pro can pick the ball up off defenders in deep areas under no pressure and pop it off to someone else. That is all he did for 90 minutes. I'm not being a Rooney Basher for the sake of it but if he isn't going to offer or is no longer capable of offering any attacking threat then pick someone who is. For the manager then to say he can play where he wants is staggering.
Also, I said it before the Euros, we need to have Carroll in the squad for when they park the bus - we have no one who can head the ball down into the box from a ball over the top. Not pretty but side steps the 9 man defence.
Can't go reputation & transfer fee paid for them or club wages they're on. Sterling can't play on the right wing, looked alot better when Walcott came on. Can never understand why Walker plays instead of Clyne. Vardy got to be better than Kane or Sturridge. Sooner see Rashford given chance up front. We're average at centre backs & midfield. Dier & Henderson? no Ali. Rooney sooner see Noble. Hope some centre backs come through for next world cup finals, Cahill?
You don't need world beaters anymore - Wales had more than 50% championship players and look how they did with being hard to beat, knowing their jobs and playing their guts out. While Bale had a good qualifying campaign overall, he was largely ordinary, and yes they had a bit of luck but no matter how good you are you always need a dose of that at tournament football.
Sunday was the usual dullness. Watching England has got ever more dire over the last 20 years, funny how that ties in with the creation of the PL isn't it? - Quite simply those arrogant overpaid pre Madonna's don't give a hoot - they'd rather get it over and done with & return to their mansions, Maserati's, trophy wife's & faith healers.
Pulling on the national shirt used to be the be all and end all for any professional footballer, these day's it's an annoyance of one's success, like paparazzi's.
The real football these days is down where the likes of Salford City is, where you can get your whole family in for next to nowt, know that your purchases mean something, have a beer during the game and even have a bit of banter with the players and managers. I wish we had a club like that down here.