England v Montenegro

[MuespachRam]

Manager and players equally to blame IMO.

The lack of urgency throughout most of last night's display was worrying. It was mentioned numerous times during the commentary about the tempo of the game, it was just sooooo slow. On the odd occasion that we did up it, we looked more capable of scoring as we easily sliced their defence apart. Sadly, we did it, and then thought better of it and slowed things down again.

Have to say, there are certain players that shouldn't be anywhere near an England team, and are most likely only there due to a lack of options.

How Barry continues to get into the team is beyond me, he's s sh1te. Likewise SWP, I don't rate Downing but he's better than SWP, and where was Wilshere? Also didn't rate Glen Johnson's performance, seemed like every pass managed to find the nearest Montenegro player.

Still think we'll finish top as we'll score more goals than Montenegro against the other sides in the group, plus they'll have to beat us, which I don't see happening, even at their place.

You are spot on Staffs...the lack of options available for the Don is frightening..

I thought Barry was shocking last night (although I thought he was really good against Switzerland), SWP is just not good enough, Rooney really does have too much on his little mind because he just wasn't in the game at all, Crouch as always was completely useless and Glen johnsons is just about the worst defender I have ever seen play football at any level.

We will win the group easily enough though.

And on the plus side..what a GREAT result in Basel last night..!! ha ha ha

[Hartley Hare]

Quick....look over there...another bandwagon for you to jump on...

Obviously the managers fault if the team can't break down a very organised and solid team.

He is on 6 million pounds a second you know...get rid of him...

oh...and I have just found something else out about him....did you know he was Italian.... oh my word, this is shocking...

Get 'Arry in....

If the manager's not responsible then why is it so important to get "the best" and pay him a ridiculous top whack? Surely a top manager will be able to direct his players to break down a 3rd division (at best) team? That's what happens at club level. Or is it all down to the players now? Who's idea was it to keep looping 40 yard balls across the field all night, even when the Montenegrans were looking for them and dealing with them comfortably after only 10 minutes? I thought you said we could win the world cup with a top manager - don't tell me we're going to be disappointed again, are we?

[Hartley Hare]

You are spot on Staffs...the lack of options available for the Don is frightening..

I thought Barry was shocking last night (although I thought he was really good against Switzerland), SWP is just not good enough, Rooney really does have too much on his little mind because he just wasn't in the game at all, Crouch as always was completely useless and Glen johnsons is just about the worst defender I have ever seen play football at any level.

We will win the group easily enough though.

And on the plus side..what a GREAT result in Basel last night..!! ha ha ha

Ah right, so because "the Don" can't go out and buy players anymore, like he did when he was successful at club level, all of a sudden it's not his fault if the team play poorly. In that case the inverse is also true - he can't take the credit if the team play well.

Montenegro are a poor team, they are no world beaters, we should have enough players in this country who are good enough to see them off, especially at home. No excuses, doesn't matter who was missing. Enough people were saying Terry was poor not so long ago so I guess we didn't miss him, and Lampard and Gerrard allegedly can't play together either, so we didn't miss Lamps either. Surprise, surprise, Kevin Davies got booked! Wonder what odds you'd have gotten on that before the match....

Quite how the tv commentator could say that the performances in South Africa were fading into distant memory when he sends a team out to play like they did last night, I just don't know. No improvement on the World Cup, whatsoever. And yes, Capello's pay packet is an issue because it sets an expectation - and he's not meeting it.

[MuespachRam]

Ah right, so because "the Don" can't go out and buy players anymore, like he did when he was successful at club level, all of a sudden it's not his fault if the team play poorly. In that case the inverse is also true - he can't take the credit if the team play well.

Montenegro are a poor team, they are no world beaters, we should have enough players in this country who are good enough to see them off, especially at home. No excuses, doesn't matter who was missing. Enough people were saying Terry was poor not so long ago so I guess we didn't miss him, and Lampard and Gerrard allegedly can't play together either, so we didn't miss Lamps either. Surprise, surprise, Kevin Davies got booked! Wonder what odds you'd have gotten on that before the match....

Quite how the tv commentator could say that the performances in South Africa were fading into distant memory when he sends a team out to play like they did last night, I just don't know. No improvement on the World Cup, whatsoever. And yes, Capello's pay packet is an issue because it sets an expectation - and he's not meeting it.

Kevin Davies put in by far and away the best attacking display of the night, the only time we really looked like causing them any probelms was when he was on the pitch so let's not go there..

Terry is poor, we don't miss him one bit.

Lampard is poor, we don't miss him one bit.

Montenegro played well above themselves last night, and the players we had didn't perform, that is always the players AND the managers fault... Bbut guess what...Manchester United don't win every game they play...netiher do Chelsea etc etc etc but that doesn't mean that Ferguson or Ancelotti are bad managers.

Capello was the best manager in the world when we got him, his record can never be questioned.

[Day]

A couple of things I would fault Cappello on last night, first is playing Johnson on the right and Young on the left, it doesn't make any sense to me playing wingers on opposite they're weaker sides. They will always be looking to come back inside on the stronger foot where as a quick whipped in cross could find Crouch in the centre.

The tempo was far too slow and the few times we broke them down it was done by playing at a higher tempo, with 20 minutes to go and Barry playing ***** why not bring Wilshere on and go for the win?

Rooney shouldn't be anywhere near the England team at the moment, he's being picked because of who he is and not on form which Cappello said he would pick players on. He needs to be left out the squad and made to prove he is worth a place at United before being selected again.

[Hartley Hare]

Kevin Davies put in by far and away the best attacking display of the night, the only time we really looked like causing them any probelms was when he was on the pitch so let's not go there..

Terry is poor, we don't miss him one bit.

Lampard is poor, we don't miss him one bit.

Montenegro played well above themselves last night, and the players we had didn't perform, that is always the players AND the managers fault... Bbut guess what...Manchester United don't win every game they play...netiher do Chelsea etc etc etc but that doesn't mean that Ferguson or Ancelotti are bad managers.

Capello was the best manager in the world when we got him, his record can never be questioned.

You're right Michel , Fergie and Ancelotti don't win every game, but they know where their strengths lie. They're club managers, not international managers. They also would have struggled in an environment where players have to be developed and not just bought, just like Capello is struggling now. And that's why they've stayed as club managers. And while they don't win every match, they do win titles and tournaments.

Tell me honestly that you can see Capello as the difference between this group of England players winning a tournament and not winning a tournament - because if he isn't that difference, if he can't get any more out of these players than anyone else in terms of results and tournament placings, then we don't need him and he shouldn't be in the job. Nothing to do with his nationality, only his competence in the job. Because it still looks to me that if he can't buy his way out of a problem with new players, then he's stuck - and last night's performance didn't do anything to dispell that personal opinion. Once again I say, Capelllo is a successful club manager, proven by his record, and a dissapointing national team manager, also proven by his record. Not opinion, but facts.

[Hucknall Ram]

With the best manager or not, we are not good enough to win the world cup or euro cup

[Hartley Hare]

With the best manager or not, we are not good enough to win the world cup or euro cup

My point exactly, Hucknall Ram.

[JohnClement]

Good teams have passing and movement based on a quality midfield. We never have that, instead preferring a lot of players up front and just letting them use their individual skill. Last night was essentially 4-2-4 a ridiculous formation, and because of injutries & loss of form, the 4 up front players do not have the skill levels to beat competent well organised defenses. Get more in midfileld 4-5-1 and make the midfield players run and pass and cover more ground, instead of just shifting the ball, often with long balls from zone to zone.

[MuespachRam]

My point exactly, Hucknall Ram.

I completely agree too.

But we need to increase our chances of doing this by employing the best manager.

[Hucknall Ram]

The "best manager" in the world change month by month, like players. We have got one of the best managers in the world, got more or less the same group of players and we still (what alot of fans would say) failed.

The issue for me is not so much the players or manager but the number/level of coaches and investment at grass root levels. It won't be a quick fix, Spain proof of this after a failed at euro96 and japan 98, they had a major change in how football was run, but it's taken nearly 12-14 years to see the benefits.

[Day]

The "best manager" in the world doesn't exsist, it's all individual opinions. Some people ring into Radio Derby and say Nigel Clough should be the next England manager, can't imagine who they think the "best manager" in the world is.

[Hartley Hare]

I completely agree too.

But we need to increase our chances of doing this by employing the best manager.

Yes we do, but we're not going forward with Capello, we're going backwards. Even Sven, bless him, got us to 2 world cup quarter-finals - with Capello, we're humiliated in the second round, and he tells the world that we played well when getting hammered 4-1.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/27/world-cup-england-germany1

I dread to think what the score would have been if we'd played badly.

He said from day 1 that players would be picked on form and not reputation. Both Rooney and Ferdinand playing last night gives the lie to that - Rooney because he's clearly out of form, Ferdinand because he has no form havig just come back from injury. Capello has all the air of a man struggling, but too proud to walk away.

I'm sorry, but he doesn't show any evidence of being a good manager in his current role. Whatever he's done before is irrelevent, it's his performance now that's the issue. I don't know if it's a good thing or not that the next qualifier isn't until March. One thing's for sure - if we don't play well and beat Wales, who will certainly be up for the game and looking to play above themselves every bit as much as Montenegro allegedly did last night, then he's in real trouble.

And he'd certainly drop out of the top 5 of the "world's best manager's" league table.....

[Malmoram]

In my opinion, we were just too predictable and most reasonably well organised sides would have kept us out. In the main, using two wingers is not the answer, teams just stay solid in the middle. We made little or no attempt to pull them out of position. around their penalty area. In the first half I felt that the team were playing in a way that was alien to them. They were just passing the ball around and Montenegro were happy to sit back and stay organised. We will probably still win the group but I crave a bit of excitement from the national team.

[Whoneedshuls]

What a load of crap, only saw the second half but it was like watching Derby from last season

thank god u said last season lol reckon we could beat em at the min

[CumbrianRam]

Capello has been the England manager for almost 3 years and he still struggles to speak English, I wonder how clear his communication to the players is?

[trigger]

Capello has been the England manager for almost 3 years and he still struggles to speak English, I wonder how clear his communication to the players is?

good point cumbrian,

a manager needs to gain the respect of players straight away,

if some primma donna takes a dislike to him and uses his influence on other players then im afraid yhe manager might as well leave, thats why a strong manager with good player communication skill is imperative to succeed in the job,

just take a look at clough at leeds, his job had failed before it started!

[Alex W]

I couldn't care less about them.

England are supposed to represent their country. How does a footballer who earns £120,000 a week represent me? They are in a totally different world to most people.

I like a few of them, Joe Hart seems a really decent bloke and i've always liked Steven Gerrards attitude, but I just don't care anymore about them. They proved that they didn't care in South Africa.

John Terry came out with "Of course we care about playing for England" crap, and yet he and Upson played like two 18 year olds in a pub league. Do they really give a crap? No.

I'd much rather watch the England C team, non league lads who live real lives.

[Day]

Capello still has the best win percentage (68.75%) and averaged the most goals per game (2.28) in modern era with his "communication problems", compare that with English speaking ex England managers.....

Glenn Hoddle 59.26%

Steve McClaren 50%

Bobby Robson 49.47%

Graham Taylor 47.37%

Terry Venables 45.83%

[Dangerous]

I couldn't care less about them.

England are supposed to represent their country. How does a footballer who earns £120,000 a week represent me? They are in a totally different world to most people.

I like a few of them, Joe Hart seems a really decent bloke and i've always liked Steven Gerrards attitude, but I just don't care anymore about them. They proved that they didn't care in South Africa.

John Terry came out with "Of course we care about playing for England" crap, and yet he and Upson played like two 18 year olds in a pub league. Do they really give a crap? No.

I'd much rather watch the England C team, non league lads who live real lives.

couldnt agree more.spot on sir.