The Official Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup thread

[Sidney]

Diet Liverpool... good but not good enough!

Phil Neville reminds me of that Father Ted episode "no Ted I think I have the most boring voice here".

Eh no - that's Michael Owen - the sickening turncoat.

[Wildweasel74]

ah lads its like a wake on BBC 1 at the minute, time to turn over to watch the post analysis on itv now lol

[imtommygunn]

At least for once england realised they can't win in a slow paced game and tried to keep the tempo up. Rooney's miss a shocker really.

Baines out of depth and wilshire is nowhere near an international footballer. Rooney will get better i suspect.

Big ask to qualify now. Italy limited when balotelli went off who despite being a balloon is world class.

[beer baron]

Any chance of the Myth of Gerrard still being a proper good footballer stopping now?

[EC Unique]

Any chance of the Myth of Gerrard still being a proper good footballer stopping now?

He is good at taking penalties.....

[Walter Cronc]

Any chance of the Myth of Gerrard still being a proper good footballer stopping now?

Agreed, spraying Hollywood passes which offer nothing. By the time the winger has brought it out of the clouds, the full back is on his case forcing him to play it back, to where they started from.

[laoislad]

At least for once england realised they can't win in a slow paced game and tried to keep the tempo up. Rooney's miss a shocker really.

Baines out of depth and wilshire is nowhere near an international footballer. Rooney will get better i suspect.

Big ask to qualify now. Italy limited when balotelli went off who despite being a balloon is world class.

Rooney should have buried that chance. He sent in a great ball for the Sturridge goal but his attempt at a  corner in the second half was hilarious! 
How is Danny Welbeck anywhere near that team or any team for that matter? I think he's a dreadful player.

[Walter Cronc]

How about Sterlings 2nd half performance. Done as much as Welbeck. Nowt!

[Kidder81]

At least for once england realised they can't win in a slow paced game and tried to keep the tempo up. Rooney's miss a shocker really.

Baines out of depth and wilshire is nowhere near an international footballer. Rooney will get better i suspect.

Big ask to qualify now. Italy limited when balotelli went off who despite being a balloon is world class.

Absolutely no evidence that Rooney will get better going by his record in major international competitions

Have never seen a player where so many excuses are made for him when he plays like a wooden one

[Tony Baloney]

At least for once england realised they can't win in a slow paced game and tried to keep the tempo up. Rooney's miss a shocker really.

Baines out of depth and wilshire is nowhere near an international footballer. Rooney will get better i suspect.

Big ask to qualify now. Italy limited when balotelli went off who despite being a balloon is world class.

Absolutely no evidence that Rooney will get better going by his record in major international competitions

Have never seen a player where so many excuses are made for him when he plays like a wooden one

He has been the great white hope for donkeys years now and back page writers have invested a serious amount of time in building him up and will just as easily destroy him. Played on a good club team but never replicated it at international level.

[rodney trotter]

Another majestic performance from Pirlo, England don't have a player of his class in midfield.

[Hotshot Hamish]

How about Sterlings 2nd half performance. Done as much as Welbeck. Nowt!

Sterling was England man of the match by some distance.
You wouldn't be letting your club loyalties cloud your judgement by any chance?

Awful shame Pirlo's free kick didn't go in. What a player!
Rooney's shank at the corner kick was lolz.

[brokencrossbar1]

The team needs to be built around White Pele and not have him on the periphary...well according to Ole Turnip Head anyway!!!

World Cup 2014: Give Wayne Rooney central role - Graham Taylor

Wayne Rooney should play in a more central position for England, says former national boss Graham Taylor.
Rooney was played on the left by manager Roy Hodgson in Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Italy in Manaus.
Although the 28-year-old set up an equaliser for Daniel Sturridge, he was largely a peripheral figure.
"I am not so certain Wayne likes playing wide," Taylor told BBC Sport. "I would prefer to see him up front because that is his best position.

Sterling was the main source of inventiveness for England and by the 65 minute was run out.  If people look past their club prejudice you will see he is one England player who has the potential to be up their with the best.  He is only 19 remember and as a Liverpool fan my only fear is that he becomes the next great hope (can't even say great white hope ). Englands problems are that the  defence is poor.  Baines was clueless and everytime I say the Italians attack he seemed to be tucked in beside the CBs or not there at all!!!

[Denn Forever]

If he continues to play that way, how much will Liverpool accept for him?

[Milltown Row2]

Been a fantastic World cup so far, been goals upsets and dodgy decisions. Plenty to talk about, can't see where England will get there goals from, they'd a poor run up to the finals and it's shown. England and Uruguay game will be a cracker, loser goes home, my money is on England to have an earl shower!!

Was at a rugby function last night and went upstairs to watch the game at 11, was sitting with a couple of locals and when Italy scored I gave it the 'get in!!' shout they seemed a bit miffed but I reminded them that its fecking England and had they been watching rugby and it was England they would be cheering on the other team!! Strange one, away at the final whistle I was on me own lol