Baines is England scapegoat as they fail with Italian Job Leighton Baines was painted as the England scapegoat as they suffered defeat to the regimented Italians in their opening World Cup 2014 game in Manaus. Baines playing at leftback behind Wayne Rooney was continually left with 2 players as they Italians looked to take advantage of prehistoric England Manager Roy Hodgsons tactics. Looking at it with perspective, Baines did have a poor game. He was up against a very good opponent in Candreva who picked his space well. Either him or Darmian would look to expose the space that Wayne Rooney should have been filling and Baines was continually left with 2 opponents time and time again. England didn’t play bad, but Hodgsons reluctance to go with youth could cost the team going forward. The normally dependable Steven Gerrard looked like his legs had gone and offered nothing in the game leaving the defence exposed and although he has been a good player for England and a great player for Liverpool, I would end his international career and bring in Oxlade Chamberlain as his replacement. As for Wayne Rooney, what can I say. Rooney HAS been a very talented player, but he looks overweight and unfit. Hodgsons decision to play Rooney on the wing has backfired big time and even to pick him at all is looking like a bad decision. An unfit Wayne Rooney is a liability. Once Adam Lallana came on, it helped Baines and his game improved in an instant as he had cover in front of him. Plus points were Raheem Sterling who caused problems again. I have seen Evertonians saying he lost the ball a lot and was greedy, but he is a young lad and these were probably the same Evertonians critising Roy Hodgson for slating Ross Barkley for losing the ball. These 2 players are the future of England. I thought the much maligned Danny Welbeck had a decent game, it was just a shame that most of his good work was done in defence and not running as a slow Italian defence. Danny Sturridge, Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill all had decent games too. On another note, one of my favourite players of the last 10 years breezed through the game in first game. Andrea Pirlo hardly broke sweat and although he didn’t influence the game like he normally does, he didn’t really need to. He jogged around, spraying balls left right and centre, finding a man 99% of the time and even had time to make a fool of Joe Hart with a late swinging free kick which sent the England goalie the wrong way before curving back the way he had just come from. The man oozes class……. Roberto, get on the phone. Col
Posted on: Mon, 16 Jun 2014 06:15:41 +0000
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