Can't recall a player ever being so poor for us at a tournament.

First WC group stage exit from '58. Lead by example Gerrard - Embarrasing. Awful.

The assist man. After Chelsea he just had to repeat himself.

Is it a mathematical elimination for England?

Nah, we need Italy to win both games and us to beat Costa Rica (probably by a few goals).

I'm considering it over though. I'm not watching if Gerrard plays to be honest. He's been picked for no reason but the fact his name is "Gerrard". For all the **** Rooney gets, he's put a lot of effort in to these 2 games, Gerrard has just watched the opposition play.

they can still go through if they beat costa rica by a couple of goals and all over results go their way. but you can already predict the uruguay italy game drawing!

No. If Italy lose to Costa Rica it will be.

If Italy win tomorrow and beat Uruguay as well it will go down to goal difference. Provided England beat Costa Rica

Uruguay were really awful today as well, they were there for the taking but we just played it too slow and too soft. Jagielka and Gerrard aren't tough enough to play the positions they do. Bottlers.

Yeah, Uruguay were nothing special. They were nearly inexistent in the second half.

Yep, simply can't understand how Rooney and Lampard have consistantly always gotten all the blame over these last few years or so (basically since Becks retired as their whipping boy) when Gerrard never really performed in major tournaments either and this time around he's basically thrown England out of it himself.

I do agree with you though that Godin should have been off after elbowing Sturridge in the neck

Winning all 3 group games in a World Cup would be too much unlike Italy. England can still hope.

As for tonight's game IMO Uruguay won it fair and square. they were technically superior to England. but once again England can blame bad luck too.

Italy won't get 9, we made them look better than they are.

I dunno man, they had 2 shots on target and 35% possession. England were awful, really awful. But Uruguay were, again, even worse.

Remember being told we were actively underrating them saying it would be good if we got out of the group stage, that was a funny day.

They were nowhere as toothless as those stats suggest though. they were clinical, pretty much like Chile last night.

I think it was the other way around. Italy absolutely did not press England, they just let them play as they weren't interested in trying to press. Uruguay were agressive which caused England to make big mistakes imo.

Italy' barely got out of first gear in Manaus, which imo made England look much better on the ball than they truely are

Italy will wipe the floor with Uruguay, not sure about Costa Rica though. Uruguay can't get any possession against England, what're they gonna be like against Italy?

Bingo. Uruguay don't play a possession game, they're clinical and use the ball well. Soak up pressure very well and use their chances when they get them.

The difference of having Suarez was the Jekyll and Hyde scenario I spoke about after Costa Rica. Tonight they started with the proper 4-3-3 and Suarez' presence, and it made all the difference.

Rodgson's arrogance/politics in ommitting Cole and Terry have been two of the biggest reasons England are 90% out the tournament.

He is...an absolutely terrible manager who is being let off the hook because the pool of talent isn't very good. Well guess what, a good system and a rigid drilling from a good manager can have even 'average' teams punch well above their weight.

Seriously? You're using the Spain defence? POSSESSION!? It doesn't matter how much you have the ball, it's how you use it. And in that sense Uruguay/Suarez totally outclassed England.

Disagree, Italy are a pretty ordinary side that will get found out against a team with some actual talent. That won't happen tomorrow, but against Uruguay I expect a pretty swift, comfortable win for Uruguay. I'd put Italy somewhere around us & Portugal (with an injured Ronaldo) this time around.

Not so sure about Uruguay if they hssle the Italians on the ball as much as they did today it will become a major problem for Italy

And I think the Costa Rica game has become even more important for Italy now, I don't think or at least hope that Italy won't take them lightly and just kill the game off quickly

Uruguay didn't want possession tonight (it's not like they have any creative mids - they don't. Against CR thet had to initiate and it looked awful), they were happy to play on conter against a crappy English defence. They will try to do something similar vs Italy but it won't work as good.

I think Italy - Uruguay will be a draw. Both teams will be satisfied with it.

Uruguay aren't going to come up against Gerrard and Jagielka every week though. They were very poor in both games and Italy won't have any problems with them. Quote me on it. No way Uruguay beat Italy. No way.

But our crappy team made Italy look ordinary for large parts too, I can only see a draw or a Uruguay win.

It's the Colombia/Greece group D play against isn't it in the next round.

And our crappy team made Uruguay look poor for 90 minutes aside from about 10 seconds.

Maybe they won't need to, as Jack says. Neither team will likely be that bothered by who wins the group as group C is so weak anyway. If that's the one they play.

To me, there's a massive difference between playing Colombia and between playing Greece/Japan/CIV! If Italy don't care and play a half assed game, then Uruguay could scrape a draw. But even if Italy don't really play, they still won't beat them IMO.

They had about 3 guilt edge chances, on top of a few Hart saves. Rooney hit the bar and hit a shot straight at Muslera I don't even remember anything else aside of that.

It was even and Uruguay winning I can't really argue with, was pretty tight.

Totally harsh, I think Italy have the best midfield in this tournament now that Spain are out

And the difference between what England do with possession and what Italy do with it is ompletely different. The fact that Uruguay can't keep possession properly is what killed them against Costa Rica

And they say English fans are biased, my lord.

Yep.

Yeah Italy always get underrated. I remember in 2006 people wondering if it's the worst Italian squad ever.

Real tweet.

You kidding? Pirlo, Marchisio, Verratti, De Rossi are all top class.

I wouldn't say they are the best midfield, no. You played an ordinary team, and will beat Costa Rica tomorrow. First real test will be Uruguay imo. Then we will see what they're really like in the KO stages.

I don't get why you think Uruguay are so good? Suarez isn't a defender and they conceded 3 against Costa Rica.

I don't even think that Uruguay are that good, I just think Italy are worse.

I suppose we'll see how Italy do against a side that just embarrassed this, better, Uruguay side.

Name another nation that has a midfield selection better than Italy, the only one that comes very close to it are germany, but they're too loaded down with AMs imo

And I don't think I'm overrating them at all, I acknowledge their defensive weaknesses as well as Prandelli's obsession with Candreva. Bit like kurt mentioned, Italy always get underestimated

Yeah, I like when people underestimate us that much as MAB is doing at the moment. Just makes me even more optimistic

I don't even expect anything from Costa Rica, they played them when they had their star anchor out too. Like a Portugal without a Cristiano.

Wait until the 3rd game and beyond.

I'll expect Italy to cruise to the finals with 'the best midfield in the competition' too.

I do that a lot apparently, like with England, so I was told.

Hopefully they fall below that stage, but take down Ze Germans before that. Italy is one of the very few sides that can, sadly. And the fact that I want some variety in the final this time around, maybe even a new winner, one can only hope. Still can't believe the fudging easy route Germany got. Ridiculous draw, to be honest. Absolutely ridiculous.

We have some of the most lackluster groups, where I don't even want to watch a match. And then we have these horrible groups with three or four good teams. The icing on the cake, they had Mehico lumped together with Brazil. They always trouble Brazil, but are ripped to pieces against teams like Argentina.

Italy will easily win this WC. It's written in the stars.

Awww...

Anyone read about Serey Die's story? He was crying before the kick-off of Colombia-Ivory Cost because he had just received news about the death of his father. Even so, he decided to play. The thing became huge on internet, with many people condoling the guy.

BUT...

He clarified later after the game that his father actually died in 2004, and his was crying simply because he was filled with joy and honor of representing his nation in such a huge tournament.

Link

Talk about killing the mood. Whoever stared the rumor of his father dying, WTF man?!

Welcome to Twitter.

Even a smart guy like me sometimes get sucked into rumour and counter-rumour.

Psssst...m1ke doesn't exist. He is a figment of Ash's imagination who is actually the creator of milanfan. Like 'Usual Suspects'. m1ke is the Keyser Soze of milanfan.

Now go tweet that!