Don't you just hate penalties?

Another tournament exit due to penalties. The sixth time I believe and that's just the senior team.

England defended really well even Lescott who I don't really rate and Johnson who i don't rate at all. The entire back five performed admirably, but nothing at all from any of the attacking options.

Italy looked the far better from about 35 minutes onwards and really looked like the only team that would score.

All in all a much better performance than most expected by England.

Looks very much like a Germany Spain final unless Ronaldo has a blinder and carries Portugal past Spain.

Lescott and Johnson both had a fantastic tournament in my opinion (I didn't rate either) and along with those two, Scott Parker and Danny Welbeck looked quality and hard working. Shame it's the same old same old for the rest who seem to think it's an honour to have them in the England squad, not the other way around.....

I'm pleased to have got through to the knockouts but really annoyed that we didn't at least put up more of a fight against Italy. I was well up for an England-Germany, even if we lost. I love that fixture every time!

On another note, this was my first experience of England penalties and the heartbreak (even though we deserved to lose) was immense. I hope never to experience that again, and feel sorry for the guys that have had to sit through that more than once.

Oh well....bring on Brazil 2014!!!!!!!!!

This set of penalties wasn't as nerve racking as previous ones, but since I remember all six penalty loses maybe I am getting jaded.

Who was scheduled to take the 5th English penalty by the way. I had figured Gerrard, Rooney, Young and Cole though not in that order.

Dunno but wouldn't have been surprised to see JT step up for one.

They were shocking.

I am so fucked off with morons on TV n Radio telling the weak minded that our best player was Gerrard?

WHY THE FUCK WHY?

The bloke spent 4 games running after shadows and in the game v Italy, its been announced, he and Parker combined stats for the game were less than Pirlo in almost every discipline.

The idiot at my local butchers said Gerrard had 3 assists.... lets look at them.

One was taking a free kick, that found A English head, one was a long hopeful ball from the right to the beanpole centre forward (Hey we got a bloke with 100+ caps for doing just that... and looking good in a suit) and the third a terrible cross that was made into a goal chance by TWO deflections off of opposition players.

Can I be so bold to say, you me and the bloke down the road can do the first two assists and if we tread in enough shit thats on the pitch at Anfield, we too can be lucky with a double deflection assist, assist for the third.

His ball retention, well the whole midfield's ball retention was pathetic, so poor that one Italian Jurno said on the radio, England's midfield reminded him of Latvia or Wales in their inability to love the ball.

Yet we are being told how well Gerrard has played ~ Well I am not one of the weak minded that will believe the shit they tell us. He was average, no better than average in a very average side.

Shall we move on to Rooney, who looked fucked as he walked on the pitch and played like he had been taking one in the rear over the five weeks leading up to his ban finishing. What a fucking joke. He wasnt fit, couldnt get anywhere near Pirlo when he was supposed to be closing him down and over the 2 games he played was a non event, but actually did more than someone that played in all four games.

Ashley Young should never play for England again, he isnt good enough. Forget the penalty (Although this is a penalty taker that missed 3 or 4 in one season for Villa and I couldnt get my money on quick enough for him to miss) his overall performance in the 4 games was pathetic. He did nothing apart from lose the ball. The amount of times he would pass the ball to an area he thought a England player should be was staggering. I will never understand how he was taken over Johnson of Man City. Roy fucked up big style on Young.

Lets talk about the embarrassment that is Scot Parker. Here we have a player who finds it hard to control the ball, let alone pass it to someone with the same coloured shirt on. His seek and destroy expertise is something that some will tell you was the difference in Spurs finishing where they did. Well my club got rid of him cause he was never in the right position n had to fling himself about, always landing on the floor n out of the game for a few priceless seconds. When he had the ball at his feet, he wasnt good enough to move the ball quickly and at the age of 31, I will again say Roy fucked up, as its wasted experience a younger player would have benefited from, as Parker should now creap (late) back into the hole he came from.

Now alot of people are saying Milner was a waste of space who never created anything. While this is true for the most part, I understand why he was picked. It was to protect Johnson, who I am sure we all agree on, isnt an international defender. I accept Milner for the role he was set and baring in mind so many people are talking up Johnsons performances (I happen to think his pace got him out of being in the wrong position most of the time) we must give Milner credit for a job well done.

Success stories, Welbeck, a lovely find and would benefit getting away from Rooney at United. Not many people caught Rooney saying he often criticises Welbeck for trying skills like the goal against Sweden, in training at united. Well Rooney should keep his mouth shut as Welbeck is an outstanding talent who should be encouraged to do more outlandish things in the box. I hope Fergie allows Wellbeck plenty of airtime over the coming seasons.

Lescott was a huge improvement over past caps he has won. He benefited from having two players either side of him who talked him through each game. I was pleased the England manager picked up on this fact. While he isnt international class, he did very well over the 4 games.

The Ox, for one so young he showed lots of potential which I again hope will get plenty of airtime over the coming seasons with his club. I would have preferred to see him over Young in the final 3 games.

Hart looks the part, the way he speaks in interviews obviously shows he thinks he is the part and on the whole, for his age, he is forward of what you would normally expect of a goalkeeper so young. He is the best we have.

Cole was his normal self. The only true world class player in the squad, who without any fuss, gets on with closing his side down without much praise from the morons looking on.

The best English player by a fucking mile over the four games was John Terry.

If you dont understand that, you dont fucking understand football or cant get over your bias.... but dont worry if you dont, 22 million others watching the BBC n ITV are just like you.... weak minded and being lead by ex Liverpool Lawro Hansen Thomsom and now "Subtitles please" Carragher.

Gerrard likely stood out because the rest of the midfield was absolutely terrible and shouldn't play for England again. Plus he took every set piece, free kicks and corners so he was bound to get an assist or two.

The best that could be said for Parker and Milner is that they are hard working, but that doesn't hide the fact that they aren't international quality. As poor as those two were Young was worse, I don't think he made a decent cross and just kept giving the ball away.

The back four at times defended admirably, but that maybe because this team was set up to defend first and being out shot 3-1 and out possessed 2-1, defending was about all we saw from this team.

I think Carrol won every ball that Hart booted down field, but was that because the Italians let him, safe in the knowledge that once he tried to pass the ball it would go straight to an Italian? Rooney certainly wasn't fit and was a non entity against Italy. I wonder how much training he did since he was on holiday in Vegas for awhile. However, you can't really say he shouldn't have gone, because who else could have gone.

That is perhaps the biggest problem here. There really wasn't anybody left at home who could have made a difference. Wiltshire, Walker and Cahill were all injured, so were Barry and Lampard. Barry to me isn't any better than Parker, and Lampard like Rio is too old.

Who else is there besides Richards and maybe Carrick, but there is downsides to both of them. Perhaps walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain could have played more and possibly Jones. But it is hard to see what else England had in their arsenal.

There was some positives, Hart gives us a good keeper for years to come. Johnson and Lescott performed above expectations. Cole and Terry had outstanding tournaments and Welbeck looks like he could be a good one. However, Johnson will be 29, Lescott 31, Cole 33 and Terry 34 in Brazil in 2014, so how many of those will be there next time?

The only thing I will disagree with was that whilst he was probably the worst player in the tournament, Young in the past has performed well for England. I would see him in an England shirt again but would definitely as a manager come down hard after this tournament.

Rooney always had to go, if the same result had occurred without him, Roy would suffer the typical "where's wayne" backlash. That being said he would have come on at 45 mins in both games for me. Thought what time Carroll got, he was superb, wellbeck was great to watch, particularly his determination.

Parker I thought was no worse than anyone else who could feature in the midfield, thought he put a fair shift in against Italy in particular. I think with the players around him, he'd struggle to find a white shirt anyway.

JT was indeed the man of the hour, his partnership with lescott saved utter humiliation in my opinion, along with some good work by Hart.