Subject: [U21] WC Rnd 2 - Italy

That's really unlucky. :(

Great effort fella, so annoying especially in the 120th minute!!

Moggs has a 7 day injury aswell, so that could have made a difference to whether either goal was conceded aswell.

Well the facts are:

We were good in the game until a slight injury to Plumbly who was never due to be subbed.

The slight injury to the keeper may have been key to the 18 yard header. Let alone the Keeper.

The red card certainly did not help either......oh and that clock seemed to stay on 120 minutes for an awful long time. I am absolutely gutted and thats being conservative due to my role in the game. :(

They had more shots but I do not know what affect the injuries etc had on our side. Their defenders also stopped a lot of potential efforts on goal.

great effort and very unlucky.120th minute winner is a sick way to lose.crocked keeper really didnt help!!

We didnt lose on penalties - horrible horrible ME

Thats such bad luck mate, and so frustrating too! But you have to take alot of credit with the way you have turned the u-21's into a team to be feared by everyone.

Good effort

We wuz robbed !

I am still disappointed this morning after sleeping on it. lol.......I am such a bad loser even at my age. :/

I guessed that they would try the formation they did last night, and possibly would have played 5 defenders but just did not have a good enough in form defender to do so with Elstons injury. Besides their wingers were really not all that threatening imo and we looked the far more attacking side in the beginning. At the start of the 2nd half that amazing save by their keeper won the game for them.

At 2-0 the game would have been over for them. I did have conditional orders for injuries or red cards but obviously had no space for too many.


(edited)

@ everybody, thanks for all of you efforts in training English players and supporting me through the 5 seasons now. The quality has improved down to you guys and hopefully the future will get better.

I am particularly disppointed to lose that way, the Italian defenders seemed to be very very strong to stop so many chances. Having played some strong countries this season we have dominated chance wise every game...apart from last night. I still maintain that the slight injuries cost us quite severely.

Anyway its been a long haul to be manager and really feel I need a rest now and to let another English manager have a crack at what is a great role even if it is very challenging.

The strange thing is it is harder to accept defeat with the NT side as I feel guilty for letting all of our users and trainers down. With my club side its just me and not such a problem.

Anyway I will continue to try and raise the ranking of the team to ensure that for once we have an easier qualifying group.

Once again thank you to everybody.

Great effort mate, you did us all proud!

Good effort, i'm sure the game was a little tighter than you suggest ;o) but keep up the excuses, makes great reading :D

First of all congratulations, it was a really great match.

Without going deep in tactical questions, I think that we deserved to win, we've a lot of chances to score (hitting 3 post) and moggs made wonderful saves too.

I was sure that going to penalties we would probably go out, but fortunately Crotti make the right thing at the right moment :)

Anyway it was a great sport show.
Congrats again!