For the English the football season finally came to an end yesterday as England Under-21s crashed out of the UEFA Under-21 Championship in Denmark.
Needing a win, England were leading 1-0 with a minute to go when the Czech Republic equalised and then moments later stole a winner to go through and send the English youngsters home. It was a disappointment for manager Stuart Pearce who must have thought his boys were on the verge on a semi-final spot.
But it was not to be.
Pearce said: "It was probably the best performance of the tournament. But perhaps us going home now was symptomatic of us not passing the ball well enough in the first two games."
So it's holiday time for these boys with most of the rest already on hot beaches. Pre-season training will sart in early July, and the first Premier League games are on 13 August (some of these players will start in the Championship a week earlier).
Until then, relax.
Mind you, the Women's World Cup starts next Sunday in Germany, with England's women having an outside chance (they're rated 10th in the world). Good Luck to them!
Showing posts with label Stuart Pearce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stuart Pearce. Show all posts
Monday, 20 June 2011
Friday, 10 June 2011
Pearce bemoans England's absentees
The European Under-21 Championships open in Denmark this weekend. England's under-21 team is one of eight competing. The other seven are: Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Belarus (Group A), and Spain, Czech Republic and Ukraine with England in Group B.
England under-21 boss Stuart Pearce is unhappy that several of England's top young players have withdrawn from the squad. Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Micah Richards and Andy Carroll are the big four names - all with senior international experience - who have pulled out.
"We've probably got the biggest number of absentees who have represented the seniors," Pearce said. "We need to make sure that when we turn up to these tournaments that the big, big players are here."
He went on to say that experience gainmed from such a tournament didn't have a downside. "It adds value to the players, which obviously the club pick up on as well.
"I'll still deem that there's a real learning curve from the tournament like this. It's really high-profile, it's gaining in momentum profile-wise every two years."
It's a shame that so many of England's top youngsters will miss the trip. Invaluable experience will be lost, which could have stood them in good stead for future senior tournaments.
Nevertheless, others will gain from - such as Jordan Henderson, now of Liverpool, and Scott Sinclair of newly promoted Swansea City.
We wish them well.
England under-21 boss Stuart Pearce is unhappy that several of England's top young players have withdrawn from the squad. Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Micah Richards and Andy Carroll are the big four names - all with senior international experience - who have pulled out.
"We've probably got the biggest number of absentees who have represented the seniors," Pearce said. "We need to make sure that when we turn up to these tournaments that the big, big players are here."
He went on to say that experience gainmed from such a tournament didn't have a downside. "It adds value to the players, which obviously the club pick up on as well.
"I'll still deem that there's a real learning curve from the tournament like this. It's really high-profile, it's gaining in momentum profile-wise every two years."
It's a shame that so many of England's top youngsters will miss the trip. Invaluable experience will be lost, which could have stood them in good stead for future senior tournaments.
Nevertheless, others will gain from - such as Jordan Henderson, now of Liverpool, and Scott Sinclair of newly promoted Swansea City.
We wish them well.
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