Barkley and Stones feature in England win

No, sorry, from what I could see, he wasn't touched and took a theatrical dive fooling the referee.

What a joke.

Then Hodgson pops Stones on at RB.

Sheer genius!

Barkley only woke up in the second half.

I guess it comes down to instruction. His principle aim seemed to be to keep the ball – which he did well, but really... What a waste!

Luke Shaw was England/s best player and I suspect that the left back spot is his even when Leighton is fit. Smalling was also impressive and the long term future is him and Stones.

Having said that, many others played poorly and England should have had Kane on from the off. They will do better when Sturridge and Welbeck return but Rooney is not a target man anymore.

Well done Rooney, a blue at heart. It would be great if England won something with Everton players as they won nowt with RedShite players at their peak.

Gareth Southgate was quizzed by a psychologist who said he was so negative he wouldn't play professional sport in the US. But they let him take the crucial penalty in a shoot out.

I think Owen, Beckham, Shearer and Lineker are the only players in the last 40 years to play with the same confidence for country as for club

Ross has bags of ability but he just won't demand the ball, if anything he hides from it. His passing is crisp and true but he does more back an sides than a marine barber.

In my opinion, he needs forcing to play and I feel that is were his early success has come from this season as the more senior figures in the side, the likes of Barry and Jags have forced Ross onto the ball.

That will not happen with England so, if he wants to play regularly for his country, he has to demand the ball. That said, I would be happy to see Ross save all his best form for the Blues.

But I suspect Ross is not a natural Number 10 either, in fact I can't really work out what role he should play, as his defensive work leaves something to be desired as well... I'm afraid to say it, but maybe his best role for Everton would be "cash cow"?

Congrats to Rooney, anyway, although with goals scored against so many miniscule countries that didn't exist a few years ago it seems a little hollow. But nice that the record is held by an Evertonian, despite the colour shirt he wears from week to week!

He prodded the ball about somewhat, pretty much always to an England player. Indeed, I saw no incisive runs but he did seem to be asking for the ball to his feet a fair amount (and not receiving it) but I don't recall seeing him actually losing possession.

I have not watched or read any post-match post mortems so I do not know what pundits other than posters on here are saying.

You both may well critisize the way England got their penalty but you'd be moaning every week as it's normal nowadays. In fact it may well have started... well not sure but remember Anders Limpar against Wimbledon?

I can't remember many Blues being as concerned as you two appear to be.

Bravery can come in many forms on a football pitch, but the players who are constantly looking to get on the ball and play, will always be the bravest to me.

YOU HAVE GOT TO START BELIEVING IN YOURSELF MORE, ROSS BARKLEY. Go out and show everyone how good you are, and take real pride in showing them.

Just ask Lou Ferrigno. Great soccer career ruined by wanting to play the Hulk.

Not concerned as such. It just takes the gloss off the moment (the goal) really when it goes in our favour, and infuriating to the point of homicidal when it is against us. It's the way it is these days unfortunately and it begs the question...when is a foul not a foul?

It seems to me that often a player will get fouled and not go to ground and it will NOT awarded because he stayed on his feet, unbalanced but with the intent to carry on. If he hits the deck even if someone gets too close and breaths on him too hard it just gets given.

I remember (I think at the start of last season (I forget the match and actual date because I have slept since then but it might have been Chelsea), Seamus running into the box in possession, getting properly interfered with, managing to stay on his feet but the ball running it out for a goal kick I think. If he had gone down penalty no argument. He WAS fouled but because he managed to stay upright - no foul apparently. Nothing given - it would have been a penalty and could not have been critisised.

You see this every week, every game these days, all over the pitch and it just seems to be the case that players have to fall to draw attention. I admire the stance that is attempting to be taken over simulation as they call it but I do become incensed at the pretend agony that so often is demonstrated. Some is clearly genuine but all these efforts to get opposition players booked, sent off etc does my head in frankly.

This could turn in to a long running debate, and probably deserves its own thread actually (I would gladly write an article if anyone agrees), but the parallels in the world of sport which are punishable retrospectively are multitude. I just abhor cheating even if it works to our advantage but you feel it is necessary sometime just to even up the balance sheet, as it were.

I am a big fan of cycling, and have been a reasonably competitive cyclist at club level. The dark years of doping epitomised by the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong (an individual, along with MANY others I do not respect, by the way, for the nature of his evident successes, and who is also a pretty unlikable character) reflects this. Everyone was doing it (doping that is... some 'better' than others – read in to that what you will) but in a kind of way you have to respect Armstrong's achievements because it was still a reasonably (although ludicrously) illegal playing field. It would be interesting to take away all that illegal activity and advantages and see how the results panned out.

It's just a shame that the whole thing was spoilt by the extent of cheating that was demonstrated. I hope anyone reading this can see the parallels – you can cheat your way to success but cheating is cheating. End of.

I still just love the sport of football though.

COYB – let's see off Chelski at the weekend. can't wait.

On the latter point, I am increasingly believing that Ross will remain 'a nearly man' for so long as he fails to take a game 'by the balls' and show everyone what he is made of!

He is unsure of his positioning because the respective coaches are telling him different things and are coaching his natural game out of him. He is frightened to make a mistake for fear of upsetting the coaches instead of playing his natural game.

All the Everton players stand off the opposition since RM came and this is a big weakness in Ross's game. His positional sense is also very poor but, as I said earlier, I think this is confusion about his role.

A good coach will spend some time with him and put him on the right track. He has a ton of natural ability, he just needs to show it.

Ross constantly was looking for the ball, creating angles and finding space demanding the ball off these so-called c/f players during the game and very rarely, would they give him the ball, fecking so annoying! Shelvey, Milner, and the rest of these so- called team players in central area's know when our Ross get's plenty of ball time, this lad will be unstoppable and dominate the m/f area... And they are shit scared of that happening, wankers!

He is different class and yes he's 21( young lad) what a talent! All he needs know is a coach that will develop this Huge talent.

The coaching thing is right too although to some extent I think he could probably do with less coaching. As a lot of people in the game (and fans) have noted, he seems better when playing by instinct rather than to a set of instructions.

The only coaching I would give him is when you get the ball, get on your bike and make things happen for us. I would also tell the other person(s) playing alongside him in MF to make sure they're ready to cover his back if he loses it, which would eliminate the problem if he does lose posession trying something.