Best Twitter Reactions from England vs. Poland World Cup Qualifier

The reaction on Twitter following England’s World Cup qualifier against Poland painted quite the picture. Fans were envisaging Brazil’s sandy beaches, the tropical climate and yes, the World Cup finals. All that was missing was the shaking of maracas. Twitter hasn’t mastered that…yet.

Goals from Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard finally secured England’s ticket to Brazil next summer, per Sky Sports, in what was a tense night at Wembley. 

England’s attacking display, and the performances of a few individuals in particular, caused a wave of optimism to wash over Twitter. There was praise for Roy Hodgson too, as he endeared himself to England fans with bold decisions.

England’s Bright Sparks

Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Leighton Baines were England’s standout players against Poland. Andros Townsend put in another impressive display, but it was Baines and Carrick in particular who drew the most recognition.

Carrick looked comfortable in the middle and ensured that England’s transition from defence to attack was a smooth one.

Similarly, Baines made a strong case for becoming a starter for England, in place of the injured Ashley Cole.

Yes, he wasn’t tested defensively, but his forays into the opposition half attest to the role that he could play for England next summer. 

England’s Man of the Match, Wayne Rooney, continued his fine start to the season and linked up well with Carrick.

His performance will please England and Manchester United fans alike, as he steadily gets back to near his very best.

Rooney’s goals will be important in Brazil, and it’s crucial that he is in goalscoring form right now. 

England’s performance against Poland was as confident as it was assured. There was much for boss Roy Hodgson to be pleased about.

Hodgson’s Bold Decisions

Hodgson drew acclaim for his attacking line-up against Poland, and his team repaid his faith. In a game when it would have been all too easy to be conservative, Hodgson went for it. 

Hodgson’s decision to select Andros Townsend in the two games, in the absence of Theo Walcott, was a bold one. It was a decision that made sense, given the winger’s start to the season. But it was still bold.

Townsend’s rocket against the bar in the first half proved what a danger he can be, and he looked strong against Poland once again. 

Roy Hodgson has drawn criticism during his tenure as England boss, but in the last two games he has made some big decisions and has been vindicated.

Hodgson spoke to the The FA after the game about his side’s performance and of his nerves throughout the game:

"

We did very well. I thought some of the football in the first half was spectacular and 1-0 at half-time was scant reward. At 1-0 you can’t relax especially when Poland have quality players like Jakub Blaszczykowski and Robert Lewandowski on the pitch. I died a thousand deaths every time they crossed the half-way line!

"

England’s Chances in Brazil

Sure, England played well against Poland in securing their place at next summer’s World Cup finals.

They were exciting and had an attacking verve about their play. 

But it was Poland.

In Brazil, England will face much sterner tests. If you can’t beat the likes of Poland comfortably, then why bother going to Brazil?

The performances of England’s players, and Hodgson’s too, were impressive. But don’t be surprised if everything comes tumbling down as usual in Brazil.

In the meantime, England face a potential game with Germany in November. 

The game will be a perfect yardstick to measure England’s so-called progress by.

England deserve their place in the World Cup finals, and a friendly against Germany will perhaps go some way to indicating how far England could go in Brazil.