England - Egypt

[Ackey]

Egypt one up... fantastic touch and finish from Zidane (or however he spells it)... but that pitch looks suspect again!

[dave_ragg1984]

Egypt one up... fantastic touch and finish from Zidane (or however he spells it)... but that pitch looks suspect again!

 

Mohamed Zidan.

[Ackey]

Mohamed Zidan.

Ta.

 

How's FatFrank managed to miss two clear cut chances already I hear you ask...? Simple - there was no one to deflect it in for him!

[beag_teeets]

As has been said, that pitch is poor, for a £700million stadium how have they managed to not get the bloody pitch right?

 

We are very poor tonight, T'Egypt are treating this as a proper game, we are treating it as a friendly. The players are playing like they have one eye on the weekend games back for their clubs, they might give it the big "the manager is brilliant" but they don't give a feck about the national side, their bread is well and truly buttered by the premiergreed and don't they just know it.

 

The crowd shouldn't be booing Terry, they should be booing the whole bloody lot of them and the crooks in the FA boxes who have enabled the "sport" to become the preposterous farce that it is.

[Ackey]

If anyone on here has ever played fullback give Fab a call - you've got half a chance!

 

(Even Gareth Bale... in joke...)

[beag_teeets]

Knock me down with spitroast, they've bloody gone and taken the lead. Milner has to go to SA.

[Ackey]

Milner has to go to SA.

I see your Milner, and raise you starting forward Peter Crouch... how anyone can tell me he's not in the top 10 International strikers in the world is beyond me.

 

He would score a shedload in Spanish football with the right support. International defenders don't have a clue!

[beag_teeets]

Even my wife has just said Crouch has to go. He might not do it at club level but boy does he know where the net is at international level.

 

Flat track bully? Possibly but I bet even a decent defence would struggle to contain both him and Rooney, we do need the midfield to get in front of the forwards if that is to be the pairing as both of them like dropping deep and in Milner we have that, SWP does it too - perhaps we should be looking at a 4-1-3-2, Carrick has done well since coming on but I think Barry is a better defensive midfielder.

 

[dave_ragg1984]

I see your Milner, and raise you starting forward Peter Crouch... how anyone can tell me he's not in the top 10 International strikers in the world is beyond me.

 

He would score a shedload in Spanish football with the right support. International defenders don't have a clue!

 

Rooney, Torres, Villa, Anelka, Henry, Klose, Drogba, Eto'o, Ibrahimovic, Luis Fabiano (in no order at all). There's 10 that are better without even really thinking about it. He is a good player, but to say he is one of the top 10 in international football is laughable, until he plays/scores against the big guns.

[leeslover]

Even my wife has just said Crouch has to go. He might not do it at club level but boy does he know where the net is at international level.

 

Flat track bully? Possibly but I bet even a decent defence would struggle to contain both him and Rooney, we do need the midfield to get in front of the forwards if that is to be the pairing as both of them like dropping deep and in Milner we have that, SWP does it too - perhaps we should be looking at a 4-1-3-2, Carrick has done well since coming on but I think Barry is a better defensive midfielder.

There was an article in either the Sunday Times or Observer about Milner this week. Capello loves him and he is apparently the sort of footballer you would want your daughter to bring home. Except that he doesn't play for Oldham so you wouldn't be able to boast to your mates about him putting her on the spit with your favourite squad members.

[Latics and England]

A performance that shows why we do have a chance of going a fairly long way in SA.

 

We looked very shaky for 35 minutes but considering that it was a new look backline and it was the first time the players had got together in 5 months, that probably wasn't a great surprise.

 

In the 10 min before half time, we really strted to sort it out and I thought we were a bit unlucky to go in behind.

 

The second half performance against what is a very good international side was superb. Peter Crouch has never let England down and again today, he showed what he is all about. As ridiculous as it is, the only thing he really needs to improve is his presence in the air where he can sometimes let himself down a bit. The second goal was clearly offside but that doesn't change the fact that they were two great finishes.

 

I've never been the biggest SWP fan but he got into the game more than we've seen in previous games and put in a great cross for the third. It was nice to see him not being afraid to have a crack for the second either (although maybe that comes from being used to our lot not having a go).

 

With a bit of luck, we can get most of our defenders back in time for the World Cup and we can have a real go. We will need to improve further and will certainly need lady luck on our side but maybe, just maybe they can get me that free season ticket.

[Ackey]

Rooney, Torres, Villa, Anelka, Henry, Klose, Drogba, Eto'o, Ibrahimovic, Luis Fabiano (in no order at all). There's 10 that are better without even really thinking about it. He is a good player, but to say he is one of the top 10 in international football is laughable, until he plays/scores against the big guns.

Perhaps an over-egged pudding on my part... although Anelka is not really that recognised at International level!

 

At International level Crouch has 20 in 37... stunning stats for a man seen by most as a bit-part player!!

[Bring Back Ronnie Moore]

Here's hoping Gerrard gets injured before the World Cup. One of the most individual players I've ever seen...and never cuts it for England.

[beag_teeets]

The Milner piece was in the Observer, good article, not your typical footballer and aye, if I had a daughter I would be happy for her to be doing the wild thing with the young man.

[leeslover]

The Milner piece was in the Observer, good article, not your typical footballer and aye, if I had a daughter I would be happy for her to be doing the wild thing with the young man.

He did sound like the sort of well brought up young man who would wash his person with plenty of soap and hot water, AND carefully dry it before wiping it symbolically on her bedroom curtain. It's a shame more of these highly paid young men can't follow such an example.

[rudemedic]

Egypt are probably the best non-European side not to be going to the WC (and are better than a few teams who are). What this shows to me is not who should start for England (as I quite like Crouch to start) but should and should not go. We need to take 2 big centre-forwards (Crouch and AN other) as Rooney is a much better player when playing with Crouch/Heskey than Defoe and if we are do well in this world cup we need Rooney to be at his best and that means picking players that work well with him. I think we also need to look at the wide midfield players as we need them to be the sort who will bomb on beyond Rooney and Crouch when they both drop deep (as they quite like to do). Gerrard does that quite well (he works well with Rooney too), However, for someone like Joe Cole that is not his forte and this should affect his starting time. The other worry from tonight is the quality of our first choice RB- Wes Brown is not a good enough RB for where we are aiming to be- especially going forward but he was always going to start when the squad was announced. (I think he will go but I hope only as cover).

 

I'm a big fan of combinations and getting the best out of our star player(s) and one mistake I feel Sven made in the past was not getting his squad balance right. We don't need to take 8 defenders if one of the full-backs can also play centre-half or vice-a-versa (considering we have 2 in the squad at the mo- nevermind the odd midfielder who could do a job if absolutely desperate), this leaves room to take more attacking options from the bench to change things up which may mean a place on the plane for the likes of Agbonlahor/Walcott/A. Young.

[beag_teeets]

We don't need to take 8 defenders if one of the full-backs can also play centre-half or vice-a-versa (considering we have 2 in the squad at the mo- nevermind the odd midfielder who could do a job if absolutely desperate), this leaves room to take more attacking options from the bench to change things up which may mean a place on the plane for the likes of Agbonlahor/Walcott/A. Young.

 

 

I know what you are saying, it is the forwards that win the games, defenders stop you losing them and at the world cup you need to win games. But as you have alluded to with your comments about Brown, we are suspect at full back and it is a pretty important position both defensively and offensively, not a position you can mess about with and just stick any old tom dick or harry there - this was shown when Lescott played there against Russia away, he got ripped a new one that night, I'd rather have a poor specialist full back there than a centreback filling in. The centre-back's natural way of defending is different to how a full back defends, the CB fill in will drop off his man more and drift inside leaving the oppos more space to overlap whereas the full back will get tighter and close out the space more.

 

For me it has to be 2 for each position who go to cover for injuries, suspensions..etc..

[Hornbloweroafc]

I know what you are saying, it is the forwards that win the games, defenders stop you losing them.....

 

Someone try telling that to DP

[BigfinLatic]

Rooney, Torres, Villa, Anelka, Henry, Klose, Drogba, Eto'o, Ibrahimovic, Luis Fabiano (in no order at all). There's 10 that are better without even really thinking about it. He is a good player, but to say he is one of the top 10 in international football is laughable, until he plays/scores against the big guns.

 

Klose? Klose??? Really?? Always reminded me of Chris Porter.... always an utterly average striker in my book. Just fits into the workmanlike style of german football... has he ever played outside of the bundesliga? Bet he would get ***** in the prem...

 

I still think Crouch is better coming of the bench - no matter what level of defender you gotta be frigging stumped when you are a bit tired and that gangling monster comes off the bench... especially against non-european sides who probably havent played against him before. They all expect a long ball game, then give him far too much space on the ground where he is stronger...

[rudemedic]

I know what you are saying, it is the forwards that win the games, defenders stop you losing them and at the world cup you need to win games. But as you have alluded to with your comments about Brown, we are suspect at full back and it is a pretty important position both defensively and offensively, not a position you can mess about with and just stick any old tom dick or harry there - this was shown when Lescott played there against Russia away, he got ripped a new one that night, I'd rather have a poor specialist full back there than a centreback filling in. The centre-back's natural way of defending is different to how a full back defends, the CB fill in will drop off his man more and drift inside leaving the oppos more space to overlap whereas the full back will get tighter and close out the space more.

 

For me it has to be 2 for each position who go to cover for injuries, suspensions..etc..

 

I get your point but how often do you go to the world cup and not have one of your spare defenders play at all. I'm not saying play a centre-half at FB, (although with Lescott that is an option) I'm much more of a fan of playing a full back at centre-half. This is where someone like Brown comes in as Capello obviously rates him as his 2nd choice RB (behind Johnson) but he is a useful CB and would be an acceptable 4th choice there for me. I think it really depends on injuries a bit though as we currently have 3 of our first choice back 4 out injured and they all need to be 100% fit (which is looking unlikely at the mo) for us to go with only taking 7 defenders. If you look at a lot of other squads for the WC I can see more than a few teams taking 5 forward options if they usually play 442. Given we had 3 CM starting last night, and Walcott playing RM (who can just as easily play up front) we don't have to take 7 defenders to give us forward options we might well get by with taking 7 midfielders and someone like Walcott.

[Stitch_KTF]

The crowd shouldn't be booing Terry, they should be booing the whole bloody lot of them and the crooks in the FA boxes who have enabled the "sport" to become the preposterous farce that it is.

 

 

I paid near full attention in watching the Anglo-Italian team for the first in a while last night. I thought the Egyptians were fantastic and 'England' some way short of 'world class', as always, unlike that stadium.

 

Free season tickets? You're avin a laugh.

[dave_ragg1984]

Klose? Klose??? Really?? Always reminded me of Chris Porter.... always an utterly average striker in my book. Just fits into the workmanlike style of german football... has he ever played outside of the bundesliga? Bet he would get ***** in the prem...

 

Klose's record at international record is phenomenal (48 goals in 94 games) including goals in all the major tournaments he has played in. I always thought the same as you...until World Cup 06 when I realised that he is in fact a goalscoring machine.

[razza699]

I noticed the Stevie G come right into the game once I only score for Chelsea Lampard went off , they simply cant play together

 

 

 

Nice to see SWP doing the business thought ,

 

him lennon and beckam for me , Walcott is useless

[beag_teeets]

I noticed the Stevie G come right into the game once I only score for Chelsea Lampard went off , they simply cant play together

 

 

 

Nice to see SWP doing the business thought ,

 

him lennon and beckam for me , Walcott is useless

 

At the moment I don't disagree, if he gets a run of games and remembers that there is more to it than just running fast, you need to take the ball with you then he should go.

 

As has been said on the other page, if we can get variety of options from the forward players, in Football Manager terms - AM/F or even the beloved AM/FRLC then we can save on numbers there and still play a variety of formations. Milner is practically a D/M/AM/FRC with a bit of L, Walcott AM/FRLC, Gerrard is a DM/M/AM/FRLC so we could get away with 8 defenders - maybe 7 if Richards finds his form between now and the end of the season? I don't like Brown and would rather Richards be the RB/CB if we are having versatility on that side, but we may need a more established right back if Johnson isn't fit.

 

As for t'Egypt, they have played together more recently and just won a championship, they looked bright and a fairly good side till they either tired, stopped trying or we started to play better.

 

Don't think we will win the competition but I'd like to see this as the competition where our once golden generation pull their tripe out and perform whilst passing the baton over to the new guys like the Milners and the Walcotts.

[OldhamSheridan]

Egypt are probably the best non-European side not to be going to the WC (and are better than a few teams who are). What this shows to me is not who should start for England (as I quite like Crouch to start) but should and should not go. We need to take 2 big centre-forwards (Crouch and AN other) as Rooney is a much better player when playing with Crouch/Heskey than Defoe and if we are do well in this world cup we need Rooney to be at his best and that means picking players that work well with him. I think we also need to look at the wide midfield players as we need them to be the sort who will bomb on beyond Rooney and Crouch when they both drop deep (as they quite like to do). Gerrard does that quite well (he works well with Rooney too), However, for someone like Joe Cole that is not his forte and this should affect his starting time. The other worry from tonight is the quality of our first choice RB- Wes Brown is not a good enough RB for where we are aiming to be- especially going forward but he was always going to start when the squad was announced. (I think he will go but I hope only as cover).

 

I'm a big fan of combinations and getting the best out of our star player(s) and one mistake I feel Sven made in the past was not getting his squad balance right. We don't need to take 8 defenders if one of the full-backs can also play centre-half or vice-a-versa (considering we have 2 in the squad at the mo- nevermind the odd midfielder who could do a job if absolutely desperate), this leaves room to take more attacking options from the bench to change things up which may mean a place on the plane for the likes of Agbonlahor/Walcott/A. Young.

 

 

First, Egypt aren't the best non-European (and I guess you mean South American as well) team. They may have won the ANC again, but I watched it all and they aren't that great. Certainly Cameroon and Ivory Coast are better. Probably USA and maybe Mexico too.

 

But, that isn't really much of a point. My main thing with England is the importance of Joe Cole. He is one of the very few (two) players with the ability to unlock defences at the top level. If he isn't fit and he doesn't go for that, or play as much as he would do if fit, then fair enough. But to replace him with a player because he can't run fast is a horrible thought. Then again it's happened before (Le Tissier for instance). But we have no real alternative on the left. Downing is :censored:. Johnston is untried. Gerrard is right sided, Barry (the man I would have had as captain) is a central midfielder (or left back). Milner is the nearest to an alternative. Being honest, I like Milner, but it's like the people who couldn't see the difference between Bertrand and Lomax.