[Archived] England's Injury Crisis

[Beta Ray Bill]

Poor Heskey. Just when things start to look like England have stumbled on a winning formulae, another broken toe!

[speeeeeeedie]

I've just read this on Soccernet: McClaren will play Barry in Euro Qualifiers. I don't know whether or not to believe this. Quotes like; "our best team might not be our best 11" goes completely against his mantra. Has he had his eyes opened? Or is it just the usual match build up bravado?

[they_think_its_all_rover]

More media bias?

From the BBC;

But, with problems in midfield, McClaren may call-up Jermaine Jenas, Scott Parker and Aaron Lennon.

Bentley?

I think Dave's been on good form lately...

why should Lennon (who still isnt at full fitness) or SWP's (who hasn't played in about 3 weeks, and is still recovering from injury) take his place?

Jenas... that says it all!

And Parker has only been back 5 mins and hasnt really done anything, has he!??

[Mozzer]

if aaron lennon is out, swp a doubt-maybe bentley could get a start-or i think again, with lampard looking like he will come back, knowing mclaren he will play gerrard right wing..

[joey_big_nose]

IMO Ashton is absolutely key to England's future. Out of all the fringe England strikers (Crouch, Smith, Heskey, Defoe, Johnson) he is the only one with the all round game to really look likely to make the step up in the long term. He would present an ideal foil to either Owen or Rooney.

The team I would go for out of those selected and barring Owen and Lampard who I think will not make it:

----------Ashton---Rooney

J Cole---Barry---Gerrard---SWP/Bentley

A Cole---Terry---Ferdinand--Richards

---------------James

Incidentally Robinson looks like he is heading for a demotion which will, for all their heavy investment in young English players, leave Spurs without anyone liekly to get into the first XI. Even Lennon when he returns is going to struggle with SWP and Bentley around as well as Beckham.

[modes98]

Good, Robinson's head is all over the place. He is making himself look like a very poor keeper. Mind you Carson and James aren't doing much better. All 3 let in 4 in the last round of premiership matches!

[Mozzer]

instead of picking players like sol cambell, wes brown, alan smith, andy johnson and phil neville we should look at getting younger and better players in the squad..for example, instead of sol cambell why not go for michael dawson, instead of wes brown have steven taylor...andy johnson i personally dont think his england class, so why not give someone like agbonlahor a chance, and i think alan smith is in the squad to cover centre mid-why not give reo coker a chance...it may be a risk putting so many younger players in the squad, but with players like gerrard, terry, joe cole, ferdinand-they can learn alot...

the younger players are the future, continuing to pick average players like brown, smith, johnson and phil neville wont be good for england, we should blend the younger players in with the more experienced players...

[philipl]

Good, Robinson's head is all over the place. He is making himself look like a very poor keeper. Mind you Carson and James aren't doing much better. All 3 let in 4 in the last round of premiership matches!

Where else is there an English keeper in the Premiership?

Ah yes- at Derby.

[Bing]

To play for England you should be an established player playing excellent football week in week out. Dawson has had a nightmare of a season and simply just isn't very good. With every competitive game an important one, you can't afford to blood players. There has to be a short-term vision. Taking the example of Dawson and Campbell, Sol Campbell is a better defender than Michael Dawson at this moment so he should get picked - end of story.

[Mozzer]

west ham fans have been shouting out for rob green to get a call up-apparntly hes been doing brilliant, and they would rate him as the best english keeper in the league at this moment of time..

if only ben foster was fit, or if only craig gordon was english

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Anyone think Dave wil get a game for England then?

SWP's hasn't played in about 3 weeks... (which is why I'm half expecting McClaren to play him! )

[speeeeeeedie]

Johnson is out now. I think Owen will play with Rooney. The press were crowing about Lampard's performance on Sunday, hopefully McClaren sticks to his words and plays Gerrard-Barry in the middle. Bentley will not play, however well he is doing for us. Robinson should not be in goal, he has disaster written all over him. James is no better either. Scott Carson for me.

[joey_big_nose]

Bad news that Ashton is injured, good news that Owen should be fit.

[Mozzer]

theres a few players on yellow cards-1 more and they would be suspened..joe cole is one of them..i was thinking maybe bentley could get a game there...

[Hasta]

Obviously we're all so stirred up by Englands victory over Estonia that it's not got a mention on here in nearly 24 hours. Not suprising as it was an unspectacular case of job done.

However what is concerning me is most of the media are speculating that we will play a more defensive 4-5-1 against Russia on Wednesday. Having just hit some form why the hell would we change. The last time we tried that in a 'difficult' away fixture led to us being confused, unorganised and ultimately well beaten in Croatia. There's talk of playing Gareth Barry at LB in the absence of Ashley Cole. Shorey is in the squad. Lescott can play left back. Why would you move one of the more 'successful' players of the last few games out of the position he's playing well in to 'fill in' elsewhere when you've got players in the squad capable of playing there. Surely it's not to get the Gerrard-Lampard dream team back in the midfield is it??

Confidence is as high as it's been for a while. If we go into the game playing the same way we did in the last 3 admittedly easy home games I fancy us to get a result. Should he try and 'get clever' again I fear we could stumble to the defeat which will almost certainly mean our elimination from the tournament. To be fair to McLaren we don't know what he's going to do. However it's make or break time for him on Wednesday in what is easily our most important single game since Portugal in the World Cup. Elimination in a moderately easy group would be an embarrassment.

[Mozzer]

the commentators for the game yesterday were annoying...

they said mclaren could drop swp, or move barry to left back-all to accomadate frank lampard-we have played better without him, so why do we even need him there..

we should only change the team through injuries-dont change the formation, especially when we are playing well...

shorey in for ashley cole if he is injuried..lescott looked shaky yesterday..

[thenodrog]

Not sure about so soon before the Russian game but if I were McClaren I'd be inclined to end the Lampard / Gerrad debate by dropping both of the overrated media darlings. We are doing better without Lampard anyway (entirely as predicted by yours truly btw) and Gerrard is certainly no Zidane either. I'd leave the excellent Barry as he is with Joe Cole playing attacking midfield (as long as he stops his diving antics). Left midfield would be a problem but I guess Downing would have to do in that berth.

Dropping the pair of Lamps and Gerrard would imo improve em both no end and make other players in the team and on the fringes try that bit harder.

[philipl]

First Half England played some of their sweetest football for a while, granted against demoralised limited opposition.

Second half, it all fell apart with Lescott, Neville P and Lampard all absolutely rubbish substitutes.

I think Russia could well burst the bubble in Moscow.

[Fife Rover]

For me the weakest part of Englands' performance yesterday was the defending. There were numerous occasions when our midfield was cut open with a good through pass, and other occasions when when our back line people were outrun or easily turned. All this by a very moderately talented Estonia side, and it was mainly down to their poor finishing after they had made an initial break-through that Robinson was scarcely troubled at all in the entire match.

Ferdinand had a real nightmare and was England's worst performer by a long way.

[ABBEY]

how bad is cole injured?I havent looked ...

they kept saying whose going to play lb....is it too late for mr w???

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

they kept saying whose going to play lb....is it too late for mr w???

I think they already chose the squads, but they might be able to call up others.

Either way, The Clown won't choose Warnock.

[bellamy11]

We are doing better without Lampard anyway (entirely as predicted by yours truly btw)

Congratulations. And to think the rest of the country has been completely convinced that Gerrard and Lampard is the most effective partnership in central midfield. What once appeared to be an outrageous prediction has turned into yet another success for yourself. How on earth do you do it?

[Hasta]

I think they already chose the squads, but they might be able to call up others.

Either way, The Clown won't choose Warnock.

He's called up Luke Young.

[Mozzer]

so a left back drops out, and you call up a right back-doesnt make sense...baines or warnock should of atleast been called up..

[brfcshabba]

He's called up Luke Young.

So he has called up a right back to replace a left back

Bit late there