[Archived] England's Injury Crisis

[sijoco]

Just remember Beckham in the World Cup - National Hate Figure. Look how he is/was worshippped. Footballs fans are fickle - end of. Bents was going to get booed cos the (Southern) tabloid media made a big deal out of it. Personally l'm grateful he didn't pick up an injury cos as far as l'm concerned Rovers come first.

[Roar of the Rover]

A bit harsh but we can't say we didn't expect that.

[pick32]

I didnt hate beckham when he got sent off and if i wasnt a rovers fan i could safely say i wudnt of booed bentley for his decision to drop out of the under 21's, lots of players do it jus most say ther injured. take more than one good performance from england to get me believing in them again.

[Presty On Tour]

Good to see Bentley getting his first cap. Hopefully SWP gets kicked out of it on Wednesday and Bentley gets a decent run (touche the booers).

Just been hearing that Russia looked ominously good today.

i think ian wright would have a stroke if swp was dropped

[RevidgeBlue]

Good to see Bentley getting his first cap. Hopefully SWP gets kicked out of it on Wednesday and Bentley gets a decent run (touche the booers).

If you're being honest and not just wearing blue and white tinted glasses you have to say that SWP has started the League season a lot better than DB.

I also agree with Le Chuck that "Bentleygate" appears to have blown over relatively quickly. When it initially happened, I feared he would have been out of the reckoning for 12 months. Much ado about nothing as it has turned out.

The minute he lashes in a goal from 20 yards, those Wockney Cankers will be shouting his name from the rooftops.

[USABlue]

As for the game, pleasantly surprised we won a do.

[Paul Mellelieu]

If you're being honest and not just wearing blue and white tinted glasses you have to say that SWP has started the League season a lot better than DB.

Not so, if you look at yesterdays Guardian's analysis of the two players' seasons. Bentley was ahead in terms of passing and crossing and warranted a start ahead of SWP according to the unamed scribe.

Can't find a link I'm afraid.

[shadsworth cloud]

england were much improved for the absences of beckham, crouch, lampard and hargreaves.

how good to see players from outside "the big 4" get a run out and do well. gareth barry, emile heskey and micah rchards were the best players. none of them play for (ahem) the big 4.

maybe the superstars just don't have it in the tank to play for england any more. if so, maybe its time for SMcClaren to overlook these players and pick a team from the other clubs???

just wondering what people think?

[Billy Castell]

Worth a go Shadsworth, but I can't see it happening. I agree that the egos like Lampard and Gerrard just give that impression that it is their right to play for England. Maybe if they were dropped from the squad next time round......................

[rover6]

Good to see Bentley getting his first cap. Hopefully SWP gets kicked out of it on Wednesday and Bentley gets a decent run (touche the booers).

Hope that's meant in jest - otherwise you are being embarrasingly biased.

SWP is and will always be a superior player to Bentley - if on form. He's on form and is playing very well for Chelsea and should definitely start against Russia. The apparent reluctance on this forum, from what I read, to praise SWP must come from a sense of embarrassment for having once, as a few here did, described him as a player with no outstanding attribute barring his pace.

Can we have more objectivity, please? After all, if you try to be objective you will be more likely to find yourself close to the truth.

[brfc fan]

I'm delighted that Bentley finally been given a chance even if it was only 5-10 mins.

I was disappointed with the booing though but I think it should wear off after a while...hopefully ...because he doesn't deserve it.

SWP played well. Bentleys got a challenge on his hands there to push him onto the bench but he could do it if he keeps performing for Rovers.

I think the overall performance of England looked much better and more relaxed and controlled. I think they're getting used to playing at Wembley and I hope that this is the start of the turnaround.

[MCMC1875]

Worse than the booing for me was Graham Taylor condoning the booing on Radio 5 Live.

[Wolverine]

SWP: Undoubtedly an excellent player.

Bentley: Has it in him to be even better but needs more experience at International level.

The boo boys are just thick Southerners and I back Bentley to silence them with his performances. He is a lovely bloke and as long as he stays confident, he will overcome them.

I didn't expect McClaren to pick or play Dave but it is good to see him grow some balls at last, even if they are only little ones. I just hope he sees the sense in giving experience to the new wave, rather than letting our last wave of 'world beating superstars' have an easy ride.

And I really hate to say this, but it was nice to see Rio Ferdinand speak up in Dave's defence.

[Bing]

Hope that's meant in jest - otherwise you are being embarrasingly biased.

SWP is and will always be a superior player to Bentley - if on form. He's on form and is playing very well for Chelsea and should definitely start against Russia. The apparent reluctance on this forum, from what I read, to praise SWP must come from a sense of embarrassment for having once, as a few here did, described him as a player with no outstanding attribute barring his pace.

Can we have more objectivity, please? After all, if you try to be objective you will be more likely to find yourself close to the truth.

SWP is one-dimensional but when confident and on form is very effective - it must be said though that some of his crossing yesterday was woeful. In terms of touch, technique, awareness and ability to deliver the ball from wide area, Bentley is a vastly superior player and will have a much more consistent and distinguished career.

You have to stick with SWP whilst he's in this rich vein of form but over the long-term (disregarding Lennon for the minute) Bentley will be a far bigger asset to England.

[-foreverrovers-]

rio has come out this morning and condemed the fans for booing bents.

it was sad and pathetic for booing him,and is typical of england fans,as seeing as they had nothing to moan/direct anger about/at all afternoon such was the quality of the performance (even if it was against a poor isreal side,but hey,these are the games we usually struggle in),so when bentley came in they just had to giv him a boo,so at least they could go home 100% satisfied.

i hate fat frank,i really do.why he can only produce for chelsea,but not england really gets to me.maybe its because he doesnt get 100 grand everytime he turns out in white?.however i would never boo him whilst in an england shirt.

now,bents has yet to even come on in an england shirt and hes getting booed.what he did WAS NOT THAT BAD!...firstly because he was 100% honest about his reasons.he had just come off the back of a 60-game season for the 1st time in his career and felt jaded.if he had played for the u21s he would have had a couple of weeks (if that)until he had to return for rovers for our intertoto campaign,and would be looking at another 60 game season,with the potential of playing well into june/july 08 if we were to qualify for the euros.now thats around 120 games with 2-3 weeks rest.how would he be expected to perform for rovers in an end-of-season push for europe and of course the euros??.secondly the guy is 23!!!,its not the u-23 tournement but the u-21s!.nuff said.if it was the full team and he turned it down,or a B team game,id condem him.but it was the u-21s!,and it wasnt exactly his first call up either was it,so questioning his patriotism is a joke.and what of agbonlahor,there was something more fishy to what happend there,and it was glossed over by the 'bigger' club and the 'we love those bigger clubs...and we dont care if it is blatently obvious' media.who ven watched more that 5mins here and 5 mins there of the tournement during the summer anyway?certainly not those boo-boys from yesterday i suspect,who will remebr it once next summers tournement is said and done???hmmmmm.

stuart pearces reaction made me chuckle too,he pulled micah richards from and u21 squad last season for the tierdness/protection from burnout reason,so his harsh condemnation was unjustified and hypocritical.

some england fans ALWAYS boo someone in white,its what they do.club allegiances should be forgotten about for england,and perhaps if like oour fans all got rght behind the team,we might ust have something to shout about next summer...providing we get there!.maybe that could be half the reason we have fallen a little short thus far in this qualifying campaign. would worry about it too much its omorrows chip paper this booing bents lark.swp will come out with his shorts on the wrong way round on wednesday and he will get a huge chorus of boo's,and that will be the loudest wembley will get all night!(anyone else notice the diabolical atmosphere yesterday??)

[AndyC]

Bentley did the wrong thing regardless of what anyone says, you should play for England whatever the circumstances.

BUT..........to see wembley looking like the emirates with 15 minutes to go, EMPTY, just goes to show the national stadium should have been built up north as those southern tossers wouldn't know how to support a team if we wrote them the fecking rules......

because the fans don't leave early at rovers do they ;-)

[G Somerset Rover]

SWP is and will always be a superior player to Bentley - if on form.

Completely agree with Bing here. I don't see how you came to this conclusion? SWP's is a quality player on form but Bentley is a far greater player technically than him for a start. He's streets ahead at getting quality, consistent crosses in to the box and pound for pound gives a greater goal threat than SWP's. I honestly don't think that he'd be an International player if it wasn't for his pace. Also I'd suggest that I have a better first touch than him when he's off form, which is usually the case for the majority of the time. It was a good game from him yesterday but to suggest that he'll always be a superior player to Bentley is a little far-fetched.

[Fife Rover]

SWP: Undoubtedly an excellent player.

Bentley: Has it in him to be even better but needs more experience at International level.

The boo boys are just thick Southerners and I back Bentley to silence them with his performances. He is a lovely bloke and as long as he stays confident, he will overcome them.

I didn't expect McClaren to pick or play Dave but it is good to see him grow some balls at last, even if they are only little ones. I just hope he sees the sense in giving experience to the new wave, rather than letting our last wave of 'world beating superstars' have an easy ride.

And I really hate to say this, but it was nice to see Rio Ferdinand speak up in Dave's defence.

I agree entirely with the above, and I have every confidence that if DB keeps playing as he can for Rovers, his chance will come. But for now, SWP is in form and IMO he cannot be dropped after his performance for England yesterday.

I must have missed the Rio Ferdinand "defence of Bentley"; Would someone care to enlighten us on what he actually said?

[Mozzer]

swp isnt more superior to bentley...

can i ask whats better...

having pace and no quality service or having abit of pace and quality service???????

i dont think bentley was given the right time yesterday(i thought mclaren did everything correct, but i was a little disappointed he only got 10minutes), we had the game won. could have given him more time..

[Mr Maureen]

I just got back from Wembley and it wasn't a shat atmosphere, it was very good. Pretty much singing for the entire match. I guess it didn't sound great on TV so I guess I was lucky to be there to experience it properly.

Yes there was singing for most of the match but it was muffled passionless head nodding crap.

England England rah rah rah.

Rule Brittania ???

The battle of Britain tune ???

God save the queen ???

A long way to go until the new Wembley achieves the intimidating Hampden atmosphere.

[they_think_its_all_rover]

What Rio said;

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_2717377,00.html

[Martin]

I was furious yesterday when Bentley was booed. But, as many of you rightly point out, it would be naive to have expected anything different.

Regardless of the booing - it failed to taint how proud I was as a Blackburn Rovers supporter to watch Bentley come on. It's great ot have a player in the national team squad. Let's hope he can sneak into the squad for the Euros in the summer.

[pksrover]

John Terry defended Bentley after the game as well. You can watch the interview on the bbc website.

[Wolverine]

John Terry defended Bentley after the game as well. You can watch the interview on the bbc website.

First Rio now JT? Good to see a bit of solidarity from players I wouldn't have expected it from.

[chris]

makes him an England international and we have one on our team now, so positives, boo boys don't really matter i'd rather have the cap