[Archived] World Cup Qualifiers 2010

[pg]

I told you Capello would be good.

Out of interest, how does Capello accomodate Lampard and Gerrard in the same team? What formation did you play?

[Oklahoma]

Half time and Paraguay is winning 1-0 against Argentina...

[neekoy]

How did it work out last time in the major tournament when you defeated someone 5 - 1 in qualifying?

[dazmaz]

I told you Capello would be good.

Out of interest, how does Capello accomodate Lampard and Gerrard in the same team? What formation did you play?

had gerrard on the left and lampard in the middle the last few games, i think once j cole is fit Barry might loose his place.

[jim mk2]

How did it work out last time in the major tournament when you defeated someone 5 - 1 in qualifying?

How did it work out last time you were in a major tournament ?

[Miker]

Half time and Paraguay is winning 1-0 against Argentina...

Argentina seem pretty screwed. How much managerial experience and knowledge does Maradona really have?

[SouthAussieRover]

How did it work out last time you were in a major tournament ?

Australia made it to the last 16. Not bad for a football minnow.

[Miker]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport..._at_their_feet/

Interesting article from the LT highlighting Blackburn players that could feature in next year's World Cup. That's about 11 players that could feature, which is extremely encouraging for us!

[MCMC1875]

It's a perfectly fair shout. "We're gonna win the World Cup" is excessive for any side since no side goes into a World Cup with much more than a one in four chance of winning the thing. However we're up there with some of the leading contenders IMO.

Are you a turf accountant perchance?

[modes98]

who gives a @#/? about conceding 1 poxy goal when theres 5 in the bag..irrelevent

Capello does and he is right to do so. Clean sheets are important, conceeding sloppy goals at any time in any match is bad.

I'd take anyone with a right foot to replace Bentley now Ricky.

More like an awful tackle than a good move for the penalty. Crap marking for Lennon's hopeful high cross into the area for Gerrard's header.

Apart from that, - overrated.

When the deal was on the table we had the chance. His pace will always cause problems, granted he isn't the best crosser but he does gain free kicks and get players booked as well.

Shame we missed out on him, or indeed anyone else that could actually cross it. Diouf isn't exactly a brilliant crosser.

[MCMC1875]

Capello does and he is right to do so. Clean sheets are important, conceeding sloppy goals at any time in any match is bad.

When the deal was on the table we had the chance. His pace will always cause problems, granted he isn't the best crosser but he does gain free kicks and get players booked as well.

Shame we missed out on him, or indeed anyone else that could actually cross it. Diouf isn't exactly a brilliant crosser.

Neither were Wilcox nor Miller the perfect crossers of the ball but both were regularly slaughtered by the Riverside faithful and one won a Championship medal.

[Hughesy]

Media over-drive about to kick in about us winning the world cup it seems.

Last night was a decent performance - however we still lack 1 or 2 things.

If our midfielders hadnt taken charge of the goalscoring - what would of happened? Except for Rooney, none of the England forwards give me any confidence at all. WE NEED him to stay fit next summer.

For the Croatia goal - Johnson let the cross come in abit too easily, however JT was stood off his man, who won the 1st header. So both have abit of blame there I think.

I hope in the 2 remaining qualifiers that Robinson gets a chance as none of Foster, James or Green inspire me with any confidence either - especially against quality opposition.

Big improvements still needed.

[CrazyIvan]

Last night's performance was much, much better than the friendly against Slovenia. There was purpose and drive in the team from the off. Lennon worked his socks off. It was interesting to see how much play was on the England right hand side with both the best and worst happening there. Croatia were awful though and should have been 4 or 5 down at the half. If a better finisher had been where Heskey was (Shearer for example, even now!) England would have been 4 or 5 up and he would have had a hat-trick. As it was, the two midfielders, who could never play together before Capello, both took their chances with aplomb. Rooney scored the easiest goal I've seen in a world-cup qualifier.

Overall, England going forward were very good. Weak link was Heskey who looked like he'd left his confidence in a safe place but forgot where it is and his first touch in Birmingham. I've never really rated him but I've seen him play better than that. For their goal, poor marking for the first header but a fantastic save from Green. The second I think he could have and should have done better, the ball came at him and he blocked it but failed to hold on but that might be a little harsh, I just expect an international keeper to make that kind of save. Oh and Defoe apparently came on as a sub...

[LeChuck]

I told you Capello would be good.

Out of interest, how does Capello accomodate Lampard and Gerrard in the same team? What formation did you play?

Although it's written as 4-4-2, the formation is very fluid and ends up resembling more a 4-2-3-1 at times. Gerrard starts on the left and Rooney in a free role behind Heskey, but they do interchange a lot. If both go wandering we can rely on Ashley Cole to bomb on and provide width so we're never found wanting.

Lampard plays a bit more of a holding role than he does at Chelsea, but he's still allowed to break into the box. With Barry playing to left of centre and Lampard on the right, Capello has managed to stop Gerrard and Lampard treading on each others' toes all the time. Neither gets the freedom they do at club level so they're never going to replicate those performances, but they've shown they can play together at last.

If we had a goal scoring target man we'd be sorted, Heskey is the obvious weak link but a player like him is an absolute necessity to our formation. Hopefully Carlton Cole can keep progressing at the rate he is, because he's the only realistic alternative at the moment.

[rover6]

Now I know why Bilic described Kalinic as the future of Croatian football...

(Just a joke, btw. I'm still hopeful about the Croatian Matty Derbyshire).

[Hughesy]

For their goal, poor marking for the first header but a fantastic save from Green. The second I think he could have and should have done better, the ball came at him and he blocked it but failed to hold on but that might be a little harsh, I just expect an international keeper to make that kind of save. Oh and Defoe apparently came on as a sub...

I agree on the second shot - and also the slow reactions from the defenders was poor.

Defoe did? Oh yeah....I remember he was clean through and couldnt take the ball down

[Amo]

JOHN TERRY accused Croatian substitute Ivan Klasnic of spitting at him during the Wembley demolition.

Isn't that a bit rich, considering:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP_HzfFw21s

[JAL]

Anyone spot that Capello put John Terry on the right side of the central pairing in order to cover Johnson ?

[LeChuck]

Anyone spot that Capello put John Terry on the right side of the central pairing in order to cover Johnson ?

Err...I think that's probably more due to the fact that Upson is left footed and Terry is right footed.

[JAL]

Err...I think that's probably more due to the fact that Upson is left footed and Terry is right footed.

Terry is both but hes predominantly stronger on his left. Never felt Upson is left footed always thought he was stronger on his right.

[LeChuck]

Haven't got a clue what you're basing that on, but you're wrong.

[waggy]

not a fan of heskey but how can a player get so much stick when we win 5-1,for the remaining group games i would love england to rest the players from the big 4 teams and let's see a few other players given a chance

[DanLad]

not a fan of heskey but how can a player get so much stick when we win 5-1,for the remaining group games i would love england to rest the players from the big 4 teams and let's see a few other players given a chance

I can't think of anyone to play the Heskey role. Crouch doesn't fit. Who else is there?

I'd like all the big 4 players to play and get thoroughly knackered out.

[JAL]

Haven't got a clue what you're basing that on, but you're wrong.

When Ferdinand plays does he not play on the right side and Terry goes on the left ?

When Terry plays with Carvaleho (sp)does Terry not go left side rather than right of centre ?

Against Slovenia did Terry not play left of centre rather than right ?

Cannot say that ive ever thought Upson was predominantly left footed but then again i'm not a fan of the guy. Going back to the initial point did you see that Terry played right of centre last night or have you always thought thats his position.

[waggy]

I can't think of anyone to play the Heskey role. Crouch doesn't fit. Who else is there?

I'd like all the big 4 players to play and get thoroughly knackered out.

i think carlton cole is the nearest we have