England V Trin & Tob

[Arfie]

unless rooney gets back in shape england havent got a hope

More hope than Scotland

You'd prefer to meet Ecuador, who haven't lost a goal yet (but will when they meet Germany) and beat Brazil and Argentina in their qualifying group?

Means nothing, Northern Ireland beat us in the qualifying

Statistics can show what you want them to. eg:

They lost to Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil in qualifying.
They also only won one away from home.
They won 8 drew 4 and lost 6 and scored 23 goals, oddly exactly the same stats as Paraguay, only difference is they only conceded 19 where Paraguay conceded 23

That's not true I'm afraid. Paraguay are already out.
If T&T win big against Paraguay and Sweden lose, then Sweden go out.

Oops wrong way around

Arfie

 

[Andy_B]

We'll be fine once knockout football is live.
That's when the World Cup starts for me.

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

unless rooney gets back in shape england havent got a hope

More hope than Scotland

At least we know we won't win anything, and we don't say very loudly that we will win every tournament that we enter

As soon as you meet a decent team you will be coming home, empty handed, again

 

[waterwatereverywhere]

unless rooney gets back in shape england havent got a hope

More hope than Scotland

At least we know we won't win anything, and we don't say very loudly that we will win every tournament that we enter

As soon as you meet a decent team you will be coming home, empty handed, again

And we don't totally embarrass ourselves whenever we do get to the finals, unlike your lot who never even make it out of the group stage.

I think you don't say anything very loudly these days because the national shame of 1978 still sticks in the country's collective memory, where you reckoned you were going to beat all comers, shrugging off British support by saying that you and "Ally's army" were going to win the Cup for Scotland.

Before losing 3-1 to Peru

Away from all things Scottish and onto footballing matters - it's hard to look beyond Argentina after today's performance strange things do happen though!

 

[Arfie]

onto footballing matters - it's hard to look beyond Argentina after today's performance strange things do happen though!

Yeah, I caught fleeting glimpses they looked good The first "big" team to put in a performance them and Spain have played the best football so far (at least from what I've seen)

I'm hoping some more decent games will happen, I'm looking forward to seeing some of the Holland game tonight, Portugal, Italy and Czech Republic on Saturday and on Sunday, I really hope Brazil and France turn it on

As for Tuesday, I'm not that bothered whether we play great football or not, so long as we get no injuries and the unfit players like Rooney and Owen, get some decent game time, preferably the younguns get a run out too in case they're needed later on in the tournament.

Arfie

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

ive yet to see "wonder kid" (theo whats his name) play a game i know hes been on in a match but not a world cup match anyone seen him play whats he like???

 

[furryrabbit]

lucky lucky lucky!!!!
when you come up against one of the better teams, you'll be coming home.

finally someone said it . you cant win the world cup on media hype alone .....

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

whats the matter with you alll are you all jealous cos you didnt get through im only joking by the way but england have got a good chance this year at support is alot better than it was for years ago

 

[Arfie]

He got a calf injury in training before the 1st game I *believe* he should be fit for the next game not heard much about it since.

I saw a couple of televised games of him at Southampton and he's good I know he hasn't played for Arsenal yet, but to be fair he only moved there in January and when you have Henry, Berkamp, Reyes and Van Percy in front of him, it's hardly a surprise. But Arsene Wenger knows a striker when he sees one, so that's enough for me

Personally I wouldn't have taken him in front of Defoe or Bent, maybe even Fowler or Beattie, but he has and I hope if he gets on he scores a goal or two

It's funny how all those "experts" who all know England will do nothing all come from countries incapable of qualifying, for whom the only glory they have is hoping England lose

Arfie

 

[furryrabbit]

whats the matter with you alll are you all jealous cos you didnt get through im only jocking by the way but england have got a good chance this year at support is alot better than it was for years ago

i am actually

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Not looking foward to Sweeden or the knockout stages, only scoring near the end when a team is getting tired.....

I don't think sweden will camp 11 players infront of the ball, so it will be alot more interesting. T & T weren't the tired ones, england played 90mins trying to breakdown 11 men but they did it in the end

Not looking foward to Sweeden or the knockout stages, only scoring near the end when a team is getting tired.....

lennon didnt do much for me, he needs to work on his crossing he beats defenders so easily but then screws up the cross, he has the ability to be great but unfortunatly i would rather a slow beckham than a fast lennon purely because of crossing,

crouch played terrible.

downing did better in 15 mins than cole did whole match

rooney looked average(but it was his first game back)

Terry man of match for me a good consistant game

Downing is being talked into every game by Mclaren, personally i think he did as bad as he did against paraguay. I think he can look forward to 90mins everygame when Mclaren does takeover

 

[DanDanUK]

lampard ddid great i think he deserved a goal, terry played v. well too agree with gerrards goal being spectacular

Frank Lampard didn't have too well agame if you ask me, his shots were off target and he wasn't making enough effort to get the ball to the forwards, Lampards a great player but yesterdays game didn't bring out the best in him.

Crouch is just one long streaky gormless git but who else do we have?
Trouble is that he is too tall and gangly to maneuver around the goal area.

You forgot to mention who scores goals !!!

Thats the best thing about Peter Crouch his sheer size and lankyness is what puts off the oppositions defence or when he's tackling he smothers the opposit player.

Peter Crouch isn't as usless as he looks!!!

 

[CFC]

Peter Crouch has one deadly attribute, his height. Being 6'7" he is head and shoulders above anyone else in the box which makes him perfect for Beckham or Lennon to put a well aimed cross straight onto his head where he can put it straight over the keeper and into the back of the net, he may not be a terrific play maker but as a goal poacher there are few better in the England side at the moment.

While Rooney didnt make any great contribution to the game with his playing skills just his presence on the pitch allowed England to score two goals, the moment he came on he was man marked by two defenders which left a hole in the middle where one player left to join the other marking Rooney on the left, the extra space allowed Crouch to get into a goal scoring position and Gerrard to be free to move which is what he needed to perform his magic.

 

[ron1]

Rooney does lift the crowd and the team; the problem is though----the poor lad isn't 100% fit

 

[Andy_B]

Rooney does lift the crowd and the team; the problem is though----the poor lad isn't 100% fit

Yeah, I believe his foot is healed but he's not match fit yet.
Perhaps a good runout against Sweden on Tuesday will help?