The World Cup Starts NOW

Jun
24
2010

England finally remebered how to kick a ball around, in a very solid and creative display against Slovenia yesterday - considering the enormous pressure on the team and manager, with the hopes of the whole nation on thier shoulders for that 90 minutes it was a good performance, getting the job done in premiership-type style that the players are used to at 1-0. It could easily have been more but for some excellent goal keeping from Slovenia’s Italian-based goalkeeper, who’s finger tips denied Rooney’s excellent effort. Defoe and Terry also had solid attempts that could have gone in on another day, and the main news was that the team finally began to gel. I still prefer Gerrard playing centrally behind Rooney, and can’t for the life of me see why Cappers won’t play him there, but still he was more effective this time on the left. Unlike Gezza, Lamps was perhaps the one player who didn’t seem to be coping, contributing very little and seeming nervous on the ball, giving away possession in the middle of the park too frequently. Bazza and Millaz really steped up and probably drove the game more than the old hands Gerrard & Lamps. Jozza (Glen Johnson) was my man of the match - unsung hero who made very few mistakes, blocked important goal atempts and drove forward relentlessly.

So job done, but wait, a last minute goal by the USA means we’re playing Germany on Sunday - luckily after their 4-0 thrashing of Australia they seem to have fallen apart, we can only hope that holds true for Sunday, although with our confidence up we should be able to take them on, perhaps with a few further changes: Capps mate, are you listening? Gerrard in the centre, and play Crouch - his England scoring record is undeniable, doesn’t suffer nerves (same for Defoe), he holds up the ball, is taller than any defenders and despite his long legs has a touch on the ball that’s up there with Roons in my book, so play him already!