Rob Green ...

[Meatus]

what a fantastic goal,

totally made my night and the best thing to happen in the tournament so far. I just hope the mighty Algeria stuff you's now!!!

on second thoughts i don't. It would break my heart not to watch you go out on penalties!!! !laugh!

[David Johnson]

Yup a howler, but most of the team didn't cover themselves in glory either.

It seems to me symptomatic of the problems we have in defence that Capello started off with Ferdinand, a player who hasn't had much more than a handful of games this season and replaced him with Ledley King who has such chronic injury problems he's too scared of injury to have a kick about with his little kid in the garden.

And then when King had to be replaced at half time, he brought on Carragher who couldn't be arsed to play for England for a number of years and was so slow, the only way he would have been able to catch up with some of the American forwards was if he had been able to hop on to a No. 11 bus going in his direction. In fact, I thought Carragher was lucky to stay on the field for the tackle that he got booked for.

Then in midfield and attack, Milner looked completely unfit and off the pace and Aaron Lennon, Wright-Philipps and Heskey, three players who can't command regular places in their Premiership teams, gave the impression that it would take an empty goal for them to be able to score.

I take the point about starting slowly, but as England supporters, we have been here so many times before in the last 10 to 15 years. The omens are not good!

Needless to say, I would be absolutely delighted to be proved to be talking out my arse.

Cheers
D

[Bob Singleton]

My preference would have been Hart to start based on club form.

I think it unfair, however, for everyone to point the finger at Green for his mistake... he's normally a solid keeper, not prone t making such mistakes, and to drop him for that would be counter-productive.

Apart from his goal, Gerrard had a very poor game... I doubt more than 50% of his passes found their intended target, and when he was giving the ball to the opposition, he was letting them take it off him! As for his captaincy, when we needed a leader on the pitch in the second half to try and claw back the lead, he was nowhere to be seen.

Heskey may have won almost every header going, but he has never been a natural striker, and his lack of games and goals this last season were perfectly summed up by his schoolboyish shot straight into the arms of the keeper.

In another thread elsewhere on this board I suggested we play 4-3-3 If Barry is definitely 100% OK for Friday (Milner looked way off the pace yesterday. He'd obviously not fully recovered from his earlier malaise, and his lack of fitness was part of the problem that led to him being substituted after 30 minutes lest he pick up a second yellow) then I suggest the following:

Green

Johnson Carragher Terry A Cole

Gerrard Barry Lampard

Lennon Rooney J Cole



With Barry protecting the back four, this allows both Gerrard and Lampard to play their natural attacking games from central midfield. The pace of Lennon on one side and artfulness of Joe Cole on the other will provide Rooney with the goal scoring opportunities he needs, and also allows him to play up front on his own, which he claims is his preferred role anyway!

[Jonone]

Carragher's a liability.

[David Johnson]

"Carragher's a liability."

I agree. The American forwards were running away from Carragher with ease and John Terry certainly ain't speedy. Dawson has had a good season for Spurs so in the absence of King in the next match, it might be worth looking at him.

However whether he goes with Carragher or the very inexperienced (at international level) Dawson, it's risky. But unfortunately that is the situation Capello is now in with the injuries.

Cheers
D

[Secretease]

Want us to win just so they can stop dragging up 1966 every world cup. !boring!