England vs USA sponsored by US Nobbers [OFFICAL THREAD]

[Ian Royal]

Usual stunning England perfromance at the World cup shock

Now watch the idiot press in this country moan about how Robert Green should be hung, drawn and quartered and how the rest of the team are a shower of ****

Yes mistakes made yesterday, but me the major wasn't Green's unfortunateness (why can't he keep them for West Ham next season) but Cappello's imbecile decision to start with a patently unfit Milner instead of Joe Cole who was about the only bright spot in an otherwise depressing warm up period.

And it doesn't matter who is managing the team you can't play Gerrard and Lardarse in the same side it does not work.

My changes for Algeria; Cole J for Milner and Barry for Lardarse.

Oh and why can't the FA learn once and for to not grant licences to show football to this bunch of hopeless dibwicks at ITV.

I think the reaction that Gerrard and Lampard can't work is a mindless kneejerk one. Based on that performance they weren't great, but they did work. Certainly better than they've played together that I can remember. We'd have been perfectly happy with their display if it weren't for Green's error.

Happily I think Gerrard did much more to keep himself in the team than Lampard though. Because Gerrard and Rooney are the ones who can step it up and lift England to the heights they need.

[Alan Partridge]

Harsh but obvious, the English press will destroy him which is a brilliant idea

However, I said during the Mexico game, the worst thing for England was for Green to have a really good game, because it meant he would probably start in the World Cup. He isn't good enough full stop. 3rd best keeper in the squad, inexperienced at International level and it's England's biggest game in this group. Madness.

I don't think the insecurity and lack of information on who was going to be the keeper helps, because it means you are constantly on edge. Green started the last few games so probably him, then Hart gets in does well most in form so maybe him, then he gives David James the number 1 jersey, so it's him then, then Green starts afterall. It's not a good thing for any of the keepers or the team.

He made a good save in the 2nd half (he should have saved it) and afterwards credit to him for speaking to the media when he probably felt like just leaving the ground.

David James should be the England goalkeeper, said it for ages and he will probably come in for the Algeria game. A game in which he will probably have nothing to do in anyway. If he continues with Green it's detriment to the entire team and will be one (of many) reasons why England won't progress as far as they could in this tournament. I also hope unrelated he brings in Michael Dawson. Great chance for him to get a game for ENgland in a match where he shouldn't be too troubled. He simply can't play Carragher and Terry in the same defense.

[Sarah Star]

According to the guy from Opta who was talking to Radio 4, Joe Hart is statistically the better goalkeeper in the premier league so should get the nod over the other two.

Also when Gerrard plays without Lampard, England win 77% of the time; when it's only Lampard it's only 45%.

[Ian Royal]

All you need to know about using statistics to pick players can be picked up by reading the insane dribblings of snowball.

[buzzby]

Robert Green....finally a spillage the USA will be happy with

[Ginger Ninjas]

I think Capello has been given an easy ride. It was his decision to play Green, who IMHO, has been perhaps the 4th best English keeper in the past 6 months (Robinson's post-xmas form for Blackburn was excellent). He also picked two unfit players and selected a squad without a left midfielder (as did most of his predecessors, tbf).

I can see why people defend Heskey, but no international striker should miss that one-on-one chance. Defoe/Bent don't contribute as much to the team, but when presented with that kind of chance it would have been a very different outcome.

Anyway, England will easily qualify from the group still before falling in the second round or quarters on penalties.

Oh, plus sides, Johnson was excellent going forward and Gerrard played better than he has done all season.

[TBM]

Are we out of the world cup then?

[PieEater]

Apart from the keeper, you also have to question 3 calls Fabio made with his team selection and got wrong or bitten by them.

Picking the fragile King, who doesn't even train; Picking Milner when he was unfit then watch him get roasted. Putting SWP on the left ahead of JCole who IMHO would have done a better job there.

[NR_Royal]

I want to see this team play Algeria:

------------------------Hart-------------------------

---G.Johnson------Upson------Terry-------A.Cole---

---Lennon------Lampard------Gerrard------J.Cole---

--------------Heskey--------------Rooney--------------


WHY WHY WHY didn't Capello take Adam Johnson? We really need left footed attackers in the squad. I'm starting to doubt Capello's selection policy.

[Royal Lady]

Telling the players who is in only 2 hours before a game is pretty daft as well. He needs to have his "first choice team" playing together against the others in training. Is James injured? If not, bring him in against Algeria. I'd also play Upson. I was seriously underwhelmed by that performance last night, so let's hope it means we're going to at least get to the Semi finals again!

[Ian Royal]

Funny how it wasn't criticised during qualifying.

[Royal Lady]

Funny how it wasn't criticised during qualifying.

How what wasn't criticised?

[Victor Meldrew]

England will progress from the easiest group and our press will be calling us winners when we score a few against the other two but I think we are what we are-a quarter-final team(ranked 8th in the world) that might make it to the semis whereas Argentina,Brazil,Spain and Holland all have the potential to win the cup.

My grouse has always been about playing a right-footer on the left and true enough Milner gets booked because he tackled across the man with his right.
Joe Cole is no different and is incredibly slow so I could see why SWP came on because he does have pace but the problem won't go away whoever we play out there.
They will always cut in on their right and crowd the midfield and the theory that Ashley Cole will get into that space hardly ever works against better opposition.
The other point is King-he isn't exactly Bobby Moore or Nesta so why on earth even consider a crock when there are fitter options?

Add me to the list of anti-ITV.

[Ian Royal]

Funny how it wasn't criticised during qualifying.

How what wasn't criticised?

telling the team two hours before the game... I was under the impression from coverage that Capello always does it that way.

[Royal Lady]

I rarely comment on the General Football board, and don't believe I have bothered to partake of discussion on the WC Qualifying games. I can assure you, however, that I have criticised this 2-hour notice thing to other people.

[Victor Meldrew]

I want to see this team play Algeria:

------------------------Hart-------------------------

---G.Johnson------Upson------Terry-------A.Cole---

---Lennon------Lampard------Gerrard------J.Cole---

--------------Heskey--------------Rooney--------------


WHY WHY WHY didn't Capello take Adam Johnson? We really need left footed attackers in the squad. I'm starting to doubt Capello's selection policy.

Agree about Johnson but I don't think it matters too much who plays against Algeria-they really are poor.

[Victor Meldrew]

Funny how it wasn't criticised during qualifying.

How what wasn't criticised?

telling the team two hours before the game... I was under the impression from coverage that Capello always does it that way.

On Talksport this morning they added that the chosen back 4 would have trained with the chosen keeper for the most recent sessions so at least that part of the team would know who would be playing.

[Hoop Blah]

I rarely comment on the General Football board, and don't believe I have bothered to partake of discussion on the WC Qualifying games. I can assure you, however, that I have criticised this 2-hour notice thing to other people.

There's nothing wrong with keeping the players on their toes and not naming the side until the last minute. It works for him and the general play wasn't too bad for an opening game and under Sven they all knew who was playing a month in advance and it created the wrong atmosphere in the squad.

As for training, I have no doubts that the starting players will have been more than adequately drilled by Capello. Would you rather they just trained that starting back four together and then when King goes off injured Carragher hasn't trained enough with them?

As for the SWP substitution, as VM says, he would've surely been given the nod over the superior Cole purely because of his pace and it was Milners lack of pace which was causing him issues.

Plenty of room for improvement but it was a pretty predictable and largely satisfactory start to the tournament.

[cmonurz]

I don't understand the clamour for Joe Hart to play. He is, and should be, the 2006 Walcott of this squad. No competitive experience at this level - you don't throw a rookie into a World Cup, it's crazy. David James should have played yesterday, and should play for the remainder of the tournament, assuming he is fit.

[Royal Rother]

I agree with you re Joe Hart. Not experienced enough; for me, end of.

Paul Robinson should have played yesterday.