The England Thread

[cpr]

Peter Crouch, hat trick hero

What is the world coming to. Great penalty though....

 

[Barney Rubble]

Crouchio, what a guy.

 

[roseboy64]

Really expected only four goals. Should have been only four though. Stupid own goals.

 

[marc71178]

Jamaica were lucky England stopped at 6 to be honest.

Mind you they were terrible.

 

[roseboy64]

True. Decent performance but I've seen them play better under the previous coach. Not very many football savvy people here are in his corner.

 

[marc71178]

Decent performance by who?!

 

[TT Boy]

If Jan Koller’s destruction of Trinidad is anything to go by, Peter Crouch will have some fun. If you thought a Jamaica team with nothing to play for other than the handsome cheque the FA gave them for being such ‘competitive’ opponents were bad, check out Trinidad (if Eurosport show the highlights tonight), my God were they shocking. Unlike Jamaica who had cause not to do anything out of the ordinary other than play six up top and not tackle, Trinidad actually approached the game in competitive manner and time the third went in the game had become nothing more than a farce.

 

[roseboy64]

All I'll say is that England are lucky Jamica didn't play as they normally do or else there would have been more injuries. Kept their heads about them. Of late there's usually at least one red card in every match.

 

[Craig]

What formation did England go with?

 

[marc71178]

Good old 4-4-2 - pretty much the full side without Neville and of course Rooney.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Good old 4-4-2 - pretty much the full side without Neville and of course Rooney.

Who? He'll never replace Crouch.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Who? He'll never replace Crouch.

Friend of mine (admittedly a female friend, but she does know a bit about football) was suggesting that in the light of yesterday, should Crouch continue scoring in the group stages, he might not be the one to make way should Wazza recover. Personally I can't see Sven dropping Owen in a million years, but then he did pick Walcott.....

 

[BoyBrumby]

Friend of mine (admittedly a female friend, but she does know a bit about football) was suggesting that in the light of yesterday, should Crouch continue scoring in the group stages, he might not be the one to make way should Wazza recover. Personally I can't see Sven dropping Owen in a million years, but then he did pick Walcott.....

Just watching the highlights on Sky now actually (the cricket not edifying viewing just now for Englishmen...) & all of our goals (I'm up to 4-0) come from Beckham's right foot, a Crouch knock-down or combo thereof!

I doubt we'll get such obliging defending @ the WC, but it's just possible Svennis has hit on something in his blind, flailing way!

Makes Hargreaves & Carrick look perhaps not such clever picks tho.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Just watching the highlights on Sky now actually (the cricket not edifying viewing just now for Englishmen...) & all of our goals (I'm up to 4-0) come from Beckham's right foot, a Crouch knock-down or combo thereof!

I doubt we'll get such obliging defending @ the WC, but it's just possible Svennis has hit on something in his blind, flailing way!

Makes Hargreaves & Carrick look perhaps not such clever picks tho.

Crouch might not be the prettiest of players to watch, but he's effective. Causes havoc in defences, and if we're going to make best use of Becks' passing, we might as well have a nine-foot giant up front to win the headers.

Shame there's no feasible way we could fit Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole, Rooney, Crouch and Owen into the same team all together!

 

[BoyBrumby]

Crouch might not be the prettiest of players to watch, but he's effective. Causes havoc in defences, and if we're going to make best use of Becks' passing, we might as well have a nine-foot giant up front to win the headers.

Shame there's no feasible way we could fit Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole, Rooney, Crouch and Owen into the same team all together!

Beckham @ right-back with Rooney at the head of midfield diamond?

 

[Jamee999]

Crouch might not be the prettiest of players to watch, but he's effective. Causes havoc in defences, and if we're going to make best use of Becks' passing, we might as well have a nine-foot giant up front to win the headers.

Shame there's no feasible way we could fit Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole, Rooney, Crouch and Owen into the same team all together!

3-4-3

 

[cpr]

Rooney in net, he plays there in training y'know!!!!! (which, if any more injuries to keepers, would make him the most experienced in that position)

 

[Barney Rubble]

3-4-3

Please don't tell me that was a serious suggestion. Surely an idea like that is beyond even you in terms of lack of sense.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Rooney in net, he plays there in training y'know!!!!! (which, if any more injuries to keepers, would make him the most experienced in that position)

He's already more experienced than Scott Carson....

 

[cpr]

I really think that its insulting that Ben Foster is on standby as a keeper. Whilst he may turn out to be a good keeper, for the World Cup, someone with so little experience, and none at all at the top level, shouldnt be considered (that goes for theo too!).

I mean, Nigel Martyn made be 106, but he's still a Premiership goalkeeper who over 90 minutes has the quality to do well. Granted for a whole season you'd want someone better, but as a 3rd choice in a month long tournament, i'd easily pick him over Foster and indeed Carson. For qualifying i can understand giving the new kid a feel as a back up, but this is the biggest tournament on earth, and you cant mess about with inexpierence and 'blooding players' when you have better options available.