Japan 1 v 2 England

So many negatives not many positives.
Looked uninterested and it made me feel the same.

First half was terrible. Don't recall any player playing to their potential. Lennon showed no end product again and feel unless he plays for another manager (at club level) he's not going to learn how to be more effective. He has the potential but not sure if he will ever live up to it. Walcott wasn't much better on the other side but at least he had the hindrance of Johnson behind him.
No-one seemed to be able to pass the ball and simple passes seemed to go astray. Pretty much a toothless beast, an ugly one at that. There wasn't any individual performance of note and certainly not much of a team performance.

Second half seemed to go a bit better. Gerrard and Lampard in the centre didn't look as bad as I'd expect. Perhaps that was down to the opposition, but I wouldn't expect them to rule a midfield against the likes of Spain, Argentina, Italy etc. We don't seem to have any spark, creativity or bite. We using up all our luck and I will be surprised if we make it out to the knock out stage playing like that.

I wish we had a manager of Capello's quality 10 years ago when we had the talent but just lacking in direction. Wouldn't it be nice to have a modern day Shearer and Gazza?

Yeah I sat n suffered the game too and I could write pages on how crap we are, but to be honest I think its easier to just do the following.

Johnson - SHIT - WASTE OF SPACE - THE WORST DEFENDER EVER TO PULL A ENGLAND SHIRT ON
Walcott - THE MOST FRUSTRATING LUMP CURRENTLY GETTING A GAME
Huddlestone - WHY?????????????????????
King - BEST I HAVE SEEN HIM ALL SEASON
John n Rio - ANY NIPPY FORWARD IS GOING TO LOVE THESE TWO TOGETHER - RIO IS NOW AS SLOW AS JOHN - NOT GOOD.
Rooney - IF ALL OUR HOPES LAY WITH HIM - GOD HELP US - NEEDS HIS EYES TESTEST FOR COLOUR BLINDNESS AS PASSES THE BALL TO THE OPPOSITION MORE THAN FRANK SINCLAIR & CHILD TOYS N PRAM SPRING TO MIND - TWAT
Heskey - VERY SAD STATE - LOOKED POOR N MIGHT HAVE TO HOPE THE MANAGER WANTS A TARGET UP FRONT IN A COUPLE OF GAMES.
Frank - EVEN KEEPERS OVER THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD KNOW WHERE HIS FAV PLACE IS FOR SPOT KICKS - NEEDS TO PUT IT ELSEWHERE.
Ashley - ISNT BACK TO WHERE HE WAS BEFORE INJURY - BUT STILL THE BEST I HAVE SEEN AT THE POSITION FOR A LONG LONG TIME.
Bent - PLAYING HIM WITH ROONEY ISNT ANY GOOD FOR HIM - CROUCH OR HESKEY WOULD BE BETTER - BUT UNLIKELY ROONEY WOULD MISS OUT.
Lennon - IS EITHER THE RENCARNATION OF GARRINCHA OR SPEEDY GONZALEZ - MY MONEY IS ON THE LATTER
Gerrard - WILL GO THROUGH HIS CAREER WITHOUT EVER FINDING THE BEST POSITION FOR HIM & I WOULDNT RULE OUT THE BENCH AS HIS BEST!
Joe - DID MORE IN A HALF A GAME THAN ALL HIS WIDE RIVALS HAVE DONE IN THEIR LAST 3 CAPS - HE IS STILL FRUSTRATING, BUT IF U HAD TO TAKE ONE FRUSTRATING PLAYER, SURLY IT WOULD BE HIM?
Goalies - ALL HAVE LOOKED GOOD IN THESE GAMES - GET READY FOR THE CLANGER IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Forgot about the game. Doesn't seem that I missed much. Shame about Lennon I thought before his injury he was looking really good and was hoping he would be threat at the World Cup. Have a feeling that Milner may play out wide, especially if Barry regains his health.

Did Carraghar play at all? Is there any truth to rumours that he may play at right back instead of Johnson?

All three keepers have played parts of the last two games, any sense who starts against the Americans?

I have not heard any talk before today of Carraghar starting at right back, but hey, he would get my vote over that sack of shit Johnson. Today he ran away from the guy that scored, then realized the ball was coming to his man, closed in on him too late and the ball flew into the net.

Then - that poor excuse for a commentator who is so far up liverpool n man utd players asses, had the front to try n blame Ashley on the line for not clearing the goal!!!!! Andy Townsend, bless him, had to put him right (almost everytime he opened his mouth) that the fault of the goal was at sourse (Johnson) and u cant put any blame on Ashley as we dont know if he was unsighted!

Of course the commentators fav player, Rooney, was then held up as a god on the pitch, only for Townsend to again shoot him down in flames by commenting on the amount of time rooney had passed the ball to the opposition. I was very pleased about this as I had just said the same to those watching with me at my fav watering hole.

I think the goalie will be Green. The manager has picked him more often than any of the others. I am of a mind that Hart will probably turn out to be the best and if he had been given the chance in the first 11 earlier, there would be a strong case to play him in South Africa.

After making it to the world cup with ease and on occasion looking like a team in the making, id say the manager has more questions than answers just two weeks away from the first game.

Funniest thing of all?

Gerrard and Lampard finished the game with Gerrard as the holding player with Frank in the more advanced role.

Southgate n Townsend in the studio after the game, both said the two mentioned players should play together like that in the England midfield - Townsend went on to say, he has no doubt in his mind the two can play together.

The manager is then interviewed and asked the same question!

Will Lampard n Gerrard start the 1st game in South Africa as they finished this because of the injury to Barry?

In his mumberling English he says something along the lines of - wonderful players - would have to show discipline - so obviously - he hasnt ruled it out.

Isnt that the funniest thing!

Redcanuck wrote:

Forgot about the game. Doesn't seem that I missed much. Shame about Lennon I thought before his injury he was looking really good and was hoping he would be threat at the World Cup. Have a feeling that Milner may play out wide, especially if Barry regains his health.

Did Carraghar play at all? Is there any truth to rumours that he may play at right back instead of Johnson?

All three keepers have played parts of the last two games, any sense who starts against the Americans?

Carragher played right back in the second half.