NationStates Jolt Archive

So, has Sven lost the plot or has he got an idea which we're all missing?

Provisional squad:

GK:Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich)

Defence: G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea)

Midfield: Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), Lennon (Tottenham)

Strikers: Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal), J Cole (Chelsea - Sven appears to be wanting to play him in the Rooney role rather than on the left of mid)

Standby:
Carson (Liverpool), Young (Charlton), Reo-Coker (West Ham), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Crystal Palace).


So, any opinions on this?

My personal one is that I honestly can't wait to see this team play. Walcott is going to be a major handful for anyone with his pace (given that he is faster and more agile than Henry), but his youth and inexperience might mean his is a failure. Shaun Wright-Phillips being not included is slightly bemusing, I wouldn't have had him in the first 23 but definitely in the Standby places. Other than that, seems pretty cool to me, although I would also swap Jenas and Reo-Coker around.

Personally I couldn't give a fuck about the England squad (no offence) but I am really excited about watching the WC. Coming from a country which isn't represented is a positive I think.

Go the underdogs.. Like Trinidad and Tobago! :)

Lennon made it!

I think my main issue with that squad is Rooney's presence. I'm still not sure it's worth it.

Personally I couldn't give a fuck about the England squad (no offence) but I am really excited about watching the WC. Coming from a country which isn't represented is a positive I think.

Go the underdogs.. Like Trinidad and Tobago! :)

Yeah, watching the '94 world cup was quite cool because it wasn't as nervous.

And we'll give T&T a good game me thinks ;)

I'd put Defoe on the team in Walcott's place... and start this team to field England's best attacking side (assuming Robinson in goal):


G. Neville----------Ferdinand------Terry-----------A. Cole

Beckham-----------Gerrard-------Lampard--------J. Cole

-------------------Owen---------Defoe




Defoe is pretty good at finding his own shot and creating chances for others... he and owen would be a serious handful for any defense.


for a defensive side (to hold a lead) I'd take out Beckham and move Gerrard into his spot on the right... bring in King to play stopping midfielder... and put Phil Neville in Joe Cole's spot.

Lennon made it!

I think my main issue with that squad is Rooney's presence. I'm still not sure it's worth it.

Hmmmm, i think I'd take him personally.

Sven put it like this: "We've got 4 world class centre backs, 4 world class midfielders and world class strikers, but we haven't got another Wayne Rooney."

Yeah, watching the '94 world cup was quite cool because it wasn't as nervous.

And we'll give T&T a good game me thinks ;)
Heh, they have a shocking pool for a first tournament.. But that's what it's all about. Hell, might even get an upset. I'm thinkin' against England or Sweden. That would be cool.

England team snip


Carrick is better than King as def mid IMHO as King plays centre back more often than not whilst Carricks form recently has been blistering and his range of passing is brilliant. But other than that I agree with that change.

Defoe is good, but his form since before Christmas has been less than impressive, although he has played more than Walcott, so I'll take your point. That said Walcott is faster than any other player I have ever seen, inc. Henry, Cisse and Agahowa so I think he'll scare the crap out of defenders no matter.

And Phil Neville!??!!? WTF?!?!?

Thought King should have made it, he seems to be fit enough. Good to see Lennon there.

Defoe for Walcott anyday.

Italy side (buffon in net):

Zambrotta--------Nesta-------Cannavaro--------Grosso

Gattuso-----------------Pirlo-----------------Camoranesi

------------------------Totti-------------------------
-----------------Toni-----------Gila


subs:
LB: Pasqual
CB: Barzagli
CB: Materazzi
RB: Zaccardo

Right: Perrotta
CM: De Rossi
Left: Diana/Barone

Playmaker: Del Piero

Strikers: Cassano, Pippo

Heh, they have a shocking pool for a first tournament.. But that's what it's all about. Hell, might even get an upset. I'm thinkin' against England or Sweden. That would be cool.

Yeah, it'll be an excellent game.

Rooney shouldn't be going. He's good but is no Maradona (i.e. will not make the difference between winning the World Cup and not winning it) and we've got plenty of world-class players who are fit. Besides I can forsee a possible disaster for him personally if he tries to play before he's ready.

Owen is a concern too, he won't be sharp or match fit. Plus he's a twat.

I'd dump both of them and take Defoe and maybe Wright-Phillips.

I like the idea of Walcott, could be a 1958 Pele (here's hoping!) so is worth a go.

Andy Johnson on stand-by? FFS.

Italian team snip

Thats a pretty formidable side. I would put money on the Italians to win, but I always fear that they will collapse in on themselves in a bout of infighting and petty squabbles like usual...

*snip*
Mmm, Italy. One of my favourite teams to watch.

Carrick is better than King as def mid IMHO as King plays centre back more often than not whilst Carricks form recently has been blistering and his range of passing is brilliant. But other than that I agree with that change.

Defoe is good, but his form since before Christmas has been less than impressive, although he has played more than Walcott, so I'll take your point. That said Walcott is faster than any other player I have ever seen, inc. Henry, Cisse and Agahowa so I think he'll scare the crap out of defenders no matter.

i've seen none of Walcott

How are his ball-handling, passing, heading and shooting skills?

i've seen none of Walcott

How are his ball-handling, passing, heading and shooting skills?


Passing is pretty good, the ball litterally sticks to his feet, shooting is from what I have seen of a high standard, heading, not sure, he's only 17 and not that strong, but playing alongside Crouch I think that heading won't matter too much. Besides, with international defences playing so deep like usual, he'll need his pace to go pass them more than to win balls in the air.

But seriously, Phil Neville for Joe Cole?!!?!?

Mmm, Italy. One of my favourite teams to watch.

How so? I haven't seen them play an interesting game since 1982.

How so? I haven't seen them play an interesting game since 1982.

Oh I don't know, the self destruction against South Korea was amusing...

How so? I haven't seen them play an interesting game since 1982.
I don't know. I guess I can't explain it. I play rugby and I'm from NZ so it's not like I'm the biggest soccer fan. Just something about Italy :confused:

Hmmmm, i think I'd take him personally.

Sven put it like this: "We've got 4 world class centre backs, 4 world class midfielders and world class strikers, but we haven't got another Wayne Rooney."

True, I'm just not sure we'll last long enough for him to get back on the job.

Bastard Chelsea!

I see very little depth in the England team. All the broadcasters were confident (as usual for some reason) about Englands chances... then Rooney gets injured....

OH NOES!!:eek: NOW we're screwed! We have no chance. :rolleyes: No depth, I tells ya! None.

Brazil gets a star player injured- *shrugs* Meh. "We'll just put in another player of extreme talent".

Likewise France. Italy, Spain,... they have depth.

I see very little depth in the England team. All the broadcasters were confident (as usual for some reason) about Englands chances... then Rooney gets injured....

OH NOES!!:eek: NOW we're screwed! We have no chance. :rolleyes: No depth, I tells ya! None.

Brazil gets a star player injured- *shrugs* Meh. "We'll just put in another player of extreme talent".

Likewise France. Italy, Spain,... they have depth.


Brazil, yes, but man-for-man the French, Italian and Spanish squads are not superior to the English team.

Brazil, yes, but man-for-man the French, Italian and Spanish squads are not superior to the English team.
1 Chelsea -5 first team regular players that are English
2 Man Utd - 6
3 Liverpool - 4
4 Arsenal -2

1 Lyon- 10 first team regular players that are French
2. Bordeaux- 11
3. Lille - 13
4. Marseille - 10

1. Barcelona -5 first team regular players that are Spanish
2. R. Madrid - 8
3. Valencia - 9
4. Osasuna - 14

Clearly while the Premiership has the best players, they are certainly not English. I stand by my 'lack of depth' statement.

Passing is pretty good, the ball litterally sticks to his feet, shooting is from what I have seen of a high standard, heading, not sure, he's only 17 and not that strong, but playing alongside Crouch I think that heading won't matter too much. Besides, with international defences playing so deep like usual, he'll need his pace to go pass them more than to win balls in the air.

But seriously, Phil Neville for Joe Cole?!!?!?

i don't know... i was trying to figure out who else could play on the left.

How so? I haven't seen them play an interesting game since 1982.

Lippi has them playing a more attacking style

when they've had their regulars on the field, they've been scoring goals... 4 against germany, 3 against holland (for instance)

i don't know that they ever had their first team on the field in qualifying.

I see very little depth in the England team. All the broadcasters were confident (as usual for some reason) about Englands chances... then Rooney gets injured....

OH NOES!!:eek: NOW we're screwed! We have no chance. :rolleyes: No depth, I tells ya! None.

Brazil gets a star player injured- *shrugs* Meh. "We'll just put in another player of extreme talent".

Likewise France. Italy, Spain,... they have depth.

It is not quite like that. At least for Brazil.

If Brazil were to lose Ronaldinho, Kaká or Lucio then they would be in serious trouble finding a replacement for any of them. Where Brazil has an excess of talent is up front. Where they are very thin indeed is in defence (defence! what defence?) and the midfield is not too deep either.
England have depth in midfield and across the back four, they are just a little thin for world class strikers. I don't think that any international side has world class depth in all positions.

It will be interesting to see how Theo does (if he gets to play that is).

i've seen none of Walcott

How are his ball-handling, passing, heading and shooting skills?
he can't head to save his life, but his speed, pace and ball-handling are brilliant-I've played against him and he's incredable (pkay, it was under 13's level but still). As a keeper he put 5 past me, didn't stand a chance.

I'd play a 4,5,1 formation.

Rb:neville,
CB:Ferdinand,
CB:Terry,
LB:A.Cole,
DM: Carrick
RW: J.Cole
AM: Lampard
AM: Gerrard
LW: Downing
ST: Owen.

It is not quite like that. At least for Brazil.

If Brazil were to lose Ronaldinho, Kaká or Lucio then they would be in serious trouble finding a replacement for any of them. Where Brazil has an excess of talent is up front. Where they are very thin indeed is in defence (defence! what defence?) and the midfield is not too deep either.
England have depth in midfield and across the back four, they are just a little thin for world class strikers. I don't think that any international side has world class depth in all positions.

It will be interesting to see how Theo does (if he gets to play that is).

Brazil has never had a 'defend' policy or mentality. Look at the wing backs- always coming forward (Cafu and Carlos were prime examples of this). It was always attack with Brazil- score more goals then concede.

Kaka, Adriano, Julio Baptiste, Ronaldo, Ronaldhino, Junhinio, Robinho, Emerson, Emdilson... there's plenty of depth.

I just find it odd that certain English commentators exaggerate Englands chances- they focus on Beckham, Owen or now Rooney. If they ever get injured (as now has happened) all hope is now lost! :eek:

Not enough depth, especially in defence- if Cole or Carragher gets injured, all hell breaks loose- they have to call on Division 1 players for God's sake!

i've seen none of Walcott
Don't worry. Apparently Sven hasn't either.

GK:Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich)

Defence: G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea)
So far, so predictable. Obviously the first choice would be Robinson, Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole.

Midfield: Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), Lennon (Tottenham)
Slightly surprised by Lennon's inlcusion - I'd have thought Wright-Phillips would have been included, with Lennon perhaps as back-up. Jenas is not good enough. Shouldn't even be a back-up.

Strikers: Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal), J Cole (Chelsea - Sven appears to be wanting to play him in the Rooney role rather than on the left of mid)
Walcott is a big surprise. He could maybe be justified as a back-up, with Defoe in the squad. I think he is far too inexperienced. And Crouch should be taken out and replaced with Darren Bent. Rooney isn't going to recover in time, so that's a waste of a place.

Standby:
Carson (Liverpool), Young (Charlton), Reo-Coker (West Ham), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Crystal Palace).
Carson's in due to a lack of alternatives, Young (injured, isn't he?) isn't too surprising, Reo-Coker is an excellent midfielder, but we have enough of those already. Defoe should be in the squad, and Johnson is certainly good enough to be a back-up player.

My personal one is that I honestly can't wait to see this team play. Walcott is going to be a major handful for anyone with his pace (given that he is faster and more agile than Henry), but his youth and inexperience might mean his is a failure. Shaun Wright-Phillips being not included is slightly bemusing, I wouldn't have had him in the first 23 but definitely in the Standby places. Other than that, seems pretty cool to me, although I would also swap Jenas and Reo-Coker around.
It could be an excellent team, but it comes down to the tactics Sven plays. A typical 4-4-2 is not playing to our strengths. However, we do have a lot of pace in that squad (Ashley Cole, Lennon, Walcott) so we could be fucking awesome on the counter-attack. Maybe Sven's taking lessons from Arsenal...?

Brazil has never had a 'defend' policy or mentality. Look at the wing backs- always coming forward (Cafu and Carlos were prime examples of this). It was always attack with Brazil- score more goals then concede.

Kaka, Adriano, Julio Baptiste, Ronaldo, Ronaldhino, Junhinio, Robinho, Emerson, Emdilson... there's plenty of depth.

I just find it odd that certain English commentators exaggerate Englands chances- they focus on Beckham, Owen or now Rooney. If they ever get injured (as now has happened) all hope is now lost! :eek:

Not enough depth, especially in defence- if Cole or Carragher gets injured, all hell breaks loose- they have to call on Division 1 players for God's sake!


Robinho, Edmilson, Emerson, would not make the first team in any Premiership side. (How Robinho has the reputation he has is a mystery to me. Have you seen him play? Tricks and pedaladas but he can't cross the ball to save his life.) Baptista is no better than Darren Bent. A big strong, but not excessively skillful player. Yes Brazil have a creative midfield and Gilberto Silva to act as a holding/defensive midfielder, but beyond this they are not as good as the propoganda makes them out to be. Neither Adriano nor Ronaldo are in form at the moment and their wingbacks are just too old. (When was the last time you saw Roberto Carlos deliver a decent cross? Cafu is better, but really is on his last legs.)

I agree however that the British press seem to be over the top in their expectations/lamentations. The England side has a lot of potential if they can gel as a team, and one player or another is not going to define if they do well or not. Yes Rooney is a special player but he is only one of eleven on the pitch when he plays. The same applies to Beckham, Owen and anyone else.

Yes we are a little thin at full back, but which team in the world isn't? What we do have is real depth of talent at centre half which can compensate for this.

I really don't get why everybody hates on Crouch.

He's the only forward we have who does anything but snipe. He can hold the ball up and play it back down for a player like Owen to shoot. He's also the only one who can really win a high ball in the box (unless we wanna bring Terry up...)

I really don't get why everybody hates on Crouch.

He's the only forward we have who does anything but snipe. He can hold the ball up and play it back down for a player like Owen to shoot. He's also the only one who can really win a high ball in the box (unless we wanna bring Terry up...)
Rooney and Cole also play froma distance.

When was the last time you saw Roberto Carlos deliver a decent cross?

It was in the same game he last scored a free kick that he actually aimed at the goal rather than just blasting it... ;)

I'd play a 4,5,1 formation.

Rb:neville,
CB:Ferdinand,
CB:Terry,
LB:A.Cole,
DM: Carrick
RW: J.Cole
AM: Lampard
AM: Gerrard
LW: Downing
ST: Owen.


Yeah, thats pretty similar to the formation I was thinking about.

Did you have a good time Saturday? ;)

i don't know... i was trying to figure out who else could play on the left.

You'd take Downing, Richardson and prob Bridge before Phil Neville, who although good hasn't done much at Everton this season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/australia/4756659.stm
Isn't it great? Fun, confidence, no pressure.

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,415106,00.html
And then this. :(

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,415106,00.html
And then this. :(That's mainly because BILD loathes Klinsmann and tries to get back at him for not telling them everything they want to know when they want to know.

That's mainly because BILD loathes Klinsmann and tries to get back at him for not telling them everything they want to know when they want to know.

Yeah, but BILD is a rather like the Sun in England, at least in some repects.

They both want to see their country do well in the WC but are loathe to pass on any compliments to the managers of either country.

Thats like making the sails for a ship whilst drilling a hole in the hull...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/australia/4756659.stm
Isn't it great? Fun, confidence, no pressure.

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,415106,00.html
And then this. :(


Yup, I hope the Aussies do well. Underdogs maybe, but one with a good team, a 'never say die' attitude and the ability to grind out results. They deserve to be there and I hope they do well.

Go on, beat Brazil, you know you want to ;)

Yeah, but BILD is a rather like the Sun in England, at least in some repects.

They both want to see their country do well in the WC but are loathe to pass on any compliments to the managers of either country.

Thats like making the sails for a ship whilst drilling a hole in the hull...Not really. BILD has been pissed off at Klinsmann since he's been on the national team as a player because he refuses to give them exclusive information. BILD has good connections to most of the elites in the German Soccer Association, and tends to get the information on how the team will be set up, what strategy will be used, who gets nominated, etc. before anyone else. Klinsmann refused to play their game when he still played in the field and now that he's coach it really pisses them off. They've started a big campaign against him, complaining about how he always goes off to America and should be with the team when he went off to America after a game. After he revealed to the German public channels that he had made that appointment with his mother due to the fact that it was the anniversary of his father's death, they complained how it was his fault that they didn't know that and came to their own conclusions simply because he didn't tell them about it.

snip

Fair enough :)

Although I'm sure Walcott is an amazing prospect he has done nothing to deserve his place. Not one appearence in the Premiership and only about 13 appearences for the Championship for Southampton, who lets face it are not that good a side in the Championship. How can he be justified in front of Bent (Top English goalscorer in the Premiership) or Defoe whos been instrumental for Tottenham on one of their best seasons for years.
Some people have been comparing him to Pele which is just stupidity, Pele played for 2 seasons for Santos before he played for Brazil and Walcott as I said has not played once for the Arsenal first team which means Henry, Berkamp, Van Persie and Reyes (admittedly more of a midfielder) are all ahead of him. Arsene Wenger has had more to do with this methinks, maybe to get him ready for next season, maybe to justify paying 12 million pounds for him, who knows.

So, has Sven lost the plot or has he got an idea which we're all missing?

Provisional squad:

GK:Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich)

Defence: G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea)

Midfield: Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), Lennon (Tottenham)

Strikers: Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal), J Cole (Chelsea - Sven appears to be wanting to play him in the Rooney role rather than on the left of mid)

Standby:
Carson (Liverpool), Young (Charlton), Reo-Coker (West Ham), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Crystal Palace).


So, any opinions on this?

My personal one is that I honestly can't wait to see this team play. Walcott is going to be a major handful for anyone with his pace (given that he is faster and more agile than Henry), but his youth and inexperience might mean his is a failure. Shaun Wright-Phillips being not included is slightly bemusing, I wouldn't have had him in the first 23 but definitely in the Standby places. Other than that, seems pretty cool to me, although I would also swap Jenas and Reo-Coker around.

cole upfront makes sense as rooney is broken. cole occassionally strikes at chelsea and also offers more bite to the midfield. position wide left not a problem cos ashley cole is a natural lefty who likes going forward. stick him out wide, wayne brige at the back left. bridge is better defensively than ash while cole is better going forward. problem solved. crouch and walcott should be told the wrong dates to meet at the airport so that by the time they get there, the team woulds have already been playing in the quarter finals.

Although I'm sure Walcott is an amazing prospect he has done nothing to deserve his place. Not one appearence in the Premiership and only about 13 appearences for the Championship for Southampton, who lets face it are not that good a side in the Championship. How can he be justified in front of Bent (Top English goalscorer in the Premiership) or Defoe whos been instrumental for Tottenham on one of their best seasons for years.
Some people have been comparing him to Pele which is just stupidity, Pele played for 2 seasons for Santos before he played for Brazil and Walcott as I said has not played once for the Arsenal first team which means Henry, Berkamp, Van Persie and Reyes (admittedly more of a midfielder) are all ahead of him. Arsene Wenger has had more to do with this methinks, maybe to get him ready for next season, maybe to justify paying 12 million pounds for him, who knows.
He actually played 21 times for Southampton. Defoe's not been that instrumental for Spurs...9 goals in 36 league appearances. Keane and Lennon have been more of an influence. The problem with Bent is that he's not a phenomenally gifted player. He works very hard and is strong, but not particularly quick. He's not good enough to play against world class defenders - the majority of his goals came against teams that finished in the lower half of the table. Also, he's not in form right now.

To claim Wenger had something to do with Walcott making the squad is silly. David Dein perhaps, but not Wenger.

He actually played 21 times for Southampton. Defoe's not been that instrumental for Spurs...9 goals in 36 league appearances. Keane and Lennon have been more of an influence. The problem with Bent is that he's not a phenomenally gifted player. He works very hard and is strong, but not particularly quick. He's not good enough to play against world class defenders - the majority of his goals came against teams that finished in the lower half of the table. Also, he's not in form right now.

To claim Wenger had something to do with Walcott making the squad is silly. David Dein perhaps, but not Wenger.

Yeah, Defoe hasn't been brilliant this season IMHO. His finishing has been of a lot less quality than normal, although the finish on Saturday was a quality goal.

He actually played 21 times for Southampton. Defoe's not been that instrumental for Spurs...9 goals in 36 league appearances. Keane and Lennon have been more of an influence. The problem with Bent is that he's not a phenomenally gifted player. He works very hard and is strong, but not particularly quick. He's not good enough to play against world class defenders - the majority of his goals came against teams that finished in the lower half of the table. Also, he's not in form right now.

To claim Wenger had something to do with Walcott making the squad is silly. David Dein perhaps, but not Wenger.

Really?

Walcott's inclusion was not a complete surprise. It became clear on Sunday night, as reported in The Independent yesterday, that he would play some part in the squad, although he was expected to be one of the five reserves selected by Eriksson. Instead, the Swede decided to put his faith in the teenager on the basis of the recommendation of the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, a couple of training sessions and a few video recordings of Walcott's matches.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/news/article362877.ece

Silly? Maybe, untrue? Not by the looks of it

According to one news report, it was whilst Sven was checking out Cole and Campbell that he saw what Walcott was capable of in the training sessions and at that point decieded to gamble on him.

Still, if he scores/creates one goal that wins us a game, his inclusion will be justified IMHO.

To claim Wenger had something to do with Walcott making the squad is silly. David Dein perhaps, but not Wenger.

Wenger did recommand that Sven take Walcott and it seemed to have persuaded Sven to take one last gamble. I think Wenger suggested his young striker becuase Walcott can do a job. Not commercial reasons but with Reoony injured and Owen doubtful, why not take Walcott?

As for my overall view on the Englang squad, take out Rooney and Jenas for Bent/Defoe (depends if Defoe is willing to learn) and P.Neville. Great pity that King is injured but overall, good selection. Crouch and Owen/Walcott is one fearsome combo

Really?


http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/news/article362877.ece

Silly? Maybe, untrue? Not by the looks of it
Ah, ok, I hadn't seen/heard about that. I was trying to make an amusing comment about the supposed influence David Dein has over everything in the FA.

I can see the headline now...
England Out In The Quarters.

Yeah, thats pretty similar to the formation I was thinking about.

Did you have a good time Saturday? ;)
Yeha I did actually, ti was good fun, even if we didn't win (Didn't matter anyway) your fans where disgracful at the end though-attacking our players!

Yeha I did actually, ti was good fun, even if we didn't win (Didn't matter anyway) your fans where disgracful at the end though-attacking our players!

Huh?!?! Really? I haven't read that anywhere, but i'll take your word for it, as we have far too many scally twats at VP. Where abouts did you end up sitting?

They should of put Simon Yeo up front at least the lil bugger would be plugging away at all the oppostion more then some , then he would probably come a score when you least expect it of him

Huh?!?! Really? I haven't read that anywhere, but i'll take your word for it, as we have far too many scally twats at VP. Where abouts did you end up sitting?
J block, Carlsburg stand. And it was bad, you invaded the pitch and attacked our players, forcing our keeper to the floor-it would have been a riot had the polcie not stopped the forest fans from getting on the pitch.

Seems it was all brushed under the carpet.

Yeah, Defoe hasn't been brilliant this season IMHO. His finishing has been of a lot less quality than normal, although the finish on Saturday was a quality goal.

Defoe is also able to create goals with his deft ball-handling, speed and short-passing ability. He and Owen could be a very good pairing up front -- two speed demons driving big central defenders nuts.

Defoe is also able to create goals with his deft ball-handling, speed and short-passing ability. He and Owen could be a very good pairing up front -- two speed demons driving big central defenders nuts.

They're good, but neither of them can hold up the ball or link with the midfield, and they'll probably both get blown over by a sudden gust of wind. We need someone like Crouch to lead the line.

G. Neville----------Ferdinand------Terry-----------A. Cole

Wright Philips------Gerrard-------Lampard----------J. Cole

-------------------Owen---------Fowler


Yes thats right, Robbie Fowler. He the only englishman who is regularly scoring. Although with a fully fit squad and no fitness worries at all I would pick this team:


G. Neville----------Woodgate------Terry-----------A. Cole

S. Parker

<---Lampard--------Gerrard
Cole
Rooney
Owen


In reality it would be more symetrical. Im gonna go play footballmanager now.

(Edit) its gone all tits up. its supposed to look a bit like the chelsea formation but with parker as makaele, Lampard and Cole as themselves, Gerrard as essien and Rooney as Robben but playing narrower.

Defoe is also able to create goals with his deft ball-handling, speed and short-passing ability. He and Owen could be a very good pairing up front -- two speed demons driving big central defenders nuts.

But neither can hold off big defenders, nor win headers in the air which is vital to Englands game. Both are quality players, but you couldn't play them together, too lightweight.

FRIDAY 9 JUNE

Group A
Germany v Costa Rica
1700, Munich
Poland v Ecuador
2000, Gelsenkirchen

SATURDAY 10 JUNE

Group B
England v Paraguay
1400, Frankfurt
Trinidad & Tobago v Sweden
1700, Dortmund

Group C
Argentina v Ivory Coast
2000, Hamburg

SUNDAY 11 JUNE

Group C
Serbia & Montenegro v Holland
1400, Leipzig

Group D
Mexico v Iran
1700, Nuremberg
Angola v Portugal
2000, Cologne

MONDAY 12 JUNE

Group F
Australia v Japan
1400, Kaiserslautern

Group E
USA v Czech Republic
1700, Gelsenkirchen
Italy v Ghana
2000, Hanover

TUESDAY 13 JUNE

Group G
South Korea v Togo
1400, Frankfurt
France v Switzerland
1700, Stuttgart

Group F
Brazil v Croatia
2000, Berlin

WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE

Group H
Spain v Ukraine
1400, Leipzig
Tunisia v Saudi Arabia
1700, Munich

Group A
Germany v Poland
2000, Dortmund

THURSDAY 15 JUNE

Group A
Ecuador v Costa Rica
1400, Hamburg

Group B
England v Trinidad & Tobago
1700, Nuremberg
Sweden v Paraguay
2000, Berlin

FRIDAY 16 JUNE

Group C
Argentina v Serbia & Montenegro
1400, Gelsenkirchen
Holland v Ivory Coast
1700, Stuttgart

Group D
Mexico v Angola
2000, Hanover

SATURDAY 17 JUNE

Group D
Portugal v Iran
1400, Frankfurt

Group E
Czech Republic v Ghana
1700, Cologne
Italy v USA
2000, Kaiserslautern

SUNDAY 18 JUNE

Group F
Japan v Croatia
1400, Nuremberg
Brazil v Australia
1700, Munich

Group G
France v South Korea
2000, Leipzig

MONDAY 19 JUNE

Group G
Togo v Switzerland
1400, Dortmund

Group H
Saudi Arabia v Ukraine
1700, Hamburg
Spain v Tunisia
2000, Stuttgart

TUESDAY 20 JUNE

Group A
Ecuador v Germany
1500, Berlin
Costa Rica v Poland
1500, Hanover

Group B
Sweden v England
2000, Cologne
Paraguay v Trinidad & Tobago
2000, Kaiserslautern

WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE

Group D
Portugal v Mexico
1500, Gelsenkirchen
Iran v Angola
1500, Leipzig

Group C
Holland v Argentina
2000, Frankfurt
Ivory Coast v Serbia & Montenegro
2000, Munich

THURSDAY 22 JUNE

Group E
Czech Republic v Italy
1500, Hamburg
Ghana v USA
1500, Nuremberg

Group F
Japan v Brazil
2000, Dortmund
Croatia v Australia
2000, Stuttgart

FRIDAY 23 JUNE

Group H
Saudi Arabia v Spain
1500, Kaiserslautern
Ukraine v Tunisia
1500, Berlin

Group G
Togo v France
2000, Cologne
Switzerland v South Korea
2000, Hanover

SATURDAY 24 JUNE

Game One:
Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B
1600, Munich
Game Two:
Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D
2000, Leipzig

SUNDAY 25 JUNE

Game Three:
Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A
1600, Stuttgart
Game Four:
Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C
2000, Nuremberg

MONDAY 26 JUNE

Game Five:
Winner Group E v Runner-up Group F
1600, Kaiserslautern
Game Six:
Winner Group G v Runner-up Group H
2000, Cologne

TUESDAY 27 JUNE

Game Seven:
Winner Group F v Runner-up Group E
1600, Dortmund
Game Eight:
Winner Group H v Runner-up Group G
2000, Hanover

FRIDAY 30 JUNE

Quarter-Final One:
Winner Game One v Winner Game Two
1600, Berlin
Quarter-Final Two:
Winner Game Five v Winner Game Six
2000, Hamburg

SATURDAY 1 JULY

Quarter-Final Three:
Winner Game Three v Winner Game Four
1600, Gelsenkirchen
Quarter-Final Four:
Winner Game Seven v Winner Game Eight
2000, Frankfurt

TUESDAY 4 JULY

Semi-Final One:
Winner Quarter-Final One v Winner Quarter-Final Two
2000, Dortmund

WEDNESDAY 5 JULY

Semi-Final Two:
Winner Quarter-Final Three v Winner Quarter-Final Four
2000, Munich

SATURDAY 8 JULY

Third/Fourth place play-off:
Loser Semi-Final One v Loser Semi-Final Two
2000, Stuttgart

SUNDAY 9 JULY

Final:
Winner Semi-Final One v Winner Semi-Final Two
1900, Berlin

Squad news and info (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/default.stm)

Germany:

Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal/ENG), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich) Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart).

Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Robert Huth (Chelsea), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Monchengladbach), Per Mertesacker (Hannover), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Jens Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen).

Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund).

Fowards: Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne), Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Monchengladbach), Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04).