Soccer

» SimonMelville - Well, it stank.

Aaron Lennon looked good until they cottoned on that he was quite nippy so best to mark him.

I thought Downing showed flashes of intelligence -- but he really lacks pace and the ability to beat his man on the outside. Good at spotting the pass inside though and used his right foot well.

Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Michael Owen received good run outs. Crouchy did some nice touches but he's still not going to score many goals at international level.

Hargreaves had a woeful match at right back. I saw him play right back for Bayern Munich against Man Utd in the Champions League and he looked good -- quick, strong, kept Giggs quiet.
Positionally I can understand him struggling a bit last night but not the lapses of concentration and the sheer number of passes given away.

Same criticism applies to Carrick. Poor distribution and no evidence that his defensive work has the required bite needed.

Jenas did nothing to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Waste of time.

A third rate performance from an admittedly second-string side.

Walcott also failed to score the hat-trick we expected and is therefore rubbish.

-- posted by SimonMelville

» JCofBH - Well, it stank.

Lord help us if we lose Gary Neville for some reason. Carragher can play RB, no? Surely preferable. When Hargreaves first turned up I didn't mind him - dull, but tidy. Now his very presence drains me of the will to live.

Am equally worried re Carrick. He can play a lot better, I realise, but I'm wondering if Sven wasn't too quick to write Ledley King out of the equation given he might now (given Rooney) want to play a holding midfielder at some stage.

King was, I think, due to be ready to train from the week before the first game, so wouldn't have represented a huge gamble, and he has acquitted himself well on the (admittedly few) occasions he's played there under Sven.

Watching Crouch still makes me cringe.

-- posted by JCofBH

» Guy_Incognito - Well, it stank.

The sooner we lose Gary Neville the better. I don't mean that in the Eangland squad sense but in general. Carragher would do an admirable job at right back.

Team for the WC opener

Robinson

Carragher Terry Ferdinand Cole

Beckham Carrick Lampard Cole

Gerrard

Owen

-- posted by Guy_Incognito

» SimonMelville - Well, it stank.

I'd still have Gary Neville at right back over Carragher -- Carragher can play there but has been playing centre back (impressively) all season for Liverpool.

I'm not saying the Nev is the the most emollient of characters, but as a right back he is our best option.

Yeah, probably go with that line-up against Paraguay. Crouchy and Lennony (and Hargreavesy of course) off the benchy to give us something different when we're inevitably 1-0 down with 30 minutes to play.

-- posted by SimonMelville