World Cup Warm-ups

[Lee1981]

Two own goals save our blushes again, i havent felt this negative about us before going into a tournament as i do right now.
Two average teams making us look very ordinary, i dont buy into the "its only a friendly" old bollox, fair enough dont run around like a lunatic but that dont mean you have to continually mis place passes and not want the ball.
The only plus i can say is surely things cant get any worse. Im probably in a minority but aside from rooney i see crouch as our most important player, he looks like the only one who can put the ball away and i hope he starts that first group game or we look like were gonna struggle.

 

[War]

Two own goals save our blushes again, i havent felt this negative about us before going into a tournament as i do right now.
Two average teams making us look very ordinary, i dont buy into the "its only a friendly" old bollox, fair enough dont run around like a lunatic but that dont mean you have to continually mis place passes and not want the ball.
The only plus i can say is surely things cant get any worse. Im probably in a minority but aside from rooney i see crouch as our most important player, he looks like the only one who can put the ball away and i hope he starts that first group game or we look like were gonna struggle.

Two average warm-up games yes. But i'm not going to judge until after the first game of the WC vs USA. Being at the world cup can change things i feel.

War added 11 Minutes and 16 Seconds later...

I would say England are contenders but behind Brazil, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain and on par with France and Argentina.

Spain & Brazil obviously are ahead of England & everybody else as the big favourites to win. While Argentina unpredictability makes them very dangerous if they click.

But England are definately ahead of France, Portugal, Italy, Germany based on form & results in world cup qualification. I'm not afriad of those teams if England play to potential. Netherlands is the other European team i'm wary of outside of Spain.

 

[JBlues08]

Warm-Up/Friendly matches are usually just that, warm-up/friendly matches. They do not determine the outcome of the team's result in a major tournament. And besides, Ruud Gullit did say that teams do not have to start off by winning impressively in the early stages. Win ugly and keep the big performance for the knockout stages to surprise opponents.

But I agree with War though. Should only start judging England when they face USA in a real competitive match rather listening to what the media is saying. What England should probably be worrying now are penalties. Can't believe Lampard did not score for the second time in a row. Perhaps they should hire Ballack to coach them considering he will not be playing in the World Cup. :laugh

Also, Capello has already said that the final 23 is confirmed, at least in his mind for the moment and I hope the final 23 like what War predicted the other day will be the same as Capello's final 23 squad.

J-Psychic added 3 Minutes and 21 Seconds later...

Spain & Brazil obviously are ahead of England & everybody else as the big favourites to win. While Argentina unpredictability makes them very dangerous if they click.

But England are definately ahead of France, Portugal, Italy, Germany based on form & results in world cup qualification. I'm not afriad of those teams if England play to potential. Netherlands is the other European team i'm wary of outside of Spain.

The Dutch maybe impressive but what worries people is that they may start off brilliantly by topping their group, trashing teams and all of that. But they start to falter in the later stages of the competition. Euro 2008 is a good example of that. The test for them is in the knockout stages.

 

[War]

Also, Capello has already said that the final 23 is confirmed, at least in his mind for the moment and I hope the final 23 like what War predicted the other day will be the same as Capello's final 23 squad.

Haa, my friend i've already forgotten what team i picked the other day. Once Joseph Cole is in that 23 Master Capello has in his mind - i'm cool.

I have a sneaky feeling Lamps/Gerrard will line up centrally for the USA game now though. Since Carrick & Huddlestone haven't forced their glames at all to replace Barry temporarily.

The Dutch maybe impressive but what worries people is that they may start off brilliantly by topping their group, trashing teams and all of that. But they start to falter in the later stages of the competition. Euro 2008 is a good example of that. The test for them is in the knockout stages.

Indeed. If i recall we had played Holland @ full strenght in a friendly late last year a drew 2-2. Obvious things to notice with a likely midfield/frontline of:

-------------------------------Van Persie---------------------------------

Robben------------------------Sneijder---------------------------Kuyt/VDV

--------------------Van Bommell---------De Jong--------------------------

They can blow away anytime as we saw in the early stages of EURO 2008. But their defense is gash though.

 

[Lee1981]

I admire your optimism guys, i however having had my heart ripped out and jumped on many times by our national team who always fail to deliver when it counts let alone in meaningless friendlys will not be going down my previous roads of believing we "can do it".
Dont get me wrong come our first game i will be wearing my 3 lions on my chest with pride and passion down my local with a ████ load of beer going down me neck, but in my head i know i have to savour any goal or any progression we make in the tournament because as any good honest england fan will admit heartbreak is always lurking around the corner and its an absolute bitch having to live with that.

 

[Auwais]

Spain & Brazil obviously are ahead of England & everybody else as the big favourites to win. While Argentina unpredictability makes them very dangerous if they click.

But England are definately ahead of France, Portugal, Italy, Germany based on form & results in world cup qualification. I'm not afriad of those teams if England play to potential. Netherlands is the other European team i'm wary of outside of Spain.

I'd agree with that apart from the Netherlands bit. I can see their defence being ripped to shreds against a decent team, like it was at Euro 2008 against Russia.

Don't forget the Lippi factor though...

 

[JBlues08]

A good win for Australia over Denmark today.

 

[m_vaughan]

Germany, France and Italy are major competition specialists. Atleast one of them will make it to the later stages I feel. I also agree about the Dutch defence being the main weakness as has been the case for a while now. But what they lack at the back, they easily compensate in midfield and attack.