Brazil vs England

[Lord Camomile]

I think in '06 the weather should have suited us but then Germany went and had that bloody heatwave

Will they stop at nothing to deny us

 

[Sadken]

I really do fear Sweden, you know. Glad they are out - they seem impossible to beat. How they have not won the world cup a bunch of times I shall never know.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Yeah, but how much hotter is it at the end of june/start of july than it was in May when the season was still running or it is throughout August when we start up again? I'd say they could handle it, definitely, just seems like an excuse to me over and over and over again. Who likes playing in mad heat, anyway?! And, yet, some team always wins the things...

Nobody likes playing the heat. However, the english game is about high tempo, you just can't do that for 7 games in a row in baking hot weather. The reason why latin type teams practically always win tournaments is that they know how to slow it right down and pass it around when they need to, and our players just turn into headless chickens when they try and do that

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I think in '06 the weather should have suited us but then Germany went and had that bloody heatwave

Will they stop at nothing to deny us

I'm going to deck God one of these days

 

[Sadken]

Nobody likes playing the heat. However, the english game is about high tempo, you just can't do that for 7 games in a row in baking hot weather. The reason why latin type teams practically always win tournaments is that they know how to slow it right down and pass it around when they need to, and our players just turn into headless chickens when they try and do that

I really think the England team haven't been that high tempo since...Hoddle? Barring the odd Sven game here and there.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I'm going to deck God one of these days

Get in line mate, that fella's been asking for it for a while

 

[Sadken]

He created Steve McClaren...reason enough for me. Or maybe that was Satan, actually.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Nobody likes playing the heat. However, the english game is about high tempo, you just can't do that for 7 games in a row in baking hot weather. The reason why latin type teams practically always win tournaments is that they know how to slow it right down and pass it around when they need to, and our players just turn into headless chickens when they try and do that

Now, I say this with all due reservation, but this is one of the area's Cappello seems to have at least made some progress.

Still don't think we've got as good a chance as we did in the last two tournaments though, just don't think the squad is strong enough. Take out Rooney, Terry (and even that's being generous), A.Cole, maybe a couple of the midfield and who have we got?

In the middle we're alright, but around that we're a bit ropey

 

[Paul Russell]

Without Lennon, Rooney or Walcott, now Lampard -- looks a bit threadbare, bereft of creativity, etc. etc. ...

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

But with those, next summer, in the high atltitude, assuming they plan for acclimatising, we'l do well imo

 

[kained&able]

Terry might be out injured as well.

Would mean the entire defence including keeper is second choice, lacking our first choice central midfielders, our first choice right winger and one of our normal strikers.

Ouch.



dave

 

[Balbi]

Oh I dunno, despite what Captain Pello keeps saying - it'll be a good run out for the second string.

I do fancy seeing Milner go up against the Brazilians

Team time?

Green (time to stop the jitters Rob )

Johnson
Cahill
Upson
Warnock

Milner
Huddlestone
Barry
Young

Rooney
Defoe

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I don't think that's that bad a team

 

[Balbi]

It's very much Euro 2012 starting line up innit? Just for once, lets put out a young team who're hungry for it.

You don't get much hungrier than Huddlestone

 

[kained&able]

Johnson pulled out(lol). Brown is all that is left!


Green
Brown
Lescott(if terry doesnt make it)
Upson
Warnock

Wright-phillips
Carrick
Barry
Milner

Defoe
Rooney

Huddlestone should definitely get a large chunk of the second half though.


dave

 

[Balbi]

God, it will be Brown too - then again, he's solid and not an attacking full back - it'll let Milner/Young try some trickery with a bit of backup

 

[Lord Camomile]

As ever I think what's important is the attitude used to approach the game (from players, staff, media and supporters alike).

We've been bollixed a bit by injuries, so if we just treat it as a chance to blood some of the younger players, and don't get too carried away with the result (either way ) then it could be a good thing. Especially with friendlies it's much more the performance that counts than the result.

Would be good to see a few of the nippy wingers play certainly (always been a bit of a Milner fan)

 

[tom_craggs]

As ever I think what's important is the attitude used to approach the game (from players, staff, media and supporters alike).

We've been bollixed a bit by injuries, so if we just treat it as a chance to blood some of the younger players, and don't get too carried away with the result (either eay ) then it could be a good thing. Especially with friendlies it's much more the performance that counts than the result.

Would be good to see a few of the nippy wingers play certainly (always been a bit of a Milner fan)

I agree with all this. I can approach these friendlies in a much better frame of my with and England C team under Capello than if we had our best team out under McClaren...basically I have faith that Capello will actually get soemthin out of it either way. If we don't win I am not so concerned.

 

[Corax]

World Cup team should be:

James

Johnson
King
Woodgate
A Cole

Lennon
Huddlestone
Jenas
Milner

Defoe
Crouch

Subs: Green, Terry, Rooney, Modric, Krancjar, Assou-Ekotto, Keane

 

[Lord Camomile]

No, no it shouldn't.

 

[William of Walworth]

No, no it shouldn't.

Agreed. Where's Walcott? And where's Joe Cole? They'll both be fit and well practised again by summer. And Rooney on the bench? Get to fuck.

 

[Corax]

Agreed. Where's Walcott? And where's Joe Cole? They'll both be fit and well practised again by summer. And Rooney on the bench? Get to fuck.

Oh FFS. You may have noticed something else unusual about the bench, no?

 

[Corax]

Actually, Johnson's a bit dodgy. Kyle Naughton should be RB instead.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Oh FFS. You may have noticed something else unusual about the bench, no?

Yeah, that may have taken a second with me as well....

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

As ever I think what's important is the attitude used to approach the game (from players, staff, media and supporters alike).

We've been bollixed a bit by injuries, so if we just treat it as a chance to blood some of the younger players, and don't get too carried away with the result (either way ) then it could be a good thing. Especially with friendlies it's much more the performance that counts than the result.

Would be good to see a few of the nippy wingers play certainly (always been a bit of a Milner fan)

I think starting a second choice XI from the start is good - it's a chance to see how they play. I didn't like the Sven approach to friendlies of just haphazardly chucking them on in the 2nd half

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Actually, Johnson's a bit dodgy. Kyle Naughton should be RB instead.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I think starting a second choice XI from the start is good - it's a chance to see how they play. I didn't like the Sven approach to friendlies of just haphazardly chucking them on in the 2nd half

"And the next name out of the substitution hat is...."

 

[Rosco]

"And the next name out of the substitution hat is...."

......

 

[Rosco]

I think starting a second choice XI from the start is good - it's a chance to see how they play. I didn't like the Sven approach to friendlies of just haphazardly chucking them on in the 2nd half

I think that had more to do with the premiership managers laying the pressure on, and Sven giving in to them. Capello doesn't look like he'll give into anything like this.

 

[William of Walworth]

Oh FFS. You may have noticed something else unusual about the bench, no?

OK at self

Not sure what your point was though?