2010 world cup reality check.

[Ted Hughes]

- - - - - - - - - - - - James

- - Johnson - - Terry - - Ferdinand - - Cole

- - - - - - - - - - - - - Barry

- - - SWP - - - - - Lampard - - - - - Gerrard

- - - - - - - - Rooney

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cole

Is what I would go for, the reason I chose Carlton Cole above Heskey is because over thee last year I have been really impressed, I also think he offers the same attributes as Heskey and is a better goal scorer. It is vital we use a target man with the style we play under Capello in order to free up space for the likes of Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard to do their stuff.

Has to be James in net, no other keeper who is in the squad comes close to him imo. The one place that does worry me is the right hand side, I don't class any of our wingers world-class, Beckham past it, SWP brilliant but can't cross and Lennon the same and behind them is Glen Johnson, who can get forward as well as the best full-back's in the world but is just a good standerd Prem defender. Also as someone stated before as we get further on and face the likes of Spain or Brazil, we will get hammered down that right flank.

Semi-finals for us next year for us I rekon which will be a good achievement imo. Spain or Brazil to win it.

I'll be disappointed if we get knocked out by anyone other than Holland or Spain, the only two sides in the competition other than possibly England who have top quality players in most areas of the team imo. Of course those fucking Germans will probably get the wind in their sails & Argentina could come back if they sack Twatto & find a defence. Be very surprised if Brazil do anything. SAmericans are scared of them but the Europeans won't be. Their biggest danger has been from big centre backs heading corners & free kicks v small not very good teams in recent months but they can't defend against it themselves. Won less games than Chille & Paraguay.

Imo if everyone's fit & playing to the best of their ability, this is as strong as any side in the competition:


.....................James.......................

Johnson.....Terry........Gobbo.......Cole....

.........Hargreaves............Barry............

...Joe Cole........Lampard.......Gerrard......

.....................Rooney.......................

Hargreaves will cover Johnson & our only slight weakness is attacking crosses.

If we need aerial power we have it on the bench with Robotwat + CCole etc , DeFoe is there as a poacher & we have wingers too. Add Capello as manager (a huge improvement over all previous) & it's a formidable unit, best for 40 years imo.

[crossan]

England have played no one of significance but the media will build them up as real contenders..............garbage,no decent keeper,two full backs who are ok going forward but crap at defending (Johnson and Cole),we do not have many world class players other than Shrek and Steven 'miseryguts' Gerrard...............Quarter finalists at best.

its this kind of sensationalist rubbish that leads to everyone getting carried away with themselves.

shame on you crossan, we need to keep our feet on the ground.

I AM KEEPING MY FEET ON THE GROUND,THATS WHY I AM BEING REALISTIC OVER OUR CHANCES.........

[Fish111]

--------------------------James

-----Johnson----Terry--------King-----------Cole

----Walcott-----Barry------Gerrard-------Joe Cole

------------------------Rooney

---------------------------------Crouch


Gerrard has definately got to play through the middle with Barry alongside him rather than Lampard, but that will never happen. I'm a great believer in having 2 strikers. We'll have to make do at the back as our list of defenders is poor but i'd take a punt with king rather than plug.

[ronk]

England's biggest enemy is England. If they keep their heads they'll have a decent chance of going on a run.

They're a solid team with some good players and reasonable cover in most positions. Usually their downfall is a combination of someone acting the idiot and the rest of the team going missing when they need to step up in the tight games.

Capello may well have them better prepared so they hold their shape. There are a lot of teams who aren't really playing outstanding football at the moment. Last time around France and Italy got through, France with help from retiring greats playing out of their skin and Italy out to prove something post-corruption scandal, just as they did the previous time they won the World Cup. Portugal and Germany aren't really threatening to do anything at the moment.

The tournament is there for anyone who wants to take it and gets a bit of luck of the draw. There's no reason England can't be that team, but they haven't done it yet so maybe they shouldn't get too ahead of themselves.

[sky_blue_stew]

--------------------------James

-----Johnson----Terry--------King-----------Cole

----Walcott-----Barry------Gerrard-------Joe Cole

------------------------Rooney

---------------------------------Crouch


Gerrard has definately got to play through the middle with Barry alongside him rather than Lampard, but that will never happen. I'm a great believer in having 2 strikers. We'll have to make do at the back as our list of defenders is poor but i'd take a punt with king rather than plug.

I wouldn't say Capello is beyond dropping Lampard - if any England manager in living memory has had less respect for "unbenchables" it's him, and he very much picks players that complement one another, as Gerrard and Barry clearly do. I think Crouch has earned the opportunity to play alongside Rooney, but doubt it will happen because Capello still fervently believes holding the ball up is more important than scoring goals for the player off Rooney. As for King at the back, he's such a risk, the problem is he couldn't play matches in two weeks, and when he inevitably did need rotating, you'd be screwing around with the back line at the highest level. Not something I'd advise!

[Vhero]

I agree with this they bang on about wins and stuff but we haven't been against any "real" teams since Cabbage man took over except that friendly with Spain and they destroyed us. Beating teams of plumbers and builders have got people thinking we stand a chance its just terrible. Being a City supporter I think we can see negatives a lot easier than most supporters who only follow the winning side i.e 80% of the rag supporters.

The Ukraine and Croatia are both good teams. I certainly wouldn't call the teams of "plumbers and builders".

Fair enough you picked probably the only other 2 teams that are professional out of the lot but lets be honest there no Spain or Germany are they?

[the_georgian_genius]

----------------Anyone but James----------------------

-----Johnson----Terry------Ferdinand---------Cole

----------------Hargreaves-----Barry----------------

---Gerrard------------Lampard-----------------Cole

-------------------------Rooney------------------------

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

----------------Anyone but James----------------------

Eh? Easily the best we have atm.

Hargreaves

Mate, I'd say I was one of the least anti-Utd posters on here, but you can't be real? The guy's played 3 games in a year and half. How do you justify a place in the starting XI?

[the_georgian_genius]

----------------Anyone but James----------------------

Eh? Easily the best we have atm.

He is the best keeper we have but he will always fuck up and not when we are 4-0 up in the 89th minute in the last group game, it will be when it is 1-1 in the final in the 89th min. If David James is our number 1 next June we have no chance.

Hargreaves

Mate, I'd say I was one of the least anti-Utd posters on here, but you can't be real? The guy's played 3 games in a year and half. How do you justify a place in the starting XI?

If he's fit and playing for United then he has to play, a quality player.

[BlueinBosnia]

I agree with this they bang on about wins and stuff but we haven't been against any "real" teams since Cabbage man took over except that friendly with Spain and they destroyed us. Beating teams of plumbers and builders have got people thinking we stand a chance its just terrible. Being a City supporter I think we can see negatives a lot easier than most supporters who only follow the winning side i.e 80% of the rag supporters.

The Ukraine and Croatia are both good teams. I certainly wouldn't call the teams of "plumbers and builders".

Fair enough you picked probably the only other 2 teams that are professional out of the lot but lets be honest there no Spain or Germany are they?

Croatia were the top seeded team in the pot for a reason (England being considered 2nd best in the group, and ranked below them at the time of the draw). Every group is like that. In terms of 3rd and 4th ranked teams for the draw, there aren't many better than Ukraine (serious contenders) or Belarus (can take points off any team in Europe at home on their better days).

[crossan]

Hopefully we will get seeded and avoid the likes of;
BRAZIL
SPAIN
ITALY
GHANA
GERMANY
ARGENTINA
HOLLAND
NIGERIA
SWITZERLAND
UNCLE TOM COBBLEY AND ALL.

[BlueinBosnia]

Hopefully we will get seeded and avoid the likes of;
SWITZERLAND

Now that really DOES say something about the state of English national football!