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Same again, England!

Womens World Cup England

by Robbo Robson (U5722413) 10 September 2007

What a great weekend for British sport, eh? Cricket, footy and rugby - and Team England trounces the lot of them. We should play crap teams more often! Or in India's case, make sure we play them on an off-day.

Due to the brilliant scheduling I found it impossible to watch all three at the same time. There must be some Digibox whizzkid who could have worked out a way of watching them simultaneously and separately without missing a vital moment.

I put all three tellies in the front room and frankly it did me head in. I couldn't be one of those all-night security guards with a bank of CCTV cameras to look at.

(Incidentally they always seem to have the telly on AS WELL. How you can keep an eye on intruders when you're busy giving your unsociable hours allowance away to a TV quiz phone-in which promises you two grand if you can name a colour that rhymes with Fred is beyond me.)

Any road, in the end, with KP and Colly lording it, and the rugby union team handling the ball the way a bunch of schoolgirls handle a dead spider, I stuck with the footy. And blow me if it wasn't a Rolex - a rather pleasant watch.

England were never in bother and apart from some Lampardesque thrashes from the front two, it all passed along rather nicely.

So what has McClaren learnt?

1. Gary Neville, take a bow and grab your coat. Micah Richards is here to stay.

2. Frank Lampard, prepare to warm the bench awhile. Centre midfield is Gerrard and a holding player, job done.

3. Becks, rest up in LA-LA-land. You'll get a few more goes I'm sure. But SWP/Bentley should be ahead of you on the grounds that they live a bit nearer.

4. St. Michael is still the best chance we have for goals if, and only if, he has an unselfish workhorse giving him a comfy ride. Still, Lineker was the same. He's a greedy little goal-hanger, Owen, and we need that sort of bloke.

5. Heskey, you 'did a job'. No falling over, and you earned McClaren's cliche of 'a handful'. Now do the same against Russia and I'll be at the head of the queue for the bowing and scraping.

6. Gareth Barry. I'm sure this has occurred to every other fan in the country but I always thought calling yourself Gareth was a tad pretentious - like Andrew Cole. Trouble is he'd be Gary Barry, wouldn't he?

I digress. Barry was excellent in the Hargreaves role and there's no need to replace him. In fact there's no need to replace anyone from Saturday. Same team, I reckon.

7. All of which goes to show.... if you play people in positions they are comfortable with and let them get on with it, you've got more chance than if you faff people about.

I still have some outstanding questions...
Has Ashley Cole got a really useless body double playing for him at the moment?

Why Phil Neville? I knows he's 'versatile', but all that really means is he can be crap in a variety of positions.

And I'm just wondering why we haven't heard about the terrible damage that game has inflicted on Stevie G's toe. I'm surprised the poor lad can stand after those heroics. Rafa, how can you hold your tongue under such provocation?

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comment by FlingitNow (U1879858)

posted Sep 14, 2007

Loads? Apart from Woodgate, name one.

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King who's got MoM on numerous accasions at CB for England including his debute against France.

Then theres:

Brown who's better than Rio at United. (so that's gives us 4 CB meaning Terry shouldn't be in the squad)

Plus up and coming youngsters:

Richards, Dawson, Lescott and Taylor.

All of whom have not yet let down England repeatedly.

Only a Scotsman could be happy with the job McClown has done for England.

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comment by DoctorBoroLove (U8303026)

posted Sep 14, 2007

If they've hardly played then of course they can't let England down repeatedly.

Brown?!!! I think you're the clown mate, not Mr McClaren.

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comment by FlingitNow (U1879858)

posted Sep 14, 2007

If they've hardly played then of course they can't let England down repeatedly.

Brown?!!! I think you're the clown mate, not Mr McClaren.

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Your ignorance of Brown does not make me a clown. He's the best CB Fergie has ever had at United (Fergie's own words).

Yes they can't have let England down having not yet played for England. Tery has and has been found not good enough. I'd rather go with a player that may or may not let you down over a player that definitely will...

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comment by DoctorBoroLove (U8303026)

posted Sep 14, 2007

But you're not the manager thank goodness. Fergie (a Jock btw) must have been on the sauce when he said that.

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comment by ayoungcom (U1882818)

posted Sep 14, 2007

"Personally I'd like to see Joe Cole in the attacking midfield role as he has the ability to go past people and pick a good final ball,"
Er....on what field does this happen ? Joe Cole must be the most prolifigate loser of the ball since Paul Scholes played in the English line up ! To compare Cole to Barry is idiotic, Barry has been superb on the international scene since his U21 time. He has just been overlooked because he is not a personality or on a 'big' team. This is unbiased I support Charlton...........but I can tell a footballer when I see one.

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comment by Tadworth Eagle (U3937909)

posted Sep 14, 2007

"Your ignorance of Brown does not make me a clown. He's the best CB Fergie has ever had at United (Fergie's own words)."

That's the biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard. And if he's the best why does he only get substitute appearances (if that)?

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comment by DoctorBoroLove (U8303026)

posted Sep 20, 2007

Brown is rubbish. All true footie fans know that, but not your Glory Hunters. Funny how a blog about England inevitably gets spammed into talking about ManU by the Fairweather Followers, as if we care!

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comment by FlingitNow (U1879858)

posted Sep 20, 2007

That's the biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard. And if he's the best why does he only get substitute appearances (if that)?

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He's injury prone and Fergie didn;t spend �30m on him. But there is no doubting that when he plays for United he's better than Rio and even better than Vidic. The facts speak for themselves on that front.

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Brown is rubbish. All true footie fans know that, but not your Glory Hunters. Funny how a blog about England inevitably gets spammed into talking about ManU by the Fairweather Followers, as if we care!

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I mentioned 1 United player along with several players from other clubs. You were the one that turned this into a debate about Brown not me.

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comment by DoctorBoroLove (U8303026)

posted Sep 21, 2007

BROWN IS R-U-B-B-I-S-H.

WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT FACT?

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comment by FlingitNow (U1879858)

posted Sep 21, 2007

BROWN IS R-U-B-B-I-S-H.

WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT FACT?

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He's still the most talented CB in England and when fit the best CB in the premiership.

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