England vs Switzerland

[Neuro]

I deliberately missed this as I had loads of work to do - I see we won, was it any better than usual?

[Gregg]

A good match, just as i expected with a new manager.

We should have won more than 2-1. Rooney had a particularly good game I thought, should have scored at least two. Was surprised Gerrard got MOTM when I didn't actually see him do anything all match. Joe Cole setting up Jenas' goal was particularly inspired football I think.

Edited February 7, 2008 by Gregg

[Simcut]

First half - Steve McClaren's England

Second half - Fabio Capello's England

Say no more, the players seemed really confident in the second half, all the little tricks etc!

I've not seen us create so many chances for quite sometime.

Edited February 7, 2008 by Simcut

[Max Kane]

Second half was much improved, Joe Cole, Rooney & David Bentley were the most impressive players for me. Gerrard was decent

[Briggsy]

It was OK - an average match. Not poor, but not brilliant either.

I still don't see the point in picking David James any more - i've nothing against the guy, but we should be planning for the next world cup now - and with David James being 37 now, its obvious he's not going to be around for the next world cup. We should get a youngster in now so that he gets some experience under his belt. Personally, i'd opt for Chris Kirkland.

I also think Rio Ferdinand is over-rated - as i've said before. Again, last night, he proved that he's a liability and not very solid. Just because he brings the ball out of the box and creates counter-attacks, that doesn't make him a good defender. We need someone more solid and dependable. The midfield are there to do the fancy stuff. I don't think he warrants a position as first-choice centre back.

But apart from that, Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney were the two that stood out for me.

[bigsteve]

I particularly disliked how Rooney and Gerrard almost read from their England Management approved scripts in the post-match interview with Stubbs.

[Uberduck]

At the end of the day you can't really make much out of this because it was Capello's first game. He's hardly going to turn us into Brazil of Arsenal in one game is he? It's going to be a long term thing and he's got 2.5 years till the next major competition (as long as we qualify this time). Dont think we've got the easiest group with Croatia and Ukraine but we should be good enough.

I think you've got to give him a while to settle in and use the friendlies to see the players; hence the multiple substitutions in the second half.

In the long term I think he'll be good for us simple because of his no nonsense attitude. That's how England should be. Sven & McClaren were both too soft. Sven had a wicked club record before he was England boss too but I think he lacked the kind of scare factor to get players to change their playing attitudes in games.

How many times have we all watched Man U playing crap in the 1st half only to come back out looking a different team? They haven't drunk gummy bear juice at half time; Fergie gave them a good thrashing and, in a sense, motivates them into performng better. Sven was too quiet and Steve was to matey with the players.

Here's hoping given a few games time we start looking like the team we should. As much is said about how the players coming through aren't good enough, I think that we've got a few promises i.e. Richards, Bentley...

One thing that totally puzzled me today is this new proposal that there will be an extra game added onto the premiership season during which every team will play a game in a foreign country to boost the PR of our league (money spinning!!!).

The only major issue I see with this is that how do you decide which team plays which for the final game as it'll mean that you'd play one team three times that season???? :confused:

How do you figure which team that is and how would a team challenging for survival feel if they drew Man U in Tokyo for that game? It'd be like a home game for use because of our huge Far East support. Very strange proposal.

[Briggsy]

I particularly disliked how Rooney and Gerrard almost read from their England Management approved scripts in the post-match interview with Stubbs.

Thats not true mate! Rooney can't read :twisted:

In the long term I think he'll be good for us simple because of his no nonsense attitude. That's how England should be. Sven & McClaren were both too soft. Sven had a wicked club record before he was England boss too but I think he lacked the kind of scare factor to get players to change their playing attitudes in games.

I kind of agree with that - however, I think you need a 'happy medium'. You get some managers that seem continually strict - the West Brom manager is a prime example of that. They could win 25-0, and their manager would still be a miserable git at the end of the game and have a good moan. John Gregory was like that too. If the players get moaned at regardless of what they do, they'll want the manager out. I think managers that are usually soft, but get quite severe when it needs it, are the best - the likes of Wenger, O'Neill, Allardyce, Keegan, etc seem that kind of manager - and they're all successful. Mick McCarthy at Wolves, and Iain Dowie at Coventry are that type of manager, and you can clearly see that the players have a lot of respect for their manager. If a manager respects his players, the players will respect their manager - and then the team will get results.

Steve was to matey with the players.

Do you reckon mate? I always thought that the players body language suggested that they didn't have a great deal of confidence in him, and thought he was a bit of a plonker - a bit like the rest of us did really! No doubt he had a few 'mates' - but then all England managers have. Sven loved Heskey and Beckham, Venables loved Barmby and Anderton, Graham Taylor loved Tony Daley - every manager has a player that he'll pick, even if one of his legs drops off before the match.

One thing that totally puzzled me today is this new proposal that there will be an extra game added onto the premiership season during which every team will play a game in a foreign country to boost the PR of our league (money spinning!!!).

The only major issue I see with this is that how do you decide which team plays which for the final game as it'll mean that you'd play one team three times that season???? :confused:

How do you figure which team that is and how would a team challenging for survival feel if they drew Man U in Tokyo for that game? It'd be like a home game for use because of our huge Far East support. Very strange proposal.

I don't think its a league match - I think what they mean is, one team from the Premier League will be allocated a match with a foreign team as a 'tour' match to help raise the profile of the Premier League. Its the timing they mean - it'll be classed as a 'season time' match rather than a pre-season friendly. It won't have any impact of league positions at all.

[Uberduck]

I don't think its a league match - I think what they mean is, one team from the Premier League will be allocated a match with a foreign team as a 'tour' match to help raise the profile of the Premier League. Its the timing they mean - it'll be classed as a 'season time' match rather than a pre-season friendly. It won't have any impact of league positions at all.

No, I'm right on this one for sure. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/e...rem/7232390.stm The league will be extended by one game per team. I've watched counless interviews and news articles on this. It's unbelievable I know but this is how they plan to do it. The whole criticism was that exhibition games wouldn't have the same appeal to foreign fans so they plan to extended the season so its competitive.

Edited February 7, 2008 by Uberduck

[Briggsy]

Thats absolutely stupid! Its a crap idea - all it will do is make the bigger clubs even bigger, and the smaller clubs even smaller. Its another step towards the Scottish Premier League - where two or three teams fight it out for the title, while the rest fight it out for a european place. The likes of Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal will just gain more overseas appeal. Can you imagine teams like Reading suddenly becoming hugely popular in the far east just because they've played a match out there?

Its just another money spinner for the FA - it offers no advantage to English football at all.

[Quadrant]

I watched this whilst the wife went out with female friends. First half was frustrating but we did look a bit more inventive as the game wore on.

Joe Cole was our only good player though. He's always a threat and created that first goal with delightful skill.

[treva]

i watch almos all the game, i like joe cole's abbility for the first goal ..

altough i think england needs more young talents to come out ..

[Briggsy]

altough i think england needs more young talents to come out ..

Agreed! The fact that we're now preparing for the next world cup, with a 37 year old goalkeeper scares me.

No doubt Gary Neville will return once he's fit again too. He's too old, and he's played in four major England tournaments now. We keep sticking with players that have played in tournaments before that we've not won. If those players weren't good enough to win us a tournament then, when they were at their peak, they they aren't going to be good enough now.

Kick out the old stale players - plus Lampard, who's never had a decent game in an England shirt, despite his million and one England caps, and bring through some youngsters. The press need to allow those players to come through and give them time instead of being on Capello's back as soon as they lose.

Those youngsters need experience, so chuck them in now, and if they lose us games, then so what - they'll get better over time, and should be just about ready for the world cup.

David James, Gary Neville and Frank Lampard aren't the future.

[Quadrant]

Bring back Neville Southall!

Oh wait, he was Welsh wasn't he... Aza?

[Uberduck]

The fact that we're now preparing for the next world cup, with a 37 year old goalkeeper scares me.

No doubt Gary Neville will return once he's fit again too. He's too old, and he's played in four major England tournaments now.

Kick out the old stale players - plus Lampard, who's never had a decent game in an England shirt, despite his million and one England caps, David James, Gary Neville and Frank Lampard aren't the future.

I agree with all of the above although [as a Man U fan] I'm not sure Neville will play for England again. He's having a mare in getting fit for us due to a host of minor injuries. The actual ankle injury was fixed but scar tissue problems elongated his initial recovery. He has since had hamstring problems that have stalled his return. He has come out today and said that he won't retire from football. Personally I think if injuries prevail, he will cut his international career as Giggs did to commit to United. I think Brown or Richards are better going forward compared to Neville (especially as they have more pace) although Gary is better at defensive duties and obviously has more experience.

Wes gifted City a goal yesterday as he should have headed clear Benjani's goal. I admit that he does make slip ups now and again but he is a much underrated player.

I think that Englands future goalkeeper is between Scott Carson and Ben Foster. Foster is out with ligament problems at the moment but he's a quality keeper and showed pure class whilst on loan at Watford. Carson is wicked for Villa but the nervous slip-up during the Croatia game gave him bad press.

I like James but he is definitely not the future of England and I don't think Capello should be building him into plans for possible qualification into S.Africa 2010.

As for Lamps....

Don't rate him when he pulls on his the England jersy and here's hoping Capello doesn't start trying to fit square pegs into round holes by using him and erm, Gerrard erm. Stevie G should play every game as he is one of the best midfielders in the world whereas Lamps is one of the best in the country.