Pub for the England game

[thepeoplesgame]

What sort of time ddifference is there between here and SA? what time do you think games will be on?

Barely any. An hour or two ahead I think. So games will all be shown when the sun is past the yard arm, so to speak.

[Sippo]

What sort of time ddifference is there between here and SA? what time do you think games will be on?

http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_ZA.aspx

[jonny72]

England beat a pub team and now they are 4th favourites to win the world cup. Hysteria gone mad. It wasn't even that good a game. Boring if anything else.

They've gone down then, they were 3rd if not 2nd favourites at one point. But its nothing to do with the last couple of games, its how they've been playing under Capello.

My main concern at the moment is the keeper and forwards. James is ok but you never know when he will go off on one and none of the others are good enough either, we really need Ben Foster to be playing regularly next season. Same with our forwards, other than Rooney we look really weak, we really need Michael Owen to pull it together and get back on form.

I wonder if Capello and the FA get involved in this sort of thing, telling players what they need to do and maybe exerting a little pressure to ensure they get games - out on loan or a transfer.

[stfctownenda]

They've gone down then, they were 3rd if not 2nd favourites at one point. But its nothing to do with the last couple of games, its how they've been playing under Capello.

My main concern at the moment is the keeper and forwards. James is ok but you never know when he will go off on one and none of the others are good enough either, we really need Ben Foster to be playing regularly next season. Same with our forwards, other than Rooney we look really weak, we really need Michael Owen to pull it together and get back on form.

I wonder if Capello and the FA get involved in this sort of thing, telling players what they need to do and maybe exerting a little pressure to ensure they get games - out on loan or a transfer.

Agree with the keepers although I like Green and Foster.  With the strikers both Heskey and Crouch have scored in there last games so don't think you can be too critical.  Think the team looks a lot better with Heskey in it, hes a battering ram up there and creates so much just by using his strength to fend off other people.  Most strikers Heskey has ever played with say he is the best strike partner they have had as hes unselfish, great at holding the ball up and a good threat from set pieces.  I agree beyond Heskey and Rooney it looks a bit weak but I would say theres plenty of time before the world cup for strikers to emerge.

[jonny72]

I think its more the lack of a fall back plan up front that is the problem. Rooney and Heskey look good together, provided they are both available for every game then we should be fine but if we lose one of them we're fucked.

I rate Crouch but the problem is we just don't seem to have a game plan for Rooney & Crouch or Heskey & Crouch, I think both combinations could work but we haven't figured it out. At present we'd most likely go with Rooney or Crouch up front on their own, add a midfielder and push Gerrard up but I'm not sure that works that well for us.

Owen is the obvious option, I reckon we should be giving him a run out in a friendly - it might be the boost he needs.

[stfctownenda]

I think its more the lack of a fall back plan up front that is the problem. Rooney and Heskey look good together, provided they are both available for every game then we should be fine but if we lose one of them we're fucked.

I rate Crouch but the problem is we just don't seem to have a game plan for Rooney & Crouch or Heskey & Crouch, I think both combinations could work but we haven't figured it out. At present we'd most likely go with Rooney or Crouch up front on their own, add a midfielder and push Gerrard up but I'm not sure that works that well for us.

Owen is the obvious option, I reckon we should be giving him a run out in a friendly - it might be the boost he needs.

Owen has looked terrible in the final part of the season, don't think he should be near the squad until he has changed clubs and recaptured his form.

[Ben Wah Balls]

England beat a pub team and now they are 4th favourites to win the world cup. Hysteria gone mad. It wasn't even that good a game. Boring if anything else.

About 4th favourites is about right, definitely shouldn't be lower than 6th favourites. www.eloratings.net has England ranked 4th in the world, 6th in the fifa rankings too so what's so strange about being 4th favourites? This doesn't mean England are likely to win, it means we have a small chance and 1/4 finals or semi finals is pretty likely.

I think we're worse than Spain, Netherlands and Brazil and about equal with Italy, Germany, France, Argentina, Russia and Croatia.

[Kinky Tom]

Plus we're also more likely at this stage to actually be there than most other teams which counts for a lot at the moment...

[Doore]

Owen has looked terrible in the final part of the season, don't think he should be near the squad until he has changed clubs and recaptured his form.

I don't think in the sytem we are playing that Owen, even at top form, is the right man.  Essentially, with Gerrard, Rooney and Walcott operating behind a front man, that front man really needs to be a striker who can bring other players in to play. That has never been Owen's strong point.  Its quite an unselfish role, and needs the right type of player.  The real worry is that the best player of that type that we have is Emile Heskey. Crouch had his chance to prove himself in this role last night and it didn't work. We don't have a truly international class of that type of player.  So if we play this system, it has to be Heskey.

I'd have a fully fit Owen on the bench, if we have 10 mins to grab a goal he is worth a shot.