Sorry Batch, whilst I agree with your sentiments that the team selection should have been completely different, my main bug bear is the fucking arrogance of the FA, arranging this friendly 5 days before the last qualifying game !!!!!!!
You have a point there.
Come on playing a friendly a few days before a must win match isn't that crazy. If england had not have played this and then not come out of the starting blocks firing on all cylinders on Wednesday there would have been criticism for not getting the players together for a warm up match.
Owen's injury prone everyone knows it, if I were a Newcastle fan i'd be cursing my luck right now. Another month without Owen...