England v France

[RamNut]

Peter Crouch always scores for England yet he still can't get in the team.

probably because he's never been an automatic first choice for Liverpool or Spurs?

[Alex W]

My ratings:

Foster - 5 - Shouldn't have been beaten at his near post, and his kicking was awful. Not the player Birmingham get to see each game at all.

Gibbs - 6 - Looked out of his depth, but came into it in the second half. One for the future.

Lescott - 6 - He was alright, nothing great.

Ferdinand - 6 - Don't see why he's picked, haven't rated him in a few years now. Wasn't powerful enough for me.

Jagielka - 6 - It was a 5 for the performance at right back, but he's not meant to be played there. Did his job at centre back second half so a 6 is a fair rating.

Barry - 5 - Didn't stem the tide, supposed to control the midfield. Looked very poor.

Henderson - 5 - Invisible man, though he's not a defensive midfielder so i'm confused as to why Capello put him there.

Milner - 6 - Kept trying to get forward, did what he could. Things didn't quite fall for him but he kept going. Decision making was suspect.

Gerrard - 7 - Played well I thought, missed a sitter but was running all over the pitch and tried to get our attacks started.

Walcott - 5 - Invisible too, and when he had the ball he made the wrong decisions.

Carrol - 7 - Battled alone, good debut for him, and hes got a groin injury apparently too (or so say Newcastles medical team). He should start the next England game, if fit.

Subs:

Johnson - 5 - Poor, he kept running but his decision making and end product were shocking. Only made one notable successful attack (The Gerrard sitter)

Young - 6 - Thought he was alright. Corner was a good delivery atleast. Not his best position.

Richards - 6 - Put himself about, nothing really to do though. Thought he could have been involved more but he did what he needed to. Can't really say much, not a bad performance though.

Bothroyd - 6 - Worked hard during his time on the pitch, went close to a goal from a poor ball in, looked the part to me. Won a corner from nothing.

Warnock - 6 - Didn't do anything wrong, looked as good as Gibbs.

Crouch - 7 - Scored with his first touch. Can't ask much more from a sub, can you?

Thought Capello got his selections wrong. Jagielka at right back? Henderson is not a defensive midfielder either. Not good enough really, they made us look like fools. It's a building process I suppose, but would have liked to have seen different tactics.

I think we need a national 'style' of play. So that a player can just slot into a role. That'll take a long time to install though.

[Alph]

What is Adam Johnsons problem? Has he been watching a couple of his performances on repeat and is now convinced he's invincible.

PASS!!!

What a ball hogging moron. Everytime he gets the ball he wants a hundred touches. Why does he have to over work everything? Used to really rate him but now he's such a selfish and predictable player. I thought i might just be him trying to impress, but i'm not so sure now..... he's a hog for Man City too. He must be effective about 5% of the time he gets the ball.

Milner too not playing very well in an England shirt imo.

As for France..... Benzema on the bench for Madrid? First time i've ever seen him. Looks class. We say Lampard is one of the best in the world? Well i'd say Nasri, Malouda and Gourcuff are way better on that evidence. And that's just France. How he can be held up alongside the likes of Xavi god only knows.

I'd say the positives were Carroll, a few glimpses. Gerrard again. And Young looked lively for a while.

Bye,bye Foster. Bywater can distribute as well as him.

[Alph]

There was a time i remember when Milan were playing in the Champions League and ITV were mocking the age and pace of the greats Alessandro Nesta and Paulo Maldini. I've always had a soft spot for Milan and i thought it was hilarious that Milan went onto win the European Cup. Again.

It was these same pundits claiming that Ferdinand was better than Nesta.

I actually rate Ferdinand but the way him and Terry are put on a pedestal is ridiculous.

I'd say even their places are up for grabs.

I hate Gerrard and Cole, but everyone else just looks pale in comparison. Everywhere else it just looks like the same players in different skin.

Barry/Carrick/Henderson/Milner/Lampard?

Walcott/Lennon/Johnson/Young/Wright-Phillips.

Jagielka/Lescott/Terry/Ferdinand.

Forget club performances. Looking at performances for England they either have too many great players (as the media would probably say), or none at all with the exception of Cole and Gerrard.

[RamNut]

Capello is very clever. Keeps 1 pace ahead of everybody.

He out foxed us by picking Davies; then when we expect Davies he picks Bothroyd. Next time he'll pick some other semi-random numpty no-one thought of ....like Welbeck or Cameron Jerome.

Sven was good at that until he dropped his trousers with Ulrika and then we all realised he was a bit of a plonker.

[Alph]

I'm not saying i agree. But some people would say that the likes of Gibbs (who's not playing in the first team at club level) shouldn't be playing in the National side. That it might be about as much worth to play a RB that is playing pretty well and OFTEN even if you have to drop down to the Championship. Afterall, if Gibbs had of played brilliantly when would he of got his next game? When Clichy possibly gets injured or when England play next year.

I hate how people tend to look down on the Championship. They seem to think the Premiership starts with Chelsea and ends with Spurs. When in reality there and 8 or 9 teams in there who's players are of similar quality to the top sides in the Championship. Bothroyd didn't look out of place when he got on. Sure the top clubs are where you go to look first. But when you'd rather look in Premierships reserves....

[RamNut]

But when you'd rather look in Premierships reserves....

agree

[Alph]

agree

You'd rather look in reserves or you agree with the view that some people have?

btw, just looking around some forums and Milner and Barry along with Gerrard are getting hammered.

I think Milner was better off at Villa than he might ever be again.

I'd rather see a Championship player in ahead of Johnson. Jesus Christ who does he think he is?? PASS man!

[Ambitious]

I didn't see the england squad until I watched the last 20 odd minutes but I nearly passed out when I heard BOTHROYD was going to come on in an england shirt, don't get me wrong if he was available for 1/1.5million he'd be a solid buy especially for this division. He's a bit of a journey man who has finally settled down in a free flowing creative side getting a good 2-3 chances a game, but he is certainly not close to what I'd call good enough for an england international.. He certainly would struggle in the top flight, as he has done in the past and being closer to 30 than 25 doesn't mean 'he is one for the future' blunder pick.. I haven't seen the rest of the team but seen smalling also picked? it really is a farce..

surely if we was going to import a young centre back to build a reputation it should of been Phil Jones of Blackburn, he's been outstanding this season!

I don't know, understand Capello is in a situation where he can't do right for wrong as everyone has different opinions but it doesn't enlighten me with confidence, I suppose there was a lot of premier league strikers rubbing their head thinking why they was looked over for bothroyd to make the side, even the players like Cameron Jerome, Gabby Agbonlahor, Kevin Davies, Daniel Sturridge, Bobby Zamora, Ebanks-Blake..etc not players that you intially think.. oh england quality but certainly more about them, even in scotland you look at Gary Hooper.. more prolific in his first season in championship football than bothroyd (last year) his been injured but still managed 8 goals in 7 games, pretty impressive.

I guess I'm babbling but it seems to me he picked bothroyd out of a hat sort of a 'top goalscorer in champioinship' .. 'pick him' without really any thought, I'm sure any of the strikers mentioned would be a better choice.. I would say Chopra and Maynard in terms of championship strikers are better however both are current injured.

[Hucknall Ram]

How many of the France squad last night was at the world cup? Does anyone know?

[Alex W]

How many of the France squad last night was at the world cup? Does anyone know?

I think 11 players have been given the go ahead to play again, Sagna and Nasri were at the world cup I think.

Not sure of the total number of them in the squad though.