Congratulations to England. Unfortunately, chances are looking pretty scarce for Portugal.

 

Qualified teams to date:

 

South Africa

Ghana

England

Netherlands

Spain

Brazil

Paraguay

South Korea

North Korea (second time around after WC1966!)

Japan

Australia

 

 

 

Glad we're there now! :D There was a HUGE difference when Heskey was taken off imo, it was like someone taking the part of a Jenga game that makes the entire tower fall down! We were less structured and Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard and Lennon found it much harder to find space! Glad to see Lennon have a good game, Walcott is gonna have a hard time getting back into the starting eleven now and maybe Beckham's place isn't guarenteed afterall?

 

Yet ITV and the media, constantly slate Heskey and say Defoe should be in the starting XI and Johnson is the weak link. What do we know though ey? And what does one of the most tactically astute and defensive minded managers in the world know either?! Is just utterly stupid imo how people bang on about how $h!t Heskey is. He's NEVER been a prolific goalscorer, but his hold up play just offers so much to the team and it allows Rooney to flourish. Walcott won't get back into the team imo. Like Mark said earlier - i'd like to see Gerrard on the right and J.Cole on the left once he's back fit, and Beckham imo is finished now. He'll most likely get into the World Cup squad but there's no way he can really be considered part of our first XI anymore...

 

I see the media are already getting over-excited. At this moment in time taking all things into consideration (and maybe this is a bit of an over-estimation that me) against every other team in the world the only teams i'd be unconfident of beating are Spain and Brazil. We've possibly as good a squad and team as those two teams, but England still have a major tendency to switch off. Just one lapse of concentration when we're crusing 2-0 against Brazil for example and they'll punish us. Not sure how exactly Capello is going to work on it, but he's got 10 months to sort it out anyway.

North Korea have qualified?!

 

Scratch that, North Korea have a FOOTBALL TEAM?! Oh how I hope for a North v South match :wub:

North Korea have qualified?!

 

Scratch that, North Korea have a FOOTBALL TEAM?! Oh how I hope for a North v South match :wub:

 

Yes, but it's stronger in the women's team. The two Koreas played in this Asian qualifying rounds.

It's highly unlikely that the two will meet in the World Cup. For that they'd both have to get through, either more to at least the QFs or one finish first and one finish second in groups which are linked....

North Korea have qualified?!

 

Scratch that, North Korea have a FOOTBALL TEAM?! Oh how I hope for a North v South match :wub:

I didn't know North Korea had a football team either.

 

I too like the thought of a North v South match. Perhaps there is something similar to the African Nations Cup where this could happen in a competitive match? Or even a friendly. ;)

As ever England look a pretty good team a month in to the season.

 

Unfortunately the World Cup takes place in June when most of our best players will be knackered after a competitive Premiership season, often including a lot of Champions League matches.

 

Plus all we need is one or two injuries to key players and we will be stuggling to get past the QF stage again.

 

Quite simply we have not got the squad to get past the depth that Brazil or Spain have. But at least we finally have a great manager. It is just a pity I don't think our best squad available now is as strong as the respective squads for WC2002 or WC2006 would have been if there had been no injuries.

I don't remember that many injuries in 2002. Darius Vasell, Danny Mills and Trevor Sinclair all played regularly for us in 2002, I don't think any of those three would ever have got into the current squad as the strength in depth is there to not need them....

 

 

 

I didn't know North Korea had a football team either.

 

I too like the thought of a North v South match. Perhaps there is something similar to the African Nations Cup where this could happen in a competitive match? Or even a friendly. ;)

Yes, but it's stronger in the women's team. The two Koreas played in this Asian qualifying rounds.

I don't remember that many injuries in 2002. Darius Vasell, Danny Mills and Trevor Sinclair all played regularly for us in 2002, I don't think any of those three would ever have got into the current squad as the strength in depth is there to not need them....

 

I guess you were/are not a fan of Stevie G injured last game of the Premiership picked up a groin injury and missed World Cup then, or Gary Neville (when he was good) broke left foot 5th metatarsal bone in ECL SF or Jamie Carragher (knee op). :lol:

 

Whilst Erikkson (in)famously selected an unfit captain, as David Beckham broke his left foot playing for Manchester United in the 3-2 win over Deportivo La Coruna in the ECL QF, and was blatently unfit during the World Cup when it would have been better for the squad and Beckham's reputation amongst moronic ill educated Enger-Land fans had he not played in that tournament.

 

Of course, Erikkson learnt from that debacle in WC2002, when Rooney got injured prior to the WC2006 didn't he? :hithead:

 

 

 

Sow how does that make it a much better squad? We're much stronger now because if Gerrard, Ashley Cole and John Terry were out injured we'd be able to call upon better players than were in the 2002 WC squad. Surely that's a stronger squad?

Will Capello do a Eriksson, and call up Wilshere in the 23 man squad next year :heehee:

 

So we got past an okayish side, yet we struggle against France, Holland et al. To be honest it'll be the same old story in the knockouts again.

 

Shall be interesting to see how England approach the final 2 qualifiers. Will they go for the maximum? I damn well hope so!

Sow how does that make it a much better squad? We're much stronger now because if Gerrard, Ashley Cole and John Terry were out injured we'd be able to call upon better players than were in the 2002 WC squad. Surely that's a stronger squad?

 

I don't think so,

 

In 2002 we had Gareth Southgate & Martin Keown as cover for Rio Ferdinand & Sol Campbell (with Ugo Ehiogu & Ledley King to call upon). Personally, I think both John Terry & Rio Ferdinand are past their best; whilst Upson is good, I don't rate Lescott at international level.

 

As for Goalkeepers if you seriously think our 2010 GK's are better than Seaman, Martyn & James (then) I think this debate is pointless.

 

Whilst if fit we had both Gary Nevile & Jamie Carragher as Right-Backs which was a body blow when they both got injured and ruled out before WC2002 as Wes Brown (then) & Danny Mills were nowhere near their class. Lets be honest I'm a Liverpool supporter but I'm embarrassed by Glen Johnson defending skills, and he England's first choice now. I know if I was a Spanish, Dutch or Brazillian winger I could not wait to play England in the World Cup.

 

I'll give you that we have better Left-Backs now as we had then as they are the same two players only far more experienced, but have yet to go over the hill.

 

Similarly our Midfield was under experienced then (they peaked 4 years later IMHO) of Beckham, Scholes (at his peak), Gerrard (whose injury was another killer blow), our favourite German Hargreaves and newcomer Joe Cole.

 

But our strike force was vastly superior: Owen, Fowler, Heskey, Sherringham & impact striker Vassell

Johnson's defending is fine. OK it's not brilliant, but he gets slated too much for it. Alright last night he should have given away a penalty, but other players around him need to be aware that he's amazing going forward but average at defending. Last night when we gave the ball away - where was Terry and Upson? They were ball watching. Lampard and Barry need to cover his back, and quite frankly the criticism he was getting yesterday from the ITV w*n**rs was f***ing atrocious. Don't think it's any conincidence that we score more with him playing at all. If other players watch his back then he'll be fine - Dani Alves is the same for Brazil. He's probably a little bit better at defending, but he's more experienced.

 

Our team's a lot better than it has been for ages, well, since I can remember. On paper our squad isn't as good I agree, but Capello's got the whole squad playing as a team rather than a bunch of individuals. So we're much better imo. Our weak link is our defence, as Rio suffers from concentration lapses and Terry's not fast enough imo. But at this moment in time imo only Spain and Brazil could beat us. I'm not even a major England fanatic, but if the squad has their head screwed one and we avoid any major burnouts etc. then we'll do alright. You've also got to take into consideration the likes of Brazil and Spain played in the Confenderations Cup this year, so they didn't get a massive break over the summer, so they could be victims of burnout...

Our defence might not be as strong as it could be (or has been) but does it matter if we score so many goals? With the crossing and/or goal scoring ability of Johnson, Beckham, Lennon, A&JCole, Milner, Gerrard, Barry, Rooney and Defoe to potentially choose from I'm not too bothered if our defence isn't amazing because we're more than capable of scoring more. We're the top scorers in qualifying and I don't think that's a coincidence, when it matters Capello can get the best out of this set of players. We've not done great against top teams in friendlies but they're friendlies. When we do well, people say they're meaningless and it doesn't matter, when we don't do well, the same people moan that it means we're useless and we're never going to get anywhere. Even with sloppy errors against Holland gifiting such attacking talent 2 goals we still didn't lose!

 

Why England will win the World Cup!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/robborobson/200..._the_world.html

 

Robbo Robson | 09:38 UK time, Friday, 11 September 2009

Oh dear. I woke up to find a car on our street decorated by two flags of St George. Plonker, I thought. Imagine my surprise when I realized they were on my car.

 

The wife tells me I reeled in, scrabbled through a box in the loft, half fell back down the step-ladder, staggered outside singing 'Engerland, Engerland, Engerland', and wedged the darn things on to me front bumper meself.

 

Trouble is, sobriety hasn't made my mind any clearer. I suppose it's good to hear these common-sense let's-not-get-ahead-of-ourselves pessimists chuntering on, but it's all a bit coy and Jane Austen if you ask me ('Why Mr. Hansen, we must not talk of such things'. Face down, flutter eyelashes).

 

SO....HERE'S WHY ENGLAND ARE GOING TO WIN THE WORLD CUP.

 

1. Fabio Capello

Il Capo. Da Boss. He's like one of them firebrand headmasters they send into failing secondary schools, isn't he? You can imagine the classroom pre-Capello...

Fabio CapelloFabio Capello -Who's the Daddy?

There's Mr Down With The Kids sidling up to the lads in the classroom as they drape themselves across the desks:

 

Wazza's scoring 'Red til I die' into the table top with the end of his compass and trying to chat up the middle-aged classroom assistant; Owen's got a card-game on the go;

Stevie and Frank are busy trying to sit in the same seat (and Gerrard's going to ground first). The goalies are gathered in one corner trying to play noughts and crosses on the wall, but never quite making any of the crosses.

 

"Hey!" says Stevie Mac. "S'up? You guys is playing well good football, innit?"

 

Silence.

 

"Mmm", he continues, "looks like rain. I've got my brolly if you need me to walk you to your cars, lads."

 

After the withering report from the Office For Flipping Appalling Letdowns [OFFAL], the new broom arrives. And what a broom!

 

"You want Fame? Fame costs - even for you bunch of pampered millionaires - and right here's where you start paying - in sweat, and a nice new sensible kit."

 

"But Fabio!"

 

"Mr Capello to you. You do what I say. Repeat after me. There is no 'I' in team."

 

"There's no F in chance!" mutters someone or other.

 

"For that I shall not only pick you for every game, I will play you out of position!"

 

"Oo my groin!"

 

"SILENCE! And you Mr Ferdinand. You think you get it rough with that hairdryer? Meet my wind turbine in a force nine gale!"

 

Happy days.

 

England have been solid as a full-fibre breakfast since Capello's arrival - at least when it has really counted. 4-1 and 5-1 v Croatia tells you what he's about.

 

He's selected according to form (Lennon, Johnson) but stuck by the unsung (Heskey and Barry), and his players have responded.

 

Plus, he's solved that great philosophical puzzle that has dogged England fans for years. The Gerpard Conundrum. Yes, it turns out that Gerrard and Lamps can play together if they're not treated like the teacher's pet and head boy. Frank sits deeper, Stevie floats around from the left-hand side, and the only two-eyed Cyclops in history, Wayne Rooney, gets to be top dog.

 

Capello's a true leader. As we speak, Russell Crowe will be haggling for the film rights to the Capello story. ("My name is Fabius Maximus Pointsus Capellicus").

 

2. Pace

England have bags of it: Lennon, Walcott, SWP, Rooney... you know what could not come off a shovel any quicker. Lennon danced round Croatians like that peroxide blonde lass who jiggled round the inert John Sergeant in Strictly Come Dancing last year. Only Sergeant looked better.

 

3.The temperature.

South Africa's going to be cool. We won't have to watch the likes of a Scholesy dessicate like a stale slice of thin-sliced Mother's Pride in the baking midday sun. We can play high tempo, hard-pressing football and not get knackered.

 

4. David Beckham

For the odd free-kick and the odd wave. But mostly for the press conference platitudes. He's great at saying nowt with a charming grin. The rest of them can concentrate on the footie.

 

5. WAGs

Or rather the lack of them. England's 2006 story was spoiled 'cos it was the WAGs that dogged the tale. Stay away, loves, and leave your menfolk to get on with the job in hand, before returning home with the spoils of victory.

 

6. The new kit

In the Capello mould. Clean, no-nonsense, smart. I love it. It says 'we mean business' rather 'we mean to make thousands of parents buy this stinking polyester tut for their pestering little brats. Again.'

 

7. Derren Brown

He's English. Just get him to say we're going to win on national telly and we're laughing, surely?

Wayne Rooney

Rooney has been on fire

8. Rooney

A couple of years back Shrek was getting shredded by people who thought he wasn't up to much really. Just a hulking hairy freak of a teenager whose best years were behind him. The lad's world class. He must stay fit. And calm.

 

9. Slaven Bilic

I'd take him along for the team talks. Lack of Englishness? If by that, you charming WUM, you mean that we don't lump it up front to the big fella enough, or cringe like girls in a butterfly farm when we realise we just need a draw, or never practice penalties 'cos that's all in the lap of the Gods innit, then fine. We're un-English. Bilic's team didn't get within spitting distance of England until after the whistle (allegedly).

 

Now let me anticipate your moans, you miseries:

 

Heskey can't score. (Everyone else seems to manage when he plays.)

 

Johnson can't defend. (He can learn and I never saw Wes Brown do lollipops and nick up a peach of a cross like that, so who cares?)

 

Croatia were rubbish. (When they played England, yes. Coincidence?)

 

Wait 'til the penalty shoot-out. (Shut up. You're making me nervous.)

 

Be quiet, Robbo, you're rubbish at predictions. (All right. But we ARE going to win it. You'll see.)

 

You know what, there's nothing in there I disagree with. Capello is a fantastic manager and I think the only teams I fear are Brazil and Spain, but I certainly don't think that we're incapable of beating them. I think we're very capable of beating them. I just can't see why so many people are being so negative when the likes of Argentina, Germany, France and Portugal may well need a play-off to get to the World Cup, and that's FAR from guarenteed in more than one of those cases. But then we wouldn't be English if we didn't have a moan...