Japan v England.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Sun May 30, 2010 2:05 pm

Not sure what it was first half, but the word "impressive" didnt figure. I'm sure nobody wants an injury so late, but I thought the idea was to impress Capello. We're playing like we're three up, not one down. Okay, it's a nothing friendly, but I bet Brazil aren't trembling.

FaninOz · Post by **FaninOz** » Sun May 30, 2010 5:15 pm

Japan took pity on us

and scored two own goals to gift us an undeserved (it appears) 2-1 win.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Sun May 30, 2010 5:22 pm

FaninOz wrote:Japan took pity on us and scored two own goals to gift us an undeserved (it appears) 2-1 win.

Oh, they didn't take any pity on us, believe me. Second half was better, but Heskey would be staying home and SWP and Joe Cole going in there for me. Ward did well, but you had to feel for their goalie, who was immense. Rooney, good footballer though he is, still has that petulant streak that could cause real problems. Much of our play was far too casual and wanted too much time on the ball, something we definitely won't get next month.

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Sun May 30, 2010 7:11 pm

Listened to the arse end of the first half on the radio. Walcott was coming in for more criticism than most. Am I to take it that once again he was totally devoid of any vestage of end-product?

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Sun May 30, 2010 7:45 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:Listened to the arse end of the first half on the radio. Walcott was coming in for more criticism than most. Am I to take it that once again he was totally devoid of any vestage of end-product?

Pretty much so, yes. Kept trying to run wide around defenders who were quick enough to block him off. He and Johnson couldn't give each other the ball back quick enough and tried to do it all on the line. SWP was much more efective on the other wing in the second half. Showed much more committment too. In fairness, Walcott did get left out there on his own too often with three defenders down his neck. Not a thrilling performance at all.

Dujon · Post by **Dujon** » Mon May 31, 2010 1:37 am

I didn't watch the game.

Wasn't, though, Capello experimenting with player combinations and formations? After all, that's what these 'warm up' friendlies are all about. From what I've seen of Asian competitions (not a lot) they do tend to have pretty decent speed all over the paddock.

Don't put too much faith in any observations of this game - even your own. I'm sure the England coach will get some (most?) of the inconsistency and lethargy sorted by kick off.

boltonboris · Post by **boltonboris** » Mon May 31, 2010 8:09 am

Bruce Rioja wrote:Listened to the arse end of the first half on the radio. Walcott was coming in for more criticism than most. Am I to take it that once again he was totally devoid of any vestage of end-product?

Our game plan is to dominate the middle by having a let midfielder come inside with Cashley covering the flank. Once in posession we switch quickly to the right leaving their left back exposed for Walcott to exploit. It doesn't work though.... Why?because young Theo is absolute shite. Quick yet predictable. The Japanese left back and winger had Walcott and Johnson in their pockets. They did their homework on us.. Kudos to them

FD · Post by FD » Mon May 31, 2010 9:15 am

Walcott is a fecking awful footballer, wouldn't take him at Bolton. World class sprinter, but lacks any kind of football brain.

If he goes this time it'll be more of a travesty than the last time because this time he's PROVEN he's not good enough.

Heskey shouldn't go either, he's hardly played and he missed an absolute sitter than any of our other strikers would almost certainly have put away.

Rooney gets frustrated because he's that much better than the rest of the team, he really is well above them.

Joe Cole and Wright-Philips should definitely go, proved themselves worthy.

Carragher should start at right back because Johnson cannot play that well with a similar player ahead of him (Lennon is more important to the team that Johnson IMHO).

Rooney and Crouch should be the starting strike partnership.

Quarter finals and out for us methinks.

I've no idea why Capello has waited til this late to experiment, he's had ages to try players out an instead of doing that now, he should be getting his starting eleven down, getting some coherence in there, because they all look like they've never played together, which some of them haven't. I'm seriously questioning his judgment after yesterdays farcical performance.

Bruce Rioja · Post by **Bruce Rioja** » Mon May 31, 2010 9:27 am

FD wrote:Carragher should start at right back because Johnson cannot play that well with a similar player ahead of him.

Ah, but isn't that why he spat his dummy out in the first place?

malcd1 · Post by **malcd1** » Mon May 31, 2010 11:12 am

Bruce Rioja wrote:
FD wrote:Carragher should start at right back because Johnson cannot play that well with a similar player ahead of him.
Ah, but isn't that why he spat his dummy out in the first place?

I thought it was because he couldn't hold down a first team place in the 2006 World Cup. He was used occasionally used at right back and sub but not enough for our Carra.

Saying that I could be wrong.

rockthereebok · Post by **rockthereebok** » Mon May 31, 2010 11:12 am

Worst England game I've seen in some time. As this World Cup football blog points out there's so many questions to be answered. Personally, the biggest worry was at the back. The way Rio Ferdiand was muscled off the ball by a man half his size was embarassing...

Let's hope things are very different when they head out against the USA...

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Mon May 31, 2010 11:32 am

Jesus wept, some folk could write for the tabloids! It was a bastard friendly. With an experimental team. And Walcott is still only just 21. SWP is proven shite, Walcott has everything he has and is only a child. Lennon should and will start coz he's the best.

We'll be fine.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Mon May 31, 2010 11:33 am

FD wrote: Quarter finals and out for us methinks.

I've no idea why Capello has waited til this late to experiment, he's had ages to try players out an instead of doing that now, he should be getting his starting eleven down, getting some coherence in there, because they all look like they've never played together, which some of them haven't. I'm seriously questioning his judgment after yesterdays farcical performance.

Apparently, he's known his squad since last week and isn't planning on changing his mind after yesterday.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Mon May 31, 2010 11:39 am

Prufrock wrote:Jesus wept, some folk could write for the tabloids! It was a bastard friendly. With an experimental team. And Walcott is still only just 21. SWP is proven shite, Walcott has everything he has and is only a child. Lennon should and will start coz he's the best.

We'll be fine.

Sorry Pru, can't agree with that. SWP plays like he cares and doesn't give up. He has the skills and commitment that I've never seen in Walcott. He's also capable of scoring goals. No contest for me. Same with Joe Cole, detestable playing against, but I'd love to see him in a Bolton shirt.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Mon May 31, 2010 11:47 am

TANGODANCER wrote:
Prufrock wrote:Jesus wept, some folk could write for the tabloids! It was a bastard friendly. With an experimental team. And Walcott is still only just 21. SWP is proven shite, Walcott has everything he has and is only a child. Lennon should and will start coz he's the best.

We'll be fine.
Sorry Pru, can't agree with that. SWP plays like he cares and doesn't give up. He has the skills and commitment that I've never seen in Walcott. He's also capable of scoring goals. No contest for me. Same with Joe Cole, detestable playing against, but I'd love to see him in a Bolton shirt.

There's no comparison between Joe Cole and SWP. The only question mark over Cole is if he's had enough game time, he's proven quality. SWP played well yesterday in fairness, but he isn't going to get any better, and runs into blind alleys constantly and has no end product. I'm not particularly sure he has more goals in him than Walcott either. Lennon has to start, but I'd rather have Walcott to chuck on for the last 15 mins than SWP. Capello said he knew 20 of the 23 before the Mexico game, and straight after the game said he knew his 23. Perhaps SWP played himself ahead of Johnson but I think Walcott will go. As will Heskey, and again, he should, it doesn't matter if he doesn't score himself, if the rest of the team score on account of that. His time yesterday was typical Heskey, suddenly we kept the ball up the top much better, he won every header, held it up, and then missed a sitter.

Tombwfc · Post by **Tombwfc** » Mon May 31, 2010 12:04 pm

Prufrock wrote:Jesus wept, some folk could write for the tabloids! It was a bastard friendly. With an experimental team. And Walcott is still only just 21. SWP is proven shite, Walcott has everything he has and is only a child. Lennon should and will start coz he's the best.

We'll be fine.

Indeed, although slightly harsh on SWP. Only slightly mind, the guy is edging towards 30, and yet he's every bit the unfinished product 21 year old Theo is. As for not taking Walcott at Bolton...... ok.

Hoboh · Post by **Hoboh** » Mon May 31, 2010 12:16 pm

If you lot were not impressed I imagine a certain RUTHLESS Itallian was even less so! Trust the man he'll deliver, we should do ok.

FD · Post by FD » Mon May 31, 2010 2:58 pm

SWP has infinitely more of a footballing brain than Walcott, and is miles ahead of him in every single department, though in a straight race I'd not know who to bet on.

Prufrock, as I said, he should have been using this match to bed down his preferred 11, instead, he's dicking about with Bent, Walcott and Huddlestone. It's no wonder our players look like strangers!

boltonboris · Post by **boltonboris** » Mon May 31, 2010 3:03 pm

Prufrock wrote:Jesus wept, some folk could write for the tabloids! It was a bastard friendly. With an experimental team. And Walcott is still only just 21. SWP is proven shite, Walcott has everything he has and is only a child. Lennon should and will start coz he's the best.

We'll be fine.

Walcotts age is irrelevent. If he's good enough he's old enough... He isn't good enough though. We are taking a squad of 23 players. You can't pick somebody and take him because you think he'll be good in the future.. It's about the here and now, this is all or nothing and there's no room for passengers

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Mon May 31, 2010 3:30 pm

boltonboris wrote:
Prufrock wrote:Jesus wept, some folk could write for the tabloids! It was a bastard friendly. With an experimental team. And Walcott is still only just 21. SWP is proven shite, Walcott has everything he has and is only a child. Lennon should and will start coz he's the best.

We'll be fine.
Walcotts age is irrelevent. If he's good enough he's old enough... He isn't good enough though. We are taking a squad of 23 players. You can't pick somebody and take him because you think he'll be good in the future.. It's about the here and now, this is all or nothing and there's no room for passengers

It's not irrelevant though. He shouldn't be picking players solely based on their age, and if there was a standout candidate for the second right wing spot, bearing in mind Capello seems to value pace out there, then fair enough, but as it is it's SWP or Walcott. And since on current ability they are much of a muchness (love how due to his one good half SWP seems to have become a good player) then the fact SWP is 28 and proven to not be good enough consistently at that stage, and Walcott at 21 is still by no means proven either way, but at least could in the future means he should edge it. Wright Phillips in 30 caps has still had one fewer really good game than Walcott in 11. Whichever goes is going as an impact sub, and I'd rather have Walcott.

SWP has a football brain? Does he fook, the only one of those three rigth wingers who at the moment is anything more than a speed merchant is Lennon.

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