it probably did some good.
And that was all the trip was about anyway, never mind the result or performance, they were irrelevant when Beckham is made captain to appease Jack Warner.
Though of course he wasn’t entirely happy as new F.A. chairman, Lord Triesman, didn’t stump up, though if the reason Warner gave for Triesman not traveling – not wanting to associate with the head of CONCACAF – you have to wonder about all involved. I can see why someone wouldn’t want to be involved with him in his luxury FIFA ivory tower surrounded by Trinidad squalor, the bling on his fingers making the tat on QVC and those Bid Up TV channels look like understated quality items, you get the feeling he could make multi-millionaire politicians look like amateurs with their expenses claims. But if Triesman is serious about getting the World Cup certain things have to sacrificed for the greater good and as said after the last game and more evident after this one hosting it is our best chance of taking part in it.
Another uninspired dull performance, where usual suspects showed yet again why the should be forgotten and certain fringe players didn’t do their best to grab the shirt.
If people still think Beckham has anything left to offer it’s no wonder we aren’t in a certain tournament starting in a few days. How many times have we heard about his killer set ball deliveries recently and how many times has this resulted in the ball hitting the wall/first defender, yeah Terry’s goal against the Yanks came from Beckam but it was played behind all the players. You can’ field a player on the basis that he might once in a blue moon take a decent set piece.
Gerrard, 67 caps and that Andorran game is still the highlight, this game against a very poor T&T side, totally bypassed him, his only kicks seemed to be on opposing players. He’s a very lucky player, he has a lot of ex-Liverpool players or fans that back him in the media but there’s a growing number of civilians who see how useless he is and has been for England, all the ball retention of skirt, too many glory balls and a lot of undisciplined headless chicken running about.
I normally like what Chris Waddle has to say, he is one of the better co-commentators on radio but he’s wrong about dumping Lampard and keeping Gerrard, both are well past theur sell by date at international level i’s time to start afresh.
As for the fringe players, Dean Ashton had a bad game, his first touch was exceptionally poor but it was his first game for his county on a shockingly bad pitch he should have been given the whole game, we know what Crouch can do it was a waste of a sub.
Defoe, well as much as a I like the kid he doesn’t really convince, again that pitch was bad but his first was a serious of crap touches and he should have scored more that the two he got.
Woodgate now I know I’m biased but looked secure and played some good balls out of defence, balls played to the feet of his own team mates no less, none of those stupid 50/50 humps up the park so beloved of Ferdinand
Downing played well but it was about as crap an opposition as you’re likely to meet on international duty. Johnson at rightback didn’t get forward enough but that was probably due to Beckham’s presence knowing the donkey could chase back and figuring if he did get forward what would be that chances of getting the ball when Becks would prefer to play one of those killer crosses to no one in particular. Wayne Bridge was more productive in one game than Ashley Cole has been for years and none of that stupid tippy toe poncing about getting the ball on the wrong foot.
Ashely Young didn’t do himself any favours, you wonder what he was told to do, it should be just do what you do week in week out for Villa, run with the ball, beat players, then cross it. Not keep stopping turn back, pass back and give the ball away. Walcott was wasted as he moved to the right wing with Bentley floating about, the youngster should have been a direct replacement for Defoe down the middle. Bentley couple of decent crosses but again, lot of headless chicken running about losing the ball, this why it’s still so easy for Capello to pick Beckham.
Barry he isn’t a fringe player, he has to be one of the first names on the starting XI team sheet.