good.
But with that England performance to go with the 2-0 loss to Chile you might as well give up, but knowing this lot a victory over a depleted German side will have them as World Cup favourites – in their own head.
You might think a loss is OK if you try out a load of new faces, I mean there’s only a couple of more games to go before Roy has to pick his squad. But when you use it as a thanks to Frank Lampard, here’s a tacky memento to your 100th cap, what is the point.
Well it shows what the point of Lampard is to the current set-up. Nowt. One forward pass to a white shirt and one deflected free kick ain’t much to show. Along with Frank’s 71 minute disappearing act we got to see why Glen Johnson can’t be picked at this level as a bloke who struggles to play for Wigan, Beausejour, gave him the run around, add to that you’ve always got to pick someone on the right that covers for Johnson’s inability in defence.
Cahill struggles to get in the Chelsea side ahead of that well renowned defensive master tactician and rock that is David Luiz did we need to see another static display from him? Rooney ran about for 90 minutes, contributed nowt, obviously Roy needed another look at this little known player.
It’s a shame Lambert wasn’t available. It would have been better to stick the Southampton front three in together. They know each other, whereas Lallana and Rodriguez just didn’t gel with a player they’ve seen on telly more than in the flesh.
Lallana had about the best game of anyone in a white shirt out there. Some decent attacking stuff and the necessary tracking back to make up for Johnson. Rodriguez looked a little more nervous. Things weren’t helped for him by the fact he saw so little of the ball to begin with while his club-mate was into the action quickly.
Of the other debutante with Hart now number two at Citeh and perhaps dropping further down the order come January, Forster had to start and in reality had to start both games. One game doesn’t give you any idea of the player, especially when he was plunked behind that back four. He also looked nervy and a bit slow off the line. It’s OK playing well against Barcelona every couple of years but in reality what does he have to do week in week out.
The first goal, well of course Baines is going to get all the blame from people that wanted Cole to play – talk of Cole’s positional sense being great :headinhands: – Nothing stopped going through the middle with Lampard missing and Wilshere mouth open, tongue out, drooling somewhere else. Johnson fails to stop the cross by Ferdinanding the block – i.e. jumping out of the way of the ball so it doesn’t hit you while making it look like you really tried – nothing from centrebacks of ‘keeper and Baines was lollygagging. All Baines’ fault.
It was well deserved 7 minute lead which was followed by Chile cutting through England at ease with one or two passes, usually then buggered up by Beausejour butchering it in the box.
The second, well deserved second, came as per usual from England just giving the ball away followed by a defensive shambles – could also say the ‘keeper dithered when a smothering act might have been better.
It was a typical England performance by those that think their place is guaranteed in it’s only a friendly
against Who? Chile. Never heard of ’em
which didn’t give the new guys a hope. Stick a bunch out in both games who a re fighting for their place to Brazil and then you’ll learn lessons. Lessons that can be useful not this that told Roy all he needs to know but nothing he’ll act on.