You can't favour starting a player because he can take penalties. If the game looks to be going that way though, you can sub like-for-like late on by swapping someone for a better penalty taker. Simple really.

England have lost on penalties more times than any other team in world cup history.

Cant believe Walcott isnt going, awful decision.

Can't understand the thinking on carragher going feel disappointed for dawson who has had a great season, carragher didn't even have any interest in qualifiers never mind playing. Walcott has no final product so i can understand why he wasn't picked but would of rather took a.johnson instead of swp.
Think we will go with a 4-5-1 imo, gerrard and rooney have played in that formation at club level and have been pretty successful specially rooney.

Disappointed that Johnson isnt going, but always expected 2 of Walcott, SWP and Lennon to be picked. The squad isnt exactly full of pace, aways seemed likely that there would be one quick back up.

I think Johnson lost his place once it became clear that Milner would only be included as a wide player.

I hadn't thought of it like that, but along with Joe Cole playing his way in I guess that desire for some pace would have swung things in favour of SWP as opposed to Johnson.

Is it my turn to criticise the World Cup ball yet?

Seems like everyone else has had a go....

Like a beach ball isnt it?

I hate beach balls

We have lost three shoot-outs in the World Cup (1990, 1998 and 2006), the same as Italy, Spain, Mexico and Romania.

Mexico and Romania, like us, have never won a shoot-out at the World Cup. Italy and Spain have won only one shoot-out out of four attempts.