I was actually talking about Ashley Cole mate.



You're probably right about the miss TBF, it just looked unforgiveable. Like you say with Drogba / Rooney, they can make misses like that, but inevitably they make up for it.



If England don't improve, I can see Rooney getting another World Cup red shortly. His temper seems to be worsening. It's probably due to the fact that he's not scored for a while for England and he's feeling the pressure of been the key man. He needs a goal, desperately.

If you hadn't seen the game but read the reaction to Heskey's miss you'd think he had missed an open goal from a yard out or something, yes the very best strikers would have probably put a similar chance away 8 times out of 10, but it was far from the gimme it has been made out to be.



It just smacks as people trying to find a reason to slag off the usual scapegoat because, in the main, he actually did what he is in the team to do pretty well.

This is the problem I have with Heskey though. He seems to get picked in the team purely to be a nuisance. Surely at this level we should picking players who can score goals? Crouch provides an aerial threat, admittedly less than Heskey, but knows how to finish. Heskey has 5 in 45 for Villa(i think) and has 7 in 60ish for England. That just isn't enough for me. All the stuff about Rooney playing better of Heskey didn't happen last night. Personally I would start Crouch against Algeria.

Ashley Cole scored 4 goals last season. Last season was his best goalscoring season in his career. I really wouldn't have expected him to score from that position at all.

Crouch maybe tall, but I don't think he playes anything like Heskey does at all.



We scored lots of goals in qualifying, and Gerrard and Rooney started showing consistent form for England in the system because the presence of Heskey pushes defences back and stretches them - leaving space for those two to do their stuff in, I don't think Crouch has the pace, strength or movement to do that.



I think the system Capello used to get us here uses what we have got pretty well, I don't think it is good enough to win the thing, because I don't think we have the players to win the world cup.

Was Emily going for the Gary linekar sponsored Offisde Award last night?

I see where you're coming from, and already said I thought Heskey played pretty well.



For me, I was more concerned about the performances of SWP, Lennon, Lampard and Rooney.



I may be wrong, but up until the last 5 minutes, I can't recall SWP and Lennon swapping wings to give the USA defence something different to think about. In the modern game, I believe it's important for wingers (especially ones that don't have the best delivery) to swap wings now and then.

I thought that was odd too, I can see why SWP came on rather than Joe Cole, as he has a higher work-rate and would help us defensively, but he was never likely to provide anything from the left, whereas I feel Lennon would be more likely to have an impact from there.



For me last night showed that unless we can use Capello's favoured system and personnel we lack the depth and quality to make much impact, the system you suggested earlier is one I'd like us to be able to play well, but once again it puts Gerrard and Lampard in each others way, I'd have liked to have seen us try Joe Cole in behind Rooney with Gerrard continuing to play from the left but I'm not sure the actual tournament is the place to start experimenting, especially now we won't get a dead rubber in match 3.

A "Mexican wave" started 26 minutes into this game, I think that shows the quality...



C'mon Algeria

C'mon hen grrr lund at the Mo & Ron kickball world cup.



After all the HYPE



The reality is slowly but surely beginning to sink in.



What an "entertaining" competition this is









but don't forget to buy yer rip off merchandise!!!

There's no justice in the world when good people die young and you've lived so long.

Apparently the vuvuzela will be banned if one is thrown on the pitch.



Anyone know anyone in South Africa who could do it?

Bloody things.

Straight from the Robert Green School of Goalkeeping there.....

Indeed ... perhaps he's started a trend.

Two and a half days into the football world cup and those bloody trumpets and the ridiculously slow motion facial expression replays are already making my hand reach for the remote control.



At last a goal!!!

And one to cheer up Green.

The fact you have a braincell at all to keep you alive is amazing!!



Did you get someone to show you how to take your knuckles off the floor and stop drooling for a few seconds?

Andy Townsend telling Marcel Desailly how to defend





COMEDY.GOLD

What exactly are you doing here? I don't remember you having an opinion on this thread before? Or are you just pathetically trolling?

Bingo

Edit -

Pretty sad really. Messageboards are for us to debate about things that interest us. If something doesn't interest me I don't comment on it. Shame Leaguefan doesn't have the same approach.

Me too mate, whatever floats his boat I suppose







True story, currently got Chris Coleman as a commentator





I dont think BBC is much better though, although it has improved since Adrian

Chiles switched