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Official England World Cup Preview
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:00 pm
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:00 pm
England World Cup Preview
England Football - A History
"Some people are on the pitch. They think it's all over. It is now" And with that, Geoff Hurst's attempted clearance into the crowd that bulged the West German onion bag gave English soccer fans the star that sits upon the three lions today. Winning the World Cup in 1966 remains the most important British achievement of all time, just behind ruling 2/3 of the earth and inventing the deep fried sliced potato (kinda like how Al Gore invented the internet). The country that gave birth to the world's most popular sport never achieved such heights before or since.
The lows of recent English football include:
Losing to Norway in 1981, which led to this ( LINK)
Not qualifying for the 1994 World Cup, in which this was the lowest of the low moments ( LINK)
Steve McClaren standing his dumbass in the rain watching his side lose to Croatia at home, when Croatia were playing for nothing and England were playing for qualification, which led to this ( LINK).
The highs of English football over the last 30 years have been punctuated by losing in some of the most heart aching ways:
1986 World Cup - Quarter Finals vs Maradona ( LINK)
1990 World Cup - Semi Finals vs Germany, losing on penalties
1996 Euros - Semi Finals vs Germany, losing on penalties
1998 World Cup - 2nd Round vs Argentina, losing on penalties
2002 World Cup - Quarter Finals vs Brazil, losing to this ( LINK)
2004 Euros - Quarter Finals vs Portugal, losing on penalties
2006 World Cup - Quarter Finals vs Portugal, losing on penalties
So what have we learned?
1) England dont do well on penalties.
2) They can take on the best sides in the world and give them all they want.
3) They suck at penalties.
Qualifying and Capello
So, shortly after Steve 'better off coaching 2nd division Dutch teams' McClaren packed his standard issue umbrella, the English FA made the smartest hire since hiring Bobby Robson. Bringing in Capello was met with mixed reaction because the home nation of soccer 'must' have a capable coach that was home grown, right? Personally, I've been a huge fan of Capello for decades. In England, we used to get Serie A on TV Channel 4 on Sunday mornings in the early 90's. Milan were unstoppable. They were not always pretty to watch. They mixed superstars with workmen. They were well organized and hard to beat. He's won at every level except the international level. In my opinion, he is the best manager at this World Cup, and its not even close. He is a tactician and disciplinarian. He has a system and a process (sorry Saban, this guy has been doing it longer and better). With Capello at the helm, his first decision was to axe David Beckham and Sol Campbell. This put down the new law of the land. You've got to be fit and you've got to be in form to play for England. The results? Capello's reign has seen a record of 18 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. The 4 losses? Losing to Brazil, Spain and France in friendlies and away to Ukraine after they had already booked their tickets to South Africa.
England's World Cup qualifying group saw them pitted against Croatia and Slaven Bilic, who conquered them home and away in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. They would also face a middle tier Ukraine team with one superstar of years gone by. There were 3 other teams in the group that no-one really remembers, and at the time of this writing may have had a regime change or two and may have changed their nation's name, national flag, anthem and/or mascot. So the story of the group started with England playing away in Croatia. 3 goals from Theo 'didnt make the right world cup squad' Walcott later, and England had re-announced their intentions on the international scene. This was the biggest result for Capello during his tenure so far, and clearly marked his territory around the England team. Despite some fairly tepid play during some qualifying matches, the biggest thing Capello accomplished was to remove a lot of the off the field issues that have plagued England sides in the past (more on that later, thanks John Terry). After the Croatia game, England beat (Insert Generic Former Soviet Bloc Country) by 4 goals and then beat (Insert Generic Former Soviet Bloc Country) away by 2 goals. A 5 month break from competitive football did not derail the qualifying campaign as they then played Ukraine (Non Generic Former Soviet Bloc) at Wembley. They grinding out a 2-1 victory, and kept their 100% record in the group. More minnow and former soviet bloc bashing came and went before Croatia came to visit the home of soccer. The only good thing you can say about Croatia in that game is that their fans were more colorful and noisy than England fans for the first 6 minutes of the game. A 5-1 annihilation at the hands of Capello, and England has excorcized their demons from the Euro 2008 qualifiers by an aggregate of 9-2. Losing 1-0 in Ukraine didnt sit well with Capello. Having his goalkeeper sent off and losing in a meaningless fixture was not what he planned (the only non-win of the qualifying campaign), but at this point, he was already crafting his team and his preparations for the World Cup. His England squad cycled through a number of different players and some interesting formations. He has planted some seeds for the future and created an environment for success now. With his squad recently announced, and a few surprises (Walcott, the hero of Zagreb, didnt make it), and a late injury (Rio Ferdinand), Capello has an experienced and talented team to perform well at the World Cup.
England Football - A History
"Some people are on the pitch. They think it's all over. It is now" And with that, Geoff Hurst's attempted clearance into the crowd that bulged the West German onion bag gave English soccer fans the star that sits upon the three lions today. Winning the World Cup in 1966 remains the most important British achievement of all time, just behind ruling 2/3 of the earth and inventing the deep fried sliced potato (kinda like how Al Gore invented the internet). The country that gave birth to the world's most popular sport never achieved such heights before or since.
The lows of recent English football include:
Losing to Norway in 1981, which led to this ( LINK)
Not qualifying for the 1994 World Cup, in which this was the lowest of the low moments ( LINK)
Steve McClaren standing his dumbass in the rain watching his side lose to Croatia at home, when Croatia were playing for nothing and England were playing for qualification, which led to this ( LINK).
The highs of English football over the last 30 years have been punctuated by losing in some of the most heart aching ways:
1986 World Cup - Quarter Finals vs Maradona ( LINK)
1990 World Cup - Semi Finals vs Germany, losing on penalties
1996 Euros - Semi Finals vs Germany, losing on penalties
1998 World Cup - 2nd Round vs Argentina, losing on penalties
2002 World Cup - Quarter Finals vs Brazil, losing to this ( LINK)
2004 Euros - Quarter Finals vs Portugal, losing on penalties
2006 World Cup - Quarter Finals vs Portugal, losing on penalties
So what have we learned?
1) England dont do well on penalties.
2) They can take on the best sides in the world and give them all they want.
3) They suck at penalties.
Qualifying and Capello
So, shortly after Steve 'better off coaching 2nd division Dutch teams' McClaren packed his standard issue umbrella, the English FA made the smartest hire since hiring Bobby Robson. Bringing in Capello was met with mixed reaction because the home nation of soccer 'must' have a capable coach that was home grown, right? Personally, I've been a huge fan of Capello for decades. In England, we used to get Serie A on TV Channel 4 on Sunday mornings in the early 90's. Milan were unstoppable. They were not always pretty to watch. They mixed superstars with workmen. They were well organized and hard to beat. He's won at every level except the international level. In my opinion, he is the best manager at this World Cup, and its not even close. He is a tactician and disciplinarian. He has a system and a process (sorry Saban, this guy has been doing it longer and better). With Capello at the helm, his first decision was to axe David Beckham and Sol Campbell. This put down the new law of the land. You've got to be fit and you've got to be in form to play for England. The results? Capello's reign has seen a record of 18 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. The 4 losses? Losing to Brazil, Spain and France in friendlies and away to Ukraine after they had already booked their tickets to South Africa.
England's World Cup qualifying group saw them pitted against Croatia and Slaven Bilic, who conquered them home and away in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. They would also face a middle tier Ukraine team with one superstar of years gone by. There were 3 other teams in the group that no-one really remembers, and at the time of this writing may have had a regime change or two and may have changed their nation's name, national flag, anthem and/or mascot. So the story of the group started with England playing away in Croatia. 3 goals from Theo 'didnt make the right world cup squad' Walcott later, and England had re-announced their intentions on the international scene. This was the biggest result for Capello during his tenure so far, and clearly marked his territory around the England team. Despite some fairly tepid play during some qualifying matches, the biggest thing Capello accomplished was to remove a lot of the off the field issues that have plagued England sides in the past (more on that later, thanks John Terry). After the Croatia game, England beat (Insert Generic Former Soviet Bloc Country) by 4 goals and then beat (Insert Generic Former Soviet Bloc Country) away by 2 goals. A 5 month break from competitive football did not derail the qualifying campaign as they then played Ukraine (Non Generic Former Soviet Bloc) at Wembley. They grinding out a 2-1 victory, and kept their 100% record in the group. More minnow and former soviet bloc bashing came and went before Croatia came to visit the home of soccer. The only good thing you can say about Croatia in that game is that their fans were more colorful and noisy than England fans for the first 6 minutes of the game. A 5-1 annihilation at the hands of Capello, and England has excorcized their demons from the Euro 2008 qualifiers by an aggregate of 9-2. Losing 1-0 in Ukraine didnt sit well with Capello. Having his goalkeeper sent off and losing in a meaningless fixture was not what he planned (the only non-win of the qualifying campaign), but at this point, he was already crafting his team and his preparations for the World Cup. His England squad cycled through a number of different players and some interesting formations. He has planted some seeds for the future and created an environment for success now. With his squad recently announced, and a few surprises (Walcott, the hero of Zagreb, didnt make it), and a late injury (Rio Ferdinand), Capello has an experienced and talented team to perform well at the World Cup.
This post was edited on 6/10/10 at 8:14 pm
3
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:01 pm to saz_1
The Team
Since this is a college football website, I'm happy using the star system to break down the players and the squad. Each unit will have a letter grade that is relative to other teams at the world cup. Capello is famous for using 4-4-2 with a diamond formation in midfield. With so much versatility in the squad, I wouldn't be surprised to see 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 during games.
Goalkeepers
If a team is only as strong as its weakest link, then England may be undone by their goal keeping.
1) David James (***)
James plys his trade for Portsmouth, and is one of the more maddening goal keepers of recent years. For 90% of his playing time, he plays like an A list goalkeeper. However, without fail, he will in most matches have a brain fart that should have been coached out of him during high school. This is his 2nd big chance at the England goal keeping position. He is old and experienced, but at best a 2nd tier goalkeeper on the World Cup stage.
12) Robert Green (***)
This here is an example of why there is a need for a root and branch reform of English football. The guy who may indeed be the starting goalkeeper for the English National team really should have no business being in the conversation. England used to have great goalkeepers (Banks, Shilton). Then we had David Seamen who didnt know where his own goal line was (See 1990 Semi Final vs Germany, and LINK ), but was still a reasonable goalkeeper. Green is an average goalkeeper, who can be quite capable at times.
23) Joe Hart (**)
Joe is 23 years old. I think he served me at McDonalds the last time I was in Manchester, but I could be mistaken. I hear he is a Manchester City player, but it must be some kind of mistake because I havent seen him in a City shirt in 3 years. Joe might become a great goalkeeper one day. Today is not that day. However, Hart has had some good performances in an England shirt and has put himself in contention for some playing time if James or Green do not play well or get injured.
Unit Grade: B-. This is the weak link for England. There are about 20 Goalkeepers at this World Cup I would take before any of these yahoos.
Defenders
Addition by subtraction is the best way I can describe English defenders. There is experience and talent. This is the most talented group of English defenders in decades. With the injury to Rio Ferdinand, I'm actually more bullish on this group. Rio was the most talented defender, but was prone to mistakes and relied on his superior athleticism to make plays. He wont be missed as a captain or as a defender because England has better leaders and more consistent defenders (and I'm a United guy).
2) Glen Johnson (****)
See Glen run. Run Glen run. See the ball Glen. Attack the defender Glen. Cross the ball Glen. Shoot the ball Glen. Stop the attacker Glen. Uhh. Glen? Stop the attacker from shooting. Glen!!! You nimrod!! You let the attacker get by. Dont you know you are an attacking defender Glen, but still a defender? See Glen run. Wash rinse repeat. Glen will rely on his fellow defenders to bail him out, but what he brings to the team is speed and threat.
3) Ashley Cole (****)
Ashley Cole is an overrated, cocky moron who has some considerable talent as a left sided defender. He is a tit of the highest proportions. He is not as good as he thinks he is, however, he has experience and balance and can support the attack well. He has saved English nuts from the fire more times than one can remember (LINK See 1:54). At 29, he's been capped 78 times and is a mainstay.
5) Michael Dawson (***)
Fairly young. Played well for Spurs this season, and was the replacement in the England squad for Rio Ferdinand. Dont expect him to see any meaningful minutes as long as there are no injuries. Brought along for the ride. One for the future.
6) John Terry (****)
Terry is the heart and soul of England. He is their talisman and leader. He was the England captain before he had an affair with the girlfriend of a former teammate. His father is a drug dealer. His life is the perfect setup for an CBS drama. When he plays well, he is one of the best defenders in the world. He has great positioning. He is a great tackler. He is a threat in the air. He makes England's defense much much better. By his own high standards, he has had a tough season. He has not played well. Write him off at your own risk.
13) Stephen Warnock (***)
Backup left back. Will not see meaningful time unless Satan himself drives to work on his snow plough.
15) Matthew Upson (***)
Another useful backup. Not expected to play big minutes, but has the ability to cover at central defender if the starters go down.
18) Jamie Carragher (***)
Jamie has been playing for Liverpool for about 21512 years. He has no bellybutton. He got the international yips after scoring in the penalty shootout against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup, and then had to retake it because the referee was too busy closing on his new Portuguese condo in the Algarve. His subsequent penalty miss gave him cause to change his gender and quit the international scene. After not playing in the qualifying campaign, Carragher is once again a man and is in South Africa. He is a solid defender with relatively limited mobility. He's about as likely to score a goal in this World Cup as Maradona, but defensively he will perform up to scratch against most of the mid tier teams England will go up against.
20) Ledley King (****)
In my opinion King is the 2nd best defender on the England squad, before the Ferdinand injury. He can do it all and has done it for Spurs. The only problem with him is getting him and his knee on the pitch. His chronic knee injury (he has no cartilage) means that he cannot train and has missed a number of games for club and country. Get him on the field, and he can be a stud. Can he last the World Cup? He could be the difference between 2nd round and Semi Finals.
Unit Grade: B+. Capello defenses are tight. Expect no different here. The big question is whether King can play and last the tournament. If he can, this group is an A group. The injury question mark, brings them down a notch.
Since this is a college football website, I'm happy using the star system to break down the players and the squad. Each unit will have a letter grade that is relative to other teams at the world cup. Capello is famous for using 4-4-2 with a diamond formation in midfield. With so much versatility in the squad, I wouldn't be surprised to see 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 during games.
Goalkeepers
If a team is only as strong as its weakest link, then England may be undone by their goal keeping.
1) David James (***)
James plys his trade for Portsmouth, and is one of the more maddening goal keepers of recent years. For 90% of his playing time, he plays like an A list goalkeeper. However, without fail, he will in most matches have a brain fart that should have been coached out of him during high school. This is his 2nd big chance at the England goal keeping position. He is old and experienced, but at best a 2nd tier goalkeeper on the World Cup stage.
12) Robert Green (***)
This here is an example of why there is a need for a root and branch reform of English football. The guy who may indeed be the starting goalkeeper for the English National team really should have no business being in the conversation. England used to have great goalkeepers (Banks, Shilton). Then we had David Seamen who didnt know where his own goal line was (See 1990 Semi Final vs Germany, and LINK ), but was still a reasonable goalkeeper. Green is an average goalkeeper, who can be quite capable at times.
23) Joe Hart (**)
Joe is 23 years old. I think he served me at McDonalds the last time I was in Manchester, but I could be mistaken. I hear he is a Manchester City player, but it must be some kind of mistake because I havent seen him in a City shirt in 3 years. Joe might become a great goalkeeper one day. Today is not that day. However, Hart has had some good performances in an England shirt and has put himself in contention for some playing time if James or Green do not play well or get injured.
Unit Grade: B-. This is the weak link for England. There are about 20 Goalkeepers at this World Cup I would take before any of these yahoos.
Defenders
Addition by subtraction is the best way I can describe English defenders. There is experience and talent. This is the most talented group of English defenders in decades. With the injury to Rio Ferdinand, I'm actually more bullish on this group. Rio was the most talented defender, but was prone to mistakes and relied on his superior athleticism to make plays. He wont be missed as a captain or as a defender because England has better leaders and more consistent defenders (and I'm a United guy).
2) Glen Johnson (****)
See Glen run. Run Glen run. See the ball Glen. Attack the defender Glen. Cross the ball Glen. Shoot the ball Glen. Stop the attacker Glen. Uhh. Glen? Stop the attacker from shooting. Glen!!! You nimrod!! You let the attacker get by. Dont you know you are an attacking defender Glen, but still a defender? See Glen run. Wash rinse repeat. Glen will rely on his fellow defenders to bail him out, but what he brings to the team is speed and threat.
3) Ashley Cole (****)
Ashley Cole is an overrated, cocky moron who has some considerable talent as a left sided defender. He is a tit of the highest proportions. He is not as good as he thinks he is, however, he has experience and balance and can support the attack well. He has saved English nuts from the fire more times than one can remember (LINK See 1:54). At 29, he's been capped 78 times and is a mainstay.
5) Michael Dawson (***)
Fairly young. Played well for Spurs this season, and was the replacement in the England squad for Rio Ferdinand. Dont expect him to see any meaningful minutes as long as there are no injuries. Brought along for the ride. One for the future.
6) John Terry (****)
Terry is the heart and soul of England. He is their talisman and leader. He was the England captain before he had an affair with the girlfriend of a former teammate. His father is a drug dealer. His life is the perfect setup for an CBS drama. When he plays well, he is one of the best defenders in the world. He has great positioning. He is a great tackler. He is a threat in the air. He makes England's defense much much better. By his own high standards, he has had a tough season. He has not played well. Write him off at your own risk.
13) Stephen Warnock (***)
Backup left back. Will not see meaningful time unless Satan himself drives to work on his snow plough.
15) Matthew Upson (***)
Another useful backup. Not expected to play big minutes, but has the ability to cover at central defender if the starters go down.
18) Jamie Carragher (***)
Jamie has been playing for Liverpool for about 21512 years. He has no bellybutton. He got the international yips after scoring in the penalty shootout against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup, and then had to retake it because the referee was too busy closing on his new Portuguese condo in the Algarve. His subsequent penalty miss gave him cause to change his gender and quit the international scene. After not playing in the qualifying campaign, Carragher is once again a man and is in South Africa. He is a solid defender with relatively limited mobility. He's about as likely to score a goal in this World Cup as Maradona, but defensively he will perform up to scratch against most of the mid tier teams England will go up against.
20) Ledley King (****)
In my opinion King is the 2nd best defender on the England squad, before the Ferdinand injury. He can do it all and has done it for Spurs. The only problem with him is getting him and his knee on the pitch. His chronic knee injury (he has no cartilage) means that he cannot train and has missed a number of games for club and country. Get him on the field, and he can be a stud. Can he last the World Cup? He could be the difference between 2nd round and Semi Finals.
Unit Grade: B+. Capello defenses are tight. Expect no different here. The big question is whether King can play and last the tournament. If he can, this group is an A group. The injury question mark, brings them down a notch.
This post was edited on 6/10/10 at 8:10 pm
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:01 pm to saz_1
Midfielders
This is the golden age for English midfielders. There is strength, versatility, experience and talent in abundance.
4) Stephen Gerrard (*****)
Steve Gerrard Gerrard
he can pass
forty yards
hes big and hes
f**ing hard
Steve Gerrard Gerrard
That pretty much sums it up. England's 2nd best player overall. He had a sub par year for Liverpool, and has not repeated his club form for his country. He is a complete midfielder. I hate Liverpool, but Gerrard is a fantastic player. World Class.
7) Aaron Lennon (****)
Lennon has yet to arrive on the world stage. His form for club and country have been relatively good, and he will fill an important role of terrorizing defenders and supplying the front men. He gives England another dimension up front.
8) Frank Lampard (****)
Frank Lampard is a big tool. Now tools are quite useful sometimes. This particular tool has done wonderful things for Chelsea and has scored hundreds of goals from his attacking midfield role. He can defend and play well in a system. He is not world class, but he gives a good array of skills in the center. He, like Gerrard, has never really lit it up for England. Add to this the fact that for a reason I cannot explain, I cannot stand the guy, and we start to see his toolishness emerge. For a long time, there was reason to think that Lampard and Gerrard could not coexist. However, Capello has combined them well, and the results speak for themselves. He is still a tool. Lampard, not Capello. Capello is cool.
11) Joe Cole (****)
When Joe Cole was a youngster playing in the West Ham youth system, you would hear rumors about this kid who was going to be the next great thing. Joe never quite lived up to the hype, but he had become an accomplished and balanced midfielder that can play with and against anyone. He has abundant talent and has the ability to create something from nothing.
14) Garreth Barry (****)
Eventhough he looks like a fruity bond villain (actual photo above), Barry plays the holding midfield role and does it almost to perfection. He is balanced, can tackle and pass. He is recovering from injury and may not make it to the first game. Dont kid yourself. If England are to make it deep in the tournament, Barry will have to play. He can look ordinary at times, but he allows Gerrard and co the license to do what they best.
16) James Milner (***)
The Villa midfielder may not see significant minutes in this World Cup. He provides quality backup and is fairly versatile. Has had some trouble adjusting to high altitude so he may not be ready for the start of the cup.
17) Shaun Wright-Phillips (***)
The adopted son of Ian Wright-Wright-Wright (who was one of my favorites growing up). A regular for City and a regular for England, he has skill and the ability to create and run at defenders. He made the squad ahead of Theo Walcott, and deservedly so. In the international game, you need players like this to make things happen.
22) Michael Carrick (***)
Carrick is useful in many situations but does not seem to excel or provide world class ability in any one particular area. He's a useful backup that has big game experience.
Unit Grade: A. I'm hard pressed to find a more complete and experienced midfield in the World Cup. This is one of the main areas of strength of the England squad.
This is the golden age for English midfielders. There is strength, versatility, experience and talent in abundance.
4) Stephen Gerrard (*****)
Steve Gerrard Gerrard
he can pass
forty yards
hes big and hes
f**ing hard
Steve Gerrard Gerrard
That pretty much sums it up. England's 2nd best player overall. He had a sub par year for Liverpool, and has not repeated his club form for his country. He is a complete midfielder. I hate Liverpool, but Gerrard is a fantastic player. World Class.
7) Aaron Lennon (****)
Lennon has yet to arrive on the world stage. His form for club and country have been relatively good, and he will fill an important role of terrorizing defenders and supplying the front men. He gives England another dimension up front.
8) Frank Lampard (****)
Frank Lampard is a big tool. Now tools are quite useful sometimes. This particular tool has done wonderful things for Chelsea and has scored hundreds of goals from his attacking midfield role. He can defend and play well in a system. He is not world class, but he gives a good array of skills in the center. He, like Gerrard, has never really lit it up for England. Add to this the fact that for a reason I cannot explain, I cannot stand the guy, and we start to see his toolishness emerge. For a long time, there was reason to think that Lampard and Gerrard could not coexist. However, Capello has combined them well, and the results speak for themselves. He is still a tool. Lampard, not Capello. Capello is cool.
11) Joe Cole (****)
When Joe Cole was a youngster playing in the West Ham youth system, you would hear rumors about this kid who was going to be the next great thing. Joe never quite lived up to the hype, but he had become an accomplished and balanced midfielder that can play with and against anyone. He has abundant talent and has the ability to create something from nothing.
14) Garreth Barry (****)
Eventhough he looks like a fruity bond villain (actual photo above), Barry plays the holding midfield role and does it almost to perfection. He is balanced, can tackle and pass. He is recovering from injury and may not make it to the first game. Dont kid yourself. If England are to make it deep in the tournament, Barry will have to play. He can look ordinary at times, but he allows Gerrard and co the license to do what they best.
16) James Milner (***)
The Villa midfielder may not see significant minutes in this World Cup. He provides quality backup and is fairly versatile. Has had some trouble adjusting to high altitude so he may not be ready for the start of the cup.
17) Shaun Wright-Phillips (***)
The adopted son of Ian Wright-Wright-Wright (who was one of my favorites growing up). A regular for City and a regular for England, he has skill and the ability to create and run at defenders. He made the squad ahead of Theo Walcott, and deservedly so. In the international game, you need players like this to make things happen.
22) Michael Carrick (***)
Carrick is useful in many situations but does not seem to excel or provide world class ability in any one particular area. He's a useful backup that has big game experience.
Unit Grade: A. I'm hard pressed to find a more complete and experienced midfield in the World Cup. This is one of the main areas of strength of the England squad.
This post was edited on 6/10/10 at 8:11 pm
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:10 pm to saz_1
Attack
9) Peter Crouch (****)
Peter Crouch is mustard. Doesnt look good. Shouldnt work with anything that you actually want to try. But in reality, makes everything better. All he does is score goals for England. Dont believe me? How many England players have a better goal to game ratio since the 1966 World Cup? Try 1 (Gary Lineker).
10) Wayne Rooney (*****)
Probably one of the best 3 strikers in the world. His temperament is his downfall and has led to situations like this from occurring in big occasions in the past:
Wazza has been in great form for United. He hasnt scored a lot for England, but is always a threat. He makes those around him better. He can pass, shoot, head and dribble. His first touch is great and his field vision is excellent. Likes to drop back and help plays develop, and make runs from deep which makes him harder to track or defend man to man.
19) Jermain Defoe (****)
Defoe has speed and finishing skills. He had a good season for Spurs and will provide another dimension in the England attack. Question marks are whether he can play effectively with Rooney, but he can definitely make a mark on the international stage.
21) Emile Heskey (***)
Past his prime. Cannot shoot and cannot score. He plays his role in supporting Rooney and plays within Capello's system.
Unit Grade: A-. Any strike force with Rooney in it is to be contended with. Finding an appropriate partner for him drops the unit grade a little.
Overall Team Grade: A-. There is a reason why they are tipped as the 4th best team with a chance to win it all. England were given one of the easiest groups in the World Cup.
How will England perform?
Group Stage
The first match against the US will be their toughest in group, but should be a win or a draw. I remember that the US gave Italy all they wanted in the last world cup, and I expect similar things in this world cup. Although there is a big quality difference between the sides, the altitude might be a big equalizer and a fitter US side may win, although it would be a tough ask. Algeria somehow made it past a good Egypt side, but should not worry England too much. Slovenia is a similar story, and dont have the quality to compete.
Predicted Scores:
England 3 - US 2
England 2 - Algeria 0
England 4 - Slovenia 1
2nd Round
It would be a national disaster for them not to make it to the 2nd round. They may face Serbia or Germany, who England would be tipped to beat, but could go either way. Coaching and experience in the World Cup count, and would give England a decided advantage over Serbia, but not Germany. A England Germany game this early would mean one of those teams placed 2nd in their group and may not be up to scratch. Tough call either way.
Quarter Finals and Beyond
Potential Quarter Final opponents might be France or Argentina, and again, England would have their hands full, but would have an equal shot of winning. After that, you are looking at the likes of Brazil and Spain who would be favored to beat England. I think the Semi Finals are a reasonable prediction of how far England might travel in this World Cup.
9) Peter Crouch (****)
Peter Crouch is mustard. Doesnt look good. Shouldnt work with anything that you actually want to try. But in reality, makes everything better. All he does is score goals for England. Dont believe me? How many England players have a better goal to game ratio since the 1966 World Cup? Try 1 (Gary Lineker).
10) Wayne Rooney (*****)
Probably one of the best 3 strikers in the world. His temperament is his downfall and has led to situations like this from occurring in big occasions in the past:
Wazza has been in great form for United. He hasnt scored a lot for England, but is always a threat. He makes those around him better. He can pass, shoot, head and dribble. His first touch is great and his field vision is excellent. Likes to drop back and help plays develop, and make runs from deep which makes him harder to track or defend man to man.
19) Jermain Defoe (****)
Defoe has speed and finishing skills. He had a good season for Spurs and will provide another dimension in the England attack. Question marks are whether he can play effectively with Rooney, but he can definitely make a mark on the international stage.
21) Emile Heskey (***)
Past his prime. Cannot shoot and cannot score. He plays his role in supporting Rooney and plays within Capello's system.
Unit Grade: A-. Any strike force with Rooney in it is to be contended with. Finding an appropriate partner for him drops the unit grade a little.
Overall Team Grade: A-. There is a reason why they are tipped as the 4th best team with a chance to win it all. England were given one of the easiest groups in the World Cup.
How will England perform?
Group Stage
The first match against the US will be their toughest in group, but should be a win or a draw. I remember that the US gave Italy all they wanted in the last world cup, and I expect similar things in this world cup. Although there is a big quality difference between the sides, the altitude might be a big equalizer and a fitter US side may win, although it would be a tough ask. Algeria somehow made it past a good Egypt side, but should not worry England too much. Slovenia is a similar story, and dont have the quality to compete.
Predicted Scores:
England 3 - US 2
England 2 - Algeria 0
England 4 - Slovenia 1
2nd Round
It would be a national disaster for them not to make it to the 2nd round. They may face Serbia or Germany, who England would be tipped to beat, but could go either way. Coaching and experience in the World Cup count, and would give England a decided advantage over Serbia, but not Germany. A England Germany game this early would mean one of those teams placed 2nd in their group and may not be up to scratch. Tough call either way.
Quarter Finals and Beyond
Potential Quarter Final opponents might be France or Argentina, and again, England would have their hands full, but would have an equal shot of winning. After that, you are looking at the likes of Brazil and Spain who would be favored to beat England. I think the Semi Finals are a reasonable prediction of how far England might travel in this World Cup.
This post was edited on 6/10/10 at 8:11 pm
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:12 pm to saz_1
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:15 pm to saz_1
quote:
saz_1
nice job.
your predictions seem very fair and realistic.Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:16 pm to adammwilson
Thanks Adam. Tried to have fun with it. Of course, watch it all go balls up on Saturday.
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:16 pm to adammwilson
Adamm, with all due respect, you know absolutely nothing about soccer. Please quit posting here.
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:20 pm to hendersonshands
quote:
you know absolutely nothing about soccer
didn't realize I had to be an expert. quote:
Please quit posting here.
How about not. I know plenty about the English team.
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:24 pm to adammwilson
You really don't. You bring no insight to the team. Most of the USA fans here know more than about England than you.
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:25 pm to hendersonshands
quote:
You bring no insight to the team
not true.
quote:
Most of the USA fans here know more than about England than you.
whatever you say
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:27 pm to adammwilson
Not true Hendo.
Adam will do just like the NFL and go to a paysite and copy and paste as his. He is a expert in anything football
Adam will do just like the NFL and go to a paysite and copy and paste as his. He is a expert in anything football
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:28 pm to adammwilson
Tell me who England is going to start and what areas the USA will have to try to neutralize to win the game.
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:31 pm to hendersonshands
BTW Hendo partied last night likeChicago was my team...
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:31 pm to LSUCanFAN
Yeah, I put down a pitcher or two in their honor.
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:32 pm to hendersonshands
my head still hurts... 
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:33 pm to hendersonshands
quote:
Yeah, I put down a pitcher or two in their honor.
Hopefully both pitchers you sat down had bad games and didn't pitch complete game shut outs
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:33 pm to fightingtiger2335
quote:
Adam will do just like the NFL and go to a paysite and copy and paste as his
I've never done that.Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:34 pm to fightingtiger2335
:rimshot:
Posted on 6/10/10 at 8:36 pm to fightingtiger2335
booooooooo 
save your bad jokes for Ingulund
save your bad jokes for Ingulund
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