Euro Qualifiers

[papereyes]

Seriously, can England play both Crouch and Davies. Montenegro (population of less than a million ... ) won't know what hit them.

[Royal With Cheese]

Seriously, can England play both Crouch and Davies. Montenegro (population of less than a million ... ) won't know what hit them.

I'll be like watching a lower prem team take on a struggling championship side.

[soggy biscuit]

Seriously, can England play both Crouch and Davies. Montenegro (population of less than a million ... ) won't know what hit them.

I'll be like watching a lower prem team take on a struggling championship side.

Harsh on Montenegro, they are better than a lower Prem team.

[Royal With Cheese]

Are you here all week?

[Hoop Blah]

My England side would be (in a pretty flexible 4-2-3-1);

Hart

Johnson
Cole
Jagielka
Lescott

Gerrard
Barry

Johnson
Rooney
Young

Davies

I've gone for Davies upfront because I'm presuming that we've seen some kind of weakness at the back that he's best placed to exploit. Otherwise I'd probably have gone for Bent, despite not really thinking he's good enough for international football.

I like to see Gerrard in the midfield proper where he can have the greatest influence and responsibility to run the game with Rooney playing in his most natural position of in behind the main centre forward. Johnson has to start for me, and then it's one of Young or Lennon on the left with Young getting the nod from me.

Back four really picks itself, although the biggest question for me would be Terry in for Lescott, but like Big Foot said, the two in posession did well enough to keep the shirt. Ferdinand shouldn't really be in contention as he's not played enough yet, although if he proves his form and fitness for the next game I'd have him back in.

[Wax Jacket]

I like to see Gerrard in the midfield proper where he can have the greatest influence and responsibility to run the game

he was absolute SHITE against Blackpool doing exactly that

[6ft Kerplunk]

Gerrard is at his best when he's got someone in midfield behind him doing the responsible running the game stuff especially when coupled with another player doing the defensive midfield bit. What England really need for either Gerrard or Lampard to play to their strengths is a Alonso/Mascherano or Essien/Mikel style partnership behind them. We don't have one.

[Hoop Blah]

I like to see Gerrard in the midfield proper where he can have the greatest influence and responsibility to run the game

he was absolute SHITE against Blackpool doing exactly that

But he wasn't against the Swiss or Bulgarians when he did exactly what the team needed. I seem to recall he did pretty well against Hungary too, although I think that wasn't in the same position.

Gerrard has played in a more traditional midfield role for Liverpool for the majority of the season from what I've seen. He's also played pretty well too, so not sure why a bad game against Blackpool for a Liverpool team who are obviously struggling should override his mainly good performances and bomb him out of a team he's captained and performed excellently for over the last two games!

[Hoop Blah]

Gerrard is at his best when he's got someone in midfield behind him doing the responsible running the game stuff especially when coupled with another player doing the defensive midfield bit. What England really need for either Gerrard or Lampard to play to their strengths is a Alonso/Mascherano or Essien/Mikel style partnership behind them. We don't have one.

He can certainly play that way better than most, and sometimes it suits him more, but I still think that a more traditional role suits him better, and also gives the team more options (for England it means Rooney playing in his natural position too, and you can still play a centre forward up there too).

Gerrard does have a tendancy to switch off from the defensive side every now and again, but he didn't use to, I think it's a product of playing in the free role for Liverpool so much. For England, and Liverpool, I think he's thrived on the responsibility of the proper midfield role (apart from against Blackpool apparently).

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Scotland in Prague on Friday. Coincidently Wayne Rooney is on holiday there. If him and Coleen take a wrong turning into a square which may well have up to 6000 Scotland fans in there it could be very funny and interesting!

[Wax Jacket]

I like to see Gerrard in the midfield proper where he can have the greatest influence and responsibility to run the game

he was absolute SHITE against Blackpool doing exactly that

But he wasn't against the Swiss or Bulgarians when he did exactly what the team needed. I seem to recall he did pretty well against Hungary too, although I think that wasn't in the same position.

Gerrard has played in a more traditional midfield role for Liverpool for the majority of the season from what I've seen. He's also played pretty well too, so not sure why a bad game against Blackpool for a Liverpool team who are obviously struggling should override his mainly good performances and bomb him out of a team he's captained and performed excellently for over the last two games!

tbh i just have an irrational dislike of him as a player

[Victor Meldrew]

I like to see Gerrard in the midfield proper where he can have the greatest influence and responsibility to run the game

he was absolute SHITE against Blackpool doing exactly that

Did you go to the game or just watch Match of the Day's 5 minutes or did you just read something in the paper or did you just make up your own mind?
Didn't he manage to put in the cross for the goal?
Wasn't he England's best player in the 2 qualifiers so far?
So what English player is so good that you would select ahead of him?

[LUX]

got tickets for Lux v Belorus tonight.

Bumper crowd expected (around 2K), plus a few Belorussians in the away end.

[Maguire]

a few Belorussians in the away end.

Of all the places!

[Hoop Blah]

Anyone know if the U21's game is on TV/the web tonight?

[Stranded]

It's on ESPN tonight.

[Silver Fox]

Which games are on where tonight? Or to narrow it down, who's showing the Scotland game?

[Stranded]

Which games are on where tonight? Or to narrow it down, who's showing the Scotland game?

BBC One Scotland - so I'd imagine it'll be on the red button.

[Silver Fox]

Not going to be on in any pubs then! I'm pretty sure you can watch BBC one Scotland if you've got Sky, or is that just BBC 2 scotland?

[LUX]

both. Around 970.