England B at Reading

[smudge]

Your team have just been promoted to the Premier League, you've got an England "B" game just as the nation is catching World Cup fever.
Should be a sell out, especially with the prospect of seeing some debut's & check Owen's fitness.

WRONG, it's in f***ing Reading....empty seats galore!!!

They don't deserve football in that shithole!!!!

 

[gripper stebson]

Good to see them whipping up the usual Madjeski atmosphere though!

 

[dougdeep]

Who's winning?

 

[RonnieO'Sullivan]

Downing n Carrick should be starting at world cup imo...

 

[John Boy]

1-1 now, looks bad for Green

 

[John Boy]

1-1 now, looks bad for Green

Out of the world cup now

 

[Giant Seagull]

1-2 Belarus, sack the swede

 

[smudge]

1-2 oh dear!

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

They did say it was a sell out on the radio this morning.I suppose they have seen good football all season.Just waiting for the big boys now.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

81 mins: GOAL England B 1-2 Belarus
Disaster for England as 10-man Belarus take a shock lead. After some intricate build-up play, Sergey Kornilenko beats Scott Carson from a doffocult angle.

doffocult

 

[Biscuit]

Your team have just been promoted to the Premier League, you've got an England "B" game just as the nation is catching World Cup fever.
Should be a sell out, especially with the prospect of seeing some debut's & check Owen's fitness.

WRONG, it's in f***ing Reading....empty seats galore!!!

They don't deserve football in that shithole!!!!

I'm sure alot of people wanted to go, but when they got there it was just too intimidating...

 

[cardboard]

They said the m4 was a car park and a couple of thousand didn't make it

There were 22k there


I thought the atmosphere was really intimidating though!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dandyman]

England B 1-2 Belarus




England B lost 2-1 to 10-man Belarus but their first World Cup warm-up game was overshadowed by an injury that will rule out Robert Green for the finals.
In the second half Green ruptured his groin making a save and when he took a goal-kick he collapsed, allowing Vitaly Kutuzov to sidefoot an equaliser.

Sergey Omelianchuk was sent off but Sergey Kornilenko fired in the winner.

Michael Owen had helped set up Jermaine Jenas' goal to give England the lead before he was replaced by Theo Walcott.

Walcott came on in the 61st minute and made an immediate impact, embarrassing the Belarus defence with his pace before he was unceremoniously upended.

The Arsenal striker also troubled Yuri Zhevnov with a powerful volley.

Green, who came on at the start of the second half for David James, had had a nervy introduction when he spilled a Maksim Romashchenko free-kick after only two minutes.

In making that save Green ruptured his groin and when he tried to take a goal-kick he collapsed in a heap, allowing Kutuzov to guide the ball into the empty net.

The game was delayed for several minutes as Green was given treatment before the Norwich keeper was carried off.

Green was replaced by Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson, who is now set to go to Germany.

England never recovered from the bizarre nature of Belarus' equaliser.

Even when Omelianchuk was sent off for picking up a second yellow card, England were unable to capitalise on their one-man advantage.

Kornilenko capitalised on England's uncertainty, weaving his way into the box before angling a shot past Carson.

Before the game the focus had been on Owen's return to action, with the Newcastle striker continuing his recovery from a broken metatarsal.

Owen might have given England an early lead but his shot was beaten away by Belarus goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov.

While Owen was keen to prove his fitness, the likes of Aaron Lennon, Stewart Downing, Michael Carrick and Jenas were also hoping to impress, with the start of the World Cup only two weeks away.

Downing delivered the free-kick that set up Jenas' goal and frequently linked well with Ashley Cole down the England left.

On the other wing, Lennon's turn of speed was too much for Belarus defender Alexander Yurevich.

Owen looked offside when Downing sent in the free-kick that led to England's goal but the infringement was missed by the match officials.

And when the ball rebounded off the crossbar, Jenas was on hand to head the ball home.

Belarus had barely troubled the England in those opening 45 minutes but in the closing seconds of the half the visitors came close to equalising when Kutuzov hit the woodwork with a header.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

England B: James (Green 45), Hargreaves, Campbell, Carragher, Ashley Cole, Lennon, Jenas (Walcott 62), Carrick, Downing (Defoe 79), Owen (Joe Cole 61), Crouch (Dawson 79), Green (Carson 53).
Subs Not Used: Bridge, Phil Neville, Johnson.

Goals: Jenas 35.

Belarus: Zhevnov (Khomutovsky 45), Kulchy, Lentsevich, Omelianchuk, Shtanuk, Korytsko, Yurevich (Shagoiko 61), Bulyga (Kornilenko 45), Romaschenko (Kashevsky 74), Kalachev (Pankovets 80), Kutuzov (Kontsevoy 64).
Subs Not Used: Sulima.

Sent Off: Omelianchuk (73).

Booked: Romaschenko, Omelianchuk.

Goals: Kutuzov 50, Kornilenko 81.

Att: 22,032.

Ref: D McKeown (Ireland).

 

[London Irish]

Thought England played OK and the result was a bit of a travesty, Lennon really pressing his claims but is Becks ever gonna be dropped, no, so that's by the by.

Carrick and Crouch were the interesting players I thought, both not bad but without ever really making a big case to be starting in the World Cup.

 

[Hiney]

Thought England played OK and the result was a bit of a travesty, Lennon really pressing his claims but is Becks ever gonna be dropped, no, so that's by the by.

Carrick and Crouch were the interesting players I thought, both not bad but without ever really making a big case to be starting in the World Cup.

Just got back.

I thought Crouch did really well but it shows how Eriksson will use him. When we needed to lump it into the box at the end of the game when we were chasing things, the two up front were Defoe and Walcott,

Lennon was excellent although his final ball let him down a bit.

I thought Ashley Cole had a good work out, as did Sol Campbell. Michael Owen is obviously WAY off match fitness.

Carrick was impressive at times but gave the ball away far too cheaply too often, as did many of the others, to be fair.

Jamie Carragher was Mr Dependable, Owen Hargreaves was, well, interesting. Jenas played well in patches, as did Downing.

 

[Hannibal smith]

Jamie Carragher was Mr Dependable, Owen Hargreaves was, well, interesting. Jenas played well in patches, as did Downing.

Downing caught my eye from set pieces - Which means its a bit of a waste of time as Beckham takes them anyway.

Felt a bit sorry for Carragher and Hargreaves. Never will learn much against such opposition (even though they won). Still, Lennon deserved his MOM and Walcott showed enough me to convince that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to pick him ahead of Defoe and Bent.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Just got back.

I thought Crouch did really well but it shows how Eriksson will use him. When we needed to lump it into the box at the end of the game when we were chasing things, the two up front were Defoe and Walcott,

Lennon was excellent although his final ball let him down a bit.

I thought Ashley Cole had a good work out, as did Sol Campbell. Michael Owen is obviously WAY off match fitness.

Carrick was impressive at times but gave the ball away far too cheaply too often, as did many of the others, to be fair.

Jamie Carragher was Mr Dependable, Owen Hargreaves was, well, interesting. Jenas played well in patches, as did Downing.

Nice reporting Hiney.

Good to hear Lennon is a genuine prospect.

Owen will be fine after a couple more games(probably).

disappointing about Carrick. I was hoping he was going to have a stormer and give Eriokson no choice but to play him.

 

[Napper]

good that Owen came through it , how long does it take to get match fitness , 2 games ?

cole , campbell another 90

shame no one else really took the game by the scruff of the neck,

what games we got left , b and first team ?

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I watched it on telly.

WTF was Hargreaves doing at Full back - Sven - you have no idea

campbell looked solid, Lennon looked good. I thought Dowling wasted too many balls and Theo looked ok, but the Russians did try to cut him in two. His shot was excellent.

Overall I thought 6/10 and looking at that side, maybe Cole at FB and Owen would be automatic starters. Who will he play up front...Crouch is a "come on later" player. I fear it will be Owen and Joe Cole up front

 

[Hiney]

Who will he play up front...Crouch is a "come on later" player. I fear it will be Owen and Joe Cole up front

If Rooney is unfit, I think he will go for

Robinson
Neville
Terry
Ferdinand
Cole (A)
Carrick
Beckham
Lampard
Gerrard
Cole (J)
Owen

Which will give Gerrard & Cole licence to cause havoc.

If Rooney IS fit, he will revert to a more rigid 4-4-2 with Rooney causing the havoc.

Either way, it could well be that Rooney's injury has FORCED Eriksson to look at alternative formations, whereas before, he didn't really give it too much thought.

One of the lessons from last night is that when if you are chasing the game late on, you have to have an alternative to the short, nippy striker. When Crouch came off last night, the option of the ball into the area was taken away and when we needed to put their back line under a bit of presssure, we ended up just knocking square balls 40 yards out.

There were a lot of lessons to be taken from the game, lets just hope Sven learns them!