I know Walcott will get the praise tonight...

[clapham_gull]

Heskey was excellent I thought. Held the ball up well to allow Walcott and others to break forward. Did the simple things well. Provided something that we have been lacking in recnt games I felt.

Didn't get the chance to see the game, but I am so pleased for Heskey.

Your Sky viewing generation don't tend to watch games live, and don't get to see what someone like Heskey does OFF the ball.

 

[Marshy]

He was tremendous tonight i agree

 

[bright1064]

Rooney was superb tonight, and deserved his goal.

His assist for Walcott's third, was out of this world!

 

[GatwickEmployee]

Fantastic performance.... Rooney finding form brilliant pass for Walcott's 3rd and a classy finish,, Sending off wouldn't of changed where the 3 points were going.. Croatia were poor...... COME ON ENGLAND

At least the Albion are not the only side to lose 4-1 at home

 

[Kenhead]

Play Rooney behind someone and it will work

 

[Pablo]

He was brilliant tonight, I can't rememberhim giving the ball away at all in the second half. Now he needs to reproduce that consistently!

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Against 10 men for a lot of the second half.......... just saying.

 

[British Bulldog]

Against 10 men for a lot of the second half.......... just saying.

They were lucky not to be down to 9 players after the way that Croatian took Walcott out with a full body check & a forearm smash thrown in for good measure.

 

[Simster]

Against 10 men for a lot of the second half.......... just saying.

I think Martin Samuel replies to this more elequently than I could ever hope:

Croatia were down to ten men when three of England’s goals were scored, but do not let that fool you. The home team’s numbers were reduced only because of their brutality in attempting to control the stars of the show. Josip Simunic should have received a red card for an assault on Walcott, could have been sent off for two yellow cards after following up one booking with another foul on Rooney, and Robert Kovac was dismissed for a mugging that left Joe Cole needing ten stitches in a head wound, bleeding, confused and unable to walk in a straight line, let alone play.

 

[Marc]

I cant agree with the superb defending. Once again gave a foul away on the edge of the box with a rash challenge. He should be defending from the front, not in and around his own box.

exactly what I was thinking last night, was also doing Ashley Coles job at left back at one point! He should be up at the front on sitting off the front man not trying to impress the manager so much. His reckless challanges will cost us a goal soon enough.

 

[keaton]

He played well, but his defending was awful and he kept on coming far too deep and leaving Heskey isolated. Lampard and Heskey were both excellent especially as Lampard was playing out of position as Steven Gerrard would say

 

[Mendoza]

through no fault of my own, and watching games live on TV this season, I saw Arsenal play FIVE games in a row on the various channels.

Walcott played well in most of them, his problem for Arsenal is he thinks he is not good enough to be there, and every time he got in a dangerous position he tried to cross or pass - with one exception, he did it everytime. The one time he didnt pass he scored a great goal against Schteve McClarens Twente.

Yesterday in both scenarios where he scored his first goals, had he been playing for Arsenal, he WOULD have CROSSED it.

Yesterday he shot, he scored. Hopefully he can do that for Arsenal now, and England can look to play him upfront so he is ready for when Owen calls it a day

 

[Billy the Fish]

When Croatia went down to 10 men, could you imagine Steve McClaren's England team keeping the ball like they did last night. Capello is starting to earn his money, the team was balanced, everyone seemed to know what they were doing and the execution was almost perfect but for a piece of comedy defending that Capello looked pissed off about even though we were 1-3 up, that is the behaviour of a winner.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Walcott was great - not for a second demeaning what he - and England - achieved.

 

[Mellotron]

through no fault of my own, and watching games live on TV this season, I saw Arsenal play FIVE games in a row on the various channels.

Walcott played well in most of them, his problem for Arsenal is he thinks he is not good enough to be there, and every time he got in a dangerous position he tried to cross or pass - with one exception, he did it everytime. The one time he didnt pass he scored a great goal against Schteve McClarens Twente.

Yesterday in both scenarios where he scored his first goals, had he been playing for Arsenal, he WOULD have CROSSED it.

Yesterday he shot, he scored. Hopefully he can do that for Arsenal now, and England can look to play him upfront so he is ready for when Owen calls it a day

He scored a hat trick from the right wing. Why move his position at all? Him, Rooney and Heskey worked perfect last night in their positions. Rooney was clearly told at half time to stick just behind Heskey and that's exactly where he was when he laid it on for Walcott.

 

[Mendoza]

He scored a hat trick from the right wing. Why move his position at all? Him, Rooney and Heskey worked perfect last night in their positions. Rooney was clearly told at half time to stick just behind Heskey and that's exactly where he was when he laid it on for Walcott.

I only say move Walcott upfront as he proved he can score at the highest level now.

And the chances of getting a great right winger are much higher than that of getting a great striker.

Walcott upfront, Young right wing, Cole left wing and we are LAUGHING

 

[Trigger]

Overated.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I've always quite liked Heskey, as it happens. Perhaps not a man for EVERY situation, but there's no doubt that some teams don't like defending against a forward like him, and he does have ability, no matter what some people say.

And, most importantly, when he plays well, so do the team (Munich, anybody?).

Interesting to see where this performance leaves Gerrard, I'd say. A man who's rarely justified his billing in an England shirt, it would be nice to think Capello would have the balls to leave this team unchanged for the next game, injuries notwithstanding.

 

[Mellotron]

I don't see who should be dropped for Gerrard. So no unless Lampard starts to bottle it Stevie Me stays on the bench.

Hopefully Capello has seen that Gerrard's attitude stinks, with his whining about the team not being built around him to the BBC just a few days ago.