Sven - will the penny finally DROP now for the Swedish Slap ?

[sams dad]

Pace, energy, balance, fluency, ideas. England were TRANSFORMED tonight, and you know why ?

Ledley King.

The fella just oozes class. So much composure on the ball, right place at the right time, always in space to receive it, anticipation to intercept and block, exquisite simplicity on the ball, and gives the whole team that balance and shape its been so desperately lacking for so long now. Rooney was superb as well, and for once we finally had a solid platform to see Cole, Rooney, SWP and Lampard at their devastating best.

Its a change that was FORCED onto Sven. This was not the lineup he would have selected if injuries and suspensions had not come into play. But like Bobby in 86', circumstances have conspired to land him with a lineup that AT LAST looked cohesive and fluent. Poland arn't world-beaters, but they're a competant team who were given the absolute runaround tonight - something we've utterly failed to do for, well, quite some time frankly. Probably since Croatia.

So well done SVEN for finally picking a team that can play together. I hope this has, at last, lit a lightbulb in that shiney cranium of his that will tell him that Lampard/Gerrard does not and will not work. Ever. And yes, Golden Boy Beckham, captain or not, might actually have to FIGHT for his place against SWP, who brought so much pace and vibrancy down that side that it makes him difficult to discard.

The biggest factor for me tonight though was King. He was the lynchpin tonight, the hub, and the basis for that whole performance. Even if we HAD failed to win, the performance at last showed some encouraging signs from the GASH we've had over the last couple of years.

I just hope to Christ that Sven (at last) knows what to do with this squad.

Have to agree with most of that.The only real disappointment for me was that SWP didn't deliver many quality crosses- I can't fault his pace and energy,but he needs to deliver more good balls into the right areas.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Having watched England since 1977 (Home) and 1980 (away) I feel fairly qualified in giving a pretty accurate picture of the current team when compared to previous ones.

Sven isn't the first England Manager to stumble across a better formation by 'accident'. It hadn't to (Bobby) Robson when Wilkins got sent off in Mexico in 86 and also when (Bryan) Robson got injured. Enter Hodge I think and Beadsley to link up with Lineker.

Again at Italia 90 - Robson gets injured (again) enter David Platt and the rest is history.

Sven must start makin 'Big' decisions - he can no longer play with Lamps and Stevie G - one od the other and on current form Lamps has the spot.

Cole/Neville at the two full back. Possibly give Carrick/Parker a chance in the warm up games to see if they could hold in midfield.

Try Downing on the left possibly althogh Joe Cole is not a bad option.

Do not take Janas, Dyer or Hargreves