England - bloody well done

[Easy 10]

Very decent performance tonight against limited but game opponents I thought. They pulled 11 men back behind the ball and made it frustrating for a while, but wave after wave of attack made it inevitable that they'd crack eventually.

Thoroughly professional from England, and the decision to play Beckham and Gerrard was fully jusfified. They set up both goals, and were then taken off, job done. I can hear it all now, people will be moaning that we havn't won by 5 or 6 nil. So what ? You still only get 3 points. Any one of a number of 1st half chances on another day would have found the back of the net - we were unlucky not to go in at least 2 up. No matter, we did a job in the 2nd, it never looked in doubt, and we won at a canter. You can ask nothing more.

Rooney was superb in that role off the front two - so much more involved for the whole game than he is when just playing up-front. Not a very testing night for England, but we did what we had to do.

We'll win in Turkey.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

i know,i actually thought we played well first half with no luck.Motson and Brooking do get in negative mode sometimes ,but Rooney really is looking like Gazza did at his prime.

 

[Easy 10]

I couldn't believe Hansen and Reid at half time moaning about "no width". Were they watching the same game as me ? Beckham rained the crosses in. Rooneys overhead, Beatties smack against the bar, Beckhams off the bar too from Rooneys cross, Neville and Beckham a couple of times from the byline which were cleared, Bridge storming in from the wing down the left.

Christ, just cos it was 0-0 at half time, everyone automatically went into slag-off mode and found faults where, frankly, there were none. We battered them, and could easily have had 4 or 5. I'd have taken 2-0 though, its all we needed.

 

[Marshy]

I thought we were bloody average against appalling opposition.

Lets hope we raise our game as we normally do against stronger opposition.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Agreed, 2-0 was fine, and we did enough.

If we'd have had that at home against Macendonia people would have moaned too, yet if we had got that against the Mac Lads we'd be through already.

 

[Easy 10]

Its always the same. If we don't look like the Brazil team of 1970 against these little teams, there's always people lining up to have a pop.

Well bollocks to that. England played well enough to win the game, and thats all they needed to do. The Turks knw they'll have one hell of a job to try to beat England (still only 1 competative defeat under Sven). I'm convinced we'll turn them over in Istanbul. Not that it'll be easy, but Turkey have to be one of the most overrated teams in Europe. I can't WAIT for that match.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

I've only ever waited for a pub to open to open twice before (both Albion games) but this will be another one. It's on my birthday too, and the day after I quit my job - can't bloody wait!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Anyone else thinking what I was, i.e. if you'd been born in Lichtenstein, 30,000 population means a fair chance of international footy if you're a half decent player, and for a bank clerk to walk out in front of 60,000+ against England tonite, what a result. Must admit though, thought they gave a very good account of themselves.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

...for a bank clerk to walk out in front of 60,000+ against England tonite... thought they gave a very good account of themselves.

Bank clerk, account - oh, you!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Wish I could claim 'credit' for that one Cheshire.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

I could talk all night, but my early start means I really should 'withdraw' from the conversation.

 

[Sorrel]

All my interest in this coversation has gone.

 

[Benny Seagull]

good solid performance but without beckham and gerrard the tempo went down a bit i must admit. anyway, we got the result.

did anyone see any albion flags by the way?

 

[Reading Posh]

did anyone see any albion flags by the way?

I did, but then it's not far from West Bromwich

 

[Brixtaan]

Great to see the team in blue being led by Becks,walking out to the English national anthem.

Great to see the team in white being led by Becks,walking out to the English national anthem.

 

[Goring Gull]

I thought we were bloody average against appalling opposition.

Lets hope we raise our game as we normally do against stronger opposition.

England always do raise it against better opposition.

 

[Beeneys gloves]

How can anyone say well done about last night, it was one of the most uninspiring matches Iv ever seen, Rooney and Owen apart there was nothing at all to get excited about.
Beattie, Lampard looked woeful and the defence was dodgy, a decent finisher would have put us in trouble
2-0 is shite against a team like Lichenstein and the worst thing was the subsitutions of Beckham and Gerrard. Granted they had to be take off to avoid suspension but dont bring on Phil f***ing Neville. We had just scored twice and looked like we could get more, the fans pay good money and want to entertained, if ever the chance was to do it, it was then. But no, we go back into our shell and are content with another 2-0. Very boring

Still think wel win in Turkey though

 

[Gritt23]

good solid performance but without beckham and gerrard the tempo went down a bit i must admit. anyway, we got the result.

I think the tempo dropped because we had done enough by then, not really because Becks and Gerrard had gone off.

 

[Gritt23]

Overall I was disappointed, very disappointed, as we just seem too keen to just canter through matches. Rooney looked a class apart, because he was one of the very few who seemed to gice a toss. Anyone could have shone against that lot if they had decided to put the effort in.

As for it "fully justifying" the selection of Becks and Gerrard, [Easy10], i disagree. I think Liechtenstein looked bad enough that we WOULD have beaten them no matter who played. IMHO I think we were a worse side with them playing because in a team with a midfield 3, we had 2 of them not making a tackle. This meant we had not urgency, and never really pressed them back in their own halves.

Despite playing poorly, we were clearly miles better than them, and that showed to me just how easily we could have coped without those to.

The gamble didn't blow up in his face, but was still an unnecessary risk in my view.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Frank Lampard was crap throughout, and if he can't even raise his game against a team like Liechtenstein, what's the point?

Wasn't particularly impressed with Bridge either, although if it comes down to a choice of him or Ashley "what do you mean, defend?" Cole, I wouldn't fancy being in Sven's shoes.