This Rio Ferdinand thing.

[beorhthelm]

We must remember that he is a Rolls Royce Defender...

he still is. thats half the problem, he's high maintenance too. i wonder how fit he was going in to be taken out by a training match challenge.

it is a blow, but its not the biggest deal as he was past his best. in King and Carragher we have superb defensive skill and experience as cover. we will lack pace a t the back though.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Robben
Drogba
Mikel
etc.

There are plentyof players out of the world cup in recent weeks but most of them don't feature on the back pages of our marvellous media.

Does make you wonder why any team is doing anything other than a bit of minimal-contact light training a week before the start of the competition anyway. I mean, its not like they have anything to prove to anyone by that point.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Bryan Robson was captain in 1990 but had to pull out through injury. We did alright that year.

Maybe it's a SIGN

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Does make you wonder why any team is doing anything other than a bit of minimal-contact light training a week before the start of the competition anyway. I mean, its not like they have anything to prove to anyone by that point.

England have a friendly on Monday....

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

England have a friendly on Monday....

.....against some big South African BRUTES

 

[Sheebo]

It's a massive blow. Losing our captain and (arguably) our best defender cannot be seen as anything else in my opinion.

What might soften that blow is King being fit to play in every game, which I just can't see. None of our other centre backs are anywhere near as good as Ferdinand.

 

[Sheebo]

If King is managed in the correct way he will be ok to play all the games.

Hope so. Ideally he'll play the first 2 and we'll take max points and only need a draw against Slovenia to top the group (or with a good goal difference we could poss even lose and still top group)... If this happens he should rest King and maybe a few others IMO...