Sol Campbell returned to form tonight for Arsenal. About 30 minutes into the match against Everton, Sol Campbell was on a hat-trick.
In the end, Sol only got 2 goals. I think Campbell will be back in Sven's England side sooner rather than later, if Sol can keep this level of form up.
Nike have put "football vending machines" at train stations and other highly trafficed areas of Singapore
A good way to get people playing football, while spreading your brand name a little further. Not that Nike need to really. I think the football vending machines are a good idea.
I expect to see some football vending machines in sports centres across the UK fairly soon.
Wayne Rooney appeared alongside rapper 50 cent at the MEN Arena in Manchester yesterday night. The G-unit were also in attendance. Rooney was hoodied up to the nines.
Surprisingly enough, Rio Ferdinand was on stage too. Sir Alex Ferguson will be delighted.
♠ Rodney Marsh commented on the radio today that "Wayne Rooney must think he is bomb proof"
Funnily enough, hanging around the likes of 50 cents, Rooney may need to be bomb proof literally. 50 cents has only been shot 7 times, or 9, I forget now.
England Blog Comment >> Some think Rooney should be at home with the Mrs, contemplating his errors.
I say Rooney can go to the 50 cent concert and forget about the pressures of being a world class footballer for a hot minute.
The Rooney Lookalike Website Say's >> Danny Brook is our great Wayne Rooney lookalike and has been very busy over the last couple of months working on appearances and photo shoots and has worked with many of the other football lookalikes.
Danny is available to work as a Lookalike throughout the UK and overseas and is the ideal candidate for any Documentary, Re-Construction of Football associated event, PR Stunts, TV Commercials, Chat Shows and AD Campaigns.
Danny has the full England Home and Away Kits, Tracksuit and also the full Manchester United Kit.
England Blog Comment >> Good luck to Danny with his Wayne Rooney lookalike career. In 1 picture Danny looks like Wayne, in another Danny does'nt look like Rooney atall.
Fot the Free "Cricket Is Coming Home" Download, click the download link at the top of this post, then click the England - cricket song banner on the page that opens, for the free download.
England blog comment >> Not the best England song I have heard, not the worse. It is the first England cricket song I have heard though.
Stephen Gerrard is a top quality player, a key player in the England team wherever he plays. Gerrard is able to play at right back, centre back, right mid, anchor, midfield and attacking midfield.
In Sven's usual 442 midfield, we have Joe Cole left, Beckham right, Lampard and Gerrard in the middle. Gerrard is clearly the ballwinner. Gerrard has the capacity and the ability to pull the whole team together, therefore that is his job, his remit in my eyes. His duty to his country, if you like.
If England play a 451, Gerrard is the anchor man by default. Gerrard is not though, just a destroyer, he is able to play when the team goes forward and indeed be a threat, unlike Makalele for example.
Gerrard is the key to a successful England 442 or 451. Maybe Gerrard lacks the discipline to be the ballwinner in midfield. If that is the case, he won't really knit with Lampard too well in a 442 right? Not good news.
It's not like Sven plays a pressing game where tackling is not so necissary, where more pressing by all to force errors is the key. Sven plays it tight and plays a rather counter-attacking style of play. A quality ballwinner with discipline is needed in the midfield area to be successful. That is why Sven kept playing Nicky Butt. With Butt out of the side, or Carrick, the ballwinner is Gerrard, not Beckham.
Stephen Gerrard is the Key to England's success, not Beckham.
Glen Johnson (21) was reported to have a slight thigh strain, so was therefore sent home from under 21 duty. However, reports are surfacing that right back Glen Johnson was sent home for attitude problems.
I guess Johnson is not happy after being dropped from the full squad and replaced by Luke Young. Gary Neville is injured and Johnson did'nt even get a spot on the bench as back up.
♠ Glen Johnson is currently having an attitude implant at the Chelsea training camp, paid for by cash gleaned from Chelsea's russian lottery win.
I think Wayne Rooney is a footballing wonderkid. Has the ability and talent to match the greatest footballers there have ever been. Also the boy Rooney posesses more influence on a football pitch than he is given credit for.
So when "Wazza" Rooney loses the plot, the team he is playing for at that moment in time will struggle to perform. Rooney is so good when good, he surely has the capacity to become a liability when things go bad.
Rooney probably needs to curb his dark side for the sake of his career personally. Also for his team mates and supporters alike. Quite a task, quite an ask.
I do not know Wayne Rooney personally, so cannot comment on whether he will mature into a bit more of a controlled human being when things go against him on the football pitch.
Best Ever or Liability? Rooney may be one or the other. Hopefully the former. I genuinely hope so, before he indeed becomes a flawed genius. When Rooney failed to perform, Everton nearly got relegated. When Rooney left, Everton came 4th. I don't want Rooney to be labelled a liability. I want "Wazza" Rooney to be the catalyst for an England World cup victory. Rooney probably has 4 world cups in him.
Let's win them all and see Rooney crowned as the King of football. Best ever, better than Pele and Maradona is not beyond Rooney for ability in my opinion.
Michael Owen, unsurprisingly, backs Sven to the hilt. This is what the new Newcastle striker had to say about Sven after the Northern Ireland defeat.
Owen Said >> "If the manager gets stick it's due in no small part to the players. We were out there playing and we didn't perform well enough."
"We played well for the first half an hour but then seemed to get worse and worse. But we take collective responsibility for the performance and now we have to show collective togetherness, stick tight and put it right in the next two games."
England Blog Comment >> Not sure if Owen would say the same if he were'nt Sven's golden boy. Not that I don't rate Owen highly, just not as highly as Sven. It is common knowledge managers can get blind spots regard some players. As Michael Owen is always in Sven's team no matter what, it is unsurprising Owen has jumped to Sven's defence.
Listening to the radio, reading the press, watching the football forums, the consensus is Sven Should Go
I would'nt say Sven should go, I would'nt beg Sven to stay either really. I am not mad on a foreign manager any more than playing a foriegn player, but would not sack Sven or ask him to leave at this moment in time. Not in England's best interest, which is all that matters to me. Whether I really like Sven, rate Sven, or the opposite.
I actually think Sven has lost the plot at the moment, but then I have never rated him, so nothing is new after his first ever qualifier defeat at the England helm.
♠ 2 games before the World Cup finals is bad timing for any national team to sack a manager really.
♠ Should Sven Go? Yes , No? Answers on a postcard or in the comments below.
The footballing giants of Northern Ireland have beaten the English footballing minnows with a battling display in front of a delighted bunch of Irish fans today, who surely expected more than a 1-0 home win.
With the England manager Sven making some rather curious tactical changes from before the start of the match and throughout the duration, I am surprised the Irish giants never won by more.
Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, Rooney, Owen ~ all rated as world class operators, all played in a dazed and confused manner. The reason being it seems, much as I hate to say it about any England manager, is Sven has lost the plot. The current tactics must come under the heading of 451 merry-go-round.
Am not one for being over critical and to be honest, I don't think saying Sven has lost the plot is being over critical anyway.
I still recall Sven Goran Eriksson at club level playing Des Walker at left back for Sampdoria, so nothing has changed for me. Never rated the guy to be frank, but support Sven nonetheless. That said, I have never understood Sven's tactics and sadly it seems, I never will and I am not alone.
If we win our next 2 home games against Austria and Poland, we still qualify automatically for the World Cup 2006 finals in Germany.
Cole the casualty as Owen returns >> Joe Cole is reportedly the one to miss out and is dropped due to Owen's return today against the Irish.
Even though Joe Cole got the winning goal against the Welsh in Cardiff, the rumours in the press are saying that Cole will miss out. Who will play on the left of midfield is anyones guess, probably Wright Phillips out of position. I am sure Sven knows what he is doing, it sure is hard to keep up with what is going on in Sven's mind from this end.
Projected England team >> Goalie = Paul Robinson
Left Defence = Ashley Cole Centre Defence = Rio Ferdinand Centre Defense = Jamie Carragher Right Defence = Luke Young
Kieron Dyer took a gamble and played against Man Utd - I bet he wishes he never bothered with the gamble. Newcastle lost 2-0 and Dyer pulled his hamstring again.
In so doing Newcastle FC are without Dyer's services now when he would have recovered fully and he is missing the International home derbies against Wales and Northern Ireland too.
David Beckham is not an anchor man and it is surprising there is even a notion of thought that Beckham can play at anchor on the level.
David Beckham at anchor against a side not attacking very much is ok, but up against the best in the world Beckham will surely not be able to defend well enough under pressure.
All this talk of "Beckham at Anchor Man" is really beyond a joke.
England defender Jonathan Woodgate may actually play again. Apparently Woodgate may get a spot on the Real Madrid bench for the upcoming match against Celta Vigo
Pinkfootball.com are pleased by Woodgate's return and say ""If Woodgate makes a successful return, it would be a huge boost for England ahead of next summerâ??s World Cup in Germany.""
England Blog Comment >> Woodgate is a nice centre back when fit. Just so injury prone.
England squeezed past Wales at the Millenium stadium with a very scrappy 1-0 win. Joe Cole got the goal via a deflection from Gabbidon's head just after half time.
Sven changed the team around an awful lot after he brought on Defoe for Wright Phillips and I am sure he will be relieved to get the points.
Northern Ireland next, who are on a high after gaining their first win for 4 years today. Lawrie Sanchez will be hoping for a strong display from his side.
After today's performance from England, Sanchez may give himself room to look for a result from the home countries derby match up.
I am just glad the boys got the points and hopefully Sven learned what he needed to from the heavy duty shuffle of the pack. Should be back to normal against the Irish, with Michael Owen returning to international duty.
England u21s secured their playoff place for the Eufa u21 Euro championships with a very nice 4-0 away win at the expense of the Welsh.
John Steed from Sunderland got a goal, Spurs defender Michael Dawson also got 1 and Peter Whittingham of Villa scored 2 in a convincing victory.
England and Germany are now assured of the two available playoff places in Group Six, Germany u21s and England u21s play each other on Tuesday in Mainz.
Wales u21 Wayne Hennessey; Lee Beevers, Peter Gibert, Byron Anthony, Lewin Nyatanga (Adam Davies, 55); Andrew Crofts, Owain Tudor Jones, Adam Birchall, Arron Davies; David Cotterill, Craig Davies (Stuart Fleetwood, 71). >> Subs not used: Anthony Pulis, Levi Mackin, Mark Pritchard, Curtis McDonald, Lee Worgan.
England u21 Scott Carson; Glen Johnson, Anton Ferdinand, Michael Dawson, Liam Ridgewell; Nigel Reo-Coker (capt), Peter Whittingham, James Milner, Darren Ambrose; Carlton Cole (John Welsh, 60), Jonathan Stead (David Nugent, 60) >> Subs not used: Nicky Hunt, Lee Camp, Calum Davenport, Gary O'Neil, Tom Soares.
"Sven Goran Eriksson and John Toshack" have something in common - they were both decent club managers and have not excelled at International level.
Tomorrow, Sven and Toshack lock horns. The thing they have in common here is they would both like to win. Additionally though, a defeat for Sven's England team could prove to be disastrous for Sven, but would propell John Toshack to statesman like fame. Funny that.
Pressure, or lack of it, can do funny things on a football pitch or any sport for that matter and the pressure is all on England. Hopefully, the players can take the heat in the kitchen that will be the Millenium Stadium on saturday.
England take on Wales away at the Millenium Stadium on saturday.
England >> Apparently Sven is going for a 451 formation. Beckham as anchor man. He has the work rate and vision needed, if not the defensive mind. I guess Sven does'nt see Beckham having to defend that much.
Wales >> What John Toshack will play is will look like something similar, even though they will probably line up like a 442. Toshack wants the Welsh players to pass it about more, not knock it straight to Hartson up front. No Robbie Savage in the team.
England Wales Prediction >> ♠ Wales 0 -- England 1 (6/1 at Ladbrokes ) ♠ Shaun Wright Phillips to score first goal (14/1 at Ladbrokes )
George Cohen has been there and done it at right back for England, not as a manager though. The 1966 England world cup winner has a detailed bunch of gripes that may or may not be correct. Many are'nt convinced by Sven in his role as England manager.
I just question the timing of Cohen's comments. On the eve of a qualifier is the greatest timing for Cohen to vent his opinions publicly. Anyway, this is what George Cohen said about Sven and England.
Cohen Said >> Sven Should Resign > Sven didn't have any other plan against Brazil in the 2002 semi-final.
"I think the better scenario is that his assistant McClaren takes over."
Denmark > "What upset me about the Denmark game was all the people saying it was only a friendly."
"But we took 7,000 fans over to Copenhagen who paid good money to get in, never mind the travelling expenses and the cost of staying there.
"Then we performed like we did and said it doesn't matter. Well it does matter.
"Some of our guys back in the 60s and 70s couldn't have played in a five-a-side match without being competitive. It's just the way you were.
"Instead we've had all these cameo appearances that rather devalues the England cap."
2006 World Cup Finals > I think we've got the players to win the tournament - and I've been saying that since the last World Cup."
"What happened against Brazil was outrageous. They were down to 10 men but we were down to nine.
"Owen wasn't fit and Beckham should never have been playing. How can you be an inspirational captain if you're not fit - you just cannot do it.
"In fact in the last two competitions, Beckham was carrying an injury in one and in the other said he wasn't fully fit because Real Madrid hadn't trained him hard enough.
"Now that is the doziest excuse for a bad performance I have ever heard in my life! Any pro footballer who doesn't take care of his own fitness should be looking at himself in the mirror and saying 'what am I doing here?'"
♠ England Blog Comment >> Ill timed comments in my opinion from an England great. It is time to get behind the team and the manager Sven I think.