Ladbrokes have England clear odds on at 4/9. The draw is a reasonably priced at 13/5. Uruguay are the underdogs at 11/2. Betting Decision :: No Bet
Wayne Rooney is the 4/1 favourite to score the first goal. I make Rio Ferdinand a lively outsider to score first at 33/1, but you can only get 8/1 for Rio to score at anytime. Betting Decision :: Rio Ferdinand 1st Goalscorer (33/1)
Ladbrokes England V Uruguay Outright Odds England 4/9 Draw 13/5 Uruguay 11/2
England V Uruguay 1st Goalscorer Odds 1st goalscorer | Odds Wayne Rooney 4/1 fav Jermain Defoe 5/1 Darren Bent 5/1 Peter Crouch 6/1 Frank Lampard 6/1 Diego Forlan 8/1 Zelayeta 8/1 Alvaro Recoba 8/1 Walter Pandiani 9/1 Alexandre Medina 10/1 Mario Regueiro 10/1 Ruben Olivera 10/1 David Beckham 10/1 Steven Gerrard 12/1 Fabian Estoyanoff 12/1 Joe Cole 12/1 Shaun Wright-Phillips 14/1 Jermaine Jenas 14/1 Richardson 16/1 Michael Carrick 20/1 Salgueiro 20/1 John Terry 20/1 Abeijon 25/1 Sarkisian 25/1 D. Perez 33/1 Rio Ferdinand 33/1 Ledley King 33/1 Varela 33/1 Wes Brown 40/1 Luke Young 40/1 Diogo 40/1 C. Valdez 50/1 Daniel Rodrigues 50/1 Gary Neville 50/1 Jamie Carragher 50/1 Wayne Bridge 50/1 D. Lopez 50/1 Lugano 50/1 No Goalscorer 6/1 (ladbrokes football odds subject to change)
Gerrard To Juventus? The media are reporting that Juventus are still set on Gerrard summer swoop - which may be true, maybe Juve are keen. Who could blame them for wanting to sign the dynamic English international midfield playmaker?
Gerrard Won't Sign For Juventus My point of view is Gerrard will not want to sign for Juventus with the way Liverpool are playing under Rafa Benitez.
Not even to line up next to Patrick Viera. Certainly a strong midfield partnership if it happens, but it wont.
Juventus Have Cash Juventus have come into some cash lately and the Italian giants manager Fabio Capello unsurprisingly, is keen to sign Gerrard.
Koptalk Gerrard To Juventus Comment The Liverpool skipper is not for sale and if Chelsea can't afford him, there's no way the Italians can.
Ommitted from Sven's England 23 are first teamers Michael Owen, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and squad players Alan Smith, Chris Kirkland Jonathan Woodgate, Kieron Dyer and Owen Hargreaves, who all miss out due to injury.
England v Uruguay Squad International friendly 8.05pm, Wednesday 1 March 2006 Anfield
Goalkeepers ♠ Paul Robinson - Tottenham Hotspur David James - Manchester City Robert Green - Norwich City
Defenders ♠ John Terry - Chelsea Wayne Bridge - Fulham (on loan) ♠ Jamie Carragher - Liverpool Luke Young - Charlton Athletic Ledley King - Tottenham Hotspur Wes Brown - Manchester United ♠ Rio Ferdinand - Manchester United ♠ Gary Neville - Manchester United
Midfielders ♠ Joe Cole - Chelsea ♠ Frank Lampard - Chelsea Shaun Wright-Phillips - Chelsea ♠ David Beckham - Real Madrid Michael Carrick - Tottenham Hotspur Jermaine Jenas - Tottenham Hotspur ♠ Steven Gerrard - Liverpool Kieran Richardson - Manchester United
Attackers ♠ Wayne Rooney - Manchester United ♠ Peter Crouch - Liverpool Jermain Defoe - Tottenham Hotspur Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic
Man Utd have an injury thing going on with their midfielders.
1) Roy Keane is gone. 2) Paul Scholes is out for a long stint with an eye problem. 3) Alan Smith is out for even longer with a broken leg and dislocated ankle.
That means that makeshift midfielder Rio Ferdinand could end up playing a whole load more games in midfield before the World Cup starts.
Sven Goran Eriksson is on the look-out for a defensive midfielder to play the anchor man role in front of the back four. Maybe Rio is the man?
Sven On Ferdinand In Midfield "In some games maybe we need a sitting midfielder. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can do it but they are not playing that role at their clubs.
Rio could be a choice. Ledley King is another choice. Michael Carrick another who is playing better and better.
It depends how many times Rio plays in that role for Manchester United but it might be possible."
England Blog Comment :: Harry Redknapp swapped Rio Ferdinand from his midfield role in the West Ham youth side, to being a quality cultured central defender. I see no reason why Rio cannot revert back to the anchor man role at the highest level.
Dyer has had a torrid season injury-wise. So bad in fact, the lively international midfielder considered suicide. Gladly, that was only a passing thought for Kieron, but it does give an insight into his frustration at not being able to play for Newcastle more often this season.
Dyer On New Injury I will not be there," Dyer told The Times. Sven knows his team and 23 of his squad."
Newcastle Caretaker manager Glenn Roeder disagrees with Dyer's assessment of his world cup chances.
Roeder On Dyer World Cup Chances But if he's back training hard and playing in three weeks, then gradually, we will build up that strength in the hamstring. The problem is he has played so little football," said Roeder.
"It was a little bit of a surprise that he's picked up a slight strain, but there's no way at this stage we are back to square one. We are remaining very, very positive that no longer than three weeks will see Kieron out training hard and flying again."
Sven Said What´s happening after the World Cup, I couldn't care less. The dream for all of us is to win the World Cup and what happens after that, no-one is really thinking about."
England Blog Comment :: I have a funny feeling Sven Goran Eriksson won't be joining an English club when he leaves the 3 lions manager job after the World Cup finals.
England international and Arsenal left back Ashley Cole is possibly off to play his football at the Bernabeu for Real Madrid by the sounds of it.
Talksport Radio are reporting that even though defender Cole recently signed a new contract at Arsenal, there was a release clause built into the deal. The release clause allows Cole to leave at the end of the season if he so wishes.
A reported transfer fee of €20million is the price Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid will have to pay Arsenal to prize the international full back Cole away from Highbury at the end of the 2005/2006 football season.
Grandona On Bird Flu Stopping World Cup "Everything's been sold, the World Cup can't be suspended," Grondona, president of the Argentine Football Association, told the local radio station Mitre during an interview.
"I was in Zurich last week and I didn't see anywhere that chicken was not being sold or not being eaten. I think it's something that's not an issue yet."
"It's got to be something of great magnitude at all levels for measures to be taken to suspend a World Cup," Grondona said.
"I got back (to Buenos Aires) last Friday from my last meeting at FIFA - Nothing was said and no-one was alarmed."
England Blog Comment :: I do hope that the Bird Flu does not get to the point it becomes serious enough to stop the World Cup finals in Germany. If the World Cup is stopped in it's tracks, that means bird flu (Avian Influenza A - H5N1) has found a way to mutate with human flu. Not good.
The editor of www.2006world-cup.co.uk is adamant that the big Everton striker James Beattie should be in Sven Goran Erikssn's world cup squad.
Furthermore Beattie shouls not be benched, ie Beattie should play next to Wayne Rooney, not Michael Owen.
Beattie should be in Sven's plans So, it's simple. James Beattie would be the best partner for Wayne Rooney in Germany this summer. And no the author of this piece isn't Scottish wrote the editor.
England Blog Comment :: I am not a fan of ex Saint James Beattie and am not sure what he has done to warrant being rated as the man to replace Michael Owen and play nest to Wayne Rooney in the upcoming 2006 World Cup finals.
The 2005 England player of the year award has been decided. The winner is Frank Lampard according to the FA and I guess Frank deserves the accolade. Lampard won the award last year too. Frank is going great guns for the National side according to the the fans who voted.
♠ Lampard has been in top form for Chelsea this season, especially early on in the 2005 season. ♠ For England Lampard has played well in my opinion. ♠ Sven Gpran Eriksson said of the Lampard award - "I think that the fans must have had a very hard time choosing because we are lucky enough to have a number of really outstanding individuals players."
England Player of the Year 2005 Votes 1. FRANK LAMPARD - 29% 2. Steven Gerrard - 18% 3. Wayne Rooney - 16% 4. Michael Owen - 12% 5. David Beckham - 10%