England Friendlies

[manny96]

Why would they suddenly beat Englan by more than they've beaten a host of other average international teams over the last 18 months?

or lost as the case may be - trounced by Portugal and Argentina, lost to Italy and made to look very ordinary against Chile (despite coming from a 2 goals down to win). still comfortably the best team in the world but they may not be very interested at all.

[Stuka]

Anyone going?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

This is our biggest test since Germany in the World Cup.

How much has Capello learnt since we got thrashed?

Come on England!

[Royal Rother]

I was just going to add a thread with a poll for possession stats but seeing as you've opened this I won't bother.

However, any thoughts on that?

I'm going 71% Spain, and 0-5 scoreline.

An embarrassing thrashing is definitely on the cards and might, in the long-term, do our future prospects some good. The more people in the game are forced to accept the fact that we are miles behind the best in the world the more likely it is that they'll accept the fact that something needs to be done to enable us to compete at the highest level in the future.

Pie in the sky probably.

[leww_rfc]

1-3

[Schards#2]

Pretty much nothing can be gleaned from an international friendly these days, 30-35 players trying to avoid injury.

5-0 or 0-5 wouldn't fundamentally alter my opinion of either team

If Spain want to win, they will.

[Ian Royal]

I was just going to add a thread with a poll for possession stats but seeing as you've opened this I won't bother.

However, any thoughts on that?

I'm going 71% Spain, and 0-5 scoreline.

An embarrassing thrashing is definitely on the cards and might, in the long-term, do our future prospects some good. The more people in the game are forced to accept the fact that we are miles behind the best in the world the more likely it is that they'll accept the fact that something needs to be done to enable us to compete at the highest level in the future.

Pie in the sky probably.

58% to Spain and 1-3 victory for them.

[Ginger Ninjas]

Just bumping this back ahead of the second thread on this...

[chilipepper91]

65%

0-3

[manny96]

*shrugs*

Struggle to summon much passion for the England team these days. By generally playing below par and being such a bunch of nobs, they don't make it easy to support them.

It's a shame that the only two England players who would get near the Spanish team are Rooney and Cole, and they're two of the biggest bellends around.

Spain win by 1 and flatter the quality of England team performance.

[Ginger Ninjas]

England: 1 Joe Hart, 2 Glen Johnson, 3 Ashley Cole, 4 Phil Jones, 5 Phil Jagielka, 6 Joleon Lescott, 7 Theo Walcott, 8 Scott Parker, 9 Darren Bent, 10 Frank Lampard, 11 James Milner.

The least creative team we've named since the Taylor era?

[Ian Royal]

England: 1 Joe Hart, 2 Glen Johnson, 3 Ashley Cole, 4 Phil Jones, 5 Phil Jagielka, 6 Joleon Lescott, 7 Theo Walcott, 8 Scott Parker, 9 Darren Bent, 10 Frank Lampard, 11 James Milner.

The least creative team we've named since the Taylor era?

I don't even know who Phil Jones is!

[Ginger Ninjas]

England: 1 Joe Hart, 2 Glen Johnson, 3 Ashley Cole, 4 Phil Jones, 5 Phil Jagielka, 6 Joleon Lescott, 7 Theo Walcott, 8 Scott Parker, 9 Darren Bent, 10 Frank Lampard, 11 James Milner.

The least creative team we've named since the Taylor era?

I don't even know who Phil Jones is!

He's the third most 'expensive' player in that team i believe (after Milner and Bent)

[Ian Royal]

Oh of course! How silly of me. The third most "expensive" eh? Pheeeyu.

[Tails]

Tempted to lump £20 on England....and than cash out after 30mins [if the option to cash out remains].

[boycey]

2-1
Walcott
Lampard

Villa

[cmonurz]

Agreed on the team, it is miserably boring. As is the game. Spain taking it seriously though, most of their big guns playing.

Casillas equals the Spain appearances record tonight (126), aged just 30.

He's got 589 club appearances too, surely a nailed on candidate for the 1000 club.

Sergio Ramos has 82 caps aged 25.

[cmonurz]

For all his running and effort, Phil Jones looks about as much an international midfielder as I am.

[Ian Royal]

For all his running and effort, Phil Jones looks about as much an international midfielder as I am.

Really? He looks about our best player to me. Not one to do a lot of damage in the final third maybe. But at least he's finding space.

Our movement off the ball is simply atrocious though, "dur, we have der ball, do I stay here or run to du goal?" Hoooooooof. Back to Spain.

[cmonurz]

For all his running and effort, Phil Jones looks about as much an international midfielder as I am.

Really? He looks about our best player to me. Not one to do a lot of damage in the final third maybe. But at least he's finding space.

Our movement off the ball is simply atrocious though, "dur, we have der ball, do I stay here or run to du goal?" Hoooooooof. Back to Spain.

Perhaps it's the three-man midfield that just looks cumbersome rather than Jones himself - Parker, Lampard and Jones aren't going to do much damage in the final third, nevermind just Jones. He is only finding space because he is being given it.