World Cup-the form of our players

[BR2]

Glen Johnson has injured his medial ligament meaning he could well be out for a few months - could well mean the RB spot is up for grabs again.

Ashley Cole now an injury doubt.
Who would people have ,Baines,Warnock,Bridge or possibly Lescott or Barry?

[papereyes]

Milner?

[Royal Rother]

Shorey? Bertrand?

[WTRoyal]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12022010/58/world-cup-2010-england-backs-candidates.html

Seems like Shorey's not even in with a sniff... mind you that could just be sloppy journalism or lack of "real estate" in the article

[Hoop Blah]

Glen Johnson has injured his medial ligament meaning he could well be out for a few months - could well mean the RB spot is up for grabs again.

Ashley Cole now an injury doubt.
Who would people have ,Baines,Warnock,Bridge or possibly Lescott or Barry?

I think Warnocks been struggling a bit injury too hasn't he? I'm sure he'll be fit for the summer though and I think I would possibly take him ahead of Bridge at the moment.

I think Milner will make the squad anyway but I don't like the idea of him going as a left back even if he has filled in there or at right quite adequately at times. As I said on another thread, I still think a fit and in form Lescott can do a job at left back too, but we really do need a fit and firing Ashley Cole to be anywhere near our best.

It looks like Gerrard will probably be played on the left again which means that the left back has to know what he's doing. With that in mind I think it's going to be a massive loss if Cole doesn't get back to 100%.

[cmonurz]

Given Cole's injury and Terry's problems/current form, there would be a delicious irony in Bridge, and not Terry, lining up for our first World Cup match.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Get the Nevilles in at full back.

[cmonurz]

The good and the bad of David James today. Comes for and completely flaps at a cross, but makes a brilliant reaction saved to a point-blank header. He's our World Cup keeper, for better or worse, I feel.

[Victor Meldrew]

Our new captain injured again.
Frank once again not doing much in a big game.
Now Bridge doesn't want to go.
At least Gerrard is starting to find a bit of form so maybe he will be able to carry us a long way in the competition-if only he wasn't our only world-class player.

[PlasticRoyale]

Gerrard???

Did you watch the Man City game? I would love him to find some form again, is he still carrying an injury

[Royal Rother]

I wouldn't go placing too much faith in Gerrard's contribution to the summer's activities.

Gerrard has had spells in a Liverpool shirt where he could rightly have been described as world-class (although that might in itself be a self-contradiction) but this season he hasn't shown anything near that, nor has he ever when playing in an England shirt.

Rooney >>>> Gerrard

Only trouble is of course that Rooney will be injured when the World Cup is on. Of that there is little doubt.

(Err, what's the word for self-contradiction? Brain fade...)

[Hoop Blah]

Our new captain injured again.
Frank once again not doing much in a big game.
Now Bridge doesn't want to go.
At least Gerrard is starting to find a bit of form so maybe he will be able to carry us a long way in the competition-if only he wasn't our only world-class player.

Only world class player? Fair enough VM, but don't try and turn this into another Scouse v Manc bore-off.

Rooney, Gerrard, Cole and Ferdinand (although I worry about him this season with the injuries taking their toll) are all as good as anyone in the World at what they do. For me that's the basic definition of 'world class.'

Terry and Lampard are close to that, then we have a whole set of players who are good enough to do a good job at international level. If in form we have a very good squad capable of doing something at this tournament.

A bit to early to worry about form, but in Rooney we probably have Europe's most in form centre forward.

We need Gerrard to start hitting his straps in the next few weeks, plus Joe Cole to get back into the swing of things then we'll have some decent firepower going forward.

Terry and Lampard look out of sorts, and Ashley Cole is obviously going to be a bit of a worry.

Long way to go yet.

[Whore Jackie]

A bit to early to worry about form, but in Rooney we probably have Europe's most in form centre forward.

We need Gerrard to start hitting his straps in the next few weeks, plus Joe Cole to get back into the swing of things then we'll have some decent firepower going forward.

Terry and Lampard look out of sorts, and Ashley Cole is obviously going to be a bit of a worry.

Long way to go yet.

Certainly long enough for Terry, Lampard, Gerrard and Walcott to find some form, and Joe Cole to get some games. And long enough for Rooney (and Milner) to lose their momentum.

[BR2]

I wouldn't go placing too much faith in Gerrard's contribution to the summer's activities.

Gerrard has had spells in a Liverpool shirt where he could rightly have been described as world-class (although that might in itself be a self-contradiction) but this season he hasn't shown anything near that, nor has he ever when playing in an England shirt.

Rooney >>>> Gerrard

(Err, what's the word for self-contradiction? Brain fade...)

Oh well let us just rely on world-beaters like Gareth Barry and Emile Heskey then.
Remember that class is permanent and just because our Stevie has been less to the fore in carrying the Liverpool side so far this season he is the one that could make the difference to our side-he is after all the highest English scorer in European club football ever and for much of that time he has played in a midfield role.Forget the overhyped Rooney our chances depend on Gerrard being in top form.

[BR2]

Regarding Joe Cole he is now some way down the list at Chelsea and even with Malouda playing at left-back he was not a first choice in the Chelsea midfield this week and didn't even get on as sub.
It looks as though Ancelotti doesn't rate him and so when players like Essien and Deco are fit again his chances will be even more limited.

The other problem from a World Cup perspective is the constant injuries to Walcott and Lennon.
At the moment Walcott appears to have gone backwards and the much improved Lennon of the first part of the season hasn't played for some time and by all accounts will be out for some time to come.
Despite the considerable improvement this season I don't see Milner as being more than a squad player unless these wingers and SWP are unfit -unfortunately despite his other attributes he doesn't have real pace to play out wide,something that is also a problem with Joe Cole and ,God forbid ,our hero from Milan.

[Hoop Blah]

I've always been a big fan of Milners and he's more my kind of player than the inconsistent Walcot, Lennon and SWP.

I'd hoped that Milner, Young or Bentley (or infact Pennant a few years back) would break into the side and make the right (or left) hand side their own with the likes of Lennon and Walcot as great attacking threats to bring off the bench if needed. That just hasn't happened though unfortunately.

Joe Cole and Gerrard as our wide men? Seems like going back to a midfield that didn't quite have enough in the past, but it might still be our best option. Milner on either side as a more genuine winger capable of staying out wide and delivering crosses might be the answer, but it will mean we still lack that get out of jail card that genuine pace gives you.

[BR2]

I've always been a big fan of Milners and he's more my kind of player than the inconsistent Walcot, Lennon and SWP.

I'd hoped that Milner, Young or Bentley (or infact Pennant a few years back) would break into the side and make the right (or left) hand side their own with the likes of Lennon and Walcot as great attacking threats to bring off the bench if needed. That just hasn't happened though unfortunately.

Joe Cole and Gerrard as our wide men? Seems like going back to a midfield that didn't quite have enough in the past, but it might still be our best option. Milner on either side as a more genuine winger capable of staying out wide and delivering crosses might be the answer, but it will mean we still lack that get out of jail card that genuine pace gives you.

Unfortunately neither Bentley nor Milner have great pace and with them we end up with a slightly quicker version of Beckham and the last thing we want is slow approach football as it just doesn't suit our players.

[Royal Rother]

Forget the overhyped Rooney our chances depend on Gerrard being in top form.

No chance then as he's never shown "top form" for England has he?

[Victor Meldrew]

Forget the overhyped Rooney our chances depend on Gerrard being in top form.

No chance then as he's never shown "top form" for England has he?

Mark my words oh doubting Thomas.
Rooney will be shackled by defenders at the finals-defenders of a much higher quality than in our incredibly easy qualifying group.
It will be the form of Gerrard,our most creative and athletic player, that will dictate our chances.
Rooney (1)against the lower level Premier League clubs
(2),against the lower level national sides and
(3)against geriatric AC Milan defenders only capable of playing for 30 minutes
he is a star.
Put him up against the better and stronger international defenders,against the strong defenders of Liverpool and Chelsea as well as the not so strong of Everton and ,just like Defoe,he doesn't shine.

I hope I am wrong and that the two scousers Gerrard and Rooney star in every game and bring back the cup but I have grave doubts about this side and I think others need to look beyond the hype that happens every time the Euros or World Cup come around-we have been here so many times before over the past 44 years so I would ask everyone not to expect too much.

[Royal Rother]

Opinions, opinions eh?

Of Gerrard's 13 international competitive goals 3 were against Andorra, 5 others against the might of Trinidad & Tobago, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus and Austria.

He produces little in the big games for his country.