http//news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5040586.stm
Apart from the injury to Neville - and no disrespect to Carragher but he is playing out of position - I think this is our best available team as a starting 11.
Yup, looks like it!
OK, Jamaica are no Brazil, but it sounded on FiveLive like England were as solid as they'll ever be.
My wife is mad that everyone is now on the Crouch bandwagon whereas she supported him from day 1 at Liverpool... and I rated him so much I forecast Liverpool would sign him when Southampton were relegated!
I hope he learns from that penalty miss though.
It was a pretty entertaining game and we looked great going forward but I think a better team might have scored a ton against us yesterday.
That was our best starting 11 but I can't help worrying that we don't have proper cover for Neville should he get injured and that we have one too many midfielders and one too few forwards. I agree, Defoe should be in there and perhaps Hargreaves left out. Still, it's too late now.
I was listening to Talksport last night with Gab Marcotti (phenomenal football commentator by the way) and he made two simple points -
1 - Sven is the most succesful manager England have ever had period - and yet virtually nobody gives him any credit. 3 losses in 6 years is better than almost any other country.
2 - Everyone says Spain are the great underachievers, but England surely fit that argument too. Winning 1 competition despite better potential in 50 years, not qualifying a few times - even recently - and consistently going out of competitions when they meet a decent team.
I have to say he convinced me.
Sounds like Defoe is going to be going home tomorrow as the unofficial news is that Rooney passed a scan in UK and is on his way back to Germany. I guess he will be named in the squad for the finals, at the expense of Defoe, although obviously he can't play unless and until England get to the later rounds.
Hell of a gamble but I'd love to see him play at some point in the finals, if his injury allows it.