Watch: England 1 - 1 Ghana

England

[WATCH GOALS BELOW]
England put in an impressive performance against a determined, resilient and very well supported Ghana side and both teams left a vibrant Wembley stadium with a goal each. It was perhaps the deserved result in a well fought, passionate game fuelled with the huge vocal support from the fans, particularly the Ghanaians. 

Andy Carroll grabbed his first goal in an England shirt just before the end of the first half but it was cancelled out much to the delight of the African side who celebrated a last gasp winner thanks to the intricate silky skills of Assamoah Gyan who weaved the ball through the England defence to curl the ball round Joe Hart.

England put in a good performance, and should not be ashamed of a draw. It was a well played game of football in which Capello was able to learn a lot about the strength of his second - or "B" team. Downing was awarded man of the match and Ashley Young was also dangerous throughout - hitting the crossbar and having a long range shot well saved by Kingson. 

The night also saw the introduction of Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck who was eligible for both England and Ghana due to his Ghanaian parents and Manchester birth. His introduction was met by boos from Ghana fans, but with ten minutes to play he didn't have much chance to make an impact.

Watch the goals below:

Carroll Goal

Gyan Goal

Watch: Wales 0 - 2 England

England

England played impressively on away soil at the Millenium Stadium today, with two early goals separating the two sides. The three lions proved too much for the one dragon as England breezed to victory without any real problems at the back whilst performing very well in the midfield and out wide. 

Watch the Goals below:

Does Being Captain Mean Anything?

England

Much has been made of John Terry being reinstated as England captain. Perhaps too much. The main issue is that Fabio Capello has gone back on his decision to take the armband off of Terry for his inexplicable off field behaviour with a team mates girlfriend. It was a big call back when all was revealed about Terry's private life, and to go back on such a big ruling shows signs of weakness. It undermines Capello's tough, no nonsense approach to coaching. That argument is understandable, but in today's modern age of football, the question is; does being captain mean anything, or is it simply a symbol?

Lets get this straight. The ideal captain should have outstanding qualities that other players in the team do not possess; they should be a natural winner, they should be a beacon of inspiration, a passionate, brave, respectable person - someone who will take responsibility for their mistakes, wear their heart on their sleeve and be able to make massive sacrifices for the good of the team. They also need the have great footballing ability in their position. It looks a big ask. It also looks as if the England team have a good few players who have those qualities - or does it?

When David Beckham gave up the England captaincy, which he held for many years, with great integrity and heart, told of the honour it was to wear the armband for his country. He said that he had "lived the dream", and was the "greatest honour of his career" to captain his country. This is a man who absolutely lives for football, and loves his country. He led by example, on and off the field. In the main, he conducted himself in admirable principle and honesty. It obviously meant a lot to him.

When Ferdinand was made captain after Terry's removal from the 'position', he too gave the impression of being ready to live the dream that all youngsters have; to lead their country onto a football pitch to fight to win.  He said:

“I like the responsibility. Every youngster grows up wanting to be captain of their club or the team they lead out. This is England and there is no higher accolade than leading out your country.

That may be, but he added to the end of this passionate show of ambition:

"But it won’t mean as much if we don’t win anything."

What have England won in the last 45 years or so? Nothing. So does that mean every captain before him and ahead of him have failed in their main aim? Yes it does. Interestingly, the Manchester United defender continued:


“I have always said if there is something that needs to be said in the changing-room then I will speak my mind whether I am captain or not.

Why shouldn't it be like this for every player? Every player wants to win, every player wants to be the match winner for their country, and every player wants to do their country proud. They should all stand up and act as captains, rather than quietly listen to their manager off he pitch and then watch their captain motivate them on it. When you are playing for your country, that very fact is surely the only motivation you need?

Every player should give 100% to the team whether they are captain or not. That is why I believe the captaincy is just a symbol - a symbol that has recently caused much needless controversy in the England camp. It isn't as if we are short of controversy and trouble in this country as it is.

It seems to me that the only official roles of a captain are: to participate in the coin toss prior to kick off and penalty shoot out (the latter of which England are not very good at) and being the first player to hold aloft a trophy at the award-giving ceremony. That hasn't happened for a while either.

So whether John Terry is captain or not is not the issue. The issue is the chemistry of the team and the willingness of them to play together to work together and to win together. The armband is only a symbol to show the rest of the players who to turn to when they are in trouble. I say fine, keep that, but do not rely on that, and work yourself with all of the passion, inspiration, bravery, responsibility and ability that a captain should show. A team of leaders is better than just one.

Rooney & Carroll Will Thrive on Jarvis' Delivery

England

You don't have to be an expert on Wolves players to know that Matt Jarvis has been their brightest star this season. He admitted that his first day of England training felt a bit like a first day at a new school, but revealed that the England players have made him feel welcome in what he described as a "fantastic feeling" being called up to play for his country.

It is a far cry from being released by Millwall when he was 16. His father explained that it was a "difficult time" for Jarvis who could have easily given up football because of the rejection, but he went on to say that Jarvis is "very, very determined". It is that determination then, that has seen him rise to such a level when he is playing in the top tier of the Premier League and on the verge of an England appearance - an achievement many a young boy dreams of.

Last September Jarvis signed a new contract with Wolves, keeping him at the club until 2015, but his outstanding shows of brilliance at times have not only alerted Fabio Capello, but many of the top managers around England.

Jarvis' crossing ability is just one of many qualities that many sides look to for a major source of goals, and having crossed the ball for Wolves 203 times this season alone, it is perhaps surprising that his side Wolves have not converted very many of them. The lack of real goal scoring prowess may be a reason, but there is no lack of that in the England team, with Carroll and Rooney leading the line.

Carroll had a blistering start to the Premier League season with Newcastle, scoring 11 in 19 appearances, and the 19 goals he scored the previous season to help Newcastle into the top tier had no shortage of blasted headers from pin-point crosses.

As for Rooney, his Manchester United form has been poor on the whole, but the rather large blip in the season has begun to pick up, with his touch and goal presence returning at last - to the relief of United fans. Last season he was United's top scorer - that is easy to forget after such a torrid time, and 34 goals in 44 appearances is an enviable achievement. Where did those goals come from? What source did he miss miserably at the start of the season? Antonio Valencia's crosses were sorely missed by Rooney, and as a result, is goalscoring form nose dived.

Matt Jarvis can help pick it up for England. His pace to get beyond a player and ability to cross into dangrous areas will see Carroll and Rooney thrive. Whether it be through a knock down by Carroll to the awaiting Rooney to finish, a direct header or a goal line scramble, those crosses will inevitably lead to chances and goals that could change a game.

I will look forward to see Jarvis in an England shirt, as I'm sure he will be too.

Welbeck May Play for Ghana Instead of England

England

Danny Welbeck may decide to play his international football for Ghana rather than England. The Manchester United striker, who is currently on a very successful loan with Sunderland, was born in Manchester, England to Ghanaian parents. That means he can play for either England or Ghana, and his Ghanaian team mates at Sunderland, Asamoah Gyan and Johan Mensah are trying to persuade to join the 2010 World Cup quarter finalists.

Gyan said:

"Myself and (John) Mensah have spoken to him about playing for Ghana. He has not made up his mind yet and says he needs more time to think through it.

"He is a very good player, young and talented so he will be helpful to Ghana, but we need to give him more time."

The young striker has played for England under 17, under 18, under 19, and under 21 sides, and is now awaiting a first team call-up as Capello looks for the future generation of England stars. If Welbeck doesn't find himself on that list, he may well turn his had and jon up with the Ghana side. They have, after all been monitoring his progress since late 2008 in the hope that he may one day play for them.

Welbeck has shown excellent ability in his time with Sunderland, playing up front in a prolific partnership with Gyan. The 20 year-old has scored six times the amount of Premier League goals that he did at Manchester United and has shown the kind of quality that has made Ferguson so reluctant to sell him. The loan period at Sunderland has only improved him as a player, increasing his sale value and raising interest from clubs in search of a permanent deal. Welbeck is currently out with a hamstring injury.

A Prince, a Prime Minister and A Football Icon - But England Lose to... Russia?

England

England's dream of hosting their first World Cup since 1966 is over, as Russia won in their bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

England sent over the Prince and future King of England, the current Prime Minister, and a worldwide footballing icon, but FIFA were persuaded by Russia, whose bid was backed by oil billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, among others. It is bitterly disappointing or England.

Our bid was clearly, far and away the best bid. We have the brilliant stadiums and facilities, we have the hugely passionate fans, we have the hype, the excitement, the love for football. We know know it feels to lose, that is for sure - we lose in the World Cup competitions all the time, but it doesn't stop us from having the same extreme hype year after year. It is even more disheartening that England went out in the first round of voting; meaning that the likelihood is that England received less than 5 votes out of 22. There really is something wrong there - that suggests that England had the worst bid out of all of the bidders - which is clearly untrue.

There will be questions asked about how this could have possibly come about. The credibility of FIFA really has to be questioned. Especially if England were considered to be the worst candidates. We clearly put masses of effort into the bid, while the Russian president only seemed interested when they won.

Did money and corruption play a part in the result? Consider also that the winners of he 2022 bid were Qatar - a country who are, like Russia extremely rich with oil, but whose stadiums are far less developed and facilities far less advanced than England's. Both Russia and Qatar have a big job in building new stadiums, new airports, new stations, and a friendly football environment for visitors; they must do this to justify their wins.

FIFA will say that the countries were chosen because of what they can do in the future, and how much development the country will undergo as a result, but shouldn't they have chosen the best bid? The BBC may be blamed for their Panorama programme accusing certain FIFA members of corruption, but if there is corruption, it should be sorted; a blind eye should not be turned on corruption in football and FIFA, and this result hasn't done any good in excluding England.

Do England miss Beckham?

England

Against a team like Montenegro, who will sit in their half of the pitch, hold out for a draw and occasionally venture forward, no goals will come for the attacking side if all they try is long balls down the middle.

The way to score - particularly with big strikers, physical strikers or just plain brilliant headers of the ball, is to have an expert at crossing the ball into the box for those attackers to get a touch and win the game. Tuesdays game between England and Montenegro ended goalless, and with very little creativity, spark and skill on the ground, it wasn't hard to see why.

Crossing with Quality: Beckham

One whipped in cross, followed by one lucky touch or brilliant bit of skill could have been the difference, but with no one with a crossing ability good enough to provide for the hungry strikers, England couldn't take advantage of their attackers presence.

When you hear the names Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon, Ashley Young and Shaun Wright Phillips, you don't immediately associate them with their fantastic ability to pick out a team-mate from forty yards, or provide a delicious cross right onto a team-mates head. No, these players are mainly known for their speed, and in some cases, their fantastic (immensely annoying) ability to find the closest opposition defender when attempting a cross.

Adam Johnson and James Milner are better at crossing, but the consistency to find a man time and time again isn't there. Unlike a certain David Beckham.

Not only could he inspire the players around him to play well, but his crossing ability was - and is - unrivalled. Wherever he was on the pitch, he found a team-mate with apparent ease and cross with accuracy of which no English player I have seen possesses.

England do miss David Beckham, but if they want to succeed, they are going to have to find a player whose quality on the wings is not just consistent, but consistently brilliant.

England 0 - 0 Montenegro

England

Whenever England got the ball, all they saw was a sea of red shirts, gathering swiftly around them, reducing the options of attack and taking away any chance of a goal. Montenegro clearly didn't come to England with the objective to score a couple of goals - their 4-5-1 formation clearly demonstrating that fact, and the all-talk build up from certain Montenegro players who claimed that they were "super-confident" that they could beat the English at Wembley hardly looked like coming true.

It proved to be a tough test for England to break down the Montenegro defence, as the visiting team hardly ventured out from their own half - but a test that the England fans certainly expected their team to pass, with the boos at the end of the game, expressing that.

It was a reasonably good start to the game for England, having 70% of possession, and Crouch coming close twice thanks to a beautiful through ball from Gerrard, and a good cross by Adam Johnson. In the middle of the game, the good start fizzled out, and England became sloppy, and lost any cutting edge that they may have had at the start.

The second half was similar to the first, but England retained their sharpness (the blunt form of sharp) and had a good spell of pressure near the end - as they should have won a penalty through Ashley Young, and then a blatant hand ball from a Montenegro defender, which only the referee missed.

It was not a good England performance, but it wasn't a bad one - it was a frustrating one. A performance that England fans are becoming used to witnessing - if they haven't already.

In a rare chance for Montenegro which had Joe Hart beaten, they hit the crossbar with a great half volley in the eight third minute, which could so have easily caused Capello to lose his job. Kevin Davies, the eldest English debutant for over fifty years, came on for Crouch a couple of minutes before that, and picked up a yellow card with one of his first actions. A good few headers and his general physicality helped to open up a few areas, but the half chances came to nothing.

At the end of the game, as Montenegro celebrated as if it was a win, the English players trudged off, wondering what they could do to win over their frustrated fans.

Wayne Rooney On Fire

England

Wayne Rooney - Wayne Rooney again showed his class and scored the opening goal for england in euro 1012 qualifying match against Switzerland. While Wayne Rooney is experiencing the pressure of the case is not the affair but it was all a bad impact on performance. Rooney took the victory for England with a brilliant action at minute 10'.

Rooney also got praise from Fabio Capello.

"Wayne Rooney played very well. He was OK (mentally). It helped scoring the goal, too."

"I told you yesterday that he had been ok in training. I'd seen that. Now he plays an official game really well. The players want to play without other things on their minds. They can focus on the game alone. He did that today."

"He was really happy at the end, as were the other players at the end. The result was really important." Capello said.

Manchester United will tomorrow Saturday against Everton, the former club who once defended by Rooney in advanced Barclasy Premier League, Rooney will be back showing a bright appearance. We just wait the next scintillating action from Wayne Rooney.

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Have Manchester United already found a Scholes replacement?

England

Paul Scholes has been a fantastic servant to Manchester United since his debut in 1994. He has played a big part in United's success but taken little of the limelight, however, it is only recently that United fan's have wondered who will replace him when he has gone. At 35, he isn't getting any younger - although his performances suggest he is getting better, but when he does finally call it a day, you would think, Sir Alex Ferguson, or whoever the United manager is at the time, will have to fork out millions of pounds to find a replacement for the golden oldy. But I think the replacement is already at the club.

Since we bought Wayne Rooney in 2004, I always wondered how well he could play if he played a little deeper - in the position just ahead of the midfielders. There is no doubt that he has the ability - he has the ability to play anywhere. He runs and runs, chases and chases, he tracks back when he loses possession and is all over the pitch, helping out all of his team mates. He is a very self-less player. But he loves to score goals, and I have wondered, during his time at Manchester United, what he would play like - and how well he would play in the position that Paul Scholes used to occupy - the central attacking midfield position.

We never really found out until Friday night when he played in a similar position against Bulgaria. He played magnificently, playing a big part in all four goals that England scored, whilst directly assisting three. His cross field balls reminded me of Scholes, and his vision was astonishing - the return chip over the defenders for Ashley Cole during the build up for the first goal was an example of this.

England at times were lacking in spark, and, although comfortable in  possession, couldn't create anything - cue Rooney. Dawson and Jagielka passed it to each-other in their own half and whilst the attackers waited for a long ball, Rooney came rushing back, took the ball and found a team mate with an exquisite pass. He should have been on the end of it, yet he was the one delivering it. Thats what he can do. His decision making for the assists was perfection - choosing Defoe over Walcott in a three on three situation.

In general, Rooney tore the Bulgarians to shreads with his quick thinking, perfect passing, and stunning vision. He would be a much better goalscorer for England if he had a similar player to him or a good crosser of the ball in the wings to cross onto his head or into his feet - like he has at Manchester United with Valencia, Nani and Giggs.

Rooney can be a goalscorer with the right service, however he can also be a creator as he proved on Friday. I would like to see more of Rooney in that position, because maybe, just maybe, he could turn into the Scholes replacement that Manchester United fans have been looking for.

Stop Blaming Capello

England

As England fans sit down in front of their televisions on Friday to watch England play against Bulgaria, it will bring back all the memories of the latest World Cup exit and leave a sickening feeling in even die hard England fans. We all know that it is hard to watch England, with catastrophic mistakes just around the corner and uncharacteristic errors just seconds away. These blunders are magnified enormously as they are watched by millions of fans around England and the world. Fabio Capello knows more than anyone that when mistakes happen, everyone wants someone to blame. In the most recent World Cup failure, as with so many others, the manager has been the one who has been attacked as the weak-link in the team. He is blamed for the failings of a team with the players of such high-quality that they should be able to beat any nation on any given day. But with the only thing to change between major competitions being the manager (and of course the retiring of players) it must be questioned as to why the new manger is blamed when it has been the players who have failed to deliver.

Capello has been under massive pressure to leave his England post by certain newspapers who have branded him as stupid and evan a "jackass" since England lost to Germany in the World Cup. Yes, he made mistakes during the competition, but so did the players. I fear that fans and newspapers like to demand the manager to be sacked because they think it will make things better, and also because they can. Under massive pressure of the media, the FA can crumble and try to appease fans by giving them the managers head. But this is only a short term solution. It doesn't solve much, and it makes you wonder, who would want to be manager of England. The criticism of Capello is hardly fair. He understands that he made mistakes, but to call a manager who has won most of Europes top prizes and managed Europes top clubs stupid and a "jackass" is absurd.

As fans, we need to realise that over the past forty four years, England, with excellent players have won nothing. We have been the victim of incredibly bad luck over the years, Robert Green and Frank Lampard could tell you that. But the ammount of managers that we have gone through without winning anything - and these are highly experienced, top class (well paid) managers, we need to think logically and realise that it isn't all the managers fault, and the easier we turn against the men who lead out our nation in major competitions, the harder it will be for them to do their job.

West Ham want Beckham & Owen

England

They have already audaciously attempted to sign Thierry Henry from Barcelona and re-sign Joe Cole from Chelsea, but now, maybe even more cheekily, are trying to persuade the England golden-oldies David Beckham and Michael Owen to East London.

The clubs interest in Owen is not yet confirmed, however, co-owner David Gold said that Beckham could play a big part in delivering West Ham the olympic stadium after the 2012 olympic games are over.

"For him to join a club like us and help us bring another dream to fruition would be perfect for everyone. "

Confirming that talks are or have been held, Gold said

"We've had conversations with his people and made it clear we want him aboard"

Michael Owen, under contract with Manchester United for one more year is recovering from a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the end of last season. Nevertheless, Owen's deadly finish is still in tact as he proved at United last season and would be a welcome addition to last seasons relegation survivors.

To re-unite the pair at West Ham would be a big success and a sign of intent. Both are still big names in the English game and I'm sure fans of West Ham would be excited to see them both playing at Upton Park. Their signings could also be a big commercial boost, with Beckham such a big world wide brand, shirt sales would boost dramtically and tickets would go even quicker as fans flock to see their heroes in person.

England Football Team

England

England football team logo

England football team world cup 2010

England football team celebration

England football team players

England football team picture

Surely Wembley's Priority is Football?

England

The Wembley pitch. Once envied by managers and players, it is now the most disappointing pitches in England. And the most expensive.

After the Carling Cup Final this year, James Milner criticised the pitch saying that it was worse than lower league teams pitches. He emphasised how hard teams work to get to a final - only for it to be played on a terrible surface.

It apparently costs £100,000 to relay the pitch, and there is going to be a lot more relaying over the next few years. But not because of football. The pitch needs to be relayed because of other events such as concerts, American football, and racing events which ruin the pitch and leave it in horrible condition for the footballers.

Surely, the main reason for Wembley was to play football on it. Why then, do the footballers get the worst of it? Michael Owen was injured on it, pulling his hamstring, and therefore ruling him out of any World Cup hopes he had and many others have complained they felt much worse after playing on it. A serious injury could be caused from this pitch, and it could be a very valuable player who is the victim. In the FA Cup Final today perhaps.

On the world largest footballing stages, with the best players playing on it, it really needs to be sorted out - with football the main priority. It would save money, time and maybe even a professional footballers' career.

John Terry Could miss World Cup with Injury

England

England's World Cup defence may become even weaker with sudden news that John Terry had broken his metatarsal.

It has become clear that although Terry has not suffered a break, there is ligament damage, and this news will certainly make England's World Cup preparation and/or hopes suffer.

The England camp await more news on his injury, but it does not look good as he walked in a protective foot out of training after a "knock".

He could miss the F.A Cup Final between Chelsea and Portsmouth, and depending on news of how serious an injury it is, he could miss the World Cup.

England World Cup Injury Update

England

Gareth Barry has become a major doubt for England's World Cup team. An injury during Manchester City's defeat to Tottenham on Wednesday could rule the England holding midfielder out for 4 weeks. The World Cup begins on June 11, which would leave Barry with little time to get back to full form if the predictions of his injury are correct.

This news would come as another blow for the England side, as he had been a regular player in the England manager, Capello's team during the qualifiers for the prestigious competition.

The call for a replacement may come as a blessing to some, as a player like Michael Carrick who has not been a big part of the England manager's plans for the World Cup, could come in as a replacement. In addition to Carrick, another Manchester United man, England's player of the tournament in their last World Cup trip in 2006, Owen Hargreaves has just returned after being 20 months out with serious knee trouble.

Golden Oldies such as Beckham and Owen are already out with injuries and Rio Ferdinand has had injury troubles all season. John Terry and Ashley Cole's private life's have been well publicised and other small troubles nag at Capello. If England's World Cup preparation is anything to go by, it may just be another disappointing World Cup tournament for the nation with so many world class players.