England vs. Australia Match Thread

No there will be no squad announcement until afew days before the game...

 

According to the FA website they will have 'exclusive' announcement of the squad on Feb 8. Likely following that day's matches.

 

I want to see players like Beattie ,rooney ,jenas ,etc...

Sven will leave the squad selection as late as possible to ensure that there aren't loads of squad withdrawls through "mystery" injuries..
If sven named a team I think you would find that a load of those players would mysteriously get injured after the weekends games...

 

I want to see Russel Hoult, but as he plays for Albion it's very unlikely.

 

I'd like to see our best 11 for at least a half but that won't happen (Robinson, G Neville, Rio, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Gerrard, Scholes, Dyer, Owen, Beattie/Smith/Heskey)

Other players: Hargreaves, Joe Cole, Jenas, Wes Brown, Woodgate.

Ideally no more than 5 substitutions. So just pick from above, ok Sven.

 

Graeme Le saux to get back the place he should never have lost

 

He's not even playing there (left back) anymore for his club.
I wouldn't mind LeSaux having a shot at the left side midfield role (where it seems he plays now for Chelsea) but I think Cole is better at the back.

 

Rooney in the squad

The Sun is reporting that Wayne Rooney is going to be named in the squad and that he will play in the game.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2003061551,00.html

Not the most reliable source but if it's true he will be youngest ever England international.

 

Re: Rooney in the squad

That's for sure. Their motto is "You Say It. We'll Print It."

 

Bizzo,

Le Saux played left back as recently against the Yiddos, last weekend. Le Saux can play left back or left mid, which obviously makes him a versitile player. I think he can at least make the squad for this friendly...but probably wouldn't start because Cole plays for the 'mighty' Arsenal.

 

the SQUAD

Wayne Rooney is in.

Full Squad

Sol CAMPBELL - ARSENAL
Ashley COLE - ARSENAL
Francis JEFFERS - ARSENAL
Darius VASSELL - ASTON VILLA
Matthew UPSON - BIRMINGHAM
Owen HARGREAVES - BAYERN MUNICH
Paul KONCHESKY - CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Scott PARKER - CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Frank LAMPARD - CHELSEA
Wayne ROONEY - EVERTON
Richard WRIGHT - EVERTON
Sean DAVIS - FULHAM
Danny MILLS - LEEDS UNITED
Paul ROBINSON - LEEDS UNITED
Danny MURPHY - LIVERPOOL
Michael OWEN - LIVERPOOL
David BECKHAM - MANCHESTER UNITED
Wes BROWN - MANCHESTER UNITED
Rio FERDINAND - MANCHESTER UNITED
Gary NEVILLE - MANCHESTER UNITED
Paul SCHOLES - MANCHESTER UNITED
Kieron DYER - NEWCASTLE UNITED
Jermaine JENAS - NEWCASTLE UNITED
James BEATTIE - SOUTHAMPTON
Ledley KING - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Joe COLE - WEST HAM UNITED
David JAMES - WEST HAM UNITED

A few have a chance at first cap - Jeffers, Upson, Konchesky, Parker, Rooney, Davis, Jenas, Beattie, King.

Jeffers & Upson don't excite me at all. Where's Woodgate & Smith? Injuries?

My line-up
Robinson, Neville, Rio, Brown, A Cole, Beckham, Hargreaves, Scholes, Dyer, Owen, Beattie.

 

Smith did not play on Saturday against West Ham due to illness. He would probably not be fit for the match anyway, but club rules at Leeds dictate that if he did not play on the Saturday, he cant play the International match.

 

I don't know if I'm gonna be able to see it (satelite problems), any match tracker available?

 

starting line-up

James, G Neville, Ferdinand, Campbell, Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Scholes, Dyer, Beattie, Owen.

 

Is this an appropriate place to post the score? If so, Australia goes up 1-0 on a 16th minute goal set up by Lazaridis (not sure of the scorer).

 

Popovic was the scorer. HT score: 2-0.

 

I know I may catch some stick for saying this, on this forum, but truth be told that Australia could easily be up 2-0 right now (40 minutes gone, but England are starting to come into the game more and more).

Hold on... it is 2-0. Kewell just rounded James to double the Socceroos' advantage.

Wow. Australia are putting the leather to England.

Cheers,
William

 

This is sad

 

Halftime, 2-0 to the Socceroos.

England 0-2 Australia (Popovic 16, Kewell 42)

 

This is pathetic. I wonder what Sven is going to do at half time.

 

He's going to replace every player on the England side. Just like he said he was gonna do. I hope Rooney really steps it up...

 

Will be interesting to see if Sven sticks to his plan of wholesale changes after the interval...

But I think that's the least of England's problems. Right now, I think Australia are playing perfectly, defensively-- limiting Beckham to very few quality touches and forcing him to receive the ball in his own half oftentimes-- while counter-attacking well.

Lazaridis, in particular, is doing a great job on Beckham, and if it weren't for David James tipping over a Viduka shot from a Chipperfield cross, the Socceroos would be up three right now.

And oh, by the way, Harry Kewell is fit.

 

Does anyone know where I can get commentary on the match? Five Live had it for the first half but seem to have cut the feed.