Injured and will miss the world cup http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25631561 Old news but i thought it should be here anyway. Tough blow for England since he is one of the better players.
Only thing i know about this group as most of people is that costa rica is a sparring partner. I tend to think Uruguay with a high class Suarez will go through and that one team between italia and england will go back home, but wouldn't bet a fortune on whom of them. hum...i'd say 60-40 for italia. and i want to see these sexy italian ladies more than just in first round in brazilian stadiums che bella donna!
Hi Guys, As we approach the World Cup and with only three friendlies left, what are your preferred starting XIs? My starting England XI if fit: Hart; Baines, Cahill, Jagielka, Walker; Wilshere, Gerrard, Lallana; Ox-Chambo, Rooney, Sturridge. I would have liked to have seen Dawson given a chance at CB, however, he's injured now and I think our CB pairing will almost certainly be Cahill and Jagielka. Terry has been amazing this season and has built a great partnership with Cahill but it doesn't look like the FA will swallow their pride and pick him again. I've always loved Baines and think he has the perfect mix of attacking and defending abilities making him an excellent a modern fullback, as well as being able to deliver a wicked freekick. Luke Shaw is also looking great and think he'd be able to take it in is stride if called upon. Johnson has gone off the boil a bit recently so, based on current form, I'd start Walker, albeit him being a little too attack minded. I think the three midfielders pick themselves, perhaps with the exception of Wilshere who may struggle to be picked by Hodgson based on the fact that he has a long term injury and that Hodgson favours current form over much else. Yet, he possesses the ability to pick out a key pass or run past a couple of players which could change any game. With regards to the front three, Rooney and Sturridge are certs at this moment in time with Oxlade-Chamberlain looking exceptional. The Ox, much like Lallana, is not only versatile, but is also both hard working and excitingly creative which is exactly what this formation and, more importantly, what this England team needs.
I would consider the following lineups for the group stage: Italy Hart Johnson Cahill Jagielka Baines Gerrard Wilshere Sterling Henderson Rooney Sturridge Uruguay Hart Johnson Cahill Jagielka Baines Gerrard Wilshere Henderson Lallana Rooney Sturridge Costa Rica Hart Johnson Cahill Jagielka Baines Gerrard Wilshere Sterling Lallana Rooney Sturridge I feel that Henderson is the ideal candidate to track Pirlo in the Italy match, and that we need pace out wide (Sterling) for counter-attacks. Against Uruguay, they don't pack the middle so much as Italy, so we could afford Lallana in the centre. Also, they aren't going to leave that many counter-attacking opportunities for England, and sometimes threaten out wide, so Sterling may be best used from the bench, By the time we play Costa Rica, England may find themselves relying on goal difference to qualify from the group, so I would go for an attacking lineup. I am probably biased, though, with a lot of Liverpool players in my lineups.
Following what now seems to be likely draws against Italy and Uruguay I don't see England as a likely candidate to qualify from this group otherwise than on goal difference. But it's to soon to jump to conclusions and until ALL the 'final 23' squads are announced any speculation goes.
Italy are the ultimate tacticians so if we don't get the squad and tactics right for that game, we could easily drop 3 points. The other two teams are worth having a go at with a much more attacking line up and formation.
I once have posted it, but is so strange that i want to revoke it. there is an very interesting odd when it comes to world cup winners: since the introduction of round of 16 matches (1986) the following rule applies on 3 out of 5 world champions. Brazil (1994), Italy (2006) and Spain (2010) all won their titles 4 years after they went out in the round of 16 match and 8 years after they went out in the quarter finals in a penalty shoot-out. Whenever this sequence occured, the team living through it became world champion - if it had a chance to. In 1994 the only loser by penalties in the quarter finals romania did also lose in the round of 1998 but wasn`t simply qualified in 2002 to grip the title. In 1990 the only loser by penalies in the quarter finals had been yugoslavia, excluded from the 1994 World Cup. As there is no other team in Brazil 2014, that has lost in the round of 16 four years before and in a quarter final in penalty 8 years before except ENGLAND, they are a secure bet since being qualified.
Actually 2 points from the first two games is actually puts England in a good position as beating Costa Rica in the final game will likely be sufficient (not to belittle Costa Rica, but I think everyone else in this group knows they have to beat them to get through) or at least we will go into the game knowing the margin we have to win by to ensure qualification. 3 points puts us in a similar (maybe slightly worse) position as 2 points, 1 point leaves us at the mercy of the result of the other game (to varying degrees) and 0 points is fairly likely see us out already or at least very much at the mercy of the other result.
Half of these aren't even reasons. We are the under dogs? So are 28 other teams in the World Cup. This article seems like a total jinx article to me.