We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
posted by gooner71 @ 1:41 PM
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
65 Comments:
Here's the side that Capello has chosen for tonight's match:
James; Johnson, Ferdinand, Woodgate, Bridge; Beckham, Gerrard, Barry, Downing; Defoe, Ashton.
This is obviously nothing close to a first team for England - or at least we hope it isn't.
Steven Gerrard and Gareth Barry are paired in central midfield - which Rafael Benitez wants to do for Liverpool next season - Stewart Downing is on the left and Ashton starts in attack with Jermain Defoe.
And we're off with Goldenballs captaining the side for the 59th time in his career.
Defoe. When's Don Fabio going to cut his cover of the Ian Dury classic, "What A Waste!"
All together now,
What A Waste!
What A Waste!
But I Don't Mind
Too true, but I'm still hoping that he'll be one the "Reasons to be cheerful" today.
Carlos Edwards has a pop from range and Calamity collects with ease. Looks like Sunderland's big boy Kenwyne Jones is the strike threat for the Calypso Boys today.
Hello Trev!
I'm happy to see Ashton get a go. I thought he was desperately unlucky with the injury that kept him out of WC contention and I hope he can get back to the form he was showing prior.
365 comments: "Jermain Defoe fails to fire Beckham's superb cross from the right towards goal. The England striker should have done better with that chance."
The waster has started already. That won't be the last time we'll see those words today. I wonder what his chance to goal ratio is - pretty remote, I'd suspect.
It looks like everything's being channeled through Becks again. I was trying to argue this point with Dave the other day. If he plays, to say nothing about captaining, he dominates the play, slows it down and means that we have fewer chances.
He makes Andy Cole look like Gerd Muller. And he's a midget. I just don't get how he continues to get a chance. No one else?
Roy Keane won't be pleased - Kenwyne's been stretchered off with a knee problem. It doesn't look like he'll be able to continue.
Curious that we haven't been given a temperature yet. A degree above 65 and England is in trouble
True enough. Apparently Calamity nobbled Kenwyne Jones with a typically mad rush out of goal to catch a through ball.
Good to see Glen Johnson playing. Thought he was one of the better players in the Cup Final. Maybe not first choice, but next.
Barry!!!!!
Brilliant. Take that Lampard.
Great start, and hopefully something for Don Fabio to take into account.
Lovely jubbly, as Dave would say. The best thing about this line-up is that it might solidify the Barry-Gerrard axis in the middle of the side.
Defoe!!!!!
How crap must T&T's defenders be to let that midget score with his second strike? He usually is good for 6-7 goes before troubling the goal.
Still. This may be a walk.
2-0! Blimey, Defoe's got one, even though he scuffed his shot. England are running riot!
Where was Cupid on that goal? He certainly ain't drawing back on his bow.
Apparently Ashton laid the ball on for the wee lad. Nice.
365 comments: "England are once again passing the ball around their defence under no pressure at all. Fabio Capello's side are in complete control of this game."
The unfortunate thing about this match is that the T&T defenders are making Jermaine Defoe look like Pato.
Last couple of minutes indicates that we've taken the foot off the pedal. A free in shooting range and a scrambled clearance from the ensuing corner. Tighten it up!
Absolutely - I was about to say that. It's got to be hot there so they're pacing themselves. I haven't seen the subs on offer but I'd like to see the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor off the bench in the second half.
Can't tell how physical it is out there. If it's not very, I'd like to see Theo get a go. If yes, then Agbonlahor.
Sounds like there are a few wild challenges going in.
Sensing that the English midfield is not retaining possession well enough.
T&T should not score tonight, but it looks like they might get something jammy if we're not more careful.
To be fair, they've been reduced to long range efforts. But with Calamity in the net, you never know...
Defoe collects a sweet Barry pass at the edge of the box, turns neatly and then....balloons it over the bar (sigh)
England have picked it up a notch again. Becks crosses to Ashton who volleys over the top.
I see that, and it's hard to tell from text, but it just seems that the English midfielders are getting sloppy. Fouling here and there, it gets T&T into positions where they might sneak one. And it really shouldn't happen.
F365: "Trinidad and Tobago have performed better since England's second goal. They have looked much more comfortable in possession and appear to be more solid at the back."
Coming up on the end of the half here, into stoppage time.
Half time: 0-2 England. I think you'd have to say competent but not spectacular. They could have really run up a score there but took the foot off the gas.
If they go on to blood a few more young 'uns and run out 3 or 4-0 winners, Capello will be a happy man tonight.
F365 have posted their first pictures of the match. England's new red strip is almost a crimson, unless the tint of the photos is off.
Are England Alabama in disguise?
F365: "The second-half is under way and England have made a triple change at the break with Joe Hart, Phil Jagielka, David Bentley and Peter Crouch coming on for James, Ferdinand, Beckham and Ashton."
Jagielka?!
Btw, Cupid's gone off. No word whether he's taken his bow with him.
Bentley makes a quick impression with a brilliant cross to Defoe for the diminutive one's second.
0-3!
It's good news for England but it also means that Jermaine Defoe is on course for an England hat-trick.
Defoe has a go and slices his effort just wide of the post.
Looks like Ashley Young's going to make an appearance.
F365 comments: "The tempo of this match has slowed right down since the break. It doesn't look like we are set for a vintage 45 minutes of football."
Crouchie runs on to a ball but scuffs his shot wide. It sounds as if the pitch isn't so clever.
Sorry, had to nip out for dinner. Looks like we're very comfortable in this one now. I'd have been tempted to leave Ashton on. If he can't score against T&T, that would have been a lesson learned. Crouchy is a known and trusted entity.
Good to see Bentley put the cross in for Defoe to put away.
Good to see Ashley Young get a go. He's left sided, yes?
Here we go. I've been waiting for this. Go-on Theo. Fill yer boots boy!
I hope he does well and gets through this safely.
Theo's second cap!
And Capello has robbed Defoe of his chance of scoring a hat-trick. Good man!
F365 "The Portsmouth striker has scored two goals and played very well tonight."
...against the ilk of T&T in a nothing game. Jury is still out on that waster, but he apparently did ok and did score 2.
Shame, that. 15 minutes to play now.
Any reason why the Trinis are in White, when their home color is red, and England are in the red, when we could be in the white?
Defoe's performance will fuel the papers, but really, could anyone really be fooled by this? I can't see it. Step it up Theo.
Blimey, creaky old Dwight Yorke has wheeled himself onto the pitch for the last ten minutes. He no longer has the legs to lead the line so he now plays in midfield.
Yorkie? Still? That's comic. I must have seen him for Sunderland this year, but can't remember now.
I don't remember him playing this season at all. He did make an important contribution to their promotion from the Championship the year before, but it seemed to always be Kenwyne Jones and Michael Chopra this season.
365 says that Walcott has been "the pick of the England subs," but they certainly haven't mentioned his name very much.
Crouchie misses with a header from six yards out.
Into stoppage time. Ashley Young has a tame effort turned round the post.
Crouchie puts another header over the bar.
Crouchie just isn't doing it right now. A bit dangerous for him to go flat just now for a new England boss. He doesn't seem to impress Rafa enough either and would be wise to find some form to impress a new club with.
Full-time: 0-3 England
Nothing to write home about, but if it were in a big tournament, you'd say, "a job well done." It gives Capello more data to process. Barry seems essential at this point. I reckon Bentley's as good on the right as Becks and represents the future. He's got a real striking problem in that he's left with the powderkeg that is Rooney and a very fragile Michael Owen as his best choices. After those two, the quality drops off precipitously.
3-0. The match ticker says that it was lacklustre overall, but 3-0 away is a good result in my estimation.
Sure, it would have been great to give the Trinis a good hiding. Short of that, it sounds like the defending was sound overall if not especially taxed.
Some new guys got a chance, Ashton, Young, Theo in them, some fringe guys like Bentley appeared to do well. But in the absence of anything really special, expect the pro-Defoe drumbeat to be pretty loud. Ah, well.
That was fun tonight. I'll say cheerio from Alexandria so that the boy can resume his RPG playing.
Cheerio!
Just to let you know, I'm planning to post group previews for the Euros starting on Tuesday and running through the end of the week. I'll look forward to your input.
Sorry guys I missed it. I was at Matt's soccer game. They won 5-3 and Matt scored a hat-trick!
The one time I'm on there are over three of ya!!
Well-in Matty. Just like his Dad.
Congrats.
Gooner . . . you post the best pics!
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