England vs Portugal
 

Propose your starting XI's here......

Hate to stray off straight away but is this going to be on terrestrial? :$

I believe Sky have the rights, not 100%

Back on track, lets see.

GK - Paul robinson
DL - Ashley Cole (TWAT)
DC - John Terry
DC - Gareth Southgate
DR - Jamie Carragher
ML - <s> Emile Heskey </s> Wayne Bridge
CM - Scholes
CM - Stevie Gerrard
MR - Beckham
ST - Michael Owen
ST - I dunno who else, they all suck.

A strong side, but a few points nonetheless.....

What if England played Owen up on his own, with Scholes just behind, like he plays with Van Nistelrooy. This leaves a space in the centre for Lampard, who is on fire to partner Gerrard.

Personally, I don't rate Carragher at all and i would have to pick Gary Neville over him.

Maybe a recall for Michael Ricketts! :rofl: I dont think!

So mine would read......

GK Martyn
DR Gary Neville
DC Gareth Southgate
DC John Terry
DL Ashley Cole (I hate him, but he works well with Bridge on the left)
MR David Beckham
MC Stevie Gerrard
MC Frank Lampard
ML Wayne Bridge
FR Paul Scholes
ST Michael Owen

No, Neville isn't even very good, he is VERY overrated. But i like the Owen up on his own with Scholes supporting, mainly because then Lamps has room to play.

Yes he is very overrated but i just don't like the idea of Carragher in the England back line, can't really see another option. Altough it is only a friendly i guess, so Sven could try a few things a see how it go's.

Should have called up Glenn Johnson :shifty:

Theres a few months to go, so he could be an option. All possible angles must be explored if we are to go to the Championship's at full strength. Maybe Glenn would work well with John Terry at the back

1. David James
2. Gary Neville
3. Wayne Bridge
4. Steven Gerrard
5. John Terry
6. Gareth Southgate
7. David Beckham
8. Paul Scholes
9. Wayne Rooney
10. Michael Owen
11. Ashley Cole

Thoughts -

I'd give Beckham a free role of sort, encouraging him to get inside - possibly working with Rooney to do so. I'm not a big Ashley Cole fan but there's nobody else (considering Alan Thompson wasn't called up) and I'd like to see an England midfield with some width. In my mind Rooney/Owen looks to be England's best chance at a real partner - Wayne seems to hit a different gear when he plays for England so forget about his Everton form. I would like to see Beattie given another chance but that's a different matter. Some would argue for Lampard, but Scholes is simply too good to leave out.

The idea of Scholes supporting does nothing for me. He's been far more effective as a central midfield player making late runs into the box for United this season and his form over the last few weeks/months playing behind a front two illustrates this. Playing him deeper gives him the chance to dictate/control the game, that he's improved at greatly over the past 18 months. Owen is not Van Nistelrooy or Shearer and I highly doubt he'd be effective on his own for 90 minutes - he simply doesn't do enough in general play.

As for Gary Neville - he's had his most consistent season this year and has looked great. Can't believe anyone would think it'd be a better idea to have JAMIE f'n CARRAGHER in the England back-line.

:'(. Sadly, it's true. Poor Frank. :(

Glenn is an immature prick, the guy has a bad attitude and no sense. He kicks the ball away TWICE against Lazio when we are 4-0 up with injury time to go. :|, against Birmingham, he did a bookabkle challenge, and the ref called him over, and Johnson wouldnt go to him, so Mutu and Jimmy had a go at him, then he went their, got mouthy, and they had their free kick moved forwards. He doesn't think, and he isn't a reliable defender.

I thought that when Scholes played just behind Nistelrooy for United it didn't work. :?:

Thats not to say it wont work for England, I'm just saying you give Ruud too many props.

The other problem with Owen up front alone is he'd have to keep hold of the ball for the midfield to get up and support, ain't no way that's going to happen.

true, Mutu tries to hold up the ball too much, and it's hard, having a lone striker is kinda bad because then the midfield only have one person to aim at, but having Scholes playing just off him givs them two men to aim at. I think that its worth trying it for a half, and then like PD said, sticking Roonaldo up front with Owen to see what they are like.

Hey, United scum leave Carragher alone, he's one of our best players. He's great for us.

I like the idea of Scholes behind Owen as well because it would leave room in centre midfield to play someone like Butt alongside Gerrard and allow him to do what he does for Liverpool, aka get forward more and really carry the game to the opposition - especially with the form he's in right now.

Well seeing that Gerrard isnn't in the squad for the friendly then I think that he should play Lampard.

If he chose to go with Scholes behind Owen I'd tend to agree...OR experiment with Beckham in the middle and try someone else on the right.

Sorry, this isn't the England Comedy Footballers XI

John Terry's out now, withdrew today along with Vassell. Nobody is to be called up as replacement apparently. Thats the defence screwed then, No Rio, no Terry and no Sol Campbell, but Sol not being there dont suprise me, he never plays friendlys anyways, he's always "injured", Wanker!

GK James
RB Mills,seeing as Neville's out.
LB Ashley Cole
Dunno about the centre backs without Terry,Campbell or Woodgate.I guess Southgate as one but the rest pretty much suck.
RM Beckham
CM Lampard
CM Scholes
LM Dyer
CF Owen
CF Rooney

I guess the other centre back would have to be King,as i reckon Sven'll call up Gardner to replace Terry and i don't rate either King or Gardner.

GK James
RB Carragher
LB Cole
CB Southgate
CB King
RM Beckham
LM Cole
CM Scholes
CM Lampard
CF Owen
CF Rooney


Midfielders are hard to say as it'll be a diamond anyway, maybe Beckham holding, Scholes on the right, Lampard behind Owen and Rooney

Actually i forgot Carragher was in the squad,i'd prefer him at right back than Mills.

So what do you guys think, what the score will be?

1-1

If Sven makes like a million subs as per usual, I can see Portugal nicking it maybe 2-1 :(

I agree with putting Beckham in the centre, he does it so well for Madrid. It's a shame all our best players play in the same position.

I'll go for 2-2 but i'd have England to win if they had Terry/Campbell/Woodgate in the side.

Yeah i know both groups are pretty strong, and i still ain't a soccer expert but i think England will win by 2-0

And for The Netherlands- US i hope that we the US will win, but hey everybody hopes his country wins, I will say 2-1 for the Dutch. :-\ Hope i am wrong...

Dam, I wish they would show this game or any of the International games in the States. But this should be one hell of a game and a great warmup for the Euro. Does anyone know if Figo is going to play today? My friends from Portugual tell me he's hurt and he might not play.

Well at least I get to see U.S.A. get their asses kicked today by Holland and van Nistelrooy today.

Yeah...it think it's gonna be painfull...the match is played at 3 pm if i am not mistaking...i don't now which channel it's on...

ESPN 2 at 2:30

:kiss: Thanx dude :love:

LEDLEY ****ING KING!!!!

Of all the people to get the first goal, I bet on Owen, Rooney and Beck's.

Stupid Gambling Addiction :mad:

Miguel scored an own Goal

Have they actually credited it as an own goal? I thought they'd given it to King

OH, I checked UEFA and they had it listed as an own. You could be right though. Hey, how's the game if your watching it?

First off,Congrats on the 2,000th post right there :)

The Game aint to bad, nothing to write home about, 1-1 now Pauleta Free kick. Smith's just come on, missed who went off

Beckham is lining up a free kick as i type this...........



Good Save :(

It's OK, some good free kicks, and good moves in general, I think it will end 1-1.

I wish ESPN would air these dam games, especially during the Euro.

LOL, I didn't even realize it was 2000. Thanks :D

Yeah I hate it when that happens, when we played Turkey I bet that we would win 2-0 and Becks would score first, and 2-1 and Becks would score first. £3 I bet overall, and would have made £100 if either happened. I like to think if he had score the penalty I would have gone on to win the bet.

I have only bet once in the last month, and that was for Pompey to beat Liverpool.

I do try not have flutter to often, but i just think it helps make these meaningless friendly's a bit more interesting.

**Side note to Dazz**

I notice Paul Carrington still won't let it lie! :rofl:

When Matt Taylor smacked in that equaliser,i really thought Pompey were gonna pull it off, such is life though.

:lol: Carrington is a dick.

I thought so too, Pompey had two corners, and they timewasted in the corner from both, if they whipped the ball in they might have scored.

And I blew £50 on Ladbrokes casino in the space of about two hours. I had won £10, and then lost it again, and then lost another £40, that was just after christmas. Never again will I play their online games.



:mad: IT WAS 1-1, I said it would be, the last two games that I have predicted the score to I have got right, I should start betting again.

You do realise though, the minute you put money on it, it'll go tits up !

I know, like Pompey :mad:

When I was down the gym a couple of weeks ago the TV was on, and the showed Shffield United line up, and I said to my mate it would be a draw, and he asked who they were playing, and I said I didn't know, but I knew it would be a draw, and it was. The last five matches I have predicted, I have got the score right in two of them, the result of one of them right, and one goal off getting the other two right, I am doing much better since I stopped betting. :(.

You should start a thread for "Dazz's punt of the week", that way I and others can cash in your predictions, just as long as you don't hex it by backing it yourself

sounds good to me :lol:

:lol: not a bad idea. I'd be better then Kerry Dixon, he does his Ladbrokes predictions and always gets them wrong.

On Saturday, if Chelsea draw 2-2 with the Arse and theres a sending off, I will be annoyed I didn't bet on it.

I think 1-1 is a fair result and a good one for us seeing as we were missing almost all of the first choice back line(all of it after only 18 minutes or so) aswell as Gerrard.

I was actually quite surprised by King,he was one of our better players and looked pritty calm at the back,though that said i would still rather see Woodgate/Terry/Campbell ahead of him in the pecking order.The only thing that bothered me(in the defending in general) is that they tried to pass it around too often,Butt must've done it 3 times and gave it away in dangerous positions.

Oh yeah that and also James reverting back to his "calamity" persona for a few seconds.I'll admit i didn't find it funny at the time when he pushed King and Rooney out the way and then dropped the ball but as long as it didnt end in a goal i'm ok with it and find it fairly funny.