Is it already must win for England?
Written by James Beckett Friday, 11 June 2010 19:50
England captain Steven Gerrard has said his side must get off to a winning start when they take on The USA in their World Cup opener tomorrow. But could England really avoid to drop points tomorrow, and still achieve success in South Africa?
In my opinion, no they can't. Personally I see the opening game of the tournament as crucial, and if England are to achieve anything this summer, they need to get of to a positive start and hit the ground running.
In 2006, while we beat Paraguay in our opening game, Sven Goran Eriksson's side hardly set the world alight, and came under criticism for an overly negative approach. The same happened four years earlier against Sweden in Japan, where Sol Campbell's header earned a 1-1 draw. But this draw put immense and unwanted pressure on the Argentina game,
While a game against Algeria wouldn't be quite as intense as a game with Argentina, Fabio Capello won't want his players to be any more pressure then is needed, so a positive result against the USA is vital.
To be fair, a draw wouldn't be a particularly disastrous result, but it wouldn't install fear in England's rivals, and Gerrard is right in saying that England should be going all out for victory. A good win tomorrow would send a real message out that England are a team to avoid, and it would be a real boost for the squads confidence, which despite three wins in recent weeks, won't be that high, after poor performances.
I see England getting off to another stuttering display tomorrow, but I still see an England victory. Capello has almost become regimented with his 4-4-2 system against the non elite nations, and this often leads to England becoming very one dimensional. I feel that we won't see the best out of the England side until the later stages of the tournament, when hopefully a 4-5-1 will be used, but by then it may be to late
But I really hope I'm wrong because if England perform tomorrow, imagine the boost it will give everybody, and maybe for the first time, people will actually believe that England can win the World Cup.
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Nick
said:
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... Yes, It is a must win for England because it will boost their morale and confidence.. |
Hoges
said:
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... I think we have already seen enough in the tournament to suggest that England can't win. The ball is light the pitches are hard and it is like playing on astro turf. Won't suit our lads. I think we need to play Joe Cole who can actually control a ball and I hope Peter Crouch plays. He has got decent close control can cope with a ball that bounces so high and must be a better option than Heskey who can't trap a bag of wet cement. I don't think you can look further than the more technically adept nations and Spain in particular. |
Declan Carroll
said:
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... In the last World Cup Italy drew with USA in their first group match and went on to win the tournament. Still hope for England and Robert Green can redeem himself with good performances against Algeria and Slovenia. Nothing there to frighten England and they will still qualify comfortably. The glass is half full! Declan Carroll, Ireland. |
DaveA
said:
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... Thanks Declan, I remain optimistic as well. No doubt many will be complaining about the performance but apart from a few errors by Capello in the starting line up we did alright. Rooney had a quiet game but I'd rather have him play well as the tournament progresses. |
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