England06.net

Posts Tagged ‘Premier League’

Steve Bruce urged England boss Fabio Capello not to forget about Darren Bent after seeing him plunder a hat-trick to end Sunderland’s 14-game wait for a Barclays Premier League victory.

For full story go to here

• Ferguson expected Rooney to withdraw from England friendly
• Striker doubtful for Wolves game due to swollen knee

Manchester United’s increased reliance on Wayne Rooney after Michael Owen was ruled out for the season has led to Sir Alex Ferguson clashing with the Premier League’s leading scorer. Ferguson, reeling from the news that Owen needs an operation, was incensed that Rooney defied him by not pulling out of England’s midweek defeat of Egypt and has made his feelings plain to the player, accusing him of being irresponsible and jeopardising United’s chances of silverware.

Ferguson had been led to believe Rooney would withdraw because of a knee injury that has troubled him for several weeks. Instead, the forward played 86 minutes of the 3-1 win, whereas Chelsea’s Frank Lampard was replaced at half-time. Rooney’s knee has swollen, making him doubtful for United’s game at Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow, and it is a measure of Ferguson’s irritation that he abandoned his usual policy of never criticising players in public.

“I was disappointed with Wayne,” Ferguson said. “He didn’t come off, I couldn’t believe it, and now he’s a doubt. We’re going to have to assess him because he played virtually the full game for England, which I am disappointed about. Playing at Wembley on that kind of pitch for almost an hour [in the Carling Cup final] on Sunday, and then almost the full 90 minutes on Wednesday, it’s far too much. Wayne is exhausted.”

A long-term critic of international friendlies, Ferguson went on to describe the pitch as “a ploughed field” and blamed the surface for Owen suffering the injury that has brought his season to a juddering halt. When Rooney reported back for training Ferguson reminded him that United should be his top priority and demanded to know why the player had not signalled to the England manager, Fabio Capello, that he wanted to be substituted.

“There were changes made and I thought Rooney would be one of them,” Ferguson said. “It’s disappointing. I don’t blame Fabio at all, but don’t forget he [Rooney] was not supposed to be playing at all. That’s what Wayne told us on Sunday because he was feeling his knee. Then all of a sudden you press get hold of him, and people put an arm round his shoulder with England, and he wants to play. He went into the game with an injury and I don’t think he should have played but his own enthusiasm has caused it. He can’t say no, that’s his problem.”

With 28 goals already, it is obvious why Ferguson is desperate to protect Rooney, particularly as Owen’s absence limits the club’s attacking options, with Federico Macheda having regressed since last season and Daniel Welbeck on loan at Preston North End. Dimitar Berbatov’s form has been erratic and Ferguson confirmed the Bulgarian may need an operation at the end of the season due to a knee problem. Mame Biram Diouf is new to English football after signing from Molde in January.

Owen damaged his hamstring in the Carling Cup final and what was thought to be a slight pull is actually a full tear, meaning the 30-year-old will undergo surgery on Monday. Ferguson described it as a “terrible blow”, one that ends any hope the former England player had of being recalled by Capello for the World Cup.

“Unfortunately the specialist says I will miss the end of the season,” Owen said. “I have loved every minute of my first campaign with Manchester United and have already enjoyed some memorable moments. I am determined to come back at the start of next season in peak condition.”

Owen’s misfortune increases the scrutiny on the Wembley pitch and Ferguson was unsparing in his criticisms. “I thought a horse show had been on it. Do you remember when Arsenal played Swindon back in the 1960s in the League Cup final? It wasn’t as bad as that [on Sunday] but it reminded me of a ploughed field. I couldn’t believe that the players had come through it. It was end to end and it does take it out of you.”

That last line was delivered, more forcibly, when he spoke to Rooney. “It’s hard to quell people with his kind of enthusiasm because it’s a restless energy,” Ferguson continued. “That’s his problem. He can’t sit down, he can’t sit still, he’s always on the move. Even in hotels I watch him and he’s moving from one table to another.When we’re away in Europe, he’s walking about, he’s always on the go all the time. He’s got a restless energy which you don’t want to take away from him, but age does some good things for you. Eventually you say to yourself, ‘I can’t be bothered with all this running about all the time’, and you take a rest.”

For full story go to here

Want the Fiver delivered direct to your inbox every weekday at 5pm(ish)? Then sign up today and forward it to your friends

WE CAN WIN THIS. WE CAN WIN THIS. WE CAN WIN THIS. WE CAN WIN THIS

Despite being too hep-cat daddy-o cool and down with the kids to have ever attended a latter-day Rolling Stones gig, the Fiver couldn’t help but think that England’s friendly win against Egypt last night was just like one. What with Mick Jagger being in his late 90s, the geriatric Stones front-man famously reserves his most frenetic bursts of energy for encores, a tactic that enables him to send punters home thinking he’s a tremendously tireless and animated performer, having forgotten the preceding 60 minutes delivered from underneath the tartan rug that keeps the draught off his knees when he’s rolling around stage in his bath-chair.

In much the same way, England’s impressive performance in the final 30 minutes of last night’s victory sent their fans and media cheerleaders home thinking things like “World Cup” and “we could really win this”, having completely forgotten a first-half performance so inept that it prompted the Fiver’s Scottish cousin, Shortbread McFiver to spend 5p on a text that read: “Jings! Crivens! England are hilariously pish! This is the evening ma four-yearly World Cup paranoia evaporates! Pish, I tells ya!” His missive was followed up seconds later by a telegram from the Fiver’s Irish cousin, Theme Pub O’Fiver. “Begorrah. Stop. Sally O’Brien and the way she might look at ya. Stop. Egypt have scored! Stop. Ha. Stop. Ha. Stop. Ha. Stop.”

Prior to last night’s ding-dong, much of the discussion had centred on whether a famously discerning and in-no-way fickle Wembley mob (we’re obliged to describe as a minority even though it clearly isn’t) would boo England’s Brave Travis Bickle for … reasons best known to … somebody. They did, but half-heartedly and only until it was time to down pitchforks and flaming torches, and decide whether to (a) start cheering him instead, like they’ve done with David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves, Frank Lampard and Peter Crouch in the past, or (b) start booing Theo Walcott. In the end, making a decision within the remaining 80 minutes proved beyond the notoriously brain-dead crowd and it was a relieved Bickle who faced reporters after the game.

“We have the best fans in the world, it’s as simple as that,” said EBTB, who appears to have completely salvaged his reputation by making it through the 90 minutes without having an extra marital affair that we’re aware of or not being quite as comically inept at defending as in recent weeks. “We have a real chance of causing some problems at the World Cup,” he added, tempting fate in the time-honoured tradition before going all misty-eyed at the prospect of seeing his captain Rio Ferdinand putting his troublesome back out again as he hoists that famous gold trophy towards the sky.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“In my neighbourhood if you do [what John Terry is alleged to have done], you lose your legs, or more: you don’t survive” – Carlos Tevez has Wayne Bridge (and one or two others) wishing EBJT was born in Fort Apache, Buenos Aires.

SUPERFLUOUS BRANCHES, WE LOP AWAY THAT BEARING BOWS MAY LIVE

Today, after intensive mulling and chin-stroking, and despite much costly counsel from slick-talkin’ focus group wonks, the National Society for the Conservation of Injured Grasshoppers has decided against forming a national sub-committee devoted specifically to the conservation of injured grasshoppers. It seems some bright spark suddenly realised that that would be superfluous. Yes, that would be superfluous. Very superfluous indeed. And there’s no excuse for superfluity. No, nay, never.

Coincidentally, today a meeting of Premier League clubs concluded with representatives of those clubs, who are in the Premier League, announcing that there is no need to devise a new way of ascertaining every season which of the league’s teams are better, what with there already being a league. Accordingly, the proposal to introduce play-offs for England’s fourth Big Cup spot has been chucked into a cabinet marked “Do Not Use!”, where it may or may not dwell forever more alongside files such as the 39th Game, Pink Dungarees for Referees, and the Fit and Proper Persons Test.

In addition to thwarting Lovers of the Superfluous (who, the Fiver understands, like to be referred to by the acronym NDFNHFYTAYIOARJNEFNZAXJNFYAYTDFUADOFERT), this news comes as a great pity to fans of paper umbrellas, streaker-wear and other self-defeating notions. These folks were strong advocates of a play-off system, primarily because contriving to open the fourth Big Cup berth to the seventh-best team in the country would be the ideal way of ensuring that England’s co-efficient dropped sufficiently for the fourth place to be withdrawn.

FIVER LETTERS

“Not sure if twitter.com/garthcrooks is genuine, given the eclectic mix (Gok Wan and Andi Peters) that he’s following, but the following searing insight suggests it probably is him: ‘Peter Crouch is techincally (sic) a very good footballer, which is surprising given his height. about 14 hours ago via Echofon’. Good Touch For A Big Man hits Twitter!” – Gavin Hutchinson.

“‘… a lot more technical ability than people realise’ – Stewart Robson, Fox Soccer Plus” – Steven Sellars, Cayman Islands.

“I took a few mates to a game a couple of years ago, and we all stood behind the dugout on London Road terrace, within earshot of the big man, Keith Alexander. Danny: ‘Keith, Keith, get Gritton off, he’s [rude word].’ Keith turned to Danny and said: ‘You’re not wrong’. Five minutes later Gritton got the curly finger. RIP Keith” – Chris Mawdsley.

“Whilst at Lincoln City, Keith also used to turn out for a Sunday League team, Washingborough Utd, with absolutely no airs and graces. He moved to the Lincoln area and was very popular. Our regular 20-goals-a-season striker, Simon Yeo stayed out of loyalty to Keith, even when bigger clubs came calling. When Keith was out of management, he’d go shopping at Waitrose on a Saturday between 3-5pm to try to avoid the sympathy he’d get from City fans, but they still gave him it. He was our best manager since Graham Taylor and, following his fourth play-off, the club’s new board rewarded him by sending him on gardening leave (the club chairman then is now the bloke who’s taken over Notts County). They eventually messed Keith around so much that he walked and was eventually replaced by Peter Jackson – a bigger contrast with Keith there couldn’t be” – Stuart Goodacre.

“Re: the ongoing controversy over whether fresh or stale breadsticks would snap easier (Fivers passim). Seafton Cliffs (yesterday’s Fiver) seems to be confusing ‘bread’ (crust over soft centre) with ‘breadsticks’ (crunchy throughout). In the case of the latter, they are crisp when fresh and go soft when stale. Ergo a fresh one would snap more easily. Simple” – Stephen Brophy.

“Seaton Cliffs sounds like the name of an enclave in the Cheshire footballers’ commuter belt for those who can’t aspire to the heights of Alderley Edge. But leaving that aside, the floppy item he describes is not a bread stick, though it is sometimes known around-and-about these parts as a French stick. A breadstick is a grissini. The most cursory bit of Wiki-ing would have revealed this, as the first line of the entry for ‘breadstick’ reads: ‘Not to be confused with Baguettes’. D’oh! Or should that read: d’ough!” – Steve Allen.

“I like a good amount of butter and Primula cheese spread (the one with chives, not the prawn or ham monstrosities) on my fresh French baguette, but as a special treat, I am also quite partial to Ardennes Pâté – Duncan James.

Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you’ve nothing better to do you can also Tweet the Fiver now.

BITS AND BOBS

Diego Maradona says Argentina can win the World Cup, although it’s also technically true than New Zealand, North Korea and England can win it. “Maybe the press in Argentina won’t like it,” Maradona bugled, “but we are going to play a very good World Cup in South Africa.”

Bolton’s Stuart Holden will be out for six weeks with fibula ouch. “The most important thing is that he returns bigger and better,” said Owen Coyle, forcing lard into his player’s mouth.

French fans gave Thierry Henry a proper booing – rather than the drippy effort England supporters gave EBJT – last night during their team’s 2-0 defeat to Spain. “I absolutely had no pace,” panted Henry. “When you have to run after the ball after having only played one game in the last month and a half, it is really tough.”

Macclesfield’s match at Hereford will go ahead as scheduled this weekend following the death of the club’s manager, Keith Alexander. “It’s exactly what the gaffer would have wanted,” said Macclesfield’s assistant manager, Gary Simpson. “Keith just loved the game and the last thing he would have wanted was to cause any fuss.”

And Tomas Rosicky has joined the chorus of whining emanating from The Emirates stadium by endorsing the views of his manager Arsène Wenger by claiming referees are not protective enough of the club’s precious flowers. “Players are making five or six fouls before they are booked,” said Rosicky, as eight hulking centre-halves lunged at his ankles. “But we are making two fouls and are booked so I think we are certainly not protected enough.”

STILL WANT MORE?

Nasty Leeds’s owners have been declared fit and proper by the Football League, despite nobody knowing who the devil they are. Proper Journalist David Conn wearily shakes his head.

David Ginola leaves his silky mane and Barnsley’s defence flapping in his wake in this week’s Classic YouTube, which also includes the most ludicrous own goal ever.

Paul Doyle watched Ivory Coast get beaten by a much-improved South Korea at a chilly Loftus Road and he reckons the ailing Ivorians need a manager fast.

The Football Weekly gang were called up for international duty this week to bring you an extra dose of podcast. Download it NOW!

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

Want your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Click here to sign up for the Fiver today. And also, heaven forfend, if you want to unsubscribe.

FAIR POINTS OF OUR TIME: ‘IF 6 MUSIC IS AS MARVELLOUS AS THE TWITTER RENT-A-MOB MAKES OUT, WHY DOES NOBODY LISTEN TO IT?’

For full story go to here

Fitness permitting, 18 places in England’s squad for South Africa are already nailed down

Kevin McCarra

It is always hard to disagree with a man in the habit of being right and, in any case, Fabio Capello’s options are so limited that there cannot be many dilemmas. Some, such as Joe Cole, will have played themselves out of contention unless there is an eye-catching return to form shortly. The most famous candidate for exclusion should be David Beckham. He was exposed when he started for Milan against Manchester United and cameos as a substitute should not suffice. Beckham did not get off the bench on Wednesday and his status is diminishing. Capello values Theo Walcott’s pace, although the winger was poor against Egypt.

Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines; Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Theo Walcott; Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch.

Richard Williams

The biggest question mark sits against the name of Rio Ferdinand, whose absence would be sorely felt, with Phil Jagielka the most obvious replacement. The inclusion of Stephen Warnock and Stewart Downing depends on the success of Aston Villa’s league run-in; a series of good showings by Joe Cole would see the Chelsea man regaining his place at Downing’s expense. While Capello is not a man to be swayed by a single performance in a friendly match, the dynamism of Shaun Wright-Phillips against Egypt made a telling contrast with the naivety of the man he replaced, Theo Walcott. Aaron Lennon’s failure to recover from his groin problem would allow Walcott back in.

Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Stephen Warnock; Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stewart Downing; Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch.

Dominic Fifield

Fabio Capello is utterly reliant upon the medical staff at a group of elite Premier League clubs to return the likes of Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson and Aaron Lennon from injury but, providing they have proved their fitness, this squad offers balance, solidity and bite. Phil Jagielka’s versatility may give him the nod over Joleon Lescott, while James Milner can also fill in at full-back if required. Theo Walcott is included on the proviso that he plays, and excels, regularly for Arsenal in the weeks ahead but, even if Shaun Wright-Phillips might deserve better, the role he played in qualifying should not be overlooked. Capello may be tempted to include a fifth striker, particularly if Walcott fades again, most likely at the expense of either Jagielka or Wes Brown in defence.

Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Phil Jagielka, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines; Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Aaron Lennon, David Beckham, Theo Walcott; Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch.

Players in bold included in all three squads

For full story go to here

Fitness permitting, 18 places are already nailed down, according to three Guardian writers

Who will Capello pick for England’s World Cup squad? Our writers try to predict who the England manager, Fabio Capello, will include in England’s 23 for South Africa this summer…

Kevin McCarra

It is always hard to disagree with a man in the habit of being right and, in any case, Fabio Capello’s options are so limited that there cannot be many dilemmas. Some, such as Joe Cole, will have played themselves out of contention unless there is an eye-catching return to form shortly. The most famous candidate for exclusion should be David Beckham. He was exposed when he started for Milan against Manchester United and cameos as a substitute should not suffice. Beckham did not get off the bench on Wednesday and his status is diminishing. Capello values Theo Walcott’s pace, although the winger was poor against Egypt.

Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines; Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Theo Walcott; Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch.

Richard Williams

The biggest question mark sits against the name of Rio Ferdinand, whose absence would be sorely felt, with Phil Jagielka the most obvious replacement. The inclusion of Stephen Warnock and Stewart Downing depends on the success of Aston Villa’s league run-in; a series of good showings by Joe Cole would see the Chelsea man regaining his place at Downing’s expense. While Capello is not a man to be swayed by a single performance in a friendly match, the dynamism of Shaun Wright-Phillips against Egypt made a telling contrast with the naivety of the man he replaced, Theo Walcott. Aaron Lennon’s failure to recover from his groin problem would allow Walcott back in.

Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Stephen Warnock; Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stewart Downing; Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch.

Dominic Fifield

Fabio Capello is utterly reliant upon the medical staff at a group of elite Premier League clubs to return the likes of Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson and Aaron Lennon from injury but, providing they have proved their fitness, this squad offers balance, solidity and bite. Phil Jagielka’s versatility may give him the nod over Joleon Lescott, while James Milner can also fill in at full-back if required. Theo Walcott is included on the proviso that he plays, and excels, regularly for Arsenal in the weeks ahead but, even if Shaun Wright-Phillips might deserve better, the role he played in qualifying should not be overlooked. Capello may be tempted to include a fifth striker, particularly if Walcott fades again, most likely at the expense of either Jagielka or Wes Brown in defence.

Robert Green, David James, Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, Wes Brown, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson, Phil Jagielka, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines; Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard, James Milner, Aaron Lennon, David Beckham, Theo Walcott; Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch.

Players in bold included in all three squads

For full story go to here

The booing of the former England captain has become the new Mexican wave

The demonisation of John Terry has reached the stage where people are heckling him without knowing quite why. Something to do with that woman and the reserve left-back. England’s sacked captain was being booed by Premier League crowds long before Wayne Bridge said not-on-your-nelly to the World Cup. What we have here is disapproval as a kind of new Mexican wave.

Captain Sensible is a role Fabio Capello identified this week as one he urgently wants to see filled by the injured Rio Ferdinand and the third man down the line of illusory power, Steven Gerrard, who must have been overjoyed to be given the chance to repeat stock phrases in press conferences about responsibilities and role models.

Gerrard will hand the armband back to Ferdinand with all the reluctance of a childminder hearing a parent’s ring on the bell when an upset toddler is screaming the walls down. For Terry, on the other hand, it is mortification in ribbon form, flashing around the pitch on another man’s biceps. Life would be much simpler if he could get it back and resume his East End guv’nor role.

After a consoling word from Sir Dave Richards, chairman of the Premier League, Terry lined up for the ceremonials four from the end rather than in the old meet-and-greet position. Lord Triesman, the Football Association chairman, moved to clasp his hand in upright, arm-wrestling mode, but then thought better of it, tapping Chelsea’s skipper on the arm, as if His Lordship felt His Pariah’s pain.

This solicitous gesture prompted the thought that Terry is close to entering the next phase of his trial by fire, when the mob stop taunting him and admire him for his resilience, his “quiet courage”, as they did, in another context, with David Beckham, many months after he had been hung in effigy outside a London pub. Beckham is easily the England centre-back’s best bet for advice on cultivating an appearance of dignity and making it work in one’s favour.

Terry needs it, too, because the booing of his name before the kick-off was followed by persistent jeering that was dark and disdainful and took 20 minutes to subside. A core of (Chelsea?) supporters tried to drown this hostility in cheers, which created the dissonant soundtrack of a previously admired bulldog leader being at once encouraged and condemned less than a hundred days before a World Cup.

The disconnect in Terry’s brain that allows him to treat emotional turmoil as nothing more serious than an annoying squeak under the bonnet of a Bentley conceals damage below the surface. Despite Capello’s insistence that his centre-half’s form is unaffected, Terry was bamboozled by Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and passed straight into touch on his first contact with the ball in this 3-1 victory over Egypt.

It was wishful thinking on Capello’s part to believe that spending a week in Dubai with his deceived wife, having the England captaincy taken off him inside 12 minutes and then being held responsible for Bridge’s international retirement would not affect Terry’s equilibrium on some level. Not forgetting Bridge’s refusal to shake his hand at Chelsea and Capello’s subsequent declaration that Terry would not be captain again on his watch, which was accompanied by a sermon about kids and how England players need to show them a path through life.

On the evidence of this tussle with the best team in Africa, Terry retains his outcast status in the eyes of his manager and many England fans, who have developed a generalised antipathy to hedonistic and narcissistic conduct. Terry always exemplified the lionhearted geezer persona many England fans have always warmed to, so you would think it must have taken a lot for them to turn on him, when it really only took extra-marital slap and tickle, plus clear evidence of greed in the way he chased every buck that could be wrung from his position.

So the question for Capello, for England, is how long Terry will be locked out in the cold before being allowed back inside to his basket. Booing serves no purpose beyond allowing fans to feel righteous and they soon tired of it. For the England coach, meanwhile, there is the inescapable knowledge that successful teams are built around strong centre-back pairings. With Ledley King plagued by knee trouble, a Terry-Ferdinand partnership is England’s only fully credible combination for a World Cup quarter-final against a top-five nation.

Neither Matthew Upson nor Joleon Lescott consistently attains the standards needed to nullify the world’s best strikers. The slip by Upson that led to Mohamed Zidan’s first-half goal was attributable to the continuing farce of a £757m stadium being home to such a bad pitch, but the point remains: Terry is the best stopper in the English game.

After the interval the ex-captain was more vocal and demonstrative than the stand-in, but when Gerrard was withdrawn the armband passed under JT’s nose to Wayne Rooney, then Gareth Barry. Another few weeks of shame and then a weird kind of sympathy will kick in.

For full story go to here

Arsenal forward highlights a wider problem for Fabio Capello in the build-up to the World Cup

England should have struck the first blow as early as the fifth minute tonight, when Theo Walcott ran on to Wayne Rooney’s through-pass and guided the ball carefully across the penalty area into the path of Frank Lampard. From a position in which he is normally guaranteed to score, the Chelsea midfielder hit a shot that deflected off the Egypt goalkeeper, Essam El-Hadary, and went behind for a corner.

Walcott’s part in the move was the sort of incisive contribution that Arsenal’s supporters have seen too rarely this season since the return of the young forward from the latest operation to cure his congenital shoulder problems. Sparingly used by Arsène Wenger, he has made only seven starts this season, three of them since the turn of the year, with just one goal, against Blackburn back in October, to show for his efforts.

Wenger has taken a careful, almost cautious approach to the evolution of a player who was taken to the last World Cup as a 17-year-old without having played a minute of Premier League football. Although Walcott came to notice with Southampton as a second striker, the Arsenal manager has preferred to put him out on the right wing while he acclimatises to the pace and intensity of the top flight.

More wholehearted in his employment of Walcott, Fabio Capello has followed Wenger’s example in positional terms. After giving the player an outing as a substitute in a friendly match against Trindad and Tobago in the summer of 2008, he started picking him in the starting line-up for competitive matches. The hat-trick against Croatia in September of the same year came as a result of clever tactical planning, Capello ordering Walcott to stay high and wide in order to limit the attacking inclinations of the opposing left-back, and to use his speed to get behind the defence as England launched counterattacks.

In the euphoria that followed the important victory in Zagreb few stopped to ponder the possibility that it was a one-off produced by special conditions, as England’s 5-1 victory over Germany in Munich seven years earlier turned out to be. And whether Capello would have shown such consistent faith had Aaron Lennon always been available must be open to question. Three years older and considerably more experienced in terms of domestic football, the Tottenham winger is far less gauche than Walcott, particularly in his selection and application of the final ball, although he lacks his north London rival’s directness and burning pace.

Lennon has won six of his 15 caps under Capello but his unavailability tonight – he is trying to recover from a groin problem – gave Walcott the chance to reassert his claim to the place that is also contested by Shaun Wright-Phillips, David Beckham and, perhaps, Adam Johnson. Apart from that early intervention, however, there was little for his fans to relish in the remainder of the first half.

One of the problems of playing Walcott on the wing is that, unlike Lennon or any specialist in the role, he has no tricks – and, bizarrely, in three years under Wenger, playing almost invariably on the flank, he does not seem to have picked up any. On several occasions, facing his marker with the ball at his feet and space waiting to be exploited behind the defence, he was comfortably dispossessed at the first time of asking by Said Moawad or Hossam Ghaly.

His failings would have been more obvious in the context of a better collective performance. Fortunately for him others were doing even worse. Wayne Rooney, spoken of during the week as one of the two or three best players in the world, produced what may have been his worst 45 minutes of football since turning professional, giving the ball away with what should have been straightforward passes on several occasions, while his strike partner, Jermain Defoe, gave a tepid showing that led to his withdrawal at the interval.

Great credit had to be awarded to Egypt, who looked every inch the champions of Africa. Solid in their ball-winning capacity and athletic in their ability to spring forward against an anxious England defence, they were rewarded for their first-half supremacy by an excellent goal from Mohamed Zidan.

Rooney and Gerrard injected far more urgency into England’s approach work at the start of the second half but it was a pass from Gareth Barry – hitherto almost invisible – that gave Peter Crouch the chance to register his 19th senior international goal and to spare England’s blushes with the equaliser.

Seconds later Walcott was leaving the field, to be replaced by Wright-Phillips, having been unable to provide a shred of evidence to change the minds of those who believe that the golden display of September 10, 2008 was a bit of a fluke and that he has not trained on. Wright-Phillips struck England’s second goal from a rebound after El-Hadary had punched away James Milner’s drive but Capello will be hoping even more fervently for an end to Lennon’s injury problems before making his final squad selection for South Africa.

For full story go to here

• Striker would rather have support role than play for lesser side
• Owen blames Rooney’s form for keeping him out of team

Michael Owen has no intention of leaving Manchester United in the summer, despite his lack of first-team opportunities this season, with the former England international maintaining he would rather be “playing a lesser role” at a leading club than holding down a regular place in a struggling Premier League team.

Owen made only his 11th start in a United shirt in the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa on Sunday, when he scored the equaliser before succumbing to a hamstring strain in front of the watching Fabio Capello. The striker might well have had more chances to impress the England manager had he joined another club but Owen insisted he has no regrets about his decision to move to Old Trafford and pointed to Wayne Rooney’s irrepressible form as a legitimate reason for spending so much time on the substitutes’ bench.

“I’d like to play a lot more, obviously, but you try getting into the team with Wayne Rooney playing like this,” said Owen, who is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks. “We’ve had 44 games this season and I’ve been involved in 42 of them. I’ve only missed one game. Everyone was talking about my injuries before I came and the risks I would get more. No one had been writing that for a good while, but, unfortunately [against Villa], I’ve had to come off the field again.”

Asked about the prospect of spending another frustrating season at Old Trafford which could well lead to more time on the sidelines, Owen said: “I’ve played for teams that haven’t been doing well in the league and I’d prefer to be playing a lesser role, but training every day with real top-quality players. I want to improve my game and, when I do play, be involved in games like [the Carling Cup final].

“It has been a different season because there hasn’t been any injuries to our strikers,” Owen said. “[But] I’ve played my part in many games and although I’d like to have played more, I’m sure that I would have done in different circumstances. If Wayne hadn’t been scoring two or three goals in games, the manager might have rotated more. If there had been one or two injuries, he might have rotated more. But there’s no way that I’m unhappy about how things have gone or my decision to come here. I’m absolutely delighted.”

Having been overlooked by Capello since winning his 89th cap against France two years ago, Owen could have been forgiven for cursing his luck after breaking down in front of the England manager for the second time this season. However, the 30-year-old forward insisted that helping United to collect their first piece of silverware this year, rather than impressing the Italian, was the only thought in his mind.

“There are a lot worse off than me,” said Owen. “I’ve had a fantastic first year in United colours and scored some goals. I think that was my ninth this season. I’ve not missed a training session while I’ve been here and there is still a lot to play for. I’ve been really happy. It’s not all doom and gloom like some people might be saying. I didn’t even know Fabio Capello was watching the game. All I was interested in was doing well for United and winning the trophy.”

Owen admitted that his enforced substitution, which led to Rooney’s introduction just before half-time, was “a bit of a sour note” but he refused to be downbeat as he reflected on winning his first medal since 2003 and the latest addition to his family. “I’ve just had another child born the other day, so I’ve got four kids, I’m living at home and playing for one of the best teams in the world, so it’s not all bad, is it? I’ve got every reason to have a smile on my face.”

Meanwhile Patrice Evra, United’s captain in the Carling Cup final, has become the first player at the club to talk about the green and gold colours worn by fans as a protest against the Glazers’ ownership.

“They are the original colours of Manchester United and the fans wear them because they love this club,” the defender said. “They have their reasons for doing it and we don’t think that they’re crazy. They’d like things to change.”

For full story go to here

• ‘England cannot afford to lose him and neither can we’
• Winning World Cup would make Rooney an all-time great

Wayne Rooney just needs a medal with England to be crowned as an all-time great. That is the verdict of his Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville following another match-winning performance from the striker at Wembley yesterday.

A minor knee injury threatens Rooney’s presence in the friendly against Egypt on Wednesday, but he will be a key part of Fabio Capello’s plans for South Africa this summer. And Neville feels that would provide the crowning glory to an extraordinary career that has seen Rooney, 24, move on to a different level this season, when he has scored 28 goals, the last six of which have been headers.

“Wayne is a great player to play with,” said Neville. “He has been brilliant for England too. The only thing he has to do for England now is go and win something. That is what England players have been striving to do for the past 40 years. That would really crown it off for him.”

Neither Capello nor Sir Alex Ferguson would describe any individual player as irreplaceable. Yet both men would accept that without Rooney their respective quests would be in severe jeopardy should anything serious happen to the player.

“England cannot afford to lose him and neither can we,” Neville added. “We have two months of important matches now and we need him fit for them. It is there for everyone to see. He is going through a peak moment in his career. He is looking dangerous every time he goes on the pitch and can score lots of goals.”

Burnout is a worry for some, although not the man himself. And Neville does not feel Rooney will be weighed down by the burden of heavy expectation. “Wayne can handle all the comments and accolades, all the praise and criticism,” he said. “He has been around a long time now and he has the experience of a 30-year-old really, even at such a young age, because he came into the Premier League at 16. He has played in European Cups, FA Cups, World Cups and European Championships. He has experienced the lot. He is maturing now.”

For full story go to here

England’s manager may be glad of a match to return focus to the field of play but his starting XI against Egypt carries added significance in light of injuries

It seems strange that Fabio Capello should have a game to consider. Even the England manager must have begun to feel that the problem over John Terry and Wayne Bridge was turning into his life’s work. The realisation that there is a friendly with Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday comes as a relief, even though the Manchester City player has retreated from international football.

The match is sandwiched between bouts of competition in Premier League and Champions League. Disruption to the squad that Capello intends to name tomorrowevening would be no surprise, yet this should be a key match. Fixtures with Mexico, at Wembley, and Japan, in Vienna, do lie ahead, but they come after the club season has ended and the priority then will be to involve as many players as possible to maintain match fitness.

As a result, the game with Egypt has consequence for Capello. Following Bridge’s withdrawal and Ashley Cole’s broken ankle, it is presumed that there will be two other left-backs to study. Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock has made one appearance from the bench under Capello but it could be the uncapped Leighton Baines, of Everton, who starts against Egypt.

The defence, in general, will mostly lack the preferred personnel, with Rio Ferdinand unavailable, for instance, because of back trouble. Goalkeeping has also to be pondered. While the 39-year-old David James has been appearing regularly of late for Portsmouth, there must be an interest in alternatives. Joe Hart, during his loan spell from Manchester City, must have caught the eye in a well-drilled Birmingham City defence. It will not have gone unnoticed by Eastlands fans that he is enjoying a better season than the man bought to replace him, Shay Given.

Where England’s back four is concerned there could be some prospect of Phil Jagielka being a squad member. He looked as if he was over the effects of major knee surgery when he appeared as a substitute for Everton in yesterday’s defeat by Sporting Lisbon. The defender has been called on before by Capello and it will be interesting to see whether the manager thinks experimentation is worthwhile at this late stage. At this juncture he is likely to have come to a firm conclusion already about most subjects.

Bobby Zamora’s inclusion would be intriguing, although the Fulham forward picked up an Achilles problem when his club were pulling off the outstanding feat of knocking out the Uefa Cup holders, Shakhtar Donetsk. Injuries can be helpful to some. With Aaron Lennon yet to play in 2010 because of a groin problem, Theo Walcott becomes significant despite the lull in his career. Central attackers of clear merit are also thin on the ground and England, like Manchester United, must lean heavily on Wayne Rooney. It is as well that, since that broken metatarsal, he usually looks durable.

Rooney’s partnership with Emile Heskey has been far more productive than anyone, with the possible exception of the England manager, could have anticipated. Even so, alternatives would be useful so that the style of play is not too predictable in South Africa this summer. It is late now for such work and there are hindrances, too, in the sort of hamstring strains that have affected Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch this week and could rule them out of contention for tomorrow’s squad announcement.

Radical development will have to wait, although Capello has begun to look ahead, with a friendly against France at Wembley arranged today for 17 November.

England squad (probable): James, Hart, Green, Brown, Jagielka, Lescott, Upson, Terry, Warnock, Baines, Barry, Beckham, Carrick, Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, Walcott, Wright-Phillips, A Young, Agbonlahor, Rooney, Heskey.

For full story go to here