The road to South Africa has been uncannily smooth for a side that couldn’t make it to the Euro 2008 starting line, with spread punters who got with Don Fabio’s side generally happier than those who didn’t.
They gave Croatia double trouble with a 4-1 smash and grab in Zagreb and a good old-fashioned 5-1 hiding at home as spread buyers of Three Lions’ total goals spread were left thinking ‘with games like these, who needs friendlies?’. Sporting Index’s total goals spread buyers who keep the faith for the Belarus game will feel safe in the knowledge England have averaged over three goals-a-game in Group Six. And, if that wasn’t enough for spread sellers to be cautious, then they’ll remember that two from Wayne Rooney and another from fellow Scouser Steven Gerrard helped their side breach the Belarusian goalkeeper’s net three times in Minsk. Despite neither man set to feature tonight, their deputies should be more than capable of filling their shoes. Meanwhile,
England 5/ Croatia 1
We probably weren’t the only ones who cracked open a bottle of Santana DVX last night as England secured their place at the 2010 World Cup finals in emphatic style. Admittedly, Croatia didn’t put up a particularly strong fight - they were a shadow of the side who embarrassed England in 2007 - but Aaron Lennon was in rude health, Glen Johnson dealt with the pressure well and Emile Heskey even got a little bit close to scoring a goal.
Has the little guy earned a place in the starting XI?
With nothing of particular interest arising from England’s friendly victory over Slovenia at the weekend, the papers are awash with the debate surrounding the England frontline.
In-form Jermain Defoe has bagged eight goals in ten appearances under Fabio Capello, which is twice as good as Wayne Rooney’s rate of return in the same period, and better than the tally that Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey has managed in the past ten years.
Under Capello’s maxim of ‘form wins places’, the Tottenham star is a shoe-in for a starting role. However, the obvious counter argument is that Wayne Rooney needs a strike partner with Heskey’s strength, height and ability to hold up the ball in order to operate at his best. And considering how Croatia tried to kick seven shades out of their opponents the last time they visited Wembley, such a physical presence from the outset could prove crucial.
So, should the serial WAG boffer retain his highly successful ’supersub’ status, or should he get to wear number 9 at Wembley on Wednesday? Votes and comments below, please…
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That was easier than Danielle Lloyd at a Spurs Christmas party
England 6/ Andorra 0 The Spoiler takes intends to take nothing away from a good England performance, but we’ve never seen a side as poor as Andorra on the international stage.
The part-timers had absolutely no intention of attacking, and gave the Three Lions all the space in the world to do their business. At some points, David Beckham - who has been playing for England for longer than Andorra have actually had a national football team - had no one around him for twenty yards. He could have tied his shoe laces or nipped off for a quick haircut and no one would have challenged for the ball.
We don’t wish to be cruel, but having a team like Andorra in World Cup Qualifying seems is a waste of everyone’s time. They should be made to participate in a pre-qualifying tournament before they get the chance to be smashed up by the rest of Europe.
If there is one criticism of England under Fabio Capello, it’s that they take too long to break down minnows. It took them 49 minutes to score against Andorra in Barcelona, 52 to find a way past Kazakhstan at Wembley and then 40 away to them last weekend. Andorra boss David Rodrigo plans to frustrate the Three Lions tonight, although Betfair odds of 219/1 (actually down from 239/1 earlier today) show that he’s not expected to have much success. Here are some stats from our friends at chickendinner about tonight’s game:
» England have won their three previous meetings with Andorra without conceding a goal, scoring ten in the process.
» Andorra coach Rodrigo’s claimed that “England have always had problems when they have played against us and have been made to work hard to get the first goal.” However, they were beaten 5-0 on their last trip to Wembley in 2006 with the opening goal coming in the fifth minute from Peter Crouch.
» The minnows have lost their last 20 competitive games and their overall record in qualifying games is P58 W1 D2 L55. They’ve taken just a point from
England/Andorra, World Cup Qualifier, 8.15pm, ITV1
The Three Lions are ever-so-slight 1/200 favourites to make it seven wins out of seven in the World Cup qualifiers against an Andorra side who have never won away from home. This is how The Spoiler would line up.
We disagree with the idea of playing Gary Neville ahead of Glen Johnson, who is a yellow card away from suspension. Fabio Capello wants everyone available to face Croatia at home but we feel having players ruled out for the game after that away to Ukraine could prove just as dangerous.
The biggest talking point is who will partner Frank Lampard in midfield with Gareth Barry suspended and Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Scott
From 7pm tonight, adequately paid London Underground staff are planning to strike for 48 hours, leaving most people in the capital severely fudged if they want to get around. Among the worst effected by the industrial action, however, would be the England fans intending to travel to Wembley for the World Cup Qualifier against Andorra tomorrow night.
The FA suspended ticket sales at 70,000 last week when they realised the game clashed the the tube workers’ walkout, and it is understood they will hold a crisis meeting with the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London and Brent Council later today, to see if contingency plans can be put in place. Otherwise, the game may have to be played behind closed doors, meaning John Terry’s potty mouth will echo all around the empty stadium.
It is understood that the threat of playing the match behind closed doors is the most extreme option currently on the table amid hopes that the RMT can still be persuaded to call off the strike. An announcement is expected later this afternoon.
Rubbish side to employ frustration tactics at Wembley
With an impressive six defeats from six games in World Cup Qualifying Group 6, one may expect Andorra to approach tomorrow night’s game against England with a quiet dignity.
Instead, the tiny nation with absolutely nothing to play for are going to try and frustrate the Three Lions, in the hope of turning the Wembley crowd against the home side. Coach David Rodrigo is quoted in The Ooh Ahh Daily Star:
“England have always had problems when they have played against us and have been made to work hard to get the first goal. That can sometimes make the players feel nervous.
“There is a big difference between the two teams but we have not got anything to lose and to play at Wembley is such a big motivation.
“England are the most dangerous team in the group and I am not going to change the system we employ because we are playing in London.”
The system to which he is referring is a park-the-bus 5-4-1 formation, designed to shut out England’s forwards. The Andorran’s may be a bunch of part-time no namers, but the tactic worked at Wembley in 2007 (when fans turned on Steve McClaren after waiting 54 minutes for a goal) and in last year’s qualifier (where travelling fans didn’t see a goal until substitute Joe Cole bagged the first of a brace in the 48th minute).
It may not keep England from scoring, but such a negative approach isn’t exactly setting the tie up to be a classic.
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