Another never mind the quality, feel the width

England blue away kit 2011
England blue away kit 2011

Fabio game.

It all started so positively with the news that Lampard had been dropped but the team and performance yet again didn’t match up to the hyperbole crated by the scoreline.

And the joy that some in the media showed about Lampard’s demotion and possible end of his England career wasn’t matched by their rush to get the rest of the golden generation back in as soon as possible.

This was an inept Bulgarian side, ‘keeper Nikolay Mihaylov’s dads wig, along with Yordan Letchkov in his coffin must have spinning round at this performance. Yordan always had something of the Balkan night about him. One of those player I wish Spurs had gone after in the mid 90s. Was a shock when from that World Cup ’94 side Ilian Kiriakov stumped up at Aberdeen for four years.

Anyway back to the present crop, highlighted by Stilian Petrov, regarded as a god out there. Regarded as one of the best hiders I’ve seen in the game here. And yet in that second half the stats popped up on the screen and they had over 50% of possession. Over the full game it must have been around 50/50. Walnutt says Fabio wants them to play like Barcelona. How many times to they come of the pitch with possession parity?

Why is it that England players cannot head balls out of defence to other England players. Watch all the other countries and they manage it, yet heading is meant to be an English strength and the ball goes straight to an opponent and the attack starts again with England camped in their own box.

That first half bar the second goal there was barely two passes strung together by the boys in blue – more on that later – I doubt those looking to be in Poland and Ukraine next year won’t be quaking in their boots.

So this is the new England, all changed, all new, no Lamaprd, no Ferdinand, no Gerrard.

Ah look it’s old Gareth Barry, oh yeah he’ll be two years older than the old Gareth Barry that was left standing by all and sundry in South Africa. Ah it’s ok he’s got the young… err slightly older and similar paced Parker next to him. It’s all right he’ll memorise ’em all with his turns. You know the ones? A lot tighter than the turning circle of the QEII but take about the same time.

But it’s the front four that gives you hope. Well it would if Fabio could get things right. Ashley Young has seemingly found his feet at international level, he’s performed well of late, out wide left and right, slipped right in at his new club, ManUre, where he plays wide. So Fabio puts him in the middle and it doesn’t work, but Fab keeps him there. In reality that’s the position Rooney should occupy, if only there was a striker that could play up front. Rooney get’s isolated, drops deep and starts this false 9 thing. Only problem Barca know how to fill teh gaps, England really don’t.

But could the answer be Theo. He keeps telling everyone he’s a striker not a winger. Well he ain’t half right about the latter part of that. A shot in the second half would suggest he’s a bit off with the first part. Not only doesn’t he have a footballing brain, he doesn’t really have footballing feet. Running ones yes, just when a ball is introduced it goes to pot. Yes he did well for Rooney’s first goal but even a knackered clock get’s it right twice a day. Andy Cole and Darren bent would have got closer to goal with shots from that position.

Walcott rarely elicits much criticism – I don’t know if Henry Winter is angling to write Theo’s next book, or he’s just incredibly out of touch. But it is true that if Lennon put in Walnutt type performances – which admittedly he has done at times – all the media types would be destroying him.

Main problem here is Fabio’s best option is warming the Citeh bench and therefore the England one too.

Yes I’m being hypocritical, cause I only want those fit and on form to be picked by the England manager. None of the standard favouritism we see. But Adam Johnson of Citeh is the best for that wide right role, if Young is on the left. Rooney central and well it’s like Spurs, someone please to play up front.

So your journos all go on about how great it was and then start saying about Gerrard, Ferdinand etc. walking straight back in the side. Why? Oh that’s right, star names over the team. Not so much the golden generation but the me generation. All about personal glory after all, not winning anything for England, team and country.

Cahill did OK but as Alan Hansen, I think, put it he plays for Bolton, whereas Ferdinand doesn’t. He plays for ManUre so should be an automatic pick. Only problem being does he play for ManUre any more? More time in teh stands than playing and when or indeed if he ever gets fit will he replace their new kid Jones. And so should Jones be ahead of him in the pecking order for England?

As for Gerrard, there’s an opportunity to build a side that works for each other, mobility, fluid, liquid interchange all to be spoiled by the introduction of Stevie Me and his glory balls.

Yes the new kids did OK up against a useless opposition but it’s got to be better to go ahead with them against tougher sides than to look back to a bunch of over the hill failures. They’ve failed at the past four or so tournaments, failed even to get to one, why would they now succeed?

Right to the real important thing. The new blue away kit. New dark blue away kit. Well there’s a history of blue, first away kit was blue, 1950 World Cup change was blue, third kit in Mexico 1970 and again in ’86 through to ’92 was blue. They were light blue in the main and this is dark, the kind of blue the shorts should be for the white kit, instead of that 70s Admiral blue they are. I like it. One of the best there’s been and when in doubt about any England kit always think back to ’96 and that grey monotonicity and everything looks good after that.

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