Look at Phil poor lad. The look on his face tells the story really

Against Estonia I feel that Dyer at RB makes perfect sense. Finally McClarren will let Carragher and Terry play together. While dropping Smith, it would seem the only player still holding his bollocks is Lamps.

I think when Rooney comes Back McClarren should drop Lamps and Use Rooney as an Attacking midfielder in a 4-4-2. Gerrard has proven he can play the Holding role. I think having Crouch and Owen upfront make perfect sense and Rooney coming from a deeper more prefered role.

I'd also like to see Dyer at RB.

Playing someone like Carragher or Brown in that position would be a waste IMO.

We should have no problems at all defensively and should be pushing forward at every opportunity.


Just as a side note - am I missing something here. I keep reading quotes from the players and the manager saying things like "You saw how well we played against Brazil".

Did I see a different game ????

What I saw was a very average performance. Not a bad one by any means, but if that's the kind of performance we should aspire to then our National game is in a worse state than I thought it was.

Brazil are suppose to be the best so the fact that we could have hd a result from that was inspiring to the lads. After all we have been playing like crap. I thought the performance was up to standards with the exception of Lampard, King, Smith. the rest of the team did a fair job, Becks had his best game in 6 years wearing the 3 lions. Gerrard was also everywhere.

if we finish 3rd in the group do we go into a playoff? or is just top 2 through and thats it?

i think we will have a play off.

4 of our last 5 are at home so we have a good chance.

I would like to see this team today

--------------------------------Carson

Dyer------------------Terry-----------------Carragher------------------Shorey

Becks------------------Carrick---------------Gerrard-----------------Cole

-------------------------------Crouch---------------Owen

if we play to our full potential then no sweat we will do it but whether they bother to put the effort in remains to be seen, croatia only beat estonia 1-0 so might not be such an easy game

as you can see from my previous posts here what I thought of the England game - I thought if it had been a competitive game the Brazilians wouldn't have slacked off in the second half like they did and they'd most likely have ripped us to bits. their movement and spacial awareness is infinitely better than England's.

id definitely agree with carrick and gerrard in the centre, dont think mclaren has the bottle to drop lampard tho

did you see turkey?

But we all know it will be this:


_____________________Robinson_______________________

__Brown_______King________________Terry______Bridge__

__Beckham____Gerrard______________Lampard____Cole__

______________Crouch______________Owen____________

I didn't...

it won't be that, Carragher will play not King... and possibly Dyer, unless that's a curveball to confuse the might of Estonia...

I heard King has been dropped. Also that Brown and Dyer are fighting out the last spot. Lampard will not be dropped and neither will Robinson.

I know I'm stuck on the other side of the pond but did I miss something? Where is Rooney?

Jamie Carragher has been dealt an amazing double snub ahead of tonight’s crucial Euro qualifier in Estonia.
Manchester United reserve Wes Brown and Newcastle’s Kieron Dyer are preferred by under-fire England coach Steve McClaren.

Brown, who was a peripheral figure in Manchester United’s title campaign, starting less than half their games, is favourite to force his way into the starting line-up.

But even Dyer, who has hardly ever played in defence, is ahead of Carragher in the queue.

Just as contentiously, Tottenham’s Ledley King has been selected at centre-half.

The decision is believed to be at odds with the view of assistant manager Terry Venables, who’s been pushing the claims of the Liverpool man to no avail.

Venables believes Carragher is good enough to be well established at centre-half alongside John Terry.

Carragher was used in his less favoured right back role against Brazil last Friday, when he performed well behind David Beckham.

But having spent an entire international career being shoved from pillar to post by a succession of hapless England managers, today’s decision will rank as one of the most upsetting of all for the 29-year-old, who has enjoyed one of his best seasons ever.

It will be seen on Merseyside as further evidence Carragher still hasn’t shrugged off his status as the most underrated defender in the country, appreciated for his talents far more at Anfield and on the continent than in England.

Only two internationals ago, McClaren was hailing Carragher’s ‘fantastic’ performances against Manchester United and in the Champions League against Barcelona.

There’s better news for Anfield duo Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch.

Gerrard appears to have won his battle to convince McClaren he’ll serve his country better in central midfield, while Crouch partners Michael Owen in attack.