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Lennon, SWP, Becks and Walcott fighting for two places
By Matt Barlow Last updated at 2:53 AM on 15th October 2009
High jump: Wright-Phillips is last in line on the right wing despite his goal last night
There were as many nerves in the stands as on the pitch on audition night. The clock is ticking and England will play only another 180 minutes before Fabio Capello names the 23 he will take to South Africa.
Emile Heskey applauded from the bench as Peter Crouch scored twice and Michael Owen looked on as his chances of an international return appeared to recede further.
Theo Walcott, too. This time last year, he was the darling of the nation after his hat-trick in Croatia.
Even now, it remains the pivotal moment of the entire qualifying campaign because it restored belief inside England's dressing room.
Last night, Walcott was among those invited to watch by Capello as a gesture of inclusion. But perhaps the manager wanted to meddle with emotions; to make sure those looking down on the Wembley pitch felt the urge to be part of it again.
Walcott's place in the World Cup squad can no longer be taken for granted. Competition is fierce on the right wing. David Beckham would be a banker if Steve Bruce were picking the team. Bruce named Beckham as his man of the match last night, even though he played only the last 35 minutes.
It seemed ridiculous but Becks did what Becks does and managers, like Bruce and, presumably, Capello, appreciate it. He lifted the tempo and gave England better rhythm. He crossed the ball well, as ever, and hit a post. Whether that made him the best player on the field is another matter.
Total touches 51: The goal was the highlight for Manchester City¿s winger, who managed 21 accurate passes out of 25, giving him an 84% success rate. Also he had three tackles
He seemed a little embarrassed to receive the award. But the crowd loved it and Beckham must have gone some way to allay Capello's fears that he was tired.
If Beckham is a genuine contender on the right, it makes the England manager's task tricky. In all probability he will take only two wingers, maybe two plus Beckham if he believes the 115-cap man can deputise in the centre of midfield.
Aaron Lennon dashed to the head of the queue with a blistering display against Croatia but was hooked after 15 minutes in Ukraine to make way for David James after Robert Green's red card.
But inconsistency is common with the Spurs speed merchant and sometimes the game drifts by him. This was one of those occasions. England's driving force against Croatia was the reward. A win booked a place in South Africa and Capello's England have proved they cannot find their edge when there is nothing much at stake.
They showed enough spirit with 10 men in Dnipropetrovsk but it is no coincidence that the 100 per cent winning record disappeared as soon as qualification was secure. As his team struggled to inject urgency into their play against Belarus, Capello flapped his arms and slumped deeper into his seat.
Stuart Pearce was sent out to the touchline to administer the kick up the backside. Fans resorted to the Mexican Wave. It was a far cry from the smoke and fire of Ukraine. In this tepid atmosphere, players seemed unable to left themselves. Shaun Wright-Phillips did not manage it, despite finding the net in the second half, and must be considered the last in the line of right wingers.
Enlarge
Total touches 30: Not as potent as against Croatia but the Tottenham winger still made 11 out of his 14 passes to deliver an accuracy success rate of 79%. Just the one tackle.
James Milner did catch the eye out of position at left back. His jinking run and body swerve late in the game deserved to lead to his first England goal, but his curling shot thudded against the inside of a post. Capello is already a Milner fan. He likes his attitude and versatility, a quality which comes into its own as a tournament looms closer.
Walcott, however, needs to get back into action. He has just returned for Arsenal after a side strain and will be keen to be part of the England team who take on Brazil in Qatar next month.
Amid the nail-biting of those on the fringes, there was relief for Rio Ferdinand, who will be one of the first names picked for South Africa.
Ferdinand won his 76th England cap against Belarus but found himself under closer scrutiny than in the five years since his return from a ban for missing a drug test. Capello would have liked to give him a breather but, after two private conversations, the wise Italian felt it more important for the Manchester United defender to cleanse Saturday's error in Ukraine from the system.
For the most part, he played it safe and simple. Occasionally he launched the ball aimlessly in Crouch's general direction. Depressing as that was, the key was to survive without another blunder. Survive he did and Capello must hope his defender's confidence is restored before next summer.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1220500/Who-right-man-Lennon-SWP-Becks-Walcott-fighting-places.html#ixzz0U1bBFfDx
By Matt Barlow Last updated at 2:53 AM on 15th October 2009
High jump: Wright-Phillips is last in line on the right wing despite his goal last nightThere were as many nerves in the stands as on the pitch on audition night. The clock is ticking and England will play only another 180 minutes before Fabio Capello names the 23 he will take to South Africa.
Emile Heskey applauded from the bench as Peter Crouch scored twice and Michael Owen looked on as his chances of an international return appeared to recede further.
Theo Walcott, too. This time last year, he was the darling of the nation after his hat-trick in Croatia.
Even now, it remains the pivotal moment of the entire qualifying campaign because it restored belief inside England's dressing room.
Last night, Walcott was among those invited to watch by Capello as a gesture of inclusion. But perhaps the manager wanted to meddle with emotions; to make sure those looking down on the Wembley pitch felt the urge to be part of it again.
Walcott's place in the World Cup squad can no longer be taken for granted. Competition is fierce on the right wing. David Beckham would be a banker if Steve Bruce were picking the team. Bruce named Beckham as his man of the match last night, even though he played only the last 35 minutes.
It seemed ridiculous but Becks did what Becks does and managers, like Bruce and, presumably, Capello, appreciate it. He lifted the tempo and gave England better rhythm. He crossed the ball well, as ever, and hit a post. Whether that made him the best player on the field is another matter.
Total touches 51: The goal was the highlight for Manchester City¿s winger, who managed 21 accurate passes out of 25, giving him an 84% success rate. Also he had three tacklesHe seemed a little embarrassed to receive the award. But the crowd loved it and Beckham must have gone some way to allay Capello's fears that he was tired.
If Beckham is a genuine contender on the right, it makes the England manager's task tricky. In all probability he will take only two wingers, maybe two plus Beckham if he believes the 115-cap man can deputise in the centre of midfield.
Aaron Lennon dashed to the head of the queue with a blistering display against Croatia but was hooked after 15 minutes in Ukraine to make way for David James after Robert Green's red card.
But inconsistency is common with the Spurs speed merchant and sometimes the game drifts by him. This was one of those occasions. England's driving force against Croatia was the reward. A win booked a place in South Africa and Capello's England have proved they cannot find their edge when there is nothing much at stake.
They showed enough spirit with 10 men in Dnipropetrovsk but it is no coincidence that the 100 per cent winning record disappeared as soon as qualification was secure. As his team struggled to inject urgency into their play against Belarus, Capello flapped his arms and slumped deeper into his seat.
Stuart Pearce was sent out to the touchline to administer the kick up the backside. Fans resorted to the Mexican Wave. It was a far cry from the smoke and fire of Ukraine. In this tepid atmosphere, players seemed unable to left themselves. Shaun Wright-Phillips did not manage it, despite finding the net in the second half, and must be considered the last in the line of right wingers.
Enlarge
Total touches 30: Not as potent as against Croatia but the Tottenham winger still made 11 out of his 14 passes to deliver an accuracy success rate of 79%. Just the one tackle.James Milner did catch the eye out of position at left back. His jinking run and body swerve late in the game deserved to lead to his first England goal, but his curling shot thudded against the inside of a post. Capello is already a Milner fan. He likes his attitude and versatility, a quality which comes into its own as a tournament looms closer.
Walcott, however, needs to get back into action. He has just returned for Arsenal after a side strain and will be keen to be part of the England team who take on Brazil in Qatar next month.
Amid the nail-biting of those on the fringes, there was relief for Rio Ferdinand, who will be one of the first names picked for South Africa.
Ferdinand won his 76th England cap against Belarus but found himself under closer scrutiny than in the five years since his return from a ban for missing a drug test. Capello would have liked to give him a breather but, after two private conversations, the wise Italian felt it more important for the Manchester United defender to cleanse Saturday's error in Ukraine from the system.
For the most part, he played it safe and simple. Occasionally he launched the ball aimlessly in Crouch's general direction. Depressing as that was, the key was to survive without another blunder. Survive he did and Capello must hope his defender's confidence is restored before next summer.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1220500/Who-right-man-Lennon-SWP-Becks-Walcott-fighting-places.html#ixzz0U1bBFfDx
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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