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Well, what a hectic few days it has been, especially for England and their goalkeepers!
The tournament has been slow to start. Most of the games have been very tight with teams not wanting to go for the win however as we move into the second week this will certainly change. I am looking forward to the next England game and I’m keen to see improvement in all areas. I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe Cole either starts or comes on as a substitute, as I think he could bring an element of creativity to England’s game that was perhaps lacking in the game against the USA.
England!
I was totally shocked when the ball ricocheted off Rob Green and into the net in the game against the USA - it was a nightmare start! I am a strong advocate of Robert Green and his ability, and I believe Fabio Capello should stick with him. I am not sure who Fabio Capello will decide to start against Algeria but if it is Robert I am sure he can cope with the increased scrutiny that will be placed upon him. If he decides to go with Joe Hart I don’t think there will be many complaints, he has performed solidly over the course of the past season and exudes confidence which is a great trait to have as a goalkeeper.
The media have looked to Robert Green as a scapegoat, which is unfair as I felt England were not up to scratch in other areas. They had another 45 minutes to press on for a winning goal and they fell short. This may have been down to substitutions. I felt that at some point Joe Cole should have featured last Saturday as there seemed to be little creativity in the final third, with Wayne Rooney looking a little subdued. All in all I think England have a lot more to offer in this competition and there were many positives to take from the contributions of Lampard and Gerrard who both played well. They should still go into the next game feeling confident and should win against an Algeria team that didn’t impress against Slovenia.
The priority must be to finish top of the group, as if not England will almost certainly face Germany in the second round. Germany looked incredibly impressive; they were very creative in midfield, which is not always the case and made light work of a poorly organised Australian team. The Tim Cahill sending off was, in my eyes, justified and even so the eventual outcome would have been the same.
The Dutch looked very impressive against Denmark albeit with a fortunate own goal. Holland play a great style of football and the real test for them will be when they come up against stronger opposition in the latter stages. Paraguay surprised many with their performance against Italy on Monday. They may even have caused an upset had their goalkeeper dealt better with the cross that led to the goal. The ball has come under fire for moving in the air but so far I haven’t witnessed it moving all that much. The Slovenian goal on Sunday was a straight shot with no obvious deviation in its trajectory and the keeper should have had no problems with saving it!
Once again I am looking forward to seeing England in their next game on Friday. Fabio Capello certainly has some big decisions to make, and whatever he decides there will certainly be plenty of talking points following the game.
Come on England!
Former England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, is an ambassador for British Airways - the official airline of the England 2018 World Cup Bid.
The tournament has been slow to start. Most of the games have been very tight with teams not wanting to go for the win however as we move into the second week this will certainly change. I am looking forward to the next England game and I’m keen to see improvement in all areas. I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe Cole either starts or comes on as a substitute, as I think he could bring an element of creativity to England’s game that was perhaps lacking in the game against the USA.
England!
I was totally shocked when the ball ricocheted off Rob Green and into the net in the game against the USA - it was a nightmare start! I am a strong advocate of Robert Green and his ability, and I believe Fabio Capello should stick with him. I am not sure who Fabio Capello will decide to start against Algeria but if it is Robert I am sure he can cope with the increased scrutiny that will be placed upon him. If he decides to go with Joe Hart I don’t think there will be many complaints, he has performed solidly over the course of the past season and exudes confidence which is a great trait to have as a goalkeeper.
The media have looked to Robert Green as a scapegoat, which is unfair as I felt England were not up to scratch in other areas. They had another 45 minutes to press on for a winning goal and they fell short. This may have been down to substitutions. I felt that at some point Joe Cole should have featured last Saturday as there seemed to be little creativity in the final third, with Wayne Rooney looking a little subdued. All in all I think England have a lot more to offer in this competition and there were many positives to take from the contributions of Lampard and Gerrard who both played well. They should still go into the next game feeling confident and should win against an Algeria team that didn’t impress against Slovenia.
The priority must be to finish top of the group, as if not England will almost certainly face Germany in the second round. Germany looked incredibly impressive; they were very creative in midfield, which is not always the case and made light work of a poorly organised Australian team. The Tim Cahill sending off was, in my eyes, justified and even so the eventual outcome would have been the same.
The Dutch looked very impressive against Denmark albeit with a fortunate own goal. Holland play a great style of football and the real test for them will be when they come up against stronger opposition in the latter stages. Paraguay surprised many with their performance against Italy on Monday. They may even have caused an upset had their goalkeeper dealt better with the cross that led to the goal. The ball has come under fire for moving in the air but so far I haven’t witnessed it moving all that much. The Slovenian goal on Sunday was a straight shot with no obvious deviation in its trajectory and the keeper should have had no problems with saving it!
Once again I am looking forward to seeing England in their next game on Friday. Fabio Capello certainly has some big decisions to make, and whatever he decides there will certainly be plenty of talking points following the game.
Come on England!
Former England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, is an ambassador for British Airways - the official airline of the England 2018 World Cup Bid.
