Belarus - England
Considering confidence among fans and within the squad itself after the Euro 2008 failure was of a similar low to that of 1994, should England have been offered a 100 per cent start after three games to their road to South Africa campaign, even the most ardent of Anglican ale enthusiasts would have traded a finite supply of Greene King IPA in order to seal the accord with a happy hoppy finish.In fact any initial skepticism has been diluted due to a 11 goals scored after 270 minutes of football and the imminent possibility of the finest possible start to a World Cup qualifying season providing the Three Lions carry on roaring in Minsk.
Emile Heskey, a once maligned figure, is now seen as enjoying a renaissance and is now arguably an untouchable. As, in the eyes of Fabio Capello, it is the powerful Wigan forward who allows national darling Wayne Rooney to blossom."Rooney is very important for us," Capello said after the flattering 5-1 Kazakhstan win. "But Heskey is important for him.
Defenders always go towards Heskey. When that happens, it creates a bit of space for Rooney — whose movement is so good."Despite the impressive and still burgeoning partnership of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe at club level, if Heskey carries on gifting Rooney space to attack and score then the Pompey pair may not be able to add to their 28 and 31 respective cap hauls.Capello even has partnership problems in other areas of the pitch.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are both fit, both started against Kazakhstan, but once again failed to find the glittering form that has guided their Premier League sides to Champions League finals.The Belarusians may pose some distinct problems for the English.
Such is the esteem that Capello holds the side in he went as far as to compare them to Arsenal, but without key midfielder Aliaksandr Hleb the home side may be impotent in attack.
Belarus
Squad
Goalkeepers: Zhevnov (Moskva), Veremko (BATE Borisov), Amelchenko (Moskva).
Defenders: Omelyanchuk (FC Terek Grozny), Filipenko (Spartak Moscow), Skverniuk (Krylya Sovetov Samara), Verkhovtsov (Naftan Novopolotsk), Molosh (Nosta Novotroitsk), Sosnovski (BATE Borisov).
Midfielders: Kulchiy (Rostov), Hleb (Barcelona), Korytko (Chornomorets Odessa), Strakhanovich (MTZ-RIPO), Stasevich (BATE Borisov), Putsila (Hamburger SV), Pavlov (Dnepr Mahilyow), Sitko (Vitebsk), Chukhley (Dinamo Minsk).
Forwards: Kutuzov (Parma), Bulyga (Luch-Energiya Vladivostok), Hleb (MTZ-RIPO), Rodionov (BATE Borisov).
Probable Starting XI: Zhevnov - Chukley; Filipenko; Verkhovtsov; Omelyanchuk - Kulchiy; Putsila: Stasevich; Stasevich; Strakhanovich - Bulyga.
England
John Terry has been ruled out after suffering a recurrence of a back injury so Matthew Upson will likely maintain his starting role while Rio Ferdinand will sport the armband.Ashley Cole has not travelled with the rest of the squad as he has also been sidelined.
Squad
Goalkeepers: James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham), Carson (West Brom).
Defenders: Brown (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Lescott (Everton), Upson (West Ham), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea).
Midfielders: Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Walcott (Arsenal), Barry (Aston Villa), Jenas (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Downing (Middlesbrough), Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).
Strikers: Heskey (Wigan), Crouch (Portsmouth), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth).
Probable Starting XI: James - Brown; Ferdinand; Upson; Bridge - Walcott; Lampard; Barry; Gerrard - Rooney; Heskey.
Ok..England IMO have a very difficult match. With both Terry and Cole missing i thing Belarus can and will score. So IMO the safest bat is both to score
Emile Heskey, a once maligned figure, is now seen as enjoying a renaissance and is now arguably an untouchable. As, in the eyes of Fabio Capello, it is the powerful Wigan forward who allows national darling Wayne Rooney to blossom."Rooney is very important for us," Capello said after the flattering 5-1 Kazakhstan win. "But Heskey is important for him.
Defenders always go towards Heskey. When that happens, it creates a bit of space for Rooney — whose movement is so good."Despite the impressive and still burgeoning partnership of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe at club level, if Heskey carries on gifting Rooney space to attack and score then the Pompey pair may not be able to add to their 28 and 31 respective cap hauls.Capello even has partnership problems in other areas of the pitch.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are both fit, both started against Kazakhstan, but once again failed to find the glittering form that has guided their Premier League sides to Champions League finals.The Belarusians may pose some distinct problems for the English.
Such is the esteem that Capello holds the side in he went as far as to compare them to Arsenal, but without key midfielder Aliaksandr Hleb the home side may be impotent in attack.
Belarus
Squad
Goalkeepers: Zhevnov (Moskva), Veremko (BATE Borisov), Amelchenko (Moskva).
Defenders: Omelyanchuk (FC Terek Grozny), Filipenko (Spartak Moscow), Skverniuk (Krylya Sovetov Samara), Verkhovtsov (Naftan Novopolotsk), Molosh (Nosta Novotroitsk), Sosnovski (BATE Borisov).
Midfielders: Kulchiy (Rostov), Hleb (Barcelona), Korytko (Chornomorets Odessa), Strakhanovich (MTZ-RIPO), Stasevich (BATE Borisov), Putsila (Hamburger SV), Pavlov (Dnepr Mahilyow), Sitko (Vitebsk), Chukhley (Dinamo Minsk).
Forwards: Kutuzov (Parma), Bulyga (Luch-Energiya Vladivostok), Hleb (MTZ-RIPO), Rodionov (BATE Borisov).
Probable Starting XI: Zhevnov - Chukley; Filipenko; Verkhovtsov; Omelyanchuk - Kulchiy; Putsila: Stasevich; Stasevich; Strakhanovich - Bulyga.
England
John Terry has been ruled out after suffering a recurrence of a back injury so Matthew Upson will likely maintain his starting role while Rio Ferdinand will sport the armband.Ashley Cole has not travelled with the rest of the squad as he has also been sidelined.
Squad
Goalkeepers: James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham), Carson (West Brom).
Defenders: Brown (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Lescott (Everton), Upson (West Ham), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea).
Midfielders: Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Walcott (Arsenal), Barry (Aston Villa), Jenas (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Downing (Middlesbrough), Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).
Strikers: Heskey (Wigan), Crouch (Portsmouth), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth).
Probable Starting XI: James - Brown; Ferdinand; Upson; Bridge - Walcott; Lampard; Barry; Gerrard - Rooney; Heskey.
Ok..England IMO have a very difficult match. With both Terry and Cole missing i thing Belarus can and will score. So IMO the safest bat is both to score
posted by Midnight Sun @ 22:46,
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