England 2 - 1 Switzerland
This was the first game in Fabio Capello's reign as England manager and it was capped by a victory. The big stories leading up to the match were the exclusion of potential England centurion and the reports of Capello's strict discipline. Gone were the players phones and Playstations and the players were expected to sometimes train twice a day. Wednesday night was going to be an indication of what England fans can expect for the next couple of years, so what did the friendly show?
The morning's papers had predicted a team that would include Ashley Young and Owen Hargreaves, but Capello fooled them all by including Gareth Barry and Jermaine Jenas, the latter of whom justified their selection by scoring the first goal. The formation was 4-5-1 with Gerrard the No.10, as there was no place for the Michael Owen. It represented a change in system for the England side with the team so used to variations of 4-4-2. Capello's change from the system represents a different direction for the team and in the first half, the players seemed unable to adapt to the new formation. Things were better in the second half, Rooney, Gerrard, Cole and Jenas thriving . The performance wasn't great, but a winning start is always welcome. Upson occasionally looked out of place at times and Ashley Cole's mind seemed elswhere at times. With the exception of the Switzerland goal and a few nervous moments at the back, England looked solid.
With Beckham out of the squad, David Bentley was given his chance on the right-hand side of midfield, and produced a competent performance. As one of the suitors for that position, he may have earned himself another crack at securing his place in the team. Beckham is believed to still be in Capello's plans, but found himself stuck on 99 caps. Capello has made it known that sentiment will not play a part in his selection process, so Beckham will have to earn his 100th cap. There was also no place for Michael Owen, who may become the first victim to England's new style. However, his goal record at international level is unrivalled by any other England player, so surely he must remain in and around the squad.
England's performance wasn't spectacular, but it was solid and something for the new manager to build on. Hopefully the players will become used to the way England play and the team will be able to put the misery of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign behind them.
You can see SvenSport's photos from the game on the right hand side.
The morning's papers had predicted a team that would include Ashley Young and Owen Hargreaves, but Capello fooled them all by including Gareth Barry and Jermaine Jenas, the latter of whom justified their selection by scoring the first goal. The formation was 4-5-1 with Gerrard the No.10, as there was no place for the Michael Owen. It represented a change in system for the England side with the team so used to variations of 4-4-2. Capello's change from the system represents a different direction for the team and in the first half, the players seemed unable to adapt to the new formation. Things were better in the second half, Rooney, Gerrard, Cole and Jenas thriving . The performance wasn't great, but a winning start is always welcome. Upson occasionally looked out of place at times and Ashley Cole's mind seemed elswhere at times. With the exception of the Switzerland goal and a few nervous moments at the back, England looked solid.
With Beckham out of the squad, David Bentley was given his chance on the right-hand side of midfield, and produced a competent performance. As one of the suitors for that position, he may have earned himself another crack at securing his place in the team. Beckham is believed to still be in Capello's plans, but found himself stuck on 99 caps. Capello has made it known that sentiment will not play a part in his selection process, so Beckham will have to earn his 100th cap. There was also no place for Michael Owen, who may become the first victim to England's new style. However, his goal record at international level is unrivalled by any other England player, so surely he must remain in and around the squad.
England's performance wasn't spectacular, but it was solid and something for the new manager to build on. Hopefully the players will become used to the way England play and the team will be able to put the misery of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign behind them.
You can see SvenSport's photos from the game on the right hand side.
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