Danny Murphy

No need for England to panic

Tue Nov 17 03:46PM

I don't think Fabio Capello will have learned too much from the game against Brazil for two reasons. Firstly, we were without a number of first-choice players, and secondly, the climate made it very difficult. Thankfully, the weather should be a lot cooler at the World Cup in the South African winter.

Although the performance wasn't great, Capello would have been more worried if he gone out there with a full-strength line-up. It just highlights the fact that when an international side are without four or five key players, they will struggle.

When you have the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and David James missing, you are bound to lack the same quality. Any international side would be in the same situation with the spine of their team missing.

I think the issue surrounding England's strength in depth only becomes relevant if we encounter a number of long-term injuries. Of course, other players will come into the reckoning by having a good second half of the season, so we will hopefully be firing at our peak in time for the World Cup. I believe that with a full strength squad, we have a great chance in South Africa.

Nobody really stood out in the Brazil game, either for good or bad reasons. We looked slightly vulnerable in defence but that is to be expected against a highly-skilled Brazilian attack. Given the circumstances, it was a difficult game for the fringe players to impress in, and I have no doubt the outcome would have been different with all our players available.

Brazil were very impressive against England to their credit. Under Dunga's management, they have a nice shape to their game, in a team packed with match-winners. They always seem to live up to expectations, particularly on the big stage, and I have no doubt that they will be competitive in the latter stages of the World Cup. Their history in World Cups is excellent and they have every right to be classed as one of the favourites for the tournament.

In terms of World Cup preparation, it wouldn't be ideal for Fabio Capello to have too players competing in the Champion's League Final, as he has suggested. Looking at the bigger picture, it would be great to have one or potentially two sides in the final to show the world the continually growing strength of the Premier League.

It does elongate the players' season if they are to be involved but I wouldn't count end-of-season fatigue as a decisive factor looking towards the World Cup. Naturally, players will get tired as the end of season nears, but the adrenaline and excitement surrounding the World Cup will surely get the players mentally and physically re-focused. With the excellent standard of player care and preparation around the game these days, players should hopefully be at their peak in time for England's first game.

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england are gonna win the world cup with Fabio Capello as are manager he has done great with the squad so far
From mickdonnell12 on Tue Nov 17 04:06PM
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this was one of those stupid friendly games, that doesn't deside anything, but brazil played as if it was a world cup final thats why england lost. I agree with you murphy, with lapard, terry, gerrard and co. and strong motivation three lions would have won. So England has good chances for the World Cup
From achiko_valo on Tue Nov 17 04:13PM
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I thought we were solid at least but never looked like scoring. Q-Finals contenders as always
From graeme_a_j on Tue Nov 17 04:14PM
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I made it 6 missing or dont u count J T as top class?....
From b.stacey288 on Tue Nov 17 04:47PM
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achiko_valo
"but brazil played as if it was a world cup final"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LMAO
From jessedossantos on Tue Nov 17 04:48PM
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Let's hope they don't come back home before the postcards of SA
From rasor.rasor on Tue Nov 17 05:06PM
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but it was also brazil's third team.
From ogi71 on Tue Nov 17 05:49PM
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That was not WC pace for Brazil out there......England definitely had some soft spots in the line-up out there...
From tomshomper on Tue Nov 17 05:59PM
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yeah brazil wre taking it very seriously for a friendly.. i dont think england were playing for the win, just trying to save face...a stupid fixture that england were forced into due to a silly loop-hole.. should never have happened, that'll explain all the "injuries" that took place miraculously three days before the game lol
From bigjeffrules on Tue Nov 17 06:19PM
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you can sum up how seriously england took the game with the absence of david beckham "mr England"... he would've been a shoe in for another cap and probably would've been given the chance of a full game, but even he knew it was pointless..
From bigjeffrules on Tue Nov 17 06:24PM
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ENGLAND have not got a PRAYER in SOUTH AFRICA................what chance have they against SPAIN...........................NO CHANCE!!!!!
From richielee on Tue Nov 17 06:36PM
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You get called a lot of things in these columns Danny but you are nothing but an optimist I'll give you that. Let's get real
Graeme a j has it spot on - comment 4 - Q finalist or maybe beaten in the semis at best - wish it would be different but we all know better
From peter_blacklock on Tue Nov 17 06:44PM
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only world class skillfull player England have is Joe Cole, anyone thinking England will win world cup is living in cloud cuckoo land.
From roger.beattie on Tue Nov 17 06:55PM
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England cannot beat spain, brazil, france and any of the african teams at the world cup. so i think they might just have to wait for 2018 WC
From faceofgloria on Tue Nov 17 07:35PM
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If two premiership sides were in the Champions league final it certainly would not be Capello who would need to be worried about tired players for the World cup as all teams are full of foreign players who will go to the world cup.
From hyndesite on Tue Nov 17 07:46PM
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Bla bla bla, reasons, pretexts for failure doesn't help. There will alwyas be reasons for a complainer. We have seen it before. It's a dejavu
From dallier4you on Tue Nov 17 08:14PM
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england cannot beat spain, france, brazil and any of the african teams. they just must wait for 2018 as 2014 is in brazil, and 2010 is 4 africa. (ghana)
From imuanah on Tue Nov 17 08:34PM
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england cannot beat spain, france, brazil and any of the african teams. they just must wait for 2018 as 2014 is in brazil, and 2010 is 4 africa. (ghana
From imuanah on Tue Nov 17 08:35PM
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What are the odds of England NOT winning the World Cup? I just don't see it happening but as long as Capello is in charge, ya never know!
From jamesbroadfoot on Tue Nov 17 08:38PM
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we are not going to win the world cup if we have goalkeepers like we do now. The best goalkeeper for england at the moment is Manuel Alumina. Yes his spanish..so what!! but he is eligble to play and he has said he would love to play. likes of terry's and lampards's dont want him... coz he wants to play for england? or his orgin is spain?? He is the only one with top flight level football aswell as champs league experience! england want to eradicate racsim and fascists in football??? ummm.. i mean look at the england squad for the cricket half the players are south african or asian?? bite the bullet england football players and fans and call for alumina or least give him a chance, after all the england manager is italian... for gods sake!!!
From aleema14 on Tue Nov 17 09:57PM
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Its England, Brazil, or Africa nations like Ivory coast,Ghana,Egypt and/Nigeria who will win that world cup in South Africa anything outside that is fiction.That was how Spain was tiped for confederation cup and went all the way to loose that cup to Brazil.............Infact spain will be eliminated by any team in Africa except South Africa. Remember when Senegal, a fisrt time World cup attendants defeated France in their opening game in Korea/Japan, 2002.That defeat was enough to eliminate defending champion at the first round. Let me remind you that Argentina was tiped for that same mundial, they were crushed out of the tournament at first round, the same round that France was eliminated in the same World cup edition of 2002.If you recall Spain that you are all tipping for that mundial was defeated by Nigeria (3-2) in the 1998 edition of the mundial.The major reason why i tiped the above Countries for the South Africa 2010 glory is because Great Britains and France are very powerful Nations in Africa, they colonised most Africa Nations, the nation hosting the mundial come 2010 is an English colonised nation and they are commonwealth nation.Among those countries that could win the mundial except Brazil is a common wealth nation or francophone nations.Now the only nation that has that qualities in terms of technical know how,players outside Africa is ENGLAND. France would have been mention but lack the technical and players qualities that could win a World cup for now.So other nations that could win the world cup in South Africa are:
1.IVORY COAST, because they have the quality players that are playing best of football in outstanding clubs all over europe and that they are from Africa.
2.GHANA, because of thesame reason attributed to Ivory coast.
3.EGYPT, because they are Africa best presently
4.NIGERIA, because of their european exposure and that they are from Africa.
All in all, BRAZIL stand out. They could just win the World cup again in South Africa
From gapcom_tech on Tue Nov 17 10:01PM
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I'm not as convinced by Capello as some seem to be here. He's got good performances and discipline out of the players which has got us so far but when it comes down to it, I don't think he has the imagination to fire England to a World Cup final. He's stuck with a rigid 4-4-2 system and really hasn't thought outside the box in terms of players who might add something different to the mix. We were comprehensively outplayed on Saturday and it wasn't all to do with the second 11 we put out. Dunga put out effectively a 4-5-1 formation with Nilmar working off the left and Melo and Silva as defensive midfielders. They were always going to dominate in that department because Capello was out thought in the tactics department. He should have gone with the same kind of formation using three attacking midfielders behind Rooney with Barry and Huddlestone protecting the back four. And Capello should have made substitutions earlier and given the likes of Ashley Young longer on the pitch. If we're to win we need a plan B involving a different system and personal who can play in it and I don't think Cappello has the imagination for that.
From andrew.mclean80 on Tue Nov 17 10:08PM
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to be honest, i am simply not convinced by england. England are always one of the favorites in this country but no where else. you have very good induvidual and a great coach, but england, have had friendlies with germany, spain, france and LOST. over than the victory over crotia englands performances were not great. i mean i can honestly grab 11 players of the streets right now and and make a team that will beat andorra.. to win these tournaments you have to beat big teams... can england do it consistantly NO, Sorry to dissapoint... Maybe the euro... and dont get excited i said maybe
From kevinkoum on Tue Nov 17 10:21PM
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I think we've got the players, there's too much reliance on big names when there a lot of talented grafters in the Premier League. We know who's in the first team but it's pretty clear we need options when it comes to the rest of the squad. Let's use the rest of the friendlies to have a look at the likes of Jimmy Bullard, Matt Taylor, Kevin Davies, Fabian Delph, Nigel Reo-Coker, Steve Sidwell, Jack Wilshere, Matt Derbyshire, Kieran Gibbs, Chris Eagles, Leighton Baines, Leon Osman, Dan Gosling, Ryan Shawcross, Matt Etherington, and others. They might not play in top four teams but that doesn't mean anything at international level. It'd be what different ingredients they might be able to bring to the team to help us win. Trevor Sinclair was never considered to be a top player at a top four club but I remember him putting in some pretty decent performances for England, so why not have a look at some of these. What's Capello got to lose when he's already got Terry, Ferdinand, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard and co packing their bags.
From andrew.mclean80 on Tue Nov 17 10:49PM
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"it wouldn't be ideal for Fabio Capello to have too players competing in the" Learn the difference between to, too and two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From pageynick on Tue Nov 17 10:58PM
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16.you can sum up how seriously england took the game with the absence of david beckham "mr England"... he would've been a shoe in for another cap and probably would've been given the chance of a full game, but even he knew it was pointless..
From bigjeffrules on Tue Nov 17 06:24PM
His team are in the MLS finals you plonker, he wasn't available for the Brazil match!
From twomjc on Wed Nov 18 01:56AM
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Same old story: too many 1st choice players not available, 1st choice players are available but are too tired (maybe because they play too many meaningless friendlies), weather too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, grass too long, too short, etc, etc...we've heard it all before.
However, the simple truth is we are not amongst the best in the world and, despite what the Sun says, we have absolutely no world class players and this will be all too apparent at the WC finals next year.
From mambles on Wed Nov 18 05:21AM
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Dear me....is it me or everytime England lose is there always a pile of excuses. Are we not big enough to admit that we are a decent team but nowhere near the best (like Spain, Brazil, Germany, Holland, Italy....) and have not been since 1966. lets not forget that it was also Brazils SECOND choice team too. The fact that we keep being told that is was Brazils FIRST team is a complete lie! We were too slow, made too many bad passes and just were not good enough against better players. Sorry. Next time we will here that is was too cold, there was too much noise in the stadium to concentrate, the floodlights were too bright, the ball was too soft.......!!!!
From tommyfcb2006 on Wed Nov 18 08:05AM
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That is why England not world class team, England is that team which can play good in good conditions, but world class teams, like Brazil, Germany, Italy and even Spain, they can play good in any conditions, with any players, even any coach. For real world class team there should not be any objective reasons to defeat. And the main thing is that all world cup winners had first-rate keeper. I think Spain, Italy, Brasil and Germany in Semi-finals.
From shark_mathboy on Wed Nov 18 08:21AM
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Losing friendlies does not mean England is not good.......... in fact that gives the technical crews the idea of where to work on in their build up to the WC final come 2010."Its England,Brazil,Ivory coast,Ghana,Egypt and/Nigeria that will win that WC in South Africa"..................
From gapcom_tech on Wed Nov 18 08:24AM
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