England v Switzerland

Capello's first game - and he has a bit of Rafa-itis wheres Crouch!!??

Tonights team: James, Brown, Ferdinand, Upson, A.Cole, Bentley, Jenas, Gerrard, Barry, J.Cole, Rooney

Swiss to win 2-1 methinks.

"Stick your toblerone up your arse." - that seems to be a popular chant outside Wembley at the moment 

That team is awful, will lose 1 - 3 and Capello will have media on his back like McClown did. Then after a years time Capello will get sacked and some other manager will be appointed but they've get sacked the year after and repeat!

Quite like Owen being fu**ed off to be honest.

I quite like the look of Bentley.  I'm 'almost' half-interested in England for a change.  (Will probably still laugh if they lose)

Anybody else hope Beckham never get to 100 caps?

Anybody else hope Beckham never get to 100 caps?

Should get it, and then retire in the words of Alan Shearer, been a good servant, but just not good enough anymore.

Yeah I do...I hope he gets his 100. He deserves it.....always liked Becks. He takes alot of sh*t.

AS for the game....2-0

Yeah I do...I hope he gets his 100. He deserves it...

Suppose you're right.  After everything he helped England to win and everything.

I'm actually pretty happy with the team picked, it's refreshing to see form players picked ahead of 'names'. I don't think anyone will be untouchable under Capello, so no-one can get complacent.

My favourite thing about him, is that he isn't afraid to drop overpaid people such as Lampard.

I'm actually pretty happy with the team picked, it's refreshing to see form players picked ahead of 'names'. I don't think anyone will be untouchable under Capello, so no-one can get complacent.

I agree.  Like the BBC gang of tossers were saying - 'Best 11 English players of the last six weeks'.  If only Rafa applied the same principle to his team selection we might not have seen so much of Kuyt.

Good start.




By the Swiss.

Surprised Rooney's Shrek-ness didn't put the keeper off.

Do you want to see England as a team after two days of training together?
Even God needed 6 days to create the Earth!

Do you want to see England as a team after two days of training together?
Even God needed 6 days to create the Earth!

Swiss coach looks like that fella who was in the tv show 'Third Rock From The Sun'.....John Lithgow.....but with a slightly more squashed head....

Thought that was in for a second.

Bentley looks promising, so far, except for that cross.

As for Beckham....for most of his england career there wasn't alot of options for his position. He also raised the profile of english players....not always for the best....but he was good at scum and very influential at Madrid....
I just think (surprise surprise) that the media and our society love a scapegoat and to bring people down. As Stevie G said...no one puts on the three lions shirt and wants to play like poo....he got aload of sh*te when the rest of the squad should have shared the responsibility of failing.

Hope he gets 100 and that Bentley, SWP and Pennant can provide decent competition for each other.

THIS GAME IS POOR....but what are we expecting.....its gonna take time....France game will be the tester....

Let's just face it.  England players are sh*t.  Look at the other top teams in the Premiership.   Hardly any English players in there.

Rooney and Gerrard are the only two players who would possibly get in any international side.

We've got a 37 year old clown in goal.
One striker.
Wes Brown in defence.
Ashley 'Gonorrhoea' Cole in defence.

No chance of winning anything.  England are w*nk.  I feel sorry for Capello.

I think 6.5 million a year will settle his worried italian head....

We have enough players in england of various qualities that we can put together a team that actually plays like they know each other.

Its a bit like LFC....either stick with a selection of established players and get them to gel or say sod it and start completely fresh and build for the future.....

Reblood or stick with it...one or other.

Most interesting thing so far is Rooney's receding hair-line.

GOAL: England 1-0 Switzerland

Jermaine Jenas gets the goal after good work by Gerrard and Cole.

jenas...thats exciting....please let him become a pub quiz question of the future....

"Which player was the first goalscorer for england who then went onto to never play for his country again once the manager realised he was a pile of sh*te?"

First shot in the game for switzerland:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1757881

Good shot for Rooney passing near the stand:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1757896

First goal for england - jenas:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1757972

Rooney should score after a good ball by Bentley.

Rooney almost Lobs the keeper.

It is time for Peter Crouch to come on.

1-1

STEVIE G!!!!!!

2-1 to England, Shaun Wright-Phillips. Substitutes galore.

Crouch almost scores to make it 3-1, but a good save from what ever the Swiss keeper is called.

Nice shot for rooney above the goal keeper:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1758051

Draw goal for Switzerland:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1758065

Second goal for england - phillips:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1758076

Not "sexy" football by any stretch from England, but effective nonetheless.

Its all over

Man of the Match: Steven Gerrard.

Hey, that was 'almost' like one of our Liverpool match threads.

Nothing like a new manager to get a bit of enthusiasm going.

Shame that Gerrard didn't spark Rooney clean out when they were getting interviewed together.  Ah well... another opportunity for sporting history missed.

First shot in the game for switzerland:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1757881

Good shot for Rooney passing near the stand:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1757896

First goal for england - jenas:
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/1757972

We've got ourselves a new hiijiwa!!

Wow that was some nice play from Joey Cole for Jenas' goal. Really silky stuff.

Joe Cole's cross was excellent tonight, hope he gets injured in training tomorrow   

hope he gets injured in training tomorrow   

Harsh but deep down everyone who wants us to win really do hope that

Do you want to see England as a team after two days of training together?
Even God needed 6 days to create the Earth!

Couldn't have summed it up better. The biggest downfall of England is that they are not a team and were never going to be a team under McClaren. Just a group of individual players with high profiles but a select few having some real quality about them. It's going to take a very long time until the England team have a true team mentality.

It was a step in the right direction dropping Owen last night though. And I admired the choice of playing Bentley. One player hasn't been good enough lately and the other one has. Simple.

s you all know, Im not supporting England but credits are due, Capello has sent a clear message about what he is expecting.

The first half was poor, the goal re-vitalise the team and boost the players, but until then Switzerland was the most attractive team on the pitch, second half and subs just finished the job to win.

 It will take time for England to be back to their best  but this was defo a step  in the right direction, playing players for their quality and not because of their name is just spot on. You have time to build something very solid with a man like Capello in charge...Remember 1994? France didn't qualified for the World Cup just for winning it 4 years after and won the EURO  straigh after...I wouldnt be surprised to see England taking the same direction.

If John Motson had got any further up Rooney's backside last night he would have had to piggy back him home! sure the lad has talent but i am damned if i can see this superstar quality everyone is raving on about.
He still doesn't deliver on a regular basis but when he does its spectacular and I'm not being funny but Danny Murphy could do that! and before anyone thinks i am classing them the same quality of player of course I'm not, Murphy was better! Joking aside of course i can see that old spud u like has talent i just dont think he is as outstanding as some people seem to believe and for Wallace and Grommit to start stamping their feet because Stevie G got man of the match above beloved Wayne is just ridiculous and if I'm honest one of the main reasons i dont care what England get up to unless there is a red in the side.

When i seen the line up i thought i wa a B team game Upson,Brown,Jenas I suppose Cappello was trying a few out theres players to come back and the 4-5-1 doesnt suit us it will be all change when it matters most.Nice to see England win for a change.

Haha. Was it me or were England quite crap? Yeah you won but you won with 1 less goal than Wales and conceded one Hehe. Switzerland's 'keeper was good though I thought; does he play for a good team? I didn't catch his name.

Haha. Was it me or were England quite crap? Yeah you won but you won with 1 less goal than Wales and conceded one Hehe. Switzerland's 'keeper was good though I thought; does he play for a good team? I didn't catch his name.

Wales were playing Norway, a "lesser" team

Oh and Switzerland are awesome aren't they.. hehe.

Wales aren't great at football, and I know it was only a friendly, but a 3-0 win is gonna give us a little bit of confidence innit