That is very true.

How does Barry get picked for England, seriously he can't pass the ball to save his lfe. He constantly gives away possession and when he is defending he often gets ran around. He should be nowhere near the side, same goes for SWP who literally just runs up blind alleys and falls over.

They were not the only culprits but Barry did this in the WC too, just constantly passed the ball to the opposition.

Gareth Barry must be finished as an England International surely.

As you say Rooney and Crouch little better although Rooney looked more a threat once Kevin Davies was introduced.

Indeed.

He has to go. He's far too slow aswell. As we saw in the WC when Ozil absolutely blitzed him for the 3rd or 4th goal. He couldn't get anywhere near him.

So much for youth getting a shot aswell. Kevin f-cking Davies. Je.zuz.christ.

Obsessed. Worst players on the pitch were Rooney and Glen Johnson. Why have you not criticised Rooney?

Barry was a bit sluggish but let’s face it, he’s not the kind of player who is going to look effective against a team who get players behind the ball. He won’t provide that killer pass, outpace his ‘runner’ or dribble the ball past 3 players and unleash a spectacular shot.

As for SWP, he has been poor, below average at best, for a while now. However, you should judge him when he is playing in his position. I don't know if you have ever played football but playing on a flank you are not used to, is difficult. SWP doesn't have the technical ability to play on the 'opposite flank'.

City still provided arguably the best player on the pitch – Adam Johnson. Again, I wouldn’t expect you to say that, the other best player being Gerrard. Again, I wouldn’t expect you to compliment him either.

Maybe you are not obsessed. Rather you simply don’t know much about football.

Only Wayne Rooney is more overated that Gareth Barry.

And to think Manchester United fans rate Rooney on the same level as Leo Messi. Pur-lease....

I was tempted to ask "Who overrates Gareth Barry?", but then I noticed that Jamie Redknapp singled him out for special praise this morning!

I think the worrying thing for England is that the team playing yesterday was probably the best available and that the missing players probably wouldnt have made much of a difference. People can argue the relative merits of a few players but they're all much of a muchness.

We're the international equivalent of a yo yo team. We'll probably be good enough for qualification but will fail when we're up against the big boys.

Sums England up for me, 99% of the time they're good enough to qualify but when it comes to facing the best in the world and Europe in the major tournaments they fail badly.

Gareth Barry is w**k. Anyone who thinks any different is deluded. It's nothing to do with the fact tat he plays for City, it's due to his ability. He is not good enough, his passing is truly appauling.

Rooney is in terrible form, but sadly for England, is too good to be dropped. He should be rested and left with his club to re discover his best form. But Englands other options are Darren Bent, Peter Crouch and Kevin Davies.

I wish Capello would've played Englands most dangerous player (Adam Johnson) in his most natural position down the left last night. He was cutting in all the time and was so predictable. It was crying out for Young and Johnson to be switched.

Are you a moron? Actually don't answer that we all know you are.

Why does it always have to be about City or Utd? OBSESSED!!!

I never mentioned quite a few players but I did say there were other culprits, I singled out Barry because he was truly awful and was so in the WC. As for SWP well I used to play on the right of midfield so I am aware of how difficult it is to swap but tbh you could play Shaun on the right and he would still be poor, he has no class, he just runs with his head down until he bumps into someone. He was a good player the first time he left City but it's all gone wrong since then.

Rooney is out of form, he was poor in the WC and has been for Utd so far this season, I have no issue with saying that as unlike you I don't rant and rave everytime someone mentions a player form the team I support.

Johnson was easily our best player but should be played on the left not the right, do you want a gold star as he plays for City? Gerrard played too deep, a few players did but he produced some cracking balls at times for the front two.

As for football knowledge, you show yourself up constantly on here, mainly due to the fact that you are bitter blue obsessed with Utd and Spurs it seems. However in your little world I am sure you think of yourself as being the font of all knowledge

Enfield Exile is also obsessed with Chelsea, Everton, Villa and Leeds as well as the two you have already mentioned.

He is turning into a Kopite with that mentality of 'if you disagree with me or have an opinion about my team, which isn't aren't you great, then you are bitter'.

Adam Johnson is a significantly better winger when played on the right than the left. He hasn't had a decent game in City colours on the left whereas he has largely been outstanding on the right.

He is like many wide players these days in that they prefer cutting in field to getting to the byline. Adam Johnson is an outstanding player but crossing is not his strongest point on left or right. However, his trickery causes more chaos on the right because he is prepared to vary it and go to the byline and use his right just when the full back expects different. Play him on the left and he is less inclined to cut in and use his right, he becomes a tad more predictable and is shut out much more easily.

It creates a problem at our place because SWP is hopeless on the left but can be a threat down the right when he's on song and it also means that James Milner is now largely playing in a wide left role that he is clearly not very good in.

Tbh Dave no matter where he plays left or right Johnson has to be in England's team everytime it's named. He is the one wide player who looks a genuine threat. The only problem with him playing right for England is we don't have another left footer which means someone like SWP, Young, Milner, Lennon, Walcott etc having to play on the left and look out of place. I think we would look better balanced with him on the left and Walcott, Milner or Lennon on the right.

Personal insults. Very low.



You’re the one who said England were poor and named just two players – who both happened to play for City. The fact that you had a go at SWP when he only got on for a few minutes and was played on the wrong side, displays strong signs of obsession and bitterness.

SWP plays with his head up, However, he seems to trip up over the ball too much. He has been poor for a while, but he does very occasionally display high quality. I cannot defend his form but I will defend a City player when someone makes an unfair criticism. Whatever we think, Mancini, Hughes and Capello have each picked him to play in the last year. His demise has been painful for City fans to watch.






Rooney is vastly overrated.


Johnson was easily our best player but should be played on the left not the right, do you want a gold star as he plays for City? Gerrard played too deep, a few players did but he produced some cracking balls at times for the front two.


No. You are wrong. The fact that Capello and Mancini pick him as a right-winger is good enough for me.

Do you honestly think that all wingers should be played on the ‘correct’ side?




I won’t correct people on spelling or typos, we are all guilty of those kind of mistakes. However, I have to correct you regarding ‘font’. It should actually be ‘fount’.

I am biased, yes. I will admit that. My football knowledge is fine. But like the typical OOT, armchair Rag, you would never admit that.

You know less about football than any other poster who regularly visits this forum. I am not saying that because I disagree with pretty much everything you say. I have disagreed with plenty of people on here, but it doesn’t mean I think they are ‘clueless’. Robbie, Red Tez, Karlos13, GT, Yorkshire Red, LGJM and others are knowledgeable about the game. You will notice that four of them support the Evil Empire, just like you.

I agree, although I do find it odd that Johnson doesnt switch wings more often. I thought it was just a Mancini thing but it was the same with England. The occasional forray down the left would add a touch of variety, especially when he has a centre forward such as Crouch or Davies to pick out.

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Spot on re Johnson.

The left side is a problem. I believe that Mancini sees Kolarov as being the person to provide the width on the left. Now that Boateng is back and Kolarov is close to a return, I can him adopting at 4321, with the full-backs providing the width and the two behind the striker playing free roles, but expected to drop in if the striker comes short. I think he views Tevez and Silva playing as the ‘2’ once Balotelli is fit – whenever that will be – and the Italian will play as the striker.

I mentioned that there were other culprits but I singled out those two as I don't know how either get picked for England. Barry did a good job for a while but his passing has become worse and SWP, even you have admitted his demise. You know when I typed that post out it did not even enter my head that they were both City players, that's been completely honest.

I see the value of Johnson being played on the right but I would like to see him on the left as we don't have any other options. We could then pick someone who could interchange with him on the flanks so we become more fluid and less predictable.

I have no opinion on who is knowledgeable on here, I would not be so arrogant, sometimes people make some really valid points and sometimes they talk rubbish. I'll stick to my lack of knowledge thanks.

I'd use Bale for Wales and Johnson for England in the same way, I'd give them a total free role. I think(maybe wrong) that Messi was a wide player coming through the ranks.

I thought it was poor tactics myself.

Montenegro had two banks of four playing fairly compact, which will always be difficult to break down. We had no pace up front and, with Gerrard playing so deep, no runners from the centre of midfield attempting to move any of the defenders. That gave Rooney no space to drop into, he also wasn't helped by Crouch doing very little. It also meant the two wide men were cutting inside to a congested centre area rather than space.

Swapping Young and Johnson round for a spell would have given the defenders something different to deal with, I'm also surprised that we didn't have Gerrard attempting to run beyond their midfield four into the box to cause a bit of havoc.

All this fuss over SWP and Gareth Barry eh?

SWP's career has been massively dented by the fact that a) he gets shifted about and b) he struggles to get a game. He is now average at best and were it not for the fact that he has some pace, I can't imagine why he'd get near an England squad. I appreciate that Fabio Capello knows more about football than me and that his opinion counts for more. However, it doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have one. If it DOES mean that - we should probably all move to North Korea - opinions are banned there too so I hear.

Barry is also, in my opinion, Jonny Average. However, for the avoidance of doubt, and to avoid picking on Man city, Johnson (city's version, not Liverpool's hapless full back) is an excellent prospect. You have to hope that he continues to get game time and isn't restricted to cameos like he was in city's last league game.

I thought yesterday's game showed that Johnson has immense promise but is some way off the finished article. I think Mancini has handled him well since he joined City. He should get plenty of game time this season but wont start every game and the occasional cameo will do him no harm at all.

The message plaque on the statue of john lennon has been amended. Instead of - above us only sky, the plaque now reads, below us only wolves and west ham.

Not trolling here but with regards to the Liverpoo farrago, how can the board have the right to sell the club over and above the actual owners?? Is it all linked to debts and release clauses and the likes? Just seems a bit odd that Gillett & Hicks, who are always classed as the Owners, have to sell up now.

Yet still the biggest hope for England and United. Sadly, this is the problem with the performances / results of both teams. Until he realises the football is more important than his c*ck, and he's sorted his marriage out, we won't see anything like the Rooney of last year.



He also played his best stuff when cutting inside for 'Boro. I think he could be used a bit like van de Vaart at Spurs, where he is given a free role to create what he wants - it's a role I think he could thrive in.

Of course, what England really need is some decent strikers, and quickly, otherwise they have absolutely no chance of causing any trouble at a major championship.