England - Kids are the key to the World Cup

[ollieconnolly]

This was the side i selected to start the game.
It was my first turn at trying to get the infamous Gerrard - Lampard combination to work, could i do it? with barry sat there it may work, but by the championships im hoping to go in with Rodwell, Wilshere or Milner.

A partizan crowd greated us at the stade du 7th novembre.
we got off to a rocky start Tunisia scoring in 3 minutes, 'oh good not this again' i thought.
then we really grew into the game with Lampard levelling the scores. Agbonlahor then sent us into the lead with a cracking strike.
we went in at half time 2-1 ahead and so i made many changes to experiment.

Tunisia hit a 2nd quickly after the break making it 2-2, before Defoe had one ruled out for offside.
We then took a stunning 3-2 lead through Garry Cahill
Tunisia quickly made it 3-3 our defence frailties were being shown, oh how much we need JT, if he is missing for 2012 or a replacement is not found, we may as well not turn up.
Cahill was outstanding which has given me a headache over Jagielka or Cahill, as Jags was far from the player i knew.

Tunisia 3 - 4 England
Allagui 3, Darragi 46, Haggui 69 Lampard 11, Agbolahor 39, Cahill 57, Rooney 84


Man of the Match:

Moment of the match: cracking inter play between Delph and Rooney, one youngster and a talismani figure combinding to win the match.

 

[Kriztofa]

What were you playing Defoe as? He's more of a poacher.

 

[ollieconnolly]

yeh i just moved him across to replace crouch and i forgot to change it so i moved rooney across afterwards.

Rumours are emerging England manager Oliver Connolly, is the front runner for the vacnat Sunderland job. Having turned down the West Ham job it is most likely this latest bid to sign the manager will be a fail.
Some reports suggest with the current regime going very up and down, that the FA may ask Connolly to take the posistion to avoide a pay - off. However this was strongly denied by the chief executive. 'Ollie was an appointment for the future, so any talk that its not going well at the moment is not only nonscense, but would have no baring on our decision.'

 

[Eds]

Really like this story, such a simple read. Crossing my fingers that you won't take the Sunderland job!

 

[ollieconnolly]

An FA statement from Oliver Connolly:

I will not be leaving England, i'm here for a job and thats to win the 2018 World Cup and possibly the 2014.
If the FA permit i will be here the whole time and will do my best to complete this task
managing your country is the biggest honour anyone could bistow on another, so i will not leave them, not for Liverpool not for Real madrid and not for Sunderland,i am here to stay.

---------- Post added at 09:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 PM ----------

'OH **** !'

i thought when i recieved the call. 'Really, really?' 'yeh' 'ahh *****!'
JT ruled out for 3 months. he will miss 5 qualifiers if he's on schedule.
this couldnt have gone worse, now what do i do, bring ferdinand back? he wasnt too impressed with me dropping him and has said so to the media, so would this split my camp? Cahill and Jagielka didnt seem to work in the last match, Cahill and Shawcross was a deffinant no after Saudi Arabia.
hmm what to do, atleast i had a month to lull it over.

---------- Post added at 05:34 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 09:35 PM ----------

Losing JT was bad but that was coupled with the loss of the captain stevie G, my two inspiratonal characters were missing, so players such as Rooney and Lampard would really have to step up for the tricky away game against Bulgaria. i replaced JT with wes brown opting for some experience in the camp, but was planning on a Cahill - Jagielka back line. I brought Joe Cole in for Gerrard but was unsure whether to play JC/ Wilshere/ Rodwell or Milner. With Rob Green missing Joe Hart was called up into the squad, suprisingly Danny Welbeck kept his place, but he had been very impressive in training.

 

[burkeyoa]

Keep up the good work olle

 

[ollieconnolly]

Cheers Burkeyoa great to know people are actually reading

This side started the game

Bulgaria 2 - 6 England
Stoyanov 50, Domovchyski 60 Agbonlahor 2,8 Cahill 6, Lampard 28, Walcott 54, Rooney 80

A great game we were fantastic almost fautless only conceding the 2nd because of an awful linesman decision. Aggy gave us a stunning start his pace clearly frightend the Bulagrians, Cahill then scored a good header, before an iniesta-like pass from Milner set up Agbonlahor for his 2nd. A stunning 25-yarder from Lampard made it 4-0. bulgaira then nicked a goal back, before Walcott's lightning pace just destroyed the full back and he slotted home the 5th. Rooney who captained the side completed the route on a great day for England.


Man of the Match: Garreth Barry, Although he didnt score, he stopped many attacks, and pinged the ball all around the park. He was faultless and it was a fantastic performance,

Moment of the game: a stunning pass from Milner to Agbonlahor to make it 3-0.

 

[NUFC_Tony]

You really need to tighten up your defence.

 

[ollieconnolly]

For the games against Switzerland and Japan John Terry was fit so was recalled, however not for the first time the skipper Gerrard was injured as was Joe Cole so i called up exciting midfielder Jonjo Shelvey.

England 5 - 1 Switzerland
Rooney 2, Agbonlahor 11,42,45+2 Milner 25 Behrami 32

Another fantastic performance, astonished by Agbonlahor's rise in the international game 14 goals in 16 games, 14 goals in 11 games for myself.
Milner continues to impress in abscence of Gerrard as well as the Cahill - Terry partnership looking far more sturdier.
I started with my by now Regular starting 11 minus stevie G

Man of the Match:

 

[Eds]

When did Gabby get so good? Haha.

 

[ollieconnolly]

England Vs Japan

Starting 11:

I had made many changes to the side, lots of youth in midfield as well as bringing Gibbs back in at left back.
Smithies wasnt dropped, it was just a warning we had been conceding a few too many goals and so Joe Hart was given a game just as a warning to Smithies that despite what i said too many mistakes and i wont be very forgiving.

Japan 1 - 3 England
Seto 24 Agbonlahor 1, 54 Defoe 32

Agbonlahor being talked up in the press all week did not dissapoint, in just 24 seconds he was on the score sheet.
In the second half Shelvey impressed but it was clearly a little too soon for him.

Man of the Match: Once again Agbonlahor was unstoppable with 2 goals he is the man in form and currently leading the national side on his own.

---------- Post added at 10:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 PM ----------

When did Gabby get so good? Haha.

i know yeh he's been amazing

how do people reckon we will get on at euro 2012 then? looks like we are bound to qualify and with gabby in this form and the other players developing well its looking really good at this point.

---------- Post added at 10:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 PM ----------

The FA would to declare its upmost pride for the job done by the under - 21's this summer and gives much credit to Stuart Pearce who has done a fantastic job.
'The lads are gutted at being so close and not winning, but its a victory for the nation the future is bright and under the current regime by the next game some of these lads could be first team members.
I'd like to say a personal thank you to Oliver Connolly, Sir Trevor Brooking, Alan Shearer and Dean Ashton. They have all been deeply involved with the team and Connolly and Trevor completley restructured our game enabling us to get to a point where our youngster were a penalty kick away from being worl champions'

 

[Alex]

Well played mate.

And can you put up a screenie of Agbonlahor please.

Thanks

 

[ollieconnolly]

---------- Post added at 11:05 AM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 11:01 PM ----------

For the games against Wales and Montenegro i was able to recall our captain Stevie G, With Theo Walcott missing Nathan Delfouneso was called up for his first international appearance, Nathan has been firing in the under 21's 16 goals in 18 games and i felt this sort of performance meant he desreved his chance at the full level.

I brought all the first team players back for the wales match, Gerrard wasnt fully fit and so i didnt have to make the difficult decision between Gerrard - Lampard - Milner
With Walcott missing i opted for Defoe, for the game against Montenegro i will be playing either Delfoneso or Welbeck


---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 AM ----------

England 5 - 1 Wales
Defoe 20, 36, 64 Rooney 37, 77 Bellamy 59

Another good performance, again we didnt keep a clean sheet, but who needs to keep clean sheets when we are continuously scoring over 3 goals a game?
I was admiant the young blood would start upfront against Montenegro but a hat-trick from Defoe makes his place indespensible for the next game.

Man of the Match: Jermain Defoe simply for his Hat-trick

Moment of the game: Rooney's 2nd goal an absolute screamer has once again got Wembley believing in the side.

Having only had 65,000 a game when i first took over to see 86,000 inside Wembley was for me the best moment of the match

---------- Post added at 11:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------

Having beaten Wales we had booked our place at Poland/Ukraine 2012 in fantastic style,

Our goal difference was infatic, we had the team on a role but we didnt want to get too hyped up for the championships

 

[Alcaraz]

Really good so far mate...keep going

 

[ollieconnolly]

For the game against Montenegro Rooney was injured so Delfouneso made his first start in place of him.

Montenegro 2 - 6 England
Delisbasic 13, Vucinic 48 Agbonlahor 2, Tanaisbejic (OG) 20, Milner 30, Defoe 38, Lampard (pen) 76, Delfouneso 86

Another good result we are flying currently, but the leaky defence isnt good, i will be trying to find a way to tighten up the back 4

 

[hellroker]

Hey,just a tip. Why dont you use center align? It looks better.

 

[ollieconnolly]

Cheers

Here's the squad selected for the games vs Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Foster was back due to the injury to Paul Robinson as was Walcott who replaced Welbeck. Welbeck had been far less impressive than Delfouneso who had really impressed coming in.
With Micah Richards injured I went for Danny Gosling who was young and very versatile could play as a holding midfield, right back or in centre midfield/​

---------- Post added at 12:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 PM ----------

'Oh ****' i thought just 20 minutes into the game. 'not again' screamed psycho, 'how the f**k could this happen again.' Our skipper had gone down injured once again and had to limp out, i had lost track off the amount of matches he had missed now, Rooney stepped into the captain role, with Jimmy Milner once again replacing him in the middle of the park, but then it went from bad to worse ....​

England 0 - 2 Bulgaria
Rangelov 35, Domovchyvski 42

It was a wake up call to the whole nation, we had looked so promising then this, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnsonw were both ripped apart all game. Ashley was embaressed for the first goal turned in and out 3 times idont think he knew where he was, Rangelov just pulled off the back of Johnson and headed hoem comfertably. We did grow into the game and began making chances, Lampard was electric. Then disaster.
An incous ball just knocked forard from a centre midfielder towards no one was shouted as 'Smithies' by Alex, he fumbled it and dropped it to the foot of Domovchyvski. he couldnt belive his look and put his country 2-0 ahead, alex was gone, destroyed. I asked Tim Flowers to go have a word with him after the game to try and calm him down and get his confidence flowing again.

I now had to make the decision as to whether i should drop him for the next game, will he be right mentally? is he simply not good enough yet?

Flop of the Match: Glen Johnson, played so poor he was replaced with Jack Wilshere after 68 minutes.

Moment of the Match: Unforunatly not a good one, Alex Smithies shocking error.

​

---------- Post added at 02:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------

Redemption!

Switzerland 1 - 4 England
Hassli 12, Barnetta(missed penalty) Inler (missed penalty) Rooney 29,58 Agbnolahor 46, Cahill 54

A very good performance from the lads. Alex Smithies was to be replaced but for an injury to Joe Hart the day before the game. But Smithy saved two penalties to gain redemption for his shocking error in the previous game, when we got our second Switzerland were shot to pieces and easily slotted in another 2.

Man of the Match: Rooney, a good game from wayne with two goals.

​

 

[NUFC_Tony]

You've let at least one goal in in every single game

 

[ollieconnolly]

You've let at least one goal in in every single game

It's probally due to the inexperience of Cahill and Smithies and so their positiong probally isnt the best yet, but it's a very attacking tactic a 'you score 2 i'll score 3' approach keegan-esc. so im not to worried its if the goals dry up that i'll worry

i also kept a clean sheet away at Wales

---------- Post added at 04:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 PM ----------

As it was a friendly a did a bit of experimenting in the game, Fabian Delph was given a go next to the very below par captain Stevie G. Kieran Gibbs was given a chance to gain more international experience. Jack Rodwell was also given the chance to gain more international experience, Dean Ashton had told me what a big impression Jack had made on him and how key this lad would be for the future, but i seemed to be struggling to get the best out of him, was he best as a sitting anchor man? or attacking like gerrard/wilshere/lampard/milner?​

England 7 - 4Algeria
Agbonlahor 1,8,46,51 Gerrard 29, Rooney 40, Defoe 73
Djebbour 25,64 Ziani 55 Seguer 66​

Too be 2-0 up before ten minutes comfertably gave us control of the game and the first half performance was stunning from the lads, i was very dissapointed with the 2nd half defence performance, Alex Smithies was fantastic with an OptaData rating of 9.1. On the other hand Phil Jagielka has pretty much given up his challenge to dislodge Gary Cahill as John terry's central defence partner. Jag's had replaced JT at half time but had been very very poor.
The best performance was from Gabby Agbonlahor who has been outstanding the whole time that ive been in charge of the squad these 4 goals made his international record an extremley impressive 22 goals in 22 games.​

Man of the Match: Once again Gabby showed why he really is the most important player at the moment.​

---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:35 PM ----------

Connolly offered Fulham Job!!

England manager is once again sort after by a Premiership club. This time it is Fulham who have reportedly offered the manager 15k a week to take over as well as £20 million, it seems a very tempting offer but considering Connolly completley rebuffed the approaches last time surley he will not take this job?​

 

[Poppa_ChesterCityFC]

Following this, really good. But my god your defence is shi*e, but your attack is amazing