Andorra 0 v 4 England
Teams
Andorra
José Antonio
Márcio
Pedro Serrano
Ildefons Lima
Toni Lima
Aníbal Lopes
Goncalo Borges
Sergio Moreno
Marc Pujol
Joan Carles Toscano
Fernando José Silva
England
David James
Luke Young
Ashley Cole
Michael Turner
John Terry
Steven Gerrard
Ashley Young
Michael Carrick
Jimmy Bullard (Frank Lampard)
Jermain Defoe (Theo Walcott)
Bobby Zamora (Andy Johnson)
Goals
Sergio Moreno (OG) 20 - Steven Gerrard cross in, Jimmy Bullard header glanced off Moreno, which proved decisive to take it past José Antonio.
Ashley Young 26 - Luke Young's cross from the right side was perfectly placed for Aston Villa team-mate Young to score a close range volley.
Michael Carrick 42 - A cleverly worked one-two free kick with Steven Gerrard put Michael Carrick one-on-one with José Antonio, and from a tight angle, Carrick finished well.
Jimmy Bullard 46 - Steven Gerrard's cross provided Bullard with an easy tap in.
Man of the Match: Ashley Young
Post Match- Not a bad performance, but one which I felt deserved more goals. Andorra defended deep and in numbers, so space was an issue, and players couldn't run at the Andorrans, which limited players like Jermain Defoe, who was mostly involved with link up play rather than having a go. Pleasing to see Jimmy Bullard get on the scoresheet with a close range tap in. We were very impressive down the right, with 3 of our 4 goals coming from Gerrard or Luke Young's crosses, which indicates that perhaps with a more suitable front man, such as Peter Crouch instead of Jermain Defoe, the score could have been higher.
---------- Post added at 07:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 PM ----------
BBC RADIO 5 LIVE INTERVIEW
MJ Hendry takes time out from his schedule to answer questions from some of England's avid fans.
It was great to see Steven Gerrard on such good form for his country, but how do you feel you can solve the problem that is him and Frank Lampard playing in the same team? (Sam, Witham)
Good question. I think in past years, the problem has been the positional play. In my view, England play best when the ball is played out to the sides for a winger to put a cross into the box onto the head of the awaiting striker. We saw this against Andorra, Gerrard was on top form and was putting in crosses all over the shop, and with maybe Peter Crouch up front, we could have scored 6 or 7. Lampard is more the goalscoring attacking midfielder. His long range shooting is outstanding, and he has the ability to produce a curling 30 yarder or even a thunderstruck 35 yarder. I can't really say why the two don't seem to play well in central midfield together, maybe it's a case of some sort of 'creative overload' or something, I don't know, but I think Gerrard in this winger position gives him more opportunity to assist his team-mates, and for Lampard to provide us with more of that amazing long range ability. Good question, that's one to think over I think.
Hi, Matt, congrats on the first win, great to see a good start. England's goalkeeping position has always been cause for concern. Under your management, who will become England's number one? (Neil, Manchester)
You're right, England have had problems in that area, both in recent times and further back. There's no way to tell how any player will do for their country, as playing for your club and playing for your country are two completely different experiences, the only similarity being that there is a ball in there somewhere. It's simply a case of trial and error, one game it could Scott Carson in goal, the next Paul Robinson, the next David James, Robert Green and so on. There really isn't a stand out player in that position for me, but it's up to those players to show me who deserves it. And you ever know, some youngster might come in and do a spectacular job. I'm very interested to see Joe Hart's progress, as looks to be a very good prospect, but at the moment, Shay Given is in front of him at club level. So, I can't say anything, until bigger challenges have presented themselves and one individual stands out among the rest.
Hey Matt, I know everyone else will be asking questions about the game on Saturday, but I want to know what your hobbies are? (Ed, Cambridge)
Haha, nice and original, I like it. Well, to be honest, the job takes up alot of my time. I'm not married, so I really do give the position most of my days, and some of my nights. I've played a bit of guitar in my time, but football has always been my first love, so when I'm not doing work with the FA, press conferences, or doing preparation for games, I'm probably at a game somewhere. So, I can't blamed for not having my mind on the job. How about you?
Oh, cheers for asking. Well I'm still in college, so mostly being with friends, I guess. I play a little guitar as well, a ukelele in fact, so a really little guitar. But yeah, mainly the same, to be honest, it's always been about football.
Well that's good to hear. Thanks alot for your question.
What players are the most entertaining in training? I've got a feeling a Mr Bullard might be mentioned. (Gavin, Derby)
Yeah Jimmy is the first name that comes to mind. It's a never a dull moment with him around, and he's one of those people who gets everyone involved and talking, and he's just a great guy, really fun and also a great player, so the best combination. All the lads are great guys, and make the experience a whole lot more enjoyable, which is what you need, especially in international squad training environments. Defoe, Gerrard, Ashley, they are all really nice guys to work with.
Last question. Thought I'd jog your memory with a yesteryear. I didn't get to see many of your games as a player, as you were frequently injured, but I was there when you scored the goal that sent Ipswich back into the Premier League. What was that moment like? (Rory, Pembroke)
Ah, probably my proudest moment. It's always a great feeling to score, but as a defender, to score the winning goal in the play-off final at Wembley was... Indescribable. Being in that environment with however many thousand fans cheering because you have given them what they wanted is just amazing. And as you say, because of my injuries, I was rarely able to experience something quite like that again. But you know, makes it all the more special doesn't it?
---------- Post added at 08:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:46 PM ----------
Croatia 2 v 1 England
Teams
Croatia
Stipe Pletikosa
Darijo Srna
Marko Babic
Vedran Corluka
Josip Simunic
Jerko Leko
Luka Modric
Ognjen Vukojevic
Ivan Rakitic
Mladen Petric
Ivica Olic
England
Scott Carson
Luke Young
Ashley Cole
John Terry
Ledley King (Phil Jagielka)
Steven Gerrard
Ashley Young
Nigel Reo-Coker (Michael Carrick
Frank Lampard
Theo Walcott
Michael Owen
Goals
John Terry 8 - Theo Walcott corner lands on Terry's head to put England in front
Josip Simunic 37 - Modric corner and Simunic beats Terry to the ball to equalise
Luka Modric (pen) 41 - A trip from Ledley King gives Modric the chance to score form the spot, and he puts it neatly in the bottom corner.
Man of the Match: Stipe Pletikosa
Disappointing defeat considering we had the lead, and the game in our hands before they equalised, and after they equalised. A few of our big name players didn't turn up today (Ledley King, Frank Lampard, Michael Owen) which increases the need to base my selection policy upon player performances. A couple who did impress were Theo Walcott, who made amends for Owen's bad performance with his running and flair, Ashley Young, who capped off a good couple of performances for England, and John Terry, who despite being at fault for the Croat's first goal, was solid at the back to keep Croatia from scoring more. This game can simply count as a learning experience, as a tall striker will be needed in future squads to give us more attacking options.
