England

[Rodo]

Are they going to win?

[Workingman]

If a player HAS to play then it HAS to be in his best position, so let's talk Rooney.

Rooney is a centre forward or an old style No10 feeding off a CF, he is not a midfield flanker. He does not have the defensive awareness, or the legs, to be up and down the wing. Playing him out of position weakens the side.

Sturridge is flavour of the month as CF, but he is not a natural feeder of the ball. He is very direct and it's either 'on goal' or nowhere. Nobody, not even Rooney, should be wasted for a whole game in a position where they might be lucky to get a sniff of the ball.

Playing at the head of midfield, either on the flanks or in the centre, England have better options in Sterling, Lallana, Barkley, Wellbeck, Wilshere and Milner. They are all prepared to go get the ball, rather than wait for it to come to them, and by being mobile they give better defensive cover in midfield.

Rooney either has to play as CF in his own right, or feeding off a big CF, and we only have Lambert for that role. I cannot see either system being used from the start of a game, so Rooney has to sit on the bench. However, going with either system as tactical substitutions might be an ace up Hodgson's sleeve.

We might have lost last night but we should still go through.

[victor]

Rooney-too slow ,past it imo

Stevie G, cant tackle to save his life-should have had Lamps

whats the point of bringing on subs with a few minutes to go-should have been on with at least 30 min left