Cronky

They only won 2 headers all night. We won a lot of free headers, but when challenged we werent as dominant Have to agree with that. It was a weak challenge by Colo for their second goal and for all his faults Taylor would probably have made a better job of the situation. Colo reads the game well and is classy on the deck, but if we can get a strong centre back I wouldn't mind seeing him pushed forward into Butt's position.

I'm annoyed about their second equaliser. There seems to be a convention among refs now that they don't blow for full-time until an attack is finished. There's often common sense involved, but it went too far tonight. Normally refs just wait until the ball goes out of play, but in this case he allowed them to take a throw in as well. I'd lay any money that time had run out well before they took that throw. But - for once we came up against lower league opposition and completely outclassed them.

So Spurs would end up with no Berbatov and no money to get a replacement. I can't see them going for that one.

That's a good question. He could afford to change things around to keep the players fresh, but I think his strongest line up would be Berbatov, plus two from Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez. Personally, Tevez is the one I'd axe if I wanted to field the strongest side. He's a very busy player, but his passing actually isn't anything great. The ball often ends up going backwards when he has possession. Having said that, he'd walk into any other team in the Premiership bar Chelsea.

Certainly is. He can take the ball in all sorts of unpromising situations and still make something of it. Really great player. Portsmouth are a strange looking team. They're a decent passing side, but their strike force is set up for a long ball and a flick on.

Berbatov could be that player. Berbatov and Rooney together would be a bit frightening. I'm enjoying the game. Plenty of good football.

They still look a bit vulnerable in the air in defence, and so long as they've got that soft underbelly, they won't move forward. They also seem to have overplayed their hand with Berbatov. It's not the best preparation if your best player is sulking on the sidelines.

I'm not so sure of that. Keegan has always liked a creative, withdrawn striker who can link with the midfield - like Beardsley, or before him, Gavin Peacock. If you look at the players we've been linked with - Arshavin, Arda, Modric, Aimar, Saviola - they all fit that mould. I wouldn't describe either Owen or Martins as creative strikers. More like finishers. However, Keegan has always been very optimistic about how strikers can operate together, and not always got it right. At the time that Shearer signed, Keegan was wanting to play Shearer, Ferdinand, Aspilla and Beardsley in the same side.

I'm just going by the hour's highlights on Sky, but I thought we did pretty well against a big, physical side. We can't expect to dominate a team like that, but we had that bit of extra class. I'd agree with those who've said that Colo isn't that strong in the air. He can pass though, and if we could get another good centre back and push Colo into the DM position, that wouldn't be the worst that could happen.

You couldn't turn down the chance to sign a talent like that, I don't care who has to make way for him. I almost feel with SWP that he has too many options. He can get past people in situations where other players wouldn't have a chance. As a result, he doesn't always make the best decision.

Well that's the other factor. If we give him a final offer and an ultimatum, then he may have to re-think his position. But whatever, let's not drag it out for too much longer. He's not that important.

When you think about it, unless Owen is offered an extremely lucrative contract, it's not in his interests to sign now. The longer it goes on, the more the prospect looms of him going on a free and being able to get a good deal from a club who doesn't have to pay a transfer fee. He's got every reason to think that he'll get more money if he waits. Basically, if you want to keep a player, you shouldn't let his contract run down to the final year. As with Lampard and Chelsea, the player has the club over a bit of a barrel. I'm fed up with the whole business. If he won't sign now, then I'd listen to offers.

Interesting observations by Cascarino in the Times. I agree 100%. This has been a problem with Beckham for some time - Will someone have the balls to put “Goldenballs” in his place? David Beckham is hurting England and I can't believe Fabio Capello hasn't noticed - and that Beckham's team-mates aren't trying to sort out the problems he creates. It's in their interest because the way the former captain is playing is making the rest of the midfield look bad. He could cost them their places. Against the Czech Republic, as usual, Beckham was indulgently wandering wherever he liked with no sense of positional discipline. It unbalanced the team. One moment he's where he should be, on the right; the next he's drifted over towards the centre, even the left wing. It's a recipe for confusion. Beckham is far from the only culprit for England's poor show at Wembley but I'm shocked that a manager of Capello's stature can't see the issues Beckham's tactical failings are causing. Take the Czech Republic's first goal. Beckham gives away the ball on the right, moves towards the centre and ends up on the left, leaving Wes Brown exposed at right back. Do Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Gareth Barry tell him to get back to his place? No, they let him wander into their territory and even get out of his way. Beckham is constantly demanding the ball. He's hungry, which is fine - but it's no wonder then that Barry and Lampard look anonymous when Beckham's jogging into their position and collecting the ball, or taking set-pieces he should leave to others. What does he do in possession? He's always looking for the 30 or 40-yard glory ball. But to whom? What's the use in finding a player who's isolated because his team-mates are out of position as a result of these ramblings? Beckham's England reputation is founded on the World Cup qualifier against Greece in 2001 when he scored a crucial equaliser from a last-minute free kick. But watch the game again and you'll see him play like he did on Wednesday: roaming wherever he fancies, neglecting his defensive duties. It's all forgotten because of that superb free kick. The difference between Beckham now and then is that his legs are betraying him. He's never been quick but he always had a fantastic engine. These days he's that fraction slower, that bit less energetic, and so he's not able to support the attack or protect the defence well enough. He's just sitting deep spraying passes. Beckham's supporters will say that his set-piece expertise can win games. But there are too many negatives to justify his inclusion ahead of David Bentley or Gabriel Agbonlahor. Good teams will expose him. You can just see this scenario happening: Beckham plays against Andorra, scores a free kick and everybody's happy. Then Capello picks him in Zagreb and England lose looking disorganised, unimaginative and slow. Golden? I don't think so.

Not much wrong with that. I'd be inclined to find a place for Joe Cole rather than Hargreaves, and change the formation to a 4-4-1-1. how do you suggest that would set up then? isn't it just recreating the problems we've had for years - no LW & the gerrard problem? if you want cole in drop bentley, done ...........Barry Bentley......Gerrard....Cole .............Rooney .............Ashton Joe Cole isn't ideal on the left, but IMO he's proved himself to be the best option. He always looks hungry to get involved and to take responsibility and I'd be loath to leave him out.

Not much wrong with that. I'd be inclined to find a place for Joe Cole rather than Hargreaves, and change the formation to a 4-4-1-1.

FWIW, I thought Jonas looked like an exceptional athlete, and that energetic style might make him better suited to the Premiership than La Liga.

I think sneaking that extra man on to the pitch is a great idea, but you might not get away with it. In general - I'm a bit surprised by how much negative comment there is about Gerrard on this Board. I thought he played well last night. Not everything came off, but he was very involved, trying to make things happen. On another point - If Lampard could play in the same set-up as Chelsea, then yes, he'd be more effective, but in international football you can't expect to play in the same way that you do for your club. Players have to adjust, improvise and impose themselves when things are less than ideal for them. Some players are more versatile than others.

But all he says in the article is that no offer has been made. How that equates to he turns us down I don't know. That's how I'd see it. It sounds like he's brushed aside the questions rather than fully committed himself to Real.

You've picked 15 players. Seriously, being England manager is about making decisions. I think you're dead wrong about Gerrard. At international level, you don't have things your own way, and players need to impose themselves. That's what Gerrard did tonight, and Lampard conspicuously didn't. Brown is a good player, but not international class at full back. He's clearly no more comfortable going forward with the ball than the average centre back. Heh, you know what I meant. As for Wes, no, hes probably not. But when it comes to England what does international class even mean? There are about 8 teams in the league better than England, and Brown is probably the best english right back out of them. With United his lack of attacking prowess (and hes not that bad, he can cross reasonably well these days, hes improved a lot) is rather offset by Evra on the other side acting like he's a winger most of the time. It might on paper seem to make things unbalanced, but it works. England don't have that option because its not how Cole plays. What Im about to say is a bit ridiculous, but hear me out. Its like, you've got your full backs, some of them are just glorified centre backs, like Wes, some are proper full backs, who can do both, like Ashley Cole, and some are mental little french feckers who go storming up the pitch every chance they get. I'd argue you need a balance. Either one of each, or two of the middle type. Like I said, sounds a bit...odd, but you get what I mean. Well I'd simply say that full back is a weak position for England at the moment. Cole is a bit limited at the top level, and Brown is only there because Neville has been injured and Richards has fallen from favour. Personally, I'd play Richards. I wouldn't say the top eight teams are better than England, but the top four are. In fact, the top four would have probably won the European Championships if they'd had the chance. It's a problem for some of our players - and I've got Lampard in mind here - that when they play for England they're in a team that can't dominate the opposition in the way that their clubs can. Some players deal with that, others don't. Gerrard, Rooney, Joe Cole deal with it. Terry and Lampard struggle a bit.

You've picked 15 players. Seriously, being England manager is about making decisions. I think you're dead wrong about Gerrard. At international level, you don't have things your own way, and players need to impose themselves. That's what Gerrard did tonight, and Lampard conspicuously didn't. Brown is a good player, but not international class at full back. He's clearly no more comfortable going forward with the ball than the average centre back.

McManaman is the only one that's making sense - the manager is making too many changes, from game to game as well as during the game. The players don't have a chance. Redknapp and Venables are just burbling.

I didn't think the opposition was anything great, so it's a worry. I hope there's some master plan unfolding in Capello's mind, because it looks to me like he doesn't know what to do. I'd definitely play Bentley rather than Beckham. We need someone who can get forward from the right, and Beckham tends to wander around inside too much and get in other players' way. Joe Cole definitely on the left, and Barry and Gerrard in the middle, I'd play. Seems obvious. I've given up on Lampard. He looks so good for Chelsea, but they are nearly always better than the opposition they're playing, and that gives him lots of space and freedom. He's not the same player when he has to scrabble around.

If you play Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard together, one of them always disappears. In this case it's Lampard.

John Terry never looks too confident in an England shirt. In the Premiership, he'd have handled that situation no problem.

Strange selection in midfield. Not much pace at all. Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham together doesn't work.