Tiresias

Should have put up a statue much earlier - it might have made a better manager and stopped us going down

Was it Steklenburg or whatevershisname? He's a good keeper, not great maybe but experienced and earned his keep, bad games allowed. This may persuade them to go with Krul whose maybe more of a risk with youth but got oooodles of potential

Reasonably solid but should have been punished for our poor finishing, even if we were fairly dominant most the game. Impressed by Walker and Baines. A lot of the others workmanlike without being inspired, though that's actually a step up. Good points are it's a performance to build on, we're better on the ball, and look compact at the back and stream forwards on the attack. Bad points are that we still lack someone who can play footy in the final third, and had to rely on Zamora holding play up, this will be fixed when Wilshere is back, but a deep lying playmaker would be nice rather than the still uninspiring Barry and Jones partnership. Couldn't get away with that against a good team, but thought we looking a lot less shambolic than have done. Of course the worry is we looked more workmanlike with Capello before the world cup, and then at world cup that all fell apart.

I dunno about Rodwell, he looks comfortable enough in possession, which is something England rather need, but wouldn't make squad I suspect if Wilshere was fit. Not sure, don't mind him being tested at all

ITV commentators are clueless "here comes sturridge whom offers a different threat to walcott, as he wants to cut inside and go for goals", erm as opposed to that wide player Walcott whom never tries to score himself...well I suppose they are right actually, walcott does offer no threat at all

probably good to get a game before thrown in the deepend coming back from injury against man city ok nervous

Not really. The car is white, he is black. a tribute to the strip!

Excellent he's shrugged off injury

He really does seem to drive like he plays then

stuart pierce waited till 30 secs to go to use his last sub and used them later, their team was faster and less tired when they did a double sub. Pierce should have responded to the double sub really.

Hmmm they do seem maybe to be booing our black players. I dunno maybe jumping to conclusions

Sammy looks a bit knackered, may get subbed soon yeah he's coming off, good performance, pity didn't come to anything

yeah I was wondering that

Their left winger looks pretty decent, sign him up! Haha Stuart Piece "sammy sammy get on yer bike!"

For me CB cover is most important right now, followed by forward. Another fullback (either side considering Santon can play both) would be nice too. After that it's just squad strengthening, and actually buying more midfielders would be harsh on players hoping to break through, unless a bargain or an amazing player is available, or tiote leaves, I wouldn't want to buy any more midfield players who weren't expecting to just be cover. I'd welcome Maiga now, much less than start of season though, where I was optimistic about Ba but not about Best really...so welcome, not impressed by his attitude to moving, let's hope it's symptomatic of being in french league rather than just goign to agitate to move to a 'bigger' club once here if doing well. Still even if for less time than hoped for absolutely welcome.

Yeah this is a concern, doubt he'll be long term signing if he is coming, and if he is good. Doesn't mean not worth it anyway.

I think the Gerrard Lampard mess was as much to do with the lack of a player who could sit deep in midfield and pass it well and dictate pace and attacks. They didn't work great together, both really want to be going forward and want someone behind them who can spread play etc.

While all the coming hubris is going to be painful and ridiculous, we played best we have in a while and spain didn't play well for them at all, before everyone condemns any claim that England are any good completely...that was a pretty solid performance. We do this before every tourney of course, look alright and collapse under pressure, but the young players looked alright, though the fawning over Jones is pretty obscene. We did alright, stuff to build on, and please let this mean Terry is pushed out the squad by the Euros? It's not a coincidence we look better in defence without him.

Spain have more gears to go up one suspects, but dunno if they will. Could finish 0-0

I bet the spanish kid mascots could beat our team

am I alone in thinking this is about as good as one could expect (from selected squad). Lampard suspect is central and ahead of parker and jones rather than level. Two holding players to stop us from getting murdered through middle, and quick wingers to carry counter attacks. Reasonably sound in theory imo, we're just going to get murdered due to the gulf in class, or spain won't bother very hard and we'll get a load of undue praise for getting a boring draw Milner quick? OF SQUAD AVAILABLE I SAID. Though he has been alright for Man City to be honest recently.

am I alone in thinking this is about as good as one could expect (from selected squad). Lampard suspect is central and ahead of parker and jones rather than level. Two holding players to stop us from getting murdered through middle, and quick wingers to carry counter attacks. Reasonably sound in theory imo, we're just going to get murdered due to the gulf in class, or spain won't bother very hard and we'll get a load of undue praise for getting a boring draw

Was not I alone then in thinking Fifa had a point, if poppy is on shirt players have to wear them, it's a totally empty gesture if there's no player choice on it anyway. Exactly, although I don't think that was FIFA's reasoning though. Their reasoning was that if we get to wear poppies other nations, like ones in the balklands might demand to wear contentious memorials that could stir up trouble. Which isn't unreasonable imo considering that we get to wear armbands, have a minutes silence, lay a poppy on the ground first, have military attending etc etc to have a memorial.