Tiresias

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.

Well it's a good job that Cole and Johnson are so good at defending and not leaving loads of space behind them against Inesta / villa / silva... Oh wait this is going to be brutal.

by 'we need to compete' I assume this in the special 'clubs run by dicks' league.

He just got here, doesn't sound like he fancies leaving, lets shut up, far more worried about Tiote

god hope he's not out that long

Spurs are loaded, we are not, we also have mike Ashley a man with a price for everything. Oh I know. I'm expecting to be pretty pissed

Ok ignoring FIFA being dicks, here's radical formation Hart Johnson Terry Jagielka Cole Barry Parker Milner Lampard Walcott Bent

I'd be pretty pissed if we didn't hold on to him no matter how much offered, like Spurs managed with Modric.

Excellent for them, excited by them, want them to get some game time

you're missing an 'if' in that sentence

Suspect he's not being offered 'much' because they anticipate that he'll be backup to Santon if they buy a new left back or something

Obcviously very happy his form from last season has carried over, and nice interview, crediting 'Gabby', Jonas, and Best. Wonderful player for us this season, wonderful player to have got on a free. For a player who has been considered mainly an injury waiting to happen he probably deserves more plaudits than he gets.

In that Marveaux can put in big crosses and isn't just going to try and make a beeline to the goal? Oh...wait

I think it would make sense sticking him out wide as well, while we have two in form strikers. However think Pardew doesn't like switching peoples roles around excessively, and prefers a settled side, so that probably explains his reluctance to stick him on right. Having said that with Marveaux and Obertan out, I struggle to think of a better idea than sticking him there. The worry is his tracking back, but Obertan was hardly brilliant at that.

England's only hope is Spain feel some pity and don't turn the screw after walking about 5 goals past us.

last season we would probably have conceeded an equalizer against everton in that second half, and probably Wigan, and maybe not come back against Totenham. It's our calm in final 10 minutes that's impressing me a lot, remember how many last minute goals we conceded last season? We don't panic and let pressure come on to us this year.

Like that combo but I would swap Ba for Best as I don't think Ba is fast enough for that role. Then put HBA and Jonas down the flanks. wouldn't mind seeing that at all, though i'd probably switch ba and best and stick HBA on flank. Doubt it'll happen though, Pardew seems to want to keep 2 up front.

he'll get dizzy and fall over, as will most the team. It will be terrible, Spain might feel sorry for us though and lay off a bit...I hope. Or we'll score a flukey goal and the media will go mad that this represents some kind of England renaissance

At least it's a reasonably young squad I guess. Yeah, think there are some decent options going forward, Walcott has to start considering on form, and oddly I'd go Zamora to hold up play and someone else up front, maybe bent or welbeck.

He does know, he just doesn't give a s*** Now just waiting for his paycheck and retirement

We need to build around Wilshere, we look a lot worse without him...and not that good with him. Also our defence is a total shambles, the very least we should be is hard to beat, but with a shifting lineup revolving with the incredibly overrated Terry and Gareth Barry meant to be doing the defensive midfielder role we part so easily. Credit where due though Mancini has got some decent stuff out of Barry (an achievement) and especially out of Milner who has looked rather good this season somehow... Still think though we just can't be as ruthless as we need to be. So many players never turn out, and yet because they're the press' golden boys are never going to be ditched out of the squad for players who don't play for the top 4 and yet may actually want to be there.

Don't think it's the worst england squad we've put out to be honest...defence is bad though.

doesn't stop for no traffic lights!

I wonder if he should be told to play as almost a striker while he gets his confidence / sharpness back, where he can hopefully poach a few goals, and as he gets back to pace he can drop back deeper into the role he wants, but probably is more demanding

Was I alone in thinking he was pretty good, though nothing great against everton? Mainly that he carried possession forwards and relieved pressure, we didn't have an especially pressured finish and I think partially him dragging their midfield back seemed to play a part. He played a series of short passes with Guthrie I think at one point, think he wants to do that more and the wingers need to come in tight with him and exchange quick balls past defence, if he's expected to hit long balls out to the wings, he probably won't and instead will run into people.