If teams like Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago can stifle England, I'm sure the better teams will attempt to do so too - whilst carrying more of a goal threat themsleves...
It seems so many things are wrong with the current selection - Neville has been injured for a qute a bit of the season - yet Sven does not bring a 2nd choice natural right back. Carragher is head and shoulders above Ferdinand as a central defender - yet Sven picks Rio instead. Ashley Cole looks half the player we know he can be - it is apparent he is not fit enough to perform anywhere like his best - yet the 2nd choice left back hasn't played that much either...
Gerrard and Lampard still don't look right in centre midfield - one of them has to be dropped so the other has the freedom to do what they do so well at club level - with a proper defensive midfielder behind them. The one time Gerrard got into that position he scored - Lampard had about 3 opportunites and missed - whilst doing very little else. Joe Cole on the left is very limited - if he does drift inside he has to play the ball in to an unfit Owen - which is a low percentage tactic. I can't recall him staying wide and putting in a cross for Crouch in the two games so far. Worryingly Owen looks far from match fit - he is labouring and feeding off Crouch's scraps - and not doing that too well either. Hopefully a return to form will come soon - but again a lack of matches this seaon and Sven picking no cover leaves him with little choice...
Rooney did ok considering he has been out for so long - yet he did look a little sluggish - understandably. More games and he should get back in to the rythymn he so needs. Beckham did well on the cross for the goal - yet was upstaged by Lennon's cameo performance - as a captain he failed miserably too. Again, maybe Lennon doing so well will give him the kick up the arse he needs to get back to playing well. Very strange that Sven took Carragher off at right back and brought Lennon on as right wing - with Beckham playing almost as a wiong-back - sends out the wrong meessage to any good team scouting England on that performance - and about Sven's lack of bottle in general.
I've had a bit to drink - and not all of this may make sense in them orning when sober - but right now am glad we won - but we have looked incompetent against 2 sides that we should have brushed aside more convincingly display-wise.
Forgot to say - kudos to Trinidad & TObago for holding England so well - 10 minutes away fom securing their 2nd point of the World Cup and giving themselves a great chance of qualifying if they beat Paraguay in their final game - gotta feel for them - played really well and admire them for it.