Bring on Ecuador

Okay, first a confession - anybody who has read my blog will know that I only saw from Sweden's first equaliser onwards live - but I did see the highlights later on BBC.

My only comments therefore are restricted to the woeful defending at set pieces by England, our get-out-of jail free card known as Stevie G and Joe Cole's stunning goal. Firstly, why play Sol Campbell at all, move Carragher inside, Hargreaves to right back and Carrick to hold - anyway hopefully Rio is ok and that's the last we've seen of Campbell and his pathetic displays in an England shirt. Secondly Joe Cole's goal, I have to admit it was brilliant but my initial reaction was, "it's good, but not very difficult technically." Before I'm accused of being Parker and Solomon on my own blog I just mean that the ball was coming towards him rather than over his shoulder, his foot was in the perfect position to hit the ball with the laces and the distance from the goal meant the ball was going to either drop in or on top of the net - for somebody of Joe's ability it wasn't difficult. Anyway Stevie G finally gets to show why he should be playing at the head of the diamond and not having to worry about the opposition on the edge of our box.




England supporters on the banks of the river in Cologne.
















Joe remembers everything Tony Carr taught him.