There are not many experts, critics or fans who thought this match would obtain such significance. The vast majority of England supporters, even the most pessimistic, would have thought that England would have four points at this stage at the very least. However England have drawn 1-1 with the USA in their opening fixture and then 0-0 with Algeria in what has to be one of the most insipid England performances in living memory.
Fabio Capello now has to lift a team and the spirits of the nation and beat Slovenia to get England through to the knockout stages. But just how does he do this?
Get England Players to Reproduce Club Form
England fans are sick of the same old results. Week in week out they see Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and many others pull on the shirt for their respective clubs and rip the opposition apart. And yet when the England shirt goes on over their heads they look utterly lost and at times abysmal. Capello looked like he had finally sorted that out in an impressive qualifying campaign to get to these finals but it has all gone wrong at the tournament. He has four days to sort it out otherwise England will become the laughing stock of world football.
Scrap 4-4-2 Formation
It is not working!! Against Algeria the substitutions were simply like for like in a formation that was getting England absolutely nowhere. Capello apparently gets paid 6 million pounds a year to be able to change things tactically in a crisis. It is time to start earning that money. A diamond formation would allow England to play Steven Gerrard just off Rooney and finally get the best out of the captain. This must occur on Wednesday against Slovenia.
And whoever he decides to play he needs to scrap this notion of letting them know two hours before kick off, how can that help anyone prepare?
Play Joe Cole
We have a potential match winner on the bench and he didn’t even manage to get on the pitch against Algeria. What has he done wrong in training for Capello to not utilise him?
Yes he will be rusty as he has had a frustrating season with injuries but so what? These are desperate times and he showed in the recently friendly against Japan that he can be that spark to ignite a lifeless England performance.
Play Peter Crouch in 4-4-2
If Capello wrongly decides to stick with his favoured formation then he must start with Peter Crouch. Crouch offers a different dimension to Emile Heskey, or more specifically he scores goals for England. Heskey must not wear an England shirt again and be consigned to the past. Crouch must play against Slovenia and frighten the life out of them from set pieces.
Frank Lampard Needs to Take a Look at Himself
More than any other player Frank Lampard needs to finally get to the bottom of why he is a shadow of the player he is at Chelsea. Apart from the Stamford Bridge faithful no one wants to see him reeling away from goal next season after scoring during another towering performance for Chelsea if he does not produce for England yet again.
It is now or never for England because if they don’t produce against Slovenia on Weds this will be the worst World Cup campaign in living memory and the England team might never be forgiven by the fans for such insipid displays. These fans travel hundreds of miles and pay hundreds of pounds to watch millionaires wreck their dreams. The balance needs to be redressed. Come on England. Please.
Prediction England 2 Slovenia 0.
Steve Bartle - Steve Bartle, is a 33 year old from Bradford in the UK. He has had a successful and varied career to date performing such roles as a ...
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