A woeful England meandered to a 0-0 draw with Algeria on Friday, leaving them at risk of an early World Cup exit.
Fabio Capello’s team, under the cosh already after their much-criticised 1-1 opener against the United States, struggled to find any rhythm and gave the ball away far too easily, doing little to silence their detractors.
With the United States and Slovenia drawing 2-2 earlier, Group C is finely poised.
Slovenia have four points, with England and the USA on two and Algeria with one.
If England fail to beat Slovenia and the US defeat Algeria, Capello’s team will be out of a tournament many favoured them to contend in – this in a pool once thought so easy that one British newspaper described it as “the best English group since the Beatles”.
It was a poor performance, with players looking tired and devoid of spark.
The big news ahead of the game was the axing of West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green after his blunder against the USA with veteran David James taking over.
Gareth Barry also returned from an ankle injury, but he struggled and was largely ineffective.
Skipper Steven Gerrard was the first to trouble the Algerians with a cross-cum-shot that ‘keeper M’bohi Rais Ouheb, preferred to Faouzi Chaouchi after their 1-0 loss to Slovenia, had to jump high to collect.
James got into the game on 11 minutes when he punched clear a looping cross on his goal line, not entirely convincingly but good enough to avert the danger.
England couldn’t get going and Algeria was seeing plenty of the ball. It was clear that Capello, celebrating his 64th birthday, was none too pleased, angrily pacing the dugout.
James was tested again when his Portsmouth teammate Nadir Belhadj whipped in a corner under the England bar, claiming it impressively this time under pressure from two Algerians.
England finally started to wake up and Gerrard got a shot on target near the half-hour mark before Frank Lampard had a great chance, collecting the ball in the box after some nice build-up play.
He unleashed a left-footed drive but the keeper saved.
Capello would have given them a piece of his mind in the dressing room but they didn’t look much better when they came out, with a scrappy start to the second-half.
Gerrard and Lampard sparked some interest when they combined nicely but the Liverpool star’s cross was awful, straight to the feet of an opponent when he had three players in the box.
To make matters worse Carragher picked up a yellow card — his second of the tournament — meaning he is out of the Slovenia match.
The cumbersome Heskey, meanwhile, should have done better inside the penalty area with 18 minutes left but his shot was deflected over for a corner.
In a last role of the dice, Capello brought on Shaun Wright-Philipps for Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe for Heskey and Peter Crouch for Barry, but despite picking up the pace the breakthrough remained elusive.
With the score at 0-0 shortly before the end of the match, travelling supporter Duncan Jenkins, 30, an accountant from Manchester, said: “At this rate Capello will be looking for a new job in the morning. It’s rubbish. Rooney couldn’t trap a bag of cement. And the team looks like it just doesn’t care. There’s no energy. Nil-nil is just terrible.”
England’s captain Gerrard made no excuses.
“We’re not happy with the performance, we need more if we want to stay in this tournament to the later stages, we need to improve,” Gerrard said.
“We weren’t good enough in the final third to get the breakthrough.
“We know the job we’ve got to do, we’ve got to go and win the last game and that adds more pressure, but to play at this level you’ve got to handle it, you’ve got to play under pressure.
“We weren’t at our level today, it’s not good enough.”
Striker Wayne Rooney showed his frustration as he trudged off the field to the jeers of disgruntled England supporters, saying to a TV camera: “It’s nice to see your own fans booing you.”
Algerian midfielder Ryad Boudebouz said England had been complacent – and said his side were capable of beating the Americans.
“We are pleased with the draw as the English underestimated us in the media over recent days,” he said.
“We were determined to show them we were not just here for the ride and that we have a decent team.
“Now we have to play the United States and if we know if we play like we did tonight we can beat them.”
Fisher Price
Guest
England are rubbish, which, when you have Capello as manager, is some achievement.
MVDave
Guest
Great article from the New York Times summing up the mood in London during and after the match; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/sports/soccer/20englandteam.html?ref=soccer
Dublin Dave
Guest
"If England fail to beat Slovenia and the US defeat Algeria, Capello’s team will be out of a tournament many favoured them to contend in" It's worse than that, Jim. England effectively have to beat Slovenia, who only need a draw, otherwise they will almost certainly be out regardless of what happens in the game between USA and Algeria. Think it through: If England draw, they will finish on three points with a goal difference of zero. If the Algeria USA game ends in a victory for either side then either Algeria will have four points or the US will have five. That will leave two teams ahead of England and they will go out. However, if the Algeria USA game ends in a draw then both England and the USA will end up on three points with a goal difference of zero. It will then come down to goals scored and currently USA have scored three while England have only scored one. Squeaky bum time. I still think England will beat Slovenia and go through. But it would be funny if they didn't :)
dasilva
Guest
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/sport/Tom-English-39The-level-of.6364084.jp Although I'm not going to be making judgment on English culture and whether they are EPL-centric or not. Judging by this article, it seems to me more then just one pundit who is embarrassing I like this section "His introduction to England's game against the Americans was mortifying. Wielding a baseball bat and sending a message to America, he said, "Just stick to your sports, why don't you?" Is that a joke or what? I can't believe anyone can get away with that rubbish.
Ken Bailey's Probation Officer
Guest
1982: We carry all before us in a group stage involving France, Kuwait and Czechoslovakia before losing our way to goal and being frustrated out of the tournament by Germany and Spain.1986: England play awfully against Portugal to lose 1-0 in their opener, play badly against Morocco in a 0-0 draw then thrash the Poles, before going on to be cheated out of the competition by Argentina and he who will not be named. 1990: England labour against the Irish and are unlucky to draw with Holland before scraping past the Egyptians and leading us on a rollercoaster ride to the semis. 1998: A bit better in the group stage, despite being shown up by Romania. Another nasty exit at the hands of Argentina though. 2002: Another slow start, with a penalty against Argentina the source of our only win in the group stage. We then play Denmark off the park and contrive to lose a match to Brazil that was there for the taking. 2006: More unconvincing performances against Paraguay and Trinidad, and another failure to beat the Swedes. We are eventually outwitted by Big Phil and his team of cynical Portuguese. So, to summarise, although we were utter, utter dogshit last night - in my opinion this was the worst English World Cup performance since the Portuguese game in 1986 - it's not like we haven't set ourselves a precedent. We can, and I hop will, stumble out of the group in order to be defeated in harrowing circumstances by some wily foreigners. Chin up, eh?
Football Person 2
Roar Pro
:) simple
tony yeboah
Guest
Not sure on why Gerrard didn't go to Chelsea, but i don't think it would have been fun to go back to Anfield in a blue shirt! Just wanted to point out that i meant that they can't play together in the 4-4-2 formation they played last night with Barry as the holding and Gerrard on the left. They would be better of playing 4-5-1, with Barry holding, Gerrard and Lampard centrally and Joe Cole on the left and Wright-Phillips on the right, with Rooney sulking up front all by his lonesome. Heskey, i am still amazed at how many caps he gets, i know he is not necessarily there to score, but they need goals in the next game, and he doesn't provide them. Useless fact, England and Germany are the only two nations at this world cup with a squad of entirely home-based players (Italy as well as Cannavaro only leaves to UAE after the World Cup). Cameroon and Nigeria have none.
yossarian
Guest
Sorry just add one other player who would be in contention for a place in previous England squads and that is Ashley Cole...please don't anyone say John Terry.....give me Mark Wright,Colin Todd, Tony Adams or 'you'll never beat' Des Walker any day.
yossarian
Guest
The Lampard Gerrard debate has gone on for years. The truth of the matter is that for whatever reason in big games for England, Lampard does not and has never performed. As unpalateable as it may seem I woud start him on the bench with Gerrard in behind Roonay and a central midfield of Barry and Carrick, Lennon and Cole as the wide players (what has Joe Cole done wrong?). Like MyDave said I've watched England since the 70's, and I can remember a relatively good team being taken apart by Italy in a qualifying game in the seventies when we didn't even make the WC. This team, despite the media nonsense is nowhere near as good as most teams England has sent to the WC. There is no Gascoigne who can beat a man and dictate play, there is no Barnes/Waddle/Channon/Coppell, who can deliever a cross. Heskey/SWP/Lennon/Lampard/Carragher/Crouch and many others including all the goalkeepers wouldn't make the squad in previous decades (unless like Carlton Palmer, managed by Graham taylor). Oh for a Shearer for Rooney to play off of rather than Heskey - give me Alan Smith for Christ's sake- or a Robson in midfield or even Hoddle in Mexico, who make Lampard and Gerrard look like statues.For me we have only two players who would have made previous England Squads, Rooney and Gerrard and both at the moment are either injured or playing like drains. This team has one last chance to make a name for itself, take some risks and progress. England have done it before, started badly and then gone on to progress, let's hope we can do it again.
Brett McKay
Expert
Watched the replay this morning, and Rooney looked like he was actively avoiding the ball, or as if it had spiders on it or something. Anything that wasn't passed directly to his foot, he had no interest in chasing.... Interesting thoughts above about Lampard and Gerrard in the same team too. Maybe that's why Gerrard didn't go to Chelsea a few years ago??
tony yeboah
Guest
I may be shot down for this, but that game highlights the myth that a manager should change his formation to suit his best players. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can't play in the same team, It upsets the balance. Lampard was more like 'where's wally' he was so invisible. I hope England beat Slovenia, this world cup needs them playing well.
Hayden
Guest
I have to say that as an All Black supporter, it is comforting to know there is at least one team around on the international stage that fails to live up to their billing more than the ABs come WC time.
Fisher Price
Guest
So funny to see overrated Gerrard's dreadful performance with his incessant diving cutting no ice outside the Premier League.
rovers2011
Guest
They offer some welcome comedic relief ... delivering once again this world cup :D EN--GER--LAND shite !!!
Dan
Guest
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA ..... AAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Sorry, but as an Australian who doesn't really care for soccer, but who has experienced the English "fans" first hand on a number of occasions when major soccer matches are on, I can only laugh with glee when greeted by news of their prospective exit.
Colin N
Guest
"An example of that attitude is an English pundit saying Diego Forlan had finally come of age as a footballer after his goals against South Africa." So one pundit determines the whole English mentality? I think most people recognise that Forlan has developed into a very good player and if there was an 'EPL-centric attitude,' they wouldn't be tipping him as their star player. It was just a very poor performance by players who seem to struggle under pressure.
DERBY COUNTY FC
Guest
I am disgusted as an Englishman with that performance! James, you don't know what you are talking about.
Roger Rational
Guest
You are talking utter drivel. The EPL, along with La Liga, has dominated the Champions League for the past decade. Most top managers believe the Champions League to be the ultimate test of quality. The World Cup is pretty mickey mouse in comparison. The real questions are these: - Are England's players knackered? They looked unbelievably sluggish tonight. - Are they bottlers? It seems so. - Are they made to look better than they actually are by the foreign talent they play alongside in the EPL? Probably.
NY
Guest
International football is a whole different game to club football. Some players just don't seem to rise to the occassion. Look at Del Piero, Totti, Henry, Torres etc. I am not surprised about England to be honest. Just more surprised that it was against Algeria.
James
Guest
Disagree. There's a belief in England that they are world class cause there's a real EPL-centric attitude, hence why they always think their favourites. An example of that attitude is an English pundit saying Diego Forlan had finally come of age as a footballer after his goals against South Africa. Just because he bombed at Manchester doesn't mean he's been doing nothing away from England. He's been a leading scorer in Spain for the last few years. It's that EPL centric attitude. The money and lifestyle in the EPL far outweighs that of La Liga, Serie A, etc. But I think there's a flawed fear of failure within the English camp.