If I was an England supporter id say Rio's injury is a blessing in disguise.
Neither Ferdinand or Terry have starred this year for their clubs (instead they have been pretty poor). I really think that England will be caught out defensively if they come up against a quality attacking side.
I was reading about the USA's win over Australia yesterday and I really think that England will struggle to get 3 points in that game.
Your not alone,I always thought it would be a tough game.they're no mugs.There isn't many easy games in international football these days.
Also agree about our dodgy defence.Don't think Johnson is good defencivly,Terry not in great form,King hasn't been fit for years,Cashley only played about six games since injury.
Add to that unless he plays Joe Cole on the left that's a weakness and we have no 2nd striker to go with wazza.Oh and we don't have a great goalkeeper either.I see Green play for Norwich for many years and he doesn't control his area enough for me.James to much of a clamity,will play well for three games,then do something like chuck the ball in his net in the qtr final or soemthing.Hart to inexperienced.
All in all I don't think we will do very well in the tournament,hope I'm proved wrong,still think we might draw with the USA then win the other two in the group.
Putting all of the Scotland-England 'banter' to one side and looking at it logically, I completely agree with what you are saying.
The very fact that England doesn't have a strong one between the posts says enough for me. If you look at the teams that the media are grouping England together with as favourites they all have distinguished keepers.
I mean Italy with Buffon, Brazil with Julio Cesar, Spain with Casillas - they are all world class keepers who would probably always be first on the team sheet if fit. Then you compare it to England where there is no distinct Number 1 because James is inconsistant and the other two are far too inexperienced.
(For me, the goalkeeping position is the single area where Scotland outdoes England)
And I also agree with your comments on the defence. Johnston has alot of potential going forward, but he does not have the tank to constantly track back for 90 minutes, I believe that if someone runs at the CBs then they will get done. I mean how many times did we see Vidic and Ferdinand made to look silly when a fully-fit Torres ran at them? The same goes for Terry. Anyone remember the Chelsea-Inter tie in the CL this year? Jose's men made Terry look stupid.
King won't be able to play the entire tournament either will he?
Although Ash Cole is world class, he is prone to injury. Hopefully he is fit, because with Drogba and Ballack etc getting injured it kinda takes the shine off the tournament. I want to see the best players in the best teams playing.
As for the midfield well for me it all depends on Barry. If he isn't fully fit by the end of the group stages then for me England are in alot of trouble. Lampard and Gerrard will never be able to play together (I haven't a clue why either?) It'll probably work well enough to get the group through, but in the later stages they'll be exposed. Neither seems to know how to find each other with passes and what positions to take. They both try too hard to be the dominant man in the midfield. Barry will give England the much-needed support for the CBs and also be allowed to sit and let Gerrard go forward. Lampard won't do that.
I think Joe Cole will actually turn up at the tournament as he has alot to prove, I also think Lennon will also be very strong.
Rooney will hopefully be his brilliant best, but if he gets injured then it says another thing about England. Who out of the team picked will lead the line? Heskey and Crouch - hardly pacey or clinical. For all Defoe is a great player, he isn't that impressionable either.
Let's also look at it this way. For all he was fantastic this season has Rooney ever been an out-and-out goal scorer? I don't think so. (miss a Shearer or a Owen figure)
England missed the boat in 2002 and probably Euro 2004.
It is a shame because with a bit more luck they should have got to the final in 90 and Euro 96, and I think they had more in them in the two years i've mentioned before. However, for all Cappello is an absolute genius, the team is practically the same as under McLaren. For all he has papered over the cracks, I think that England will be exposed when up against sides of the same quality.
The group is no pushover too. I expect England to qualify, but they will have really tough games. Asforementioned, the US will give England one hell of a game and I expect that Algeria (though will probably lose) won't be too shabby. The one team I expect to shock is Slovenia. They may be the Romania of Euro 2000 - they had quite a difficult group afterall to get to South Africa.
If i'm wrong then i'll accept it and reward congratulations where it is due, but I expect it to be another glorious failure.
.Good luck today 
