England U21 Vs Portugal U21

[General Smuts]

£10 a ticket at Wembley. 7:45pm kick off.

Bin up since 430am but am well up for this, this afto. Stearman's in the squad which is otherwise quite strong.

Goalkeepers

Joe Hart

Tom Heaton

Joe Lewis

Defenders

Ryan Bertrand

Martin Cranie

Craig Gardner**

Michael Mancienne

Micah Richards**

Richard Stearman #

Andrew Taylor

Steven Taylor

Midfielders

Lee Cattermole

Tom Huddlestone

Adam Johnson

Michael Johnson**

Michael Kightly

Aaron Lennon

James Milner

Fabrice Muamba

Mark Noble

Jamie O'Hara

Forwards

Gabriel Agbonlahor

Fraizer Campbell

Matt Derbyshire**

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

Theo Walcott*

* Selected for seniors v Andorra and Croatia.

** Ruled out through injury

# Late call-up

Should be a good un. Going straight from work to the pub. Nice.

Anybody else going at all?

[General Smuts]

Portugal coach Rui Cacador has added Porto's Candeias to his ranks while Miguel Veloso and Manuel Fernandes are two of the side's biggest names. Former Bolton Wanderers forward Vaz Te could lead the line.

[Koke]

Looking at those centre backs, Stearman could very well start next to Steven Taylor.

[Bert]

Looking at those centre backs, Stearman could very well start next to Steven Taylor.

I think that, if he wasn't in the squad to start of with, I highly doubt he will start tonight.

[Alexikokopops]

I think that, if he wasn't in the squad to start of with, I highly doubt he will start tonight.

Plus Mancienne played in the last match.

Anyway, just looked at the quote in Smuts' post and isn't Vaz Te still at Bolton?

[General Smuts]

Plus Mancienne played in the last match.

Anyway, just looked at the quote in Smuts' post and isn't Vaz Te still at Bolton?

I thought so too.

You fancy this?

[General Smuts]

Enjoyed that even through missing 20 mins queuing and it raining heavily and i was in a suit. Lee Cattermole and Michael Mancienne were both fantastic getting well and truly stuck in. Milner and Agbonlahor (MOTM) were quality too.

England 2 - 0 Portugal

Milner (Pen)

Agbonlahor

Stearman dint play, not convinced he even warmed up at half time.

Good stadium though.

[Bert]

Enjoyed that even through missing 20 mins queuing and it raining heavily and i was in a suit. Lee Cattermole and Michael Mancienne were both fantastic getting well and truly stuck in. Milner and Agbonlahor (MOTM) were quality too.

England 2 - 0 Portugal

Milner (Pen)

Agbonlahor

Stearman dint play, not convinced he even warmed up at half time.

Good stadium though.

Told ya.

[Flynny]

Agbonlahor not being in the proper squad is ludicrous.

[Alexikokopops]

Agbonlahor not being in the proper squad is ludicrous.

I could understand it for the Czech game since (I think) that squad was picked before he scored his opening day hat-trick. Give him a pop now though Fabio.

[Flynny]

I could understand it for the Czech game since (I think) that squad was picked before he scored his opening day hat-trick. Give him a pop now though Fabio.

True, but even before that he's a good option to have, surely? Having said that pace up front is probably useless since england haven't played anything other than laboured, ludicrously slow build-up football for years.

I'd love to see us do things like counter-attack, or make quick passes, or actually have a bit of movement about us.

[dandannieldanok]

I was going to raise a point about this in a separate topic but I may as well do it here. There is a lot of negativity around the senior team at the minute which is fully justified and now with all the foreign imports in the premier league people see no future for the England team. But with this result, and looking at the qualifying groups, it strikes me that we are actually one of the best sides out there at u-21 level. We've cruised through this group and if you take a look at the other groups, points-wise England are second only to the Italians who have actually played one more game.

I don't know much about the u-21 scene, but the fact we've qualified comfortably and we are far ahead of the French, Germans, Portuguese and the Dutch, and just ahead of the Spanish on points surely gives us some hope for the future. Maybe we had a easier group than them all and perhaps we'll crash out in the proper tournament, I genuinely have no idea, but the stats show us to be a good team.

[JakeShingler]

Good win.

[davieG]

I was going to raise a point about this in a separate topic but I may as well do it here. There is a lot of negativity around the senior team at the minute which is fully justified and now with all the foreign imports in the premier league people see no future for the England team. But with this result, and looking at the qualifying groups, it strikes me that we are actually one of the best sides out there at u-21 level. We've cruised through this group and if you take a look at the other groups, points-wise England are second only to the Italians who have actually played one more game.

I don't know much about the u-21 scene, but the fact we've qualified comfortably and we are far ahead of the French, Germans, Portuguese and the Dutch, and just ahead of the Spanish on points surely gives us some hope for the future. Maybe we had a easier group than them all and perhaps we'll crash out in the proper tournament, I genuinely have no idea, but the stats show us to be a good team.

The trouble is history is full of players that excelled at this level but were never as good at or seen to be good enough for the next level. They were never able to take the next step, to develop and progress.

The question remains therefore will and do these players need to be playing consistently at the highest level to at least give them a chance of making that next move and will they get it?

Only time will tell and by then it might be too late.

[Webbo]

The trouble is history is full of players that excelled at this level but were never as good at or seen to be good enough for the next level. They were never able to take the next step, to develop and progress.

The question remains therefore will and do these players need to be playing consistently at the highest level to at least give them a chance of making that next move and will they get it?

Only time will tell and by then it might be too late.

The British teams put much more emphasis on physical strength, with the continental sides putting more emphasis on skill. At the under 21 level this gives us an advantage, but as the continental player grows older and his physical strength increases we lose our advantage.

[davieG]

The British teams put much more emphasis on physical strength, with the continental sides putting more emphasis on skill. At the under 21 level this gives us an advantage, but as the continental player grows older and his physical strength increases we lose our advantage.

That as well although I think it's slowly changing.

[Corky]

The British teams put much more emphasis on physical strength, with the continental sides putting more emphasis on skill. At the under 21 level this gives us an advantage, but as the continental player grows older and his physical strength increases we lose our advantage.

You've summed it up there. In FourFourTwo, Chris Waddle says our 13/14 year-olds don't get enough time to work with the ball, it's all about physical strength, which is wrong.

[jammo_lcfc]

I went last night and have to agree about gabby Agbonlahor. Quality player.

[General Smuts]

The trouble is history is full of players that excelled at this level but were never as good at or seen to be good enough for the next level. They were never able to take the next step, to develop and progress.

The question remains therefore will and do these players need to be playing consistently at the highest level to at least give them a chance of making that next move and will they get it?

Only time will tell and by then it might be too late.

2 words. Carlton. Cole.