'Even just to do win their group, England will need to iron out obvious glitches against Hungary (today) and Jamaica (on Saturday). Eriksson will have to work on the combination of Michael Owen and Peter Crouch and he will also want to test different midfield combinations. Has he clearly defined the roles that Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard should play, and are they happy with them? Coaxing the best from both players is critical. He may experiment with a five-man midfield and a diamond late on in both friendlies and supporters will hope that he is bold in his substitutions,' wrote Matt Dickinson in The Times.
George Caulkin wrote in The Times, ‘With match-winners surrounding him, Steven Gerrard sacrifices a little bit of his flair, while the presence of Frank Lampard in the England midfield means that penetration must sometimes be paired with caution. The overall effect can be unsatisfactory. There are those who long for Gerrard to be unshackled.'
‘Wayne Rooney, his fractured metatarsal far from mended, may recover medically, but he cannot hope to be match-fit and sharp in time to do himself justice, or England any good, in Germany next month. To take him is a waste of a place. By waiting for the second scan (on June 14 – the day before they take on Trinidad and Tobago) England are in effect committing themselves to having a key man unfit or going one short (for the duration of their tournament)," wrote Joe Lovejoy in The Sunday Times.
However, it was confirmed today on England's official website that Rooney will in fact return to England on June 7 for the scan so that Jermain Defoe or new Everton signing Andy Johnson can be called up as a replacement if necessary ahead of the deadline for squad alterations.
At the end of last week Eriksson said: "I spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson and we had a really good conversation. Despite all the speculation, there was a very positive dialogue with Manchester United all along. I also talked to Ferguson two days after the injury (to Rooney). We agreed on things then and nothing has changed since then. There has not been a row between England and Manchester United. We are very grateful for the support United have given Wayne and the England team."
Yesterday he added: “Manchester United had planned to give Rooney another scan on June 14 but that gave us nothing. It was my request that we do the scan on June 7 instead." (The Sun)
‘England's record in major finals is that of a country with great talent which doesn't often fulfil its potential, a bit like Spain, and I'm afraid to tell you that's the image most outsiders have of the Three Lions', wrote Martin Jol in The Sunday Times.
‘At Tottenham our philosophy is "the team is the star" and making England like that is Sven Goran Eriksson's big challenge. In Holland we would say Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry are England's top, top players. This is their first World Cup and the time has come for them to demonstrate on the greatest stage that they are as good as everyone thinks they are. Can Lampard score his goals at this level? Can Gerrard decide the biggest of games? Can Paul Robinson prove he is among the best goalkeepers in Europe? Can Lampard and Gerrard play as a two in central midfield? They're both strong going forward, but neither is the type who wants to sit in the middle dominating possession, holding their position.
I can appreciate Rooney is such a special player that a coach might think he can win you the World Cup even if he is available only in the knockout games, but what happens if England have injuries to their other strikers in the group stages? So much may depend on Rooney's recovery. It's a risky strategy. Aaron Lennon and Stewart Downing have the potential to change games with their penetration from wide areas. Theo Walcott is a talent and he has the advantage of being an unknown quantity and possessing supreme pace. If the Walcott decision works Sven will have made the gamble of the century and all other coaches will have to applaud him. It could happen. Football is a game after all.
David Beckham and Michael Owen face the biggest challenges of all. For each, this is their third World Cup, in Beckham's case probably his last, and both need to prove all over again that they are major players. Can Beckham get his crosses in and his free-kicks working? It would be great for England if he could. Owen is a big star at home, he can go on runs when he gets 10 goals in 10 games in the Premiership, so give Owen the opportunities and he can star on this stage again.'
Most of the defenders from other countries will never have faced anyone like Peter Crouch. For penetration, he could also use Joe Cole, Gerrard or even Lampard playing in the hole. If Beckham and Cole are the wide men then who provides the pace and penetration?
Should Sol Campbell continue on the road back to top form, would Eriksson break up the partnership of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry? He has to be brave, which means getting his strongest team out on the pitch, and that's not necessarily the same as simply picking your best 11 players.
Call me biased, but I'd like to see a role for Michael Carrick as a holding player, at least in some games. So many of the top countries have great No 10s and a "sitter" in midfield is the way to combat that.
Watching England leaves me wondering: what is their style? Do they press high up the pitch? Counter-attack? Use Neville and Ashley Cole as overlapping full-backs? Even now, these things are unclear and must be decided before the tournament. But Eriksson and his coaches have ample opportunity to work on strategies and do the drills necessary to perfect the system.
If you've got all the speed and penetration in the world you can say to the other side: "Come into my garden," and then you can counter and kill them, but pace and penetration isn't England's strength. Think of the quality of Beckham's crosses, the skill of Joe Cole, the scoring ability of Lampard and Gerrard, Crouch's power in the air, Owen's unbelievable sharpness in the box. To make best use of these things you have to play in the opposition's half. I'd like to see Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole and let's hope Rooney, eventually taking the game to the rest of the world. England must seize the initiative if they're to seize this opportunity finally to realise that potential of theirs.'