Eriksson - substitutions issue

Aside from the fact that I'd been nervously yelping "Crouch for Lampard pleeeeease" for the last half hour, I was astonished by what Eriksson did with his subs in the later stages.

OK so Lennon for Becks was necessary with Becks' illness. But with England one dive-in-the-box away from 30 mins ecky and thereafter probably pens, he brings on Downing for Gerrard. So if we HAD gone into extra time we'd have done so with one very knackered striker - and if pens had followed we'd have been looking at an out-of-form Lampard and a bunch of midfielders with a handful of caps between them to make up maybe three of the takers.

He's got away with it today, largely because Ecuador weren't much of a threat. I'd like to think he wouldn't be so short-sighted against Holland (or Portugal) in the next round: but then, he picked Walcott didn't he.

Gawd help us.

Posted By: Suggy, Jun 25, 19:12:50