Wales V England - SS1 : 3.00pm

MagicMarker

Wales will look to keep their fading Euro 2012 dreams alive when they welcome neighbours England to the Millennium Stadium.

Having opened their qualification campaign with three defeats, Gary Speed's side know they have a mountain to climb if they are to end their long wait for a place at a major tournament.

The Dragons are fast running out of time in their efforts to reach the 2012 European Championships in Ukraine and Poland, suggesting they are poised for further international heartache.

Confidence needs to be restored to a side that has tasted defeat on its last four outings, scoring only one goal in the process.

Speed will be hoping that Wales can turn the corner on Saturday, in his first competitive fixture since inheriting the national reins from John Toshack.

It could be that a meeting with England is just what the Dragons need, with a full house in Cardiff expected to generate a red-hot atmosphere.

The Three Lions will enter the game, though, knowing that they have prevailed in the last two meetings between the two nations - during qualification for the 2006 World Cup.

They have, however, alternated between victory and defeat on their last five visits to Wales and were that record to continue this weekend, they would leave with nothing.

England's recent away record suggests they are capable of bucking that trend, with a defeat in the Ukraine after they had already booked their place at the 2010 World Cup representing the only setback they have suffered on the road in their last six outings.

Goals have also been in plentiful supply for Fabio Capello's men of late, with only Montenegro and Algeria having kept them out in their last 13 fixtures.

More goals and another three points against Wales this weekend would be enough to take England to the top of Group G on goal difference, with current leaders Montenegro not in action.

Wales team news

Wales' build-up to the game has been dominated by contrasting fortunes for two of their most promising young stars.

News that Tottenham winger Gareth Bale has suffered a hamstring injury and will play no part on Saturday has come as a major blow to the hosts, as he was widely acknowledged as the man most capable of causing England problems.

Speed is, however, delighted to have Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey available again and has opted to hand the 20-year-old the captain's armband, making him Wales' youngest-ever skipper.

That role was up for grabs after Craig Bellamy decided to step aside, but the on-loan Cardiff striker will still be an important part of Speed's plans.

Sam Vokes, who has recently agreed a loan switch to Norwich, has replaced the injured Robert Earnshaw in the Wales squad and will be vying for a striking berth alongside the likes of Steve Morison, Simon Church and Ched Evans.

England team news

England's preparations have also generated plenty of headlines, with Capello having decided to hand John Terry the captaincy again, 13 months after the Chelsea centre-half was stripped of the honour and replaced by Rio Ferdinand.

Injuries to Manchester United defender Ferdinand and vice-captain Steven Gerrard, who will again be missing this weekend, convinced the Italian that it was time for a U-turn.

The Three Lions saw Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster withdraw from the squad on Friday with a throat infection and his place has gone to West Brom's Scott Carson.
Everton's Phil Jagielka is expected to provide cover for Ferdinand, while youngsters Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll are again pushing hard for starting berths.

Kyle Walker, currently taking in a loan spell at Aston Villa, and Wolves winger Matt Jarvis will be hoping to make their senior debuts in Cardiff.

I predict 2-5.

super_furry

England will smash them.

God I hate international football.

mike65

Its not even on the (free) telly!

I think S4C have highlights later.

Paully D

Really, really hope ''Top 4 FC'' fail to win to pile more pressure on Capello.

I think they'll win a boring game 1-0 though.

JerryHandbag

No Bale, no hope. 0-3

ShaneU

Looks like England are playing 4-3-3

HART

JOHNSON TERRY DAWSON COLE

LAMPARD PARKER WILSHERE

YOUNG BENT ROONEY

jebidiah

ShaneU wrote: »

YOUNG BENT ROONEY

:D

Paul Tergat

ShaneU wrote: »

Looks like England are playing 4-3-3

HART

JOHNSON TERRY DAWSON COLE

LAMPARD PARKER WILSHERE

YOUNG BENT ROONEY

That the confirmed team?

edit: nvm just seen twitter, thanks for posting


Lol at Jebs post above



Cmon England I guess

That_Guy

A mate of mine who lives in Sweden stuck his months wages on England. :eek::eek:

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Paully D wrote: »

Really, really hope ''Top 4 FC'' fail to win to pile more pressure on Capello.

6 out of the 11 players starting play for teams that finished in the top 4 last season. Don't be talking shíte.

Blatter

Is this only on SS? Not even BBC or ITV?

That_Guy

Paully D wrote: »

Really, really hope ''Top 4 FC'' fail to win to pile more pressure on Capello.

I think they'll win a boring game 1-0 though.

Parker, Young, Bent and Johnson didn't finish in the top 4 last year.

Ardennes1944

cmon wilshere!....ramsey!...wilsey!

J. Marston

Giggsy & Neville in the Sky studio .








Hoddle too.

That_Guy

Who is that?? *creams oneself"

Paully D

Capello doing his usual 'only understanding a question and answering said question properly when it's something he wants to hear' routine.

That_Guy

Gary Neville thinks they should concentrate on the football and not the captain's armband, whilst talking about the captain's armband.

That_Guy

Did Hoddle just say that Glen Johnson could match any right back in the world.

Laughable.

Paully D

baz2009 wrote: »

6 out of the 11 players starting play for teams that finished in the top 4 last season. Don't be talking shíte.

That's very much the exception.

The fact is if you don't play for one of the 'fashionable' clubs, you have very little chance of getting into the side, regardless of how well you play or how poor the untouchables are playing.

event

ShaneU wrote: »

Looks like England are playing 4-3-3

HART

JOHNSON TERRY DAWSON COLE

LAMPARD PARKER WILSHERE

YOUNG BENT ROONEY

oliver kay said he understands the team will line out like

---

hart

---

johnson----Terry

---

dawson

---

Cole

---

Parker

---

---

lampard---Wilshire--young

---

---

Rooney - Bent

---

YouTookMyName

3 pricks and Glen Hoddle in the sky sports studio.

MagicMarker

Paully D wrote: »

That's very much the exception.

The fact is if you don't play for one of the 'fashionable' clubs, you have very little chance of getting into the side, regardless of how well you play or how poor the untouchables are playing.

Generally the best English players play for the best English clubs.

I'm sure this is a shock to you. Please don't worry, it's normal.

dubmick

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

Is this only on SS? Not even BBC or ITV?

Looks like it, I was thinking myself that it was a pity it wasn't on terrestrial

Paul Tergat

YouTookMyName wrote: »

3 pricks and Glen Hoddle in the sky sports studio.

I can understand the dislike of Neville (even though hes actually a hero) but wtf can you possibly have against Giggsy? And Dave Jones the presenter??

Oh, and 2 of those 'pricks' have a ****load of medals so successful pricks :rolleyes:

Paully D

MagicMarker wrote: »

Generally the best English players play for the best English clubs.

I'm sure this is a shock to you. Please don't worry, it's normal.

Do you think players in poor form should be picked for England, just because they play for the best clubs then?

There's plenty of English players playing at the same level (the Premier League) as the better players but are in better form. Sadly, they have no chance of getting a chance because the manager is oblivious to the fact that they actually exist.

That_Guy

Think I might watch this in Welsh commentary. Chris Coleman. Bollocks.

amacachi

Paully D wrote: »

That's very much the exception.

The fact is if you don't play for one of the 'fashionable' clubs, you have very little chance of getting into the side, regardless of how well you play or how poor the untouchables are playing.

How many would be an acceptable number?

Raskolnikov

Hard to see Wales getting a result given how useless they were against us.

That_Guy

Hello hotness.

MagicMarker

Shocking from the Welsh fans.

J. Marston

The English anthem got destroyed!
(by the crowd)

peabutler

Unbelievable.

That_Guy

Tad hostile.

TT09

didn't know the welsh hated them so much

CantGetNoSleep

Both sets of fans are a disgrace

CantGetNoSleep

Watching on Al Jazeera, the commentator just called it a fantastic atmosphere

Raskolnikov

Why are the Welsh booing their own anthem?

Minstrel27

This could get rowdy. The atmosphere is pretty hot.

Colilfc

Lol at Joe Hart laughing during the anthem!

CantGetNoSleep

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Why are the Welsh booing their own anthem?

Think it was the English~?

Seaneh

Bahahahahaha at the Welsh fans booing during God save the queen and even bigger Bahaha at the engerland fans trying to boo while 63500 welsh fans sang their hearts out during their anthem.

BeanFlicker

Only 7,500 thousands English fans there supposedly, well out numbered

Minstrel27

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Why are the Welsh booing their own anthem?

They didn't.

Seaneh

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Why are the Welsh booing their own anthem?

They weren't. The engerland fans were and they were drowned out pretty quickly.

That_Guy

Tasty already.

CantGetNoSleep

I love Craig Bellamy

Raskolnikov

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Think it was the English~?

I mean why did they boo the British anthem - it's their anthem too.

Seaneh

Raskolnikov wrote: »

I mean why did they boo the British anthem - it's their anthem too.

Not as most Welsh people see it...

UpTheSlashers

Raskolnikov wrote: »

I mean why did they boo the British anthem - it's their anthem too.

Football attracts a lot of idiots

super_furry

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

I love Craig Bellamy

He's the one player I regret leaving Liverpool more than any other since Fowler. Brilliant sparky little ****e.

That_Guy

Cracking atmosphere.