England need nothing less than a victory when they face Algeria in their second World Cup match. England is confident that they will win the match against their fellow Group C opponents. Gareth Barry will be fit to start against Algeria, providing a timely boost to the English team, which lacked midfield creativity in their first match.
Fabio Capello’s team will be going into this match under far more pressure than their first game. Despite dominating United States in the opening match, England failed to secure a win after Robert Green’s error gifted Americans an equalizer in the first half. It will be interesting to see whether Capello keeps Green as his first choice goalkeeper or replaces him with experienced David James or Joe Hart. Another problem confronting England is the ruling out of Ledley King out of World Cup after he sustained a groin injury during their match against the United States. Replacing King will be Champions League winning Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher. Carragher will be partnering with Chelsea’s John Terry. Additionally, Manchester City’s Gareth Barry will play his first World Cup match against the Algerians. With the inclusion of Barry, England are expected to perform more ingeniously in midfield, which they lacked against United States. Barry will be coming to action after recovering from an ankle injury. Steven Gerrard will return to a more offensive role behind Rooney. Commenting on Barry’s return, Capello said, “Gareth will play this Friday. He is okay, there is no problem. He has trained very well and he is fit.” Barry is a vital part of Capello’s formation and strategy, and the English team clearly acknowledges the Manchester City player’s contribution towards English success. With Barry’s recovery, James Milner will be back on bench, after he failed to make any impact in the first game.
Another confidence booster for the English team is the return of Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Chelsea’s Ashley Cole, back to training after both players were restricted to gym and pool following their knocks in the opening game. Rooney is confident that he will make an impact on Friday’s game. Talking to reporters, he said, “At the minute I have not seen anyone we should be afraid of.” On the other hand, England’s coach Fabio Capello came under heavy criticism for his decision to select Green as first choice goalkeeper. It should be noted that this is the first time Capello’s judgment has been questioned since he took reins of English team. Even legendry German player Franz Beckenbauer has issued a scathing attack on the English team. He accused them of regressing in their development and returning to a basic kick and run style. However, Rooney is adamant that players are brushing aside all criticism. Talking to reporters, Rooney said, “That is his opinion and he is entitled to it. But we don’t listen to what he has to say. We certainly don’t play kick and rush and we don’t take any notice of his comments.” Rooney, who had a bizarre World Cup in Germany four years ago, denies that he is under pressure to score goals. He said, “Not at all. We have got players in the team who can score goals.”
Rooney will be partnering with Emile Heskey, who made a return to starting 11 just before the World Cup. He further added, “For us to do well, I need to play better than I did and to score goals. But I don’t feel under extra pressure. If we win the next two games, I will be happy. I am not worried. If I don’t score in the next two games I will just keep working until I find back of net.”
On the other hand, Algeria is also hoping to get a result against England after they lost to Slovenia in their opening fixture. Talking to reporters, Algerian captain Anther Yahia said, “We have qualities which should shine through. We are going to pose problems for the English. We will be more ambitious and it is a role that suits us better.”
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