By HARRY REDKNAPP
WHAT WAS YOUR VERDICT ON THAT ENGLAND PERFORMANCE, HARRY?
A total farce really. It was a real struggle to watch the match consistently and I bet I wasn’t alone in admitting I was turning over quite a bit to watch Scotland against Wales.
It was impossible to learn anything from that match. San Marino would not be able to make it in our Conference, let alone the four top divisions.
What I believe has not changed since the qualifying campaign started — England will beat Montenegro next week and will go on to to win what is a very poor group to make it to Brazil. But then they should do.
Roy Hodgson’s side are a class above the rest and several classes above San Marino. I honestly find it frustrating that the match is allowed to be played.
How on earth can San Marino expect to develop their football when they just keep going out and getting smashed and don’t touch the ball?
England would have learned more about their chances of winning next year’s World Cup had they played against the Isle of Wight — reserves.
WHO WAS YOUR STAR MAN LAST NIGHT?
All the boys did well. You could not single out one player because it would be a slight on the rest of them.
What would be really worrying is if anyone had a bad game against San Marino. The opposition was so poor that it was hard to judge individual performances. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can’t get into Arsenal’s team but yet he looked outstanding last night — that tells you about the gap in class against San Marino.
WAS ROY RIGHT TO REST STEVEN GERRARD AND ASHLEY COLE?
Of course he was. Gerrard has put in more shifts than anyone at Liverpool this season. It was the best idea for him and for the other players who got a run-out.
Frank Lampard gets the captain’s armband for an evening and players like Tom Cleverley get a good stint in an England shirt. While it won’t really help them against these part-timers, it wouldn’t hurt.
As for resting Cole, that was also correct. We are extremely lucky in England to have two outstanding left-backs. Cole has been regarded as No 1 for a long time but there isn’t much in it any more. It was good for Leighton Baines to get a solid 90 minutes under his belt with an extra ‘training session’ alongside the other boys.
A lot of the players on duty last night would probably have been most worried about picking up an injury against a part-time team.
WILL MONTENEGRO BE SHAKING IN THEIR BOOTS?
Not from last night’s game they won’t be. Montenegro will be worried about England but not from our result and performance against San Marino.
They will be worried because England is a team packed full of good players, who play in the best league in the world.
England should always be comfortable in qualifying. That is the least expected of them. The problems start in the finals when there is a big step up in class.
Sadly though, games like last night’s do not really help England develop their game either.
HAS WAYNE ROONEY GOT HIS MOJO BACK?
He never lost it. A player like him never does. He took his goal well last night and made a couple of chances for his team-mates.
Rooney is a top, top player. I have said for a long time that he has been our one truly world-class striker. He was left on the bench for one Manchester United game recently, against Real Madrid, by the manager for tactical reasons and then he is written off?
No chance. If this was one of his quieter games it’s understandable. It must have been hard for all those England players to lift themselves.
AND WOULD YOU PICK RIO FERDINAND AGAIN?
In an ideal world I would pick him because I think he is still our best centre-half. But it’s Roy Hodgson’s decision, of course, and so many things have gone on with Rio. Who knows whether he wants to play for England any more.
I don’t know what went on between them. Did Rio say he would play and then go back on it?
I don’t think this affair has undermined the manager’s authority though.
And Rio’s not the only player to have done this. How many times have we seen players suddenly find reasons for not going to an international?
It will be down to a lack of fitness, or injury will be given as the reasons — and then they are suddenly OK for their clubs a couple of weeks later.
Watch next weekend and see — not just England players but all internationals.
But only Rio really knows if he still wants to play for England. That will be the deciding factor here.
