Is Steve McClaren Still in Charge?

Here’s tonight’s lineup:

James, Brown, A Cole, Ferdinand, Terry (Captain), Beckham, Barry, Lampard, Gerrard, Defoe, Rooney.

Look familiar? Steve McClaren could easily have picked that team. So could Sven for that matter.

Only vague bit of newness is the Defoe-Rooney partnership. Could work, really could. Defoe pushing up on the last man and Rooney dropping deep and playing in the support role. Fingers crossed.

But whatever happens tonight, it seems that the same old frustrations of being an England fan are going to continue:

• Gerrard and Lampard tripping over each other
• someone (either Barry or Gerrard) being asked to “do a job” on the left side of midfield
• total lack of pace or ability to beat a man on either wing
• John Terry doing lots of shouting and pointing as captain
• the next David James mistake just waiting to happen and…
• … my number one grievance, young players never getting a chance to crack the starting eleven.

Going to try and enjoy tonight’s game as much as possible, but I fear the future.