Post by Taxigirl on Mar 30, 2005 8:28:40 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4387711.stm
World Cup qualifying Group 6 | 30 March 1945 BST | St James' Park | Live BBC1
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has said he will name the same team that beat Northern Ireland for the game against Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
David Beckham had a back problem and Steven Gerrard an ankle injury but both are fit for the World Cup qualifier.
"It's been fantastic," said Eriksson. "There are no injuries at all.
"What I can see now is we are going to play the same 11 at the start. I think they played very well against Northern Ireland and I was very happy."
Eriksson has resisted the temptation to tinker with a winning side for the game against the minnows, who were beaten 8-0 by Poland last Saturday.
Kieron Dyer came on as a substitute and impressed on the right side of midfield in the 4-0 win over Northern Ireland but he will again be on the bench as Eriksson fields his strongest side.
But Dyer's contribution has not gone unnoticed by Eriksson - along with the rest of the England squad.
"I believe in the squad we have and I think at this moment that it is maybe the best we have had since I came to this country," added Eriksson.
"Not only the 11 starting but a lot of players are in good shape sitting on the bench, like Dyer for example.
"Jermaine Jenas, who is a very good football player, Wes Brown and Jamie Carragher as well. We have a lot of good footballers."
Azerbaijan's thrashing by Poland has raised expectations of an England goal spree but Eriksson was quick to play down such talk.
"To be honest I didn't like what I saw about how many goals England would score - will it be five, will it be eight?," he said.
"It is important to win the game and make a performance as we did on Saturday because I don't believe you can go into a football game asking players to score five or eight or whatever it is.
"I have been in Italy for many years and talking like that brings bad luck, so I hope that's not the case."
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England: Robinson, G Neville, A Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, J Cole, Rooney, Owen.
World Cup qualifying Group 6 | 30 March 1945 BST | St James' Park | Live BBC1
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has said he will name the same team that beat Northern Ireland for the game against Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
David Beckham had a back problem and Steven Gerrard an ankle injury but both are fit for the World Cup qualifier.
"It's been fantastic," said Eriksson. "There are no injuries at all.
"What I can see now is we are going to play the same 11 at the start. I think they played very well against Northern Ireland and I was very happy."
Eriksson has resisted the temptation to tinker with a winning side for the game against the minnows, who were beaten 8-0 by Poland last Saturday.
Kieron Dyer came on as a substitute and impressed on the right side of midfield in the 4-0 win over Northern Ireland but he will again be on the bench as Eriksson fields his strongest side.
But Dyer's contribution has not gone unnoticed by Eriksson - along with the rest of the England squad.
"I believe in the squad we have and I think at this moment that it is maybe the best we have had since I came to this country," added Eriksson.
"Not only the 11 starting but a lot of players are in good shape sitting on the bench, like Dyer for example.
"Jermaine Jenas, who is a very good football player, Wes Brown and Jamie Carragher as well. We have a lot of good footballers."
Azerbaijan's thrashing by Poland has raised expectations of an England goal spree but Eriksson was quick to play down such talk.
"To be honest I didn't like what I saw about how many goals England would score - will it be five, will it be eight?," he said.
"It is important to win the game and make a performance as we did on Saturday because I don't believe you can go into a football game asking players to score five or eight or whatever it is.
"I have been in Italy for many years and talking like that brings bad luck, so I hope that's not the case."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England: Robinson, G Neville, A Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, J Cole, Rooney, Owen.