Am i missing something ...

[TightEnd]

As an interesting aside, last night was exactly 8 years on from Liverpool's 0-4 win against Derby in the league, when one Emile Ivanhoe Heskey scored a hat-trick to silence the Derby fans who were singing "you're just a Leicester reject".

Heskey was terrific in O'Neill's Leicester team. Created shed loads of goals for Cottee in his last hurrah. Watched him hundreds of times including his debut at QPR as a 17 year old.

When Liverpool paid £11m for him i think maybe they and their fans thought they were getting the "next big thing" but he's never been a 20 goals a season man, more a provider and a foil for others as say for Zaki at Wigan now

Top marks to Capello for going against conventional wisdom and picking such an unfashionable player and getting the likes of Rooney to play off him to such good effect.

[Rooky9]

Lets not get too carried away though - Rooney at best is a sporadic goal scorer, and tends to get them in bathes according to him and his club manager. That's all well and good if they are timed right but you could easily see him play 5 or 6 games without scoring. If that happened during a major tourn, with him and heskey up front, we'd be quarter finals at best.

[TightEnd]

Worrying thing is, Heskey's getting on and Crouch will never quite be good enough

The U21s have Agbonlahor and Mark Noble up front and Matt Derbyshire on the bench. None are the "hold up, back to the goal" type of CF that seems to be Capello's wish to play

I don't see too many good English target men around these days actually, in the top division anyway

[Rooky9]

Worrying thing is, Heskey's getting on and Crouch will never quite be good enough

The U21s have Agbonlahor and Mark Noble up front and Matt Derbyshire on the bench. None are the "hold up, back to the goal" type of CF that seems to be Capello's wish to play

I don't see too many good English target men around these days actually, in the top division anyway

Any?!!

Ashdon, a crock and hold up is probably one of his weaker attributes.
Cole, did show promise but havent seen enough of him for a while.
Ameobi, cack.

I can't think of any other decently sized youngish CFs in the PL.

[Josedinho]

Nugent for tthe physio table

[mondatoo]

Worrying thing is, Heskey's getting on and Crouch will never quite be good enough

The U21s have Agbonlahor and Mark Noble up front and Matt Derbyshire on the bench. None are the "hold up, back to the goal" type of CF that seems to be Capello's wish to play

I don't see too many good English target men around these days actually, in the top division anyway

Daniel Sturridge.FACT

PS Michael Owen should be in the squad everytime FACT

[Jim-D]

I hope Daniel Sturridge gets the chance to fulfill his potential, I just have a feeling now with all the city money that he will be a constant loanee to lesser teams and not get to play regular on the top stage

[mondatoo]

I hope Daniel Sturridge gets the chance to fulfill his potential, I just have a feeling now with all the city money that he will be a constant loanee to lesser teams and not get to play regular on the top stage

He will get his chance he's to good not to.

[ShatnerPants]

England are looking good going forward. Yes. 

We don't need Heskey to score as long as the goals are coming from somewhere else. True

But it's not all as rosey as some are making out.

Walcott is still not a winger.

I still don't see Lamps and Gerry as being able to play properly together.

Joe Cole is too effective to miss out when fit.

Defensively we've looked shakey for longish periods against average ( at best ) sides.

Our keeper WILL make a serious mistake pretty much every game.

I think Capello's still got a lot more work on his plate than some people are realising.

[Longy]

Good to see we are improving under Capello, though International football is a complete donkament, sample size??

The whole slating of Heskey throughout his career has been unfair imo, mainly from people who seem to think that forwards need to be goalscorers. I bet Englands record with him in the team is a damn sight better than without, he is unselfish and is very very good at holding the ball up and bringing others into play. People remember great bits of skill or goals not the players who nit the system together.

We shouldn't be going over the top about our prospect at the next World cup but at least looks at the moment it looks like we might be there competing for it. While a qf will be seen as a disappointment in this country that is about where we are at in international football if we play competently. What basically Sven achieved for us, who got slated for reasons that are slightly beyond me.

[Nem]

There's only one Emile Heskey,
one Emile Heskey,
He used to be shite,
But now he's alright,
Walking in a Heskey wonderland.

[The Baron]

As an interesting aside, last night was exactly 8 years on from Liverpool's 0-4 win against Derby in the league, when one Emile Ivanhoe Heskey scored a hat-trick to silence the Derby fans who were singing "you're just a Leicester reject".

Heskey was terrific in O'Neill's Leicester team. Created shed loads of goals for Cottee in his last hurrah. Watched him hundreds of times including his debut at QPR as a 17 year old.

When Liverpool paid £11m for him i think maybe they and their fans thought they were getting the "next big thing" but he's never been a 20 goals a season man, more a provider and a foil for others as say for Zaki at Wigan now

Top marks to Capello for going against conventional wisdom and picking such an unfashionable player and getting the likes of Rooney to play off him to such good effect.

In Heskey's first season for us he scored 23 goals, we won 3 cups and two legends, Owen and Fowler were fighting to start alongside him. Houllier then made him play with his back to goal to suit Owen and ruined him. When he runs at defences he can be unstoppable.

[byronkincaid]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7676694.stm

[Rooky9]

As an interesting aside, last night was exactly 8 years on from Liverpool's 0-4 win against Derby in the league, when one Emile Ivanhoe Heskey scored a hat-trick to silence the Derby fans who were singing "you're just a Leicester reject".

Heskey was terrific in O'Neill's Leicester team. Created shed loads of goals for Cottee in his last hurrah. Watched him hundreds of times including his debut at QPR as a 17 year old.

When Liverpool paid £11m for him i think maybe they and their fans thought they were getting the "next big thing" but he's never been a 20 goals a season man, more a provider and a foil for others as say for Zaki at Wigan now

Top marks to Capello for going against conventional wisdom and picking such an unfashionable player and getting the likes of Rooney to play off him to such good effect.

In Heskey's first season for us he scored 23 goals, we won 3 cups and two legends, Owen and Fowler were fighting to start alongside him. Houllier then made him play with his back to goal to suit Owen and ruined him. When he runs at defences he can be unstoppable.

Come on. Any decent striker can have a good season and grab a fair amount goals. He has never been a finisher, thats the main reason he doesnt score more goals.

The Liverpool manager probably realised that he his partnerships would get more by changing Heskey's game (if indeed he did). If I was playig against Heskey I'd be more than willing to let him run at me all day rather than take me on physically (I think I could take him both ways to be hnest but one would be easier than the other!)

[The Baron]

As an interesting aside, last night was exactly 8 years on from Liverpool's 0-4 win against Derby in the league, when one Emile Ivanhoe Heskey scored a hat-trick to silence the Derby fans who were singing "you're just a Leicester reject".

Heskey was terrific in O'Neill's Leicester team. Created shed loads of goals for Cottee in his last hurrah. Watched him hundreds of times including his debut at QPR as a 17 year old.

When Liverpool paid £11m for him i think maybe they and their fans thought they were getting the "next big thing" but he's never been a 20 goals a season man, more a provider and a foil for others as say for Zaki at Wigan now

Top marks to Capello for going against conventional wisdom and picking such an unfashionable player and getting the likes of Rooney to play off him to such good effect.

In Heskey's first season for us he scored 23 goals, we won 3 cups and two legends, Owen and Fowler were fighting to start alongside him. Houllier then made him play with his back to goal to suit Owen and ruined him. When he runs at defences he can be unstoppable.

Come on. Any decent striker can have a good season and grab a fair amount goals. He has never been a finisher, thats the main reason he doesnt score more goals.

The Liverpool manager probably realised that he his partnerships would get more by changing Heskey's game (if indeed he did). If I was playig against Heskey I'd be more than willing to let him run at me all day rather than take me on physically (I think I could take him both ways to be hnest but one would be easier than the other!)

I disagree with all of that.

Firstly his lack of goals is not only down to his finishing. He's been asked to perform another role to the one he used to. With his back to goal he's a team player and a useful link up guy - nothing more. His best parts on Wednesday were going at people where he's far more threatening and he draws more than one defender away from danger areas to make holes.

The Liverpool manager at the time got it wrong though didn't he. Heskey scored less and the team scored less when he changed Hesey's game.

I like hearing what people would do against Heskey lol. As Heskey said before Wednesday's game "people who comment on how easy it is to play against me are usually people who've never played against me".