Learning Curve

So what might Sven have learned from his friendly encounter with Uruguay, England’s last before the World Cup squad is announced?

Let’s start with the back of the team. That the goalkeeper is reliable and had no chance whatsoever with Uruguay’s goal. That it’s good to have Gary Neville back. That Rio Ferdinand’s inflated idea of his own talent might make him a real liability. That John Terry is steady and reliable and growing as an international player – though he would be even better if he had genuine pace. That he needs to pray for Ashley Cole to recover from his latest setback and get some games under his belt with Arsenal.

That the midfield is perhaps stronger than he might have thought, because of the way Cole and Carrick added to the known strengths of Beckham and Gerrard. The elegant Carrick has vision and his passing is majestic and Cole’s movement and control made him a constant worry to the Uruguayan defence, as the last gasp winning goal demonstrated.

Up front it seems a little less clear cut. Everyone knows what Wayne Rooney is capable of, but this game showed what can happen when he’s so desperate to do well that he tries to be everywhere and do everything. And poor Darren Bent was the loser, because he lacked the kind of support that would have enabled him to make an impression.

As for the substitutions, two things stand out. Peter Crouch is a useful front player who provides another dimension and can get goals, and Shaun Wright-Phillips can be devastating on the right flank in an entirely different way from David Beckham.

And the opposition, who according to reports had been chosen because of their similarities to Paraguay? That they are a neat, quick, well organised side who behave very nicely until you threaten to overrun them, and therefore should not be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, Paraguay had arranged a friendly with John Toshack’s Wales side to give them experience of playing against British teams. Another close one. It ended 0-0.