I agree with most of that.

I think England have an advantage with pace. If the right players are selected, we really could cause the Italians problems.
England have showed that they can sit back and soak up pressure, but that IMO would be suicide with Pirlo dictating play.
Also, it would be criminal not to have Carroll and Rooney up front and really bully their make-shift centre half.

Here's hoping...

You are talking about a club that has spent £67.7m on it's top 3 strikers. That's about £15m more than Manchester United spent on their top 3.

Saying finishing in the top 8 if they don't strengthen is quite odd considering the amounts they've wasted.

Why is the amount they've spent relevant? Just because they've spent a lot of money doesn't mean that they've spent it wisely and guarantee that the player's they brought in are better than those who cost less at other clubs. You mention Man Utd, look at their strikers last year - the most expensive could barely get a game.

Also, whilst they might have spent that much on their 3 top strikers, they only have 2 of them at the club, and neither are exactly prolific. Dalglish spent a lot of money poorly and Rodgers has been hampered by that by both inheriting a poor squad and having the purse-strings tightened as a consequence, it's not at all odd to say that he will have done a good job to get them in the top 8. Do you think they have a squad good enough to do better than 7th/8th?

Gutted about going out last night, played much the better football over the 90, scored 2 great goals, but undone ultimately by 3 bad bits of defending and a goal that only just crept in. Chelsea really wanted revenge it seems what with bringing on Oscar and Hazard, turned out to be just too much for Keane and Wootten to handle

Chelsea have a new captain, leader, legend... www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... lbeck.html

Chelsea have a new captain, leader, legend... www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... lbeck.html