IT AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE:

Kazakhstan v England: Steven Gerrard revels on centre stage (Henry Winter, 6/06/09, Daily Telegraph)

If England are to shine next summer, Capello knows he will rely heavily on Rooney and Gerrard. Technically adept, innately adventurous, the pair share Capello's obsession with not giving away the ball. To an extent, Gerrard and Rooney are forces of nature, best when emulating the street football of their youth, when invited to express God-given talents. So admiring of this aptitude, Capello seeks to construct the ideal platform for such performers.

The shrewd Italian tried two systems on Saturday night, a first-half version of 4-4-2 with Rooney playing off Emile Heskey and Gerrard mainly left before changing to 4-2-3-1. Only then did England fully seize control. Although Gerrard actually delivered his most destructive passes before the break, angling them in from the flank to fashion two goals, Liverpool's captain clearly preferred being more central to the action, raiding forward in his club role, charging into the box to good effect in the second period.

Gerrard famously refers to left-midfield work as "the graveyard shift''. Capello views it as a starting position, a launch pad for attack yet England's No 11 could have been forgiven for wincing in frustration early on as long balls from John Terry, then Glen Johnson flew aimlessly over his head.

For a while, England's tactics were a mess, neither Rooney nor Gerrard settling, neither able to impose their game. Clearly worried, Capello took up residence on the edge of his technical area, indicating his displeasure. Slowly, England weathered the storm. Slowly, technical class came to the fore. Soon, Gerrard and Rooney were swapping positions, Gerrard moving inside, Rooney selflessly darting wide. Soon, they were combining, a one-two brimming with touch and speed culminating in Rooney firing wide.

Even when not completely on top of his game, the Manchester United striker is always worth watching because his qualities are so many. His awareness of colleagues' movement was seen in one magical pass to Ashley Cole. His persistence was embodied when he hunted down Alexandr Mokin, pressurising the Kazakh keeper into a hasty clearance that ended with Heskey striking the post.

Gerrard started gliding into territory where he does most damage, collecting the ball and looking to release Rooney through the middle or Cole down the left.

Your two best stacked down the middle and some quick buggers on the flanks.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 6, 2009 12:30 PM