MARK LAWRENSON: England ‘reserves’ prove their worth

Nov 25 2008 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

I WAS in Berlin on Wednesday night and must admit I felt myself turning into a Premier League manager for a minute there – wondering what the point of it all was.

Thankfully, the answer soon became clear. On the night we saw confirmation that England finally have a good reserve squad to call on, and that is vital when it comes to the serious business of major tournaments.

Carrick, Downing, Upson, Agbonlahor and Wright-Phillips all did their cause the world of good in the 2-1 win.

It shows just how well motivated Fabio Capello has got the England team now. Those players know they aren’t the first choice but they still set about showing how much they want to put pressure on the top stars.

Squad members like that are vital. When the World Cup comes round, they will be on the plane and if Capello wanted to know if he can count on them to plug any gaps caused by injury and suspension then their display last week will have given him an emphatic answer.

And for that reason alone, it was anything but a meaningless friendly.