As the World Cup begins to appear over the horizon, It’s make or break time for the boys in the England shirts. Egypt were the visitors in this friendly match at Wembley on 3rd March 2010, but what were the key points?

It’s always a tense affair watching England I feel. There never seems to be an abundance of confidence throughout the team, yet more often than not, they churn out the result.

I have often criticised England’s performances on the pitch, with so many key players failing to deliver on far too many occasions. I feel we lack in the certain quality needed to win a competition, especially the mighty World Cup, so how do our boys look ahead of this years competition?

For a start, there are many positives to take from the friendly, as well as in general. Players like Wayne Rooney are at the peak of their game at the moment, with others like James Milner not doing their reputation any harm. Peter Crouch was instantly a hit when he came on as a substitute, with Michael Carrick making a huge impact on the game. These are the players who can turn games around.

The negatives are the same as they always have been in my opinion. We take far too long to settle into a game, and look uncomfortable on the ball for large parts of the game. We seem to suffer from a lack of belief, and this shows with players like Lampard and Gerrard, and even Defoe during the friendly against Egypt. We rely on these players to play well, and need them to be on top of their game when it comes to June.

Having said this, we do usually seem to turn the game around, and once in our stride, we do look like a team capable of winning any tournament.

I think the team we saw play against Egypt once Crouch and Carrick had come onto the pitch, are the team to take us to the final, with the inclusion of Ferdinand once he is match fit, providing he is on form. I do think that some players need to seriously up their game though in the lead up to the competition.

On another note, can I just express my disgust with our English supporters. Here is a team that we are looking to take us to the final of the biggest competition in football, yet here we are, as fans, shouting abuse at the players taking us there. I’m speaking about the John Terry situation of course. Can we not just forget about this now and get behind our players! If we cannot support our team 100 percent, then it will have an effect on the rest of the team, possibly ruining our chances of progressing to the final. The fans could be the reason England Football Club fails to win the World Cup.

So, provided all players stay fit, and assuming the problems with current form can be rectified before June, England stands in good shape to be able to reach the final, and even win it, as long as the nerves hold out. As fans, we need to make sure we get behind our team now, and support them all the way, regardless of what happens off the pitch.

Come on England!