England 2-0 Poland (We’re going to Brazil!)

We, well the players and coaching staff, did it we’re off to Brazil next year, although I’ve criticised Roy Hodgson quite a lot I must congratulate him for taking the shackles of the side and letting them go out there and force the issue.

It worked against Montenegro and despite a few heart in mouth moments it worked against Poland, it could easily have been all over at half-time if it wasn’t for Szczesny and some sloppy finishing.

That’s why I’ve criticised Hodgson because in the last two games he’s set the team up to attack and be aggressive and look what’s happened we’ve comfortably put in the best two performances of the qualifying campaign and looked like a decent side, so why not play like that all the time.

If we had done for this entire qualifying campaign we would have gone into last night’s game already qualified.

As I’ve said before if England played like that all the time, even if they lost, you wouldn’t have too much to complain about because you could see they were going for it and trying to win and make something happen.

I must also praise Townsend for again continuing where he left off against Montenegro, and even I as an Arsenal fan admit he’s done as many positive things in these last two games as Walcott’s managed in the 36 caps he’s got.

Baines has surely now got to be our first choice left back, while I think Cole is better defensively the fact is goals win you games, and out of the two Baines is much more likely to create or score a goal, as he proved last night.

Gerrard and Rooney showed that in Brazil they’ll be our two most important players, they were both excellent last night and both scored their goals at crucial times.

Of course for all the positives there were still a few issues, too many players pushed up for corners and left us exposed on the counter attack, and obviously playing a 4-4-2 against the top nations isn’t going to work most of the time, but Roy’s got eight months to work on a few alternate formations so hopefully he’ll come up with something a bit different.

Anyway bring on the World Cup draw.