ENGLAND v EGYPT PLAYER RATINGS

How Capello's boys fared at Wembley

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ROBERT GREEN: 6/10
ROBERT GREEN: 6/10

ROBERT GREEN

PRETTY solid throughout and certainly no chance with Zidan's stunning finish. Was guilty of a misplaced kick-out early on and needed Defoe to clear a Gomaa header off the line but he did everything that was asked of him with the minimum of fuss. Capello says he knows who his first choice keeper will be in South Africa and that looks like being Green. The fact that Hart didn't get the run-out most people anticipated and James was also left on the bench suggests the boss has already made his mind up.

WES BROWN: 6/10
WES BROWN: 6/10

WES BROWN

NOT always the most reliable of right-backs but worked a lot better with Wright-Phillips than he did with Walcott. Produced some good passes down the line and an inviting cross that Defoe headed wide in the first half. A sharp tackle on Geddo snuffed out an opening for Egypt's super-sub which highlighted his strength when needing to produce last-ditch defending. Was also heavily involved in the build-up to the third goal with an astute pass to Wright-Phillips. Nevertheless, there has to be a question mark over his distribution at the highest level but his versatility - and the fact Capello referred to him as his only right-back this week - means he'll definitely make the cut.

LEIGHTON BAINES: 6/10
LEIGHTON BAINES: 6/10

LEIGHTON BAINES

NEVER let anybody down on his debut and can be proud of his first performance at this level. Some tough tackling and impressive retention of possession under pressure ensured this was a capable display. The only real blot on his copybook was a dreadful free-kick in the final minute of first-half injury time when the situation demanded a decent delivery and also one unnecessary concession of a corner. Otherwise, his set-piece skills are another string to his bow and he should ensure the fuss surrounding Wayne Bridge's refusal to play will die down.

MATTHEW UPSON: 5/10
MATTHEW UPSON: 5/10

MATTHEW UPSON

THE pitch was awful but that can't be used as an excuse for the costly slip that led to Zidan crashing in the opening goal. It was unfortunate but he had already been guilty of a sloppy backpass earlier in the game and he took time to get into his stride alongside Terry, who wasn't his usual commanding self. There was one moment of hesitation after the break when Barry needed to mop up the danger but Upson remains a useful back-up option at the heart of the defence. Unspectacular but more than capable.

JOHN TERRY: 5/10
JOHN TERRY: 5/10

JOHN TERRY

BEING booed by your own fans is a sign of how far he has fallen in recent weeks. The leader of this team was clearly not his usual commanding self for a long spell and seemed genuinely affected by the lack of respect from the crowd. His very first touch went out of play and, while most people will say he's brought this upon himself, it was worrying to see him have to adapt to an awkward situation. One quality piece of defending brought a cheer of defiance once the game had been turned around and his performance improved noticeably as the match wore on. But he's not the flawless, commanding centre-back of old quite yet, as Geddo showed when outstripping him down the left to get the ball across the face of goal.

THEO WALCOTT: 4/10
THEO WALCOTT: 4/10

THEO WALCOTT

EVERYBODY seems to be waiting for the Theo Walcott who scored a hat-trick in Croatia to return. This was another rabbit-in-headlights performance from the Arsenal winger, who has only had one 90 minutes all season. Too much is expected of the 20-year-old and he was too keen to impress at times. It was easy to lose count of the number of times he overran the ball and lost possession. His first major contribution should have resulted in a goal for Lampard and there is no doubting his pace is a real asset. But this was a nervous performance that hasn't done his chances of going to South Africa any good. Maybe it'll be for the best if he is allowed to regain his best form at club level before being asked to terrorise defences again for England.

GARETH BARRY: 5/10
GARETH BARRY: 5/10

GARETH BARRY

A MIXED bag from the Manchester City midfielder. Sometimes, he looked the part and grew in confidence when Carrick came on alongside him. At times, a lot of his work is unsung as he gets back and covers danger impressively. But Manchester City fans haven't seen the best of Barry this term and he produced a couple of bum notes with misplaced passes and one particularly poor cross when in space. On the plus side, it was his inviting delivery that led to the opening goal and he seemed to get his passing game going in the end when he was more like his usual self.

FRANK LAMPARD: 5/10
FRANK LAMPARD: 5/10

FRANK LAMPARD

ONLY the first half for the stamina-packed midfielder and yet he should have scored on at least one occasion. A poor finish was applied to a Walcott cut-back early on as El Hadary was allowed to save when the shot went straight at him. It was most unlike the Chelsea midfielder not to show a ruthless edge and he also wasted a chance at the far post when a Baines corner fell to him. Other than that, he produced some neat passes at times but clearly wasn't at his best and Capello decided to withdraw him at the interval to get another look at Carrick.

STEVEN GERRARD: 6/10
STEVEN GERRARD: 6/10

STEVEN GERRARD

STARTING to get back to his best for Liverpool and there were signs again tonight that he's hitting top gear at the right time as far as England are concerned. A biting challenge early on showed his desire to lead from the front as captain and he tried his best to work with Rooney and Defoe from a central role. The tactics didn't seem to be working but he still fed Walcott with a couple of neat passes and shot wide when getting forward after the break. Arguably hit the pass of the match with one unerring ball out to Wright-Phillips on the right flank and you know what you're getting from Gerrard. A quality performer who wears his heart on his sleeve.

WAYNE ROONEY: 7/10
WAYNE ROONEY: 7/10

WAYNE ROONEY

NO goals for the in-form striker but another smart performance for his country. Although there's no doubting his growing maturity, he still allowed himself one lusty bellow towards his team-mates and a four-letter rebuke to the referee that earned a mini-warning from the official. And that was before he took over the armband. The man who sets the tempo for the team had a few shots and should have hit the target in the second half with his left foot. He also found Defoe superbly on one occasion, smashed an overhead kick over the bar when being pulled up for a foul and sent a header just wide. It was a typical all-action performance and at least England showed they're more than capable of winning without him getting on the scoresheet.

JERMAIN DEFOE: 5/10
JERMAIN DEFOE: 5/10

JERMAIN DEFOE

THE Rooney-Defoe partnership doesn't seem to work and the Spurs striker unfortunately has to carry the can. He was hauled off at half-time which wasn't a fair reflection of a typical performance from the little striker, who loves nothing more than getting shots on target. Forced one fine save out of El Hadary from a Rooney through ball and was tackled when looking likely to pull the trigger on another occasion. Popped up to clear a Gomaa header off the line early on but this, his first England start for 16 months, will not be remembered fondly by the Tottenham hitman.

SUBSTITUTES:

MICHAEL CARRICK 7 (for Lampard), 45m

Oozed quality in his most accomplished performance yet for his country. A quick return to Wembley after winning the Carling Cup on Sunday seemed to settle any nerves and his passing helped change the game in England's favour. In this form, has to be a shoo-in to go to South Africa as he worked well with all his team-mates.

PETER CROUCH *8 (for Defoe), 45m

His international record speaks for itself. He always provides a different type of threat to defenders and clearly unsettled the Egypt defenders. Took both of his goals with minimum fuss and also teed up Gerrard for a chance with a neat flick. There is enough to his game to suggest he should start with Rooney in South Africa - 20 goals in 37 games is a great statistic. He might even get some rest at club level with Pavlyuchenko in such great form.

SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS 7 (for Walcott), 58m

Took his chance with both hands by scoring once and setting up the third for Crouch. Was perhaps fortunate to get onto the pitch just when England had their tails up and the crowd behind them but this was a performance full of pace, poise and panache. His goal owed much to El Hadary's failings but there was no denying his impact was a spectacular one.

JAMES MILNER 6 (for Gerrard), 73m

Busy as ever and maturing into a real class act for club and country. Worked hard to make an impact on the proceedings and it was his shot that led to Wright-Phillips putting England in front. Had already done enough to earn his place in the final squad but this was another reminder of his talents.

CARLTON COLE 4 (for Rooney), 86m

Just did not have enough time to get involved at all.

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