Commenter consensus (both on and off the blog) seems to be that the two midfield stars are fatally mismatched in the center, or at least are lacking an appopriate partner, someone who can play a bit further from goal, stabilize possessions, and lubricate the offense from deep. In that case, my instinct would say, why not bring on Joe Cole? I've always thought of him as a more clever dribbler than anyone else in an England shirt, and he's been known to score terrific goals on the biggest stage, too. It might not be good enough to justify England's status as pre-cup #3 favorites, but it might help unlock the Slovenian defense in the next match.
In other England news:
* Zonal Marking also likes Cole but has its kindest words (via Xabi Alonso) for Michael Carrick.
* The Sun is shorter on analysis, longer on dramatic Churchill paraphrases: "Never in the field of World Cup conflict has so little been offered by so few to so many."
* And, another Guardian rant on England's "fist-gnawingly dire performance."