Watch: England 1 - 1 Ghana

[WATCH GOALS BELOW]
England put in an impressive performance against a determined, resilient and very well supported Ghana side and both teams left a vibrant Wembley stadium with a goal each. It was perhaps the deserved result in a well fought, passionate game fuelled with the huge vocal support from the fans, particularly the Ghanaians. 

Andy Carroll grabbed his first goal in an England shirt just before the end of the first half but it was cancelled out much to the delight of the African side who celebrated a last gasp winner thanks to the intricate silky skills of Assamoah Gyan who weaved the ball through the England defence to curl the ball round Joe Hart.

England put in a good performance, and should not be ashamed of a draw. It was a well played game of football in which Capello was able to learn a lot about the strength of his second - or "B" team. Downing was awarded man of the match and Ashley Young was also dangerous throughout - hitting the crossbar and having a long range shot well saved by Kingson. 

The night also saw the introduction of Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck who was eligible for both England and Ghana due to his Ghanaian parents and Manchester birth. His introduction was met by boos from Ghana fans, but with ten minutes to play he didn't have much chance to make an impact.

Watch the goals below:

Carroll Goal

Gyan Goal

Man City's Shay Given and Adam Johnson Want Out

Money doesn't buy happiness apparently - even if you are a footballer. It has emerged that both Shay Given and Adam Johnson of Manchester City are becoming more and more frustrated by the lack of starts that they are handed, and have both threatened to leave the club if the situation doesn't change.

Johnson moved to Manchester City from Middlesbrough on 1 February 2010, and has since announced himself as one of the biggest English attacking forces from his position in the country. He was called up to the England first team and scored 2 goals against Bulgaria and Switzerland. Yet these achievements have not nailed him down a first team spot at Eastlands.

When asked if he would leave City in search of first team football, the 23 year old had this to say:

"Every footballer has to think about it when the time comes. It is still early but I definitely would consider it."

The City number 11 also described how bitterly disappointed he was to be left out against club rivals Manchester United:

"It is disappointing when you are not playing from the start in games like that. I was itching to get on. I was dying to play from the start not just come on. The manager has to make decisions but I was gutted to be left out."

Mancini is starting to choose Milner and David Silva ahead of Johnson in a 5-man midfield which supports the lone striker - usually Carlos Tevez. Many think that the young man deserves first team football as he has proved his brilliant technical ability as well as the great ability to create goals from nothing. His pace can also tear defences apart. However, Roberto Mancini is a far more defensive man than many City fans would like, and prefers to play with less emphasis on the attack, and more on defence. His 3 man defensive midfield of Barry, De Jong and Yaya Toure highlights this.

 

Shay Given knows how the left winger feels too, as the Irish goalkeeper said:

"My own personal situation isn't ideal as everyone knows and I have spoken about it in the past, so we will see what happens over the next couple of months in that respect."

"I want to be playing football and I have always said that, so hopefully something will happen in the New Year."

Arsenal may still be looking for a reliable goalkeeper and could make a move in January, despite the current good form of Lukas Fabianski, and Manchester United are still looking for an Edwin van der sar replacement, so his options are far from limited.

The rise of England number 1 Joe Hart has caused Given to feel isolated, and unable to get a fair run in the team, and having played over 350 games for Newcastle over a 12 year spell, he is not used to it.

Mancini needs to sit down with players such as Johnson and Given and make them feel wanted by the club. It is his job to do so, as it is these hard working, willing players that a team overcrowded with ludicrously over-paid players happy to take their pay cheques and sit on the bench, need.

England World Cup Injury Update

Gareth Barry has become a major doubt for England's World Cup team. An injury during Manchester City's defeat to Tottenham on Wednesday could rule the England holding midfielder out for 4 weeks. The World Cup begins on June 11, which would leave Barry with little time to get back to full form if the predictions of his injury are correct.

This news would come as another blow for the England side, as he had been a regular player in the England manager, Capello's team during the qualifiers for the prestigious competition.

The call for a replacement may come as a blessing to some, as a player like Michael Carrick who has not been a big part of the England manager's plans for the World Cup, could come in as a replacement. In addition to Carrick, another Manchester United man, England's player of the tournament in their last World Cup trip in 2006, Owen Hargreaves has just returned after being 20 months out with serious knee trouble.

Golden Oldies such as Beckham and Owen are already out with injuries and Rio Ferdinand has had injury troubles all season. John Terry and Ashley Cole's private life's have been well publicised and other small troubles nag at Capello. If England's World Cup preparation is anything to go by, it may just be another disappointing World Cup tournament for the nation with so many world class players.