Forty and Confused

George Wood made the starting lineup in the England against FC Andorra game and performed remarkably. When he was brought off the field in the 80th minute, it was no longer a problem for England to win the game with a two-goal lead. So Capello felt assured to bring him off---with him on the pitch, England's rear defensive line was indeed more solid. It was not just the defense that benefitted. England's offense was more threatening because of him. After all, all the attacks started from the midfield. Capello had Wood alone in charge of the defense in this game and everyone else attacked. As for the "three midfielders", Capello did not use England's most accustomed 4-4-2 formation in this game, but instead they played 4-3-3. George Wood alone was pulled to the back to defend, with Gerrard and Lampard both at the front, between the attacking midfielder and the shadow striker. This maximized their offensive abilities without distracting them with the defense.