dustcowpoke
21 Nov 2007, 11:00 PM
Doesn't that do anything for you? It is a wonder why England lost. A crucial qualifier and it consists of second-rate and has-been defenders. Sol Campbell was the best one out there but his Arsenal days are long gone.
If it were Cole---Terry---Ferdinand--Neville in there it would been 2-0.
TX Bill
21 Nov 2007, 11:08 PM
Doesn't that do anything for you? It is a wonder why England lost. A crucial qualifier and it consists of second-rate and has-been defenders. Sol Campbell was the best one out there but his Arsenal days are long gone.
If it were Cole---Terry---Ferdinand--Neville in there it would been 2-0.
Try not to confuse "second rate" with having a bad match. I didn't see the match and judging by the scoreline, it probably wasn't pretty but I've watched enough of Lescott this year for Everton to know that he's not second rate.
He certainly still has a big learning curve in front of him on the international stage however but he's got enough quality to where he could be a long term solution in the defense.
Right Foot Planted
21 Nov 2007, 11:53 PM
Disagree that Terry-Ferdinand would've made this a far better result. That tandem doesn't work because they're both too similar in role (not style). On paper, it seems like a match made in heaven, but it's simply not one that functions properly, because they both work best when trying to rally, lead, and organize. That's one of the main reasons that the pairing has leaked crucial goals in the past, with poor positioning to blame.
As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the other.
I can't believe that Wayne Bridge got the start, as he's done nothing to warrant even inclusion. He's not in form, he's not in condition, he's not even that great to begin with.
Likewise, Ashley Cole has underwhelmed over these past few years, to say the least. He was crucial in saving blushes at the 2006 WC, but he's hardly a player that seems comfortable in anything but that Arsenal attacking system. I hope that he finds his colour again soon, but I don't see him as an England success story in the present.
Why on earth aren't Steven Warnock and Leighton Baines more credibly in the mix? We're talking about too technical fullbacks with a lot of grit, and certainly running ability. Both possess tremendous left feet, and in what Leighton brings on the overlap, Steven adds in bringing the ball out of defense.
It's about making a lineup that functions as a solid unit, not necessarily selecting the best players.
On a hypothetical, my England backline would look like:
---Richards----R. Ferdinand----Woodgate----Warnock---
*Although, with an eye to 2010, I'd even consider bringing David Wheater, of Boro, into the mix as well, in place of Jon.