More line-up that’ll never happen -------------------Robinson Carragher------Rio-----Terry------Ashley Cole Gerrard---------Beckham-------Lampard -----------------Joe Cole -----------Owen----Rooneh -------------------Robinson Carragher------Rio-----Terry------Ashley Cole Gerrard---------Carrick-------Lampard -----------------Joe Cole -----------Owen----Rooneh -------------------Robinson Ashley Cole------Rio-----Terry------Wayne Bridge -------------------Carrick Gerrard---------Beckham-------Lampard -----------Joe Cole------Rooneh
I think it's part of the problem and, frankly, I think one of them should be dropped to provide another man in midfield. The tendency would then be to pass to feet and down the wings and would hopefully mean the midfielders get forward to support more. To be absolutely honest I think we'd do better like this. --------------Rob---------------- --------Rio-----------JT--------- G.Nev----------------------A.Cole ------------Carrick/Carra---------- Beckham---Lampard---Gerrard --------------Rooney--------------- ----------Crouch/Owen----------- This provides the holding midfielder allowing Lampard, Beckham and Gerrard to get forward more and means the long ball isn't as likely to be played. As I've pointed out elsewhere, the 2 main central midfielders scored more goals last year than any of our forwards. That should tell us something.
Just to inform you: In Austrian and German TV they showed a slowmotion of a very dirty foul of Crouch as he scores the first goal. As he jumps to the header, he pulls the defenders pigtail and could have broken his neck.
Laughable. There was no foul, no-one from Trinidad asked for a foul or has complained about the goal, least of all the defender marking Crouch. The krauts are getting desperate. Must be sad knowing a 2nd round exit on home turf is inevitable.
I used to have a ponytail. Got it pulled once or twice. In no way, shape or form do I believe for an instant that you can break someone's neck by pulling their hair. You can slow down the footage all you want and photo it from all kinds of crazy angles and I'm sure that on some days, a ref would disallow the goal. But this is a contact sport, when you're jumping up for a ball you're trying to get leverage, if you catch someone's hair then, IMHO, they need to get it cut.
I have a ponytail right now, nothing wrong with that. And it is possible to snap your neck by pulling on it. A sudden and really strong tug can effectively break some muscle tissue and possibly your neck as a whole.
mate, whats your problem with becks. you sound like one of the typical fans for whom slammin becks is cool because he has extracurricular activities. becks wasnt the worst player out there today, becks is a pretty good player and as of right now he is the England captain and is a definite starter. get over it. by the way, it would be nice to see sven go with 3 at the back of sol,rio and JT so we can get carrick in there as the DM, or svens canadian loverboy. whichever one.
LOL ,how can he claim credit for gerrards strike?? he didnt set that up .That was all gerrard making. He did whip in a nice ball for crouch though. After lennon came on he actually looked more effective.
i think sendorange makes the best point about lack of pace in the england first 11. The pacey guys, Rooney, Owen and A. Cole are all unfit. You had no pace out wide till Lennon came on.
So, off we go to the second round then eh. Will it be first or second place is al lthats left to see. Some thoughts. First, don't even bother to argue with teso on anything concerning Chelsea players.They'll always be the worst option because of a certain red mist that continually clouds his vision - except of course, when the tears of defeat to that team wipe tham away Anyhoo. Certainly, the team isn't right in the middle of the park and something needs to be done. Lamps missing several chances is something that happens to all players, even the best of them. Thats not where the problem is. We NEED a holding midfielder, someone who doesn't have Owen in their name would be the way to go, but won't happen. Beckham is actually playing well on the right and Cole is playing well on the left.Why the tool has to take him off to put on an inferior Downing baffles me. It's time to take one of Lamps and Gerrard out for the next match. The back line was solid I though and Cole and Terry were quite solid, even Rio had a good game.Carra was a bit lost to be honest and his distribution was poor when he got forward.Doubt he'll play there again. Crouch won't be dropped, end of. Regardless of his merits, his drawbacks and his absolutely 'orrible attempted roundhouse kick - whilst all alone in the center of the box - that hit the corner flag, he scores goals for Sven.Note I said Sven.Sven picks the team, he'll continue to pick Crouch.It may even cost Owen his starting spot up top when Rooney is fully fit. Is it right? Doesn't matter, Sven will do what he wants to do. Still, thats 6 points. We're going through and perhaps we'll do a Germany and continue to advance through the rounds as more and more people join the multitudes that are having a lash at us because we're not playing 'well' or 'pretty' or 'deserving' enough.
haha ok fine, gerrard's amazing strike was all him, i thought i could sneak that one in, but the whole beckham is crap is getting old, its not his fault that him and carragher didn't link up at all and he wanted to get some touches so he roamed into the middle at points in the match..he by far our best crosser on the team and is always dangerous in any dead ball situation.. seeing how effective the lennon/beckham partnership was, will sven make any changes??
Beckham is good when he is disciplined and sticks to his position. In recent times he has tended to drift allover the pitch and act like "roy of the rovers" .trying to play a hollywood pass every time rather then keep it simple.
Wish King could be there (and SWP). Beckham just isnt the same as i remember him at Man Utd. Hes changed. He plays well for RM. BUt its changed his style. He is no longer suited. He's not very aggressive at all. He doesnt suit the English style.
Well, 6 points and qualification is bottom line. David Beckham is a strange player. He is clearly, now, very ineffective in the run of play - does anybody remember him doing anything outside of deadballs? but is deadly on free kicks. Its too bad football isn't an American sport where players that specialized can exist. He's a bit like a kicker in US football or a designated hitter in Baseball. I've always felt Michael Owen was overrated. Leave Crouch in with Rooney. Some of the Lampard bashing seems a bit unfair, but I also think that England can't really play Gerrard and Lampard together if they want to be as effective as they can be. So Lampard needs to be sacrificed, unfortunately. Aaron Lennon shows he will be a valuable late game sub and a smart edition to the club. Unfortunately, I don't think I can say the same about the "daring" inclusion of Theo Walcott.
No-ones posted it on youtube just yet. I've looked. I attempted to see from the highlights clip on the BBC website but couldn't get enough of a view. Althought what I did see was Crouch jumping up way before any head movement of the defender in question. I am perfectly prepared to be proven wrong but it just seemed (if indeed it did happen) that in jumping for the ball, he may have latched onto the hair. Not entirely on purpose and certainly not making him akin to beelzebub which some around here want to do. And,well....it makes up for all the dodgy calls he got against him thanks to his size. There were several that shouldn't have been called against him.
yeah, the cross he had for the opening goal to crouch.. michael owen isnt being used the right way..no plays through balls for him to run to but they play long balls in the air.. after watching the game back again..when defenses play very deep, like t&t and paraguay, england force the long ball wayyy too much, rio should not be playing long balls into the box.. definately agree with the dropping of lampard as he has offered us nothing going forward.. aaron lennon was the deciding factor for us today and will continue to be every time he comes on..
Anyone else think that Defore would be useful right about now as opposed to the miserably out of both fitness and form Owen? Oh, wait, England has Walcott. I'm sure Sven's just saving him for his round of 16 bow
Owen isn't overrated. He's a proven world class player but he just doesn't look 100% fit. If one of Crouch or Owen was to be dropped at the moment it has to be Owen who's dropped.