V Record against Ukraine - Played 6, Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 1. Scored 9, Conceded 3. Scorers (All scored once) - Tony Adams, Robbie Fowler, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Shaun Wright-Phillips, John Terry, Peter Crouch, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard.
This is the toughest game in the group for us. Maybe we will see a Lambert/Defoe partnership up front.
I'm not sure Hodgson is going to get this right. Lampard and Gerrard can't start this game together. We struggled to keep the ball with them in their prime and now they are both slower and we really lack energy and movement off the ball. Keep them both on and we'll start hoofing aimlessly. I also think we need someone centrally that is prepared to do the quick passing basics under pressure and have the energy to link with our attackers. Oxlade-Chamberlain did it well against Brazil. Milner is probably going to start also which limits that long diagonal outlet ball option (that we seem to love) on that side. I wonder how long in the game it will be until we see Hart hitting it long for Milner to head onto nobody Can we can keep Walcott and Walker on the right side as a partnership either? Konoplyanka will have too much space and is Walker comfortable enough 1v1 with him?
It's not looking good I'd go: Hart Walker Jagielka Cahill Cole Wilshere Carrick Gerrard Walcott Lambert/Defoe Young Not sure if I'd play Lambert or Defoe.
This is a crunch tie. If we win we look well placed to qualify. If we lose, we will struggle to qualify. So let's just win it. I think we have good players and can get the 3 pts. I just hope Hodgson doesn't foolishly publicly announce his team a day before the match, like he did against Moldova.
I wonder how Ukraine will feel going into this game. They are expected to get a result and when's the last time that has happened against a "top" team like England.
Some good news: Garmash will miss the England game and Yarmolinko is questionable. Those are 2 important players for Ukraine. Ukraine also don't have the best of keepers in Pyatov. He makes the easy look hard. He will save almost anything hit right at him, but he's pretty slow.
So where are all the Welbeck haters now? He is a real miss, wherever he plays. I say forget about dominating possession, keep a rigid shape and use Theo's pace on the counter. We can forget about setting a template for the future for now. Let's play conservatively but not too deep , pack the midfield, make it hard to play through us and hit on the counter. Gerrard and Lampard are not ideal, but tactically they are both better than ever. I would prefer to see Wilshere deeper - he doesn't seem ready for a role higher up the pitch and he is the best player in possession by far. The CBs need a close outlet they know their passes will stick to. My main worry is still the CB pairing. I don't trust them to limit Ukraine to half chances. Still, I'm confident England have enough to get through this. Please no Jermaine Defoe. He has neither the mentality nor the ability for crunch games like this.
Wilshere will always play as a pivot for me. Wenger has signed ozil for a reason! Central midfield is looking good atm, shame about our cbs and strikers
Maybe in the future, but Wilshere doesn't have the positioning or tactical nous to be a holding player in a game like this in my opinion. I expect to see him start in front of Gerrard and Carrick.
Wilshere never played the role at arsenal and always plays cm. He is good tactically and not a bad tackler....he is fine. Him and carrick is a nice pairing
A big game coming up so we get a non-story hyped up by the media about a player Obviously been held onto until a big game aswell because it happened in June. Laughing gas ffs! Really worth reporting
Marc Albrighton should be in the team. He is better than Milner. He has pace and can pick people out well.
I hope so. At the very least he has the physical qualities if isolated and the recipient of less than precise passing. Good work rate too. If Defoe plays as the furthest central player we would be in danger of getting pushed back very deep. Hopefully Lambert will make it difficult for Ukraine to gain easy possession and allow England to at least hold their positions as a team further up the pitch. That said, Defoe coming on late in the game could have a decisive impact.