You're not being too harsh, midfielders allowed runners to pass them without tracking or tackling is criminal, Barry wasn't much better than Gerrard.
Euro Qualifiers 13th & 17th October **Spoilers**
- Thread starter Anders0n
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You're not being too harsh, midfielders allowed runners to pass them without tracking or tackling is criminal, Barry wasn't much better than Gerrard.
I still think they can play together it just needs someone who knows how to make them gel and what system to use. They are Englands 2 best CMs and should be used.
Robinson needs a rest mind.
i don't like them together. both very good players but to be fair they have had quite a while to gel together and i can't think of many occasions when the two of them playing together impressed me really.
i like a straight 4-4-2 LW DM AM RW Gerrard and Lampard competing for one position and then players like Barry Hargreaves Carrick ect ect competing for the second berth. i don't always think it's about accomodating the best players but more about accomodating the players that will allow the team to play at it's best.
you could make a case for putting Hargreaves or someone behind Gerrard and Lampard but again i just see them getting in each others way and us having to sacrifice some of our width to accomodate them.
wright-phillips by the way looks lively and busy competing for the ball and so on but his final delivery looked well off. what's it like for chelsea? did he suffer due to lack of width on the pitch?
i like a straight 4-4-2 LW DM AM RW Gerrard and Lampard competing for one position and then players like Barry Hargreaves Carrick ect ect competing for the second berth. i don't always think it's about accomodating the best players but more about accomodating the players that will allow the team to play at it's best.
you could make a case for putting Hargreaves or someone behind Gerrard and Lampard but again i just see them getting in each others way and us having to sacrifice some of our width to accomodate them.
wright-phillips by the way looks lively and busy competing for the ball and so on but his final delivery looked well off. what's it like for chelsea? did he suffer due to lack of width on the pitch?
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Agree. We don't need a designated defensive midfielder for the majority of games (we haven't had 1 for the last few games either); the problem is it seems as if Gerrard and Lampard are lacking the communication to understand that when one goes the other has to sit, i guess neither are used to that as they've played with a holding player behind them for a long time. In the games where we do need a defensive midfielder then you can either bring in Hargreaves (more than likely for Lampard) or tell Gerrard to do the holding job (which he can do as well as anybody, proven vs Brazil).
Its only recently that there's been a DM and a AM rather than just 2 CM's. Gerrard and Scholes managed to play well together and the Barry - Gerrard partnership has done well and neither are playing as out and out defensive midfielders. If Gerrard and Lampard can gel then there is no reason why they can't play together and long-term Barry (or Carrick) are not the answer to a defensive midfielder, neither are good enough defensively to cope with a Kaka or Messi.
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Well, what a shambles.
Why all the disappointed posts? All the faults that we have discussed that were ALL there before with the team have lead to a Crap team with a decent coach rolling us over.
Yes, a dodgy pen and bad goal keeping, but for the way the Russians made Mclaren look like the drooling ape he is tactically in the second half deserved to win.
Cole and Lescott?
Couldnt cope agaisnt a not especially great right winger.
Steven "best midfielder in the world" Gerrard, where?
I could go on, i cant be bothered.
Why all the disappointed posts? All the faults that we have discussed that were ALL there before with the team have lead to a Crap team with a decent coach rolling us over.
Yes, a dodgy pen and bad goal keeping, but for the way the Russians made Mclaren look like the drooling ape he is tactically in the second half deserved to win.
Cole and Lescott?
Couldnt cope agaisnt a not especially great right winger.
Steven "best midfielder in the world" Gerrard, where?
I could go on, i cant be bothered.
I think if England fail to qualify then they should really look at football from the bottom up. Do like other nations do and get a four year plan in place for them geared up for hitting absolute top form in one of the major championships be it the Euros or the World Cup. Get together a squad of players who aren't necessarily the best now but will be the best squad and team in four years time. Let them get to know each other and work on each others strengths and weaknesses
The problem with the set up in English Football is that everything is geared to short term success. To the FA, grass roots football is a few leagues below professional football. The investment of money into facilities and coaching should begin with today's 4,5 & 6 year olds.
The problem with the set up in English Football is that everything is geared to short term success. To the FA, grass roots football is a few leagues below professional football. The investment of money into facilities and coaching should begin with today's 4,5 & 6 year olds.
Soldato
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If Hargreaves was fit I would have him in CM every time, he has the heart we need in there imo. Who would partner him is another matter though.
But we hadn't played any decent teams with him as a Right-Back. You put a player out of position against a good team and you get exactly what happened this afternoon.
I was always a big fan of Sven, McLaren as his second in command wasn't great. But we always did quite well under Sven. Richards has always been a CB playing out of position, he's stronger in the middle. I'd much rather have a natural RB.
But he has only really shone this season at CB. I'm a massive fan of Lescott though, but he lacks pace and Russia's wide players had his life.
haven't gerrard and lampard had quite a few games to get that understanding between them by now though?
I was disappointed with Gerrard.
I've seen him put in some truly amazing performances for liverpool as their captain, so much so I felt he was the obvious choice for England.
But I saw none of that tonight
Tbh, I'm starting to believe that theres simply no way we can become a great side in the near future.
No matter who we play and where we play them, nothing seems to work.
Maybe we just dont have the players we thought we had
I've seen him put in some truly amazing performances for liverpool as their captain, so much so I felt he was the obvious choice for England.
But I saw none of that tonight
Tbh, I'm starting to believe that theres simply no way we can become a great side in the near future.
No matter who we play and where we play them, nothing seems to work.
Maybe we just dont have the players we thought we had
Exactly the same and nothing to do with the pitch, said it before and I'll say it again, he's like a dog chasing a balloon.
We do have the players but they just don't care enough imo they care more about cars wags and materialistic things than playing for their country with the exception of terry campbell
owen i really don't think they care too much.
We have always played at our best when the manager is a passionate inspiring intelligent man that can give them a good bond and motivation and above all PASSION and PRIDE and fight.
Mclaren is a very uninspiring man to say the least.
owen i really don't think they care too much.
We have always played at our best when the manager is a passionate inspiring intelligent man that can give them a good bond and motivation and above all PASSION and PRIDE and fight.
Mclaren is a very uninspiring man to say the least.
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I agree. Beckham may be half dead but in 10 games he would probably create/score 6 goals for England.
SWP would struggle to top 2.
In a team with so few effective players, DB should walk back in when hes fit.
Didn't we have one of those plans for '06 WC? The simple fact is we've not got a good enough manager and with the exception of Rooney and Owen we've got nothing up top and out wide.
They have but we've got too caught up with this defensive midfielder and attacking midfielder business, they've got to become just central midfielders and understant what that is. Whether they ever will is another matter.
He had a great start to the season but has been really poor ever since his injury.I was disappointed with Gerrard.
I've seen him put in some truly amazing performances for liverpool as their captain, so much so I felt he was the obvious choice for England.
But I saw none of that tonight
Soldato
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Complete cack!
Not sure about that but I know when France won the World Cup, Houllier always said the foundations were laid some 12 years earlier. The name escapes me but the French had a school of excellence where players like Trezeguet, Deschamps, Blanc, Zidane etc were all coached. It was inevitable but they would move abroad and then refine their skills and techniques but the foundation of the team had already been laid. I think the FA and coaching in general are lightyears away from that
