FIFA International Friendlies ** spoilers ** [2Oth May - 8th June 2016]

daz said:
Because we've not taken any real wingers, I'm not sure how we're going to play a 442.

The only option as I see it is a 3-5-2 with Walker and Rose as wing backs, and 3 of Alli/Dier/Lallana/Sterling/Wilshire in the middle. Vardy and Kane up front, with Sturridge/Rashford as the options. Rooney to be ball boy.

It's a shame we've not had the time or preparation to work on a 'real' system; I don't think the team really know their own roles.
Click to expand...

We've had 2 years to work on a real system, and the system worked much better when Rooney was injured.

It's trying to bring Rooney, Wiltshire and Stirling in so late that has unsettled the team.
 
Stretch said:
It's trying to bring Rooney, Wiltshire and Stirling in so late that has unsettled the team.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

I think the achievement of Leicester really highlights the importance of balance in a team, form, and players playing for each other and knowing their precise roles on the pitch. Shoe-horning players back in to the team just doesn't work.
 
I don't think England will win a game at the tournament, utter crap. Wales and Republic of Ireland are both better sides.
 
Locky said:
I don't think England will win a game at the tournament, utter crap. Wales and Republic of Ireland are both better sides.
Click to expand...

Won't win a game? Come on. I don't think there's much hope of us winning, but we'll easily get out of the group stages. Have you forgotten we won every game in qualifying? Sure we didn't have the toughest group so that flatters us a bit but I still have no doubt we'll do well enough to lose to the Germans in one of the later rounds.
 
England have a good squad but like United, the best thing we could do is to get rid of Rooney. He is undroppable and completely ruins any semblance of a good system or style of play.

I don't know why people love to hate the national team. We beat a team 3-0 and they are obviously crap. We play a straight up retarded XI against Portugal and don't play well and suddenly we are rubbish.

If Woy plays the right team and they play to their ability we could do pretty well. The chances of us doing that are slim but not ridiculous.
 
fez said:
If Woy plays the right team and they play to their ability we could do pretty well. The chances of us doing that are slim but not ridiculous.
Click to expand...

and therein lies the problem, the right team unfortunately does not mean Rooney, Wilshere, and Sterling being anywhere near, yet it's likely all 3 of those donkey's will be in the starting 11 against Russia
 
I'm not sure I understand the Wilshire hate, yes there are fitness concerns but he is the best player on the pitch a lot of the time in an England shirt.

Sterling I agree shouldn't be there, Rooney.... He goes from looking world class to grave quickly but who else plays his position?

I'm a coach, I assist a fully qualified coach and the key thing in any team is play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. Our strengths are good CM's, good strikers and our weaknesses are no wingers and a suspect defence. It all lends itself to the 442 diamond with attacking full backs it's just a shame we've had 3 friendlies to prepare for it and haven't really bothered :p

We'll get out the group but it's probably going to be another underwhelming tournament sadly.
 
The trouble with Rooney up front, or in behind the striker means we're crippling some of our best players to shoehorn him in.

If he plays in the hole it means Alli is stuck out on the wing, and if he plays up top it means sacrificing Kane/Vardy or as last night shows both.

He should sit deeper for me, much like he played for the last few United games.

Dier sitting, Wilshere alongside Rooney and Alli at the tip. Kane and Vardy up top, get the full backs pushing on to give us the width.
 
I'd completely agree but personally I prefer Rooney in the hole and Alli being a bit deeper with instructions to the two to tell them to dovetail at times as Rooney seems to prefer going deeper as Alli pushes on. Personally I don't see the guile from Alli to play in the hole if you don't have the width to give him that bit more space.

The real shame for me is Barkleys development stopping/him regressing this season as he would be ideal behind the front 2 but on this seasons evidence there is no way you would play him there.
 
Rooney should be dropped, Wilshere I have no issue with and Sterling should be an impact sub to offer us something different against tiring defences.
 
England women on BBC2 5-0 up after 52mins, I'm fairly sure most local pub teams could beat Serbia.

edi: 6-0 it could end up in double figures this.

edit: 7-0........
 
Last edited:
Glad to see Wales get pasted by Sweden. Robbie Savage was talking **** about how Wales haven't got anything to fear from England based on our display against Portugal. Tried to suggest that the **** lineup Hodgson started with was going to be the first XI for the tournament etc. Well there we go.
 
Wales have a couple of decent players and obviously Bale, but let's not lose sight of the fact most of the make up of their team is very average.

Savage is a nugget though, so no surprise he was barking. Still a Rovers legend though :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom