Football: England

Anyone watch the game yesterday?

I thought there was some great performances by Cole and Carrick..

But one comment by one of the commentators got me thinking.

He said to the effect of: Now the big players have left the field, england seem to be playing much better.

Now what would you think of that comment?






[Edited on 2/3/06 by TRD]

i didnt see the game but i know what you mean...

i think the biggest example of this... is when Beckham aint peforming and Wright Phillips looks a million times better.

In Euro 2004 Portugal, Stevie Gerrard looked nothing like the player he can be.

Maybe its about the players who came on want to prove they are good enough in which case, they go to the world cup. They have more to play for

I would say its the opposite of newer players in the England set-up wanting to prove themselves. In all honestly what do they have to prove? Their respective teams are doing great in the Prem, some of them are playing in Europe and they are getting overlooked on many occasions.

Look at it this way, you play Owen and Rooney up front, neither a prolific scorer with the head. Then you play Beckham on the right, who has no pace - well he didnt have much to start with and cant take the ball past a man. So he hits balls from 30-40 yrds into the box, i'm not denying that he isnt a great crosser of the ball but with the strikers we play having Beckham do that is a waste of time. So Wright Phillips plays and its a different story, he was taking players on, getting to the buy-line to cross the ball and set up the winning goal.

Michael Carrick played in the US tournament and had a great time over there, then he doesnt get picked again to play for England untill yesterday and had an impressive game. His league form has been fantastic for Spurs and what he has achieved warrants him a chance to show what he can do.

But no, Sven plays Lampard and Gerrard in the middle of the park in the games after the US tourney. Two players that are so much alike in their style of play who like to get forward at every opportunity. Gerrard is a geeedy player and shoots at every chance and doesnt score many goals, when a simple pass or through ball would be the better option. Lampard is a totally different matter, he is in a class of his own and is 10 times better that Gerrard, but playing them together just doesnt work.

Yesterday Gerrard was poor but Carrick shone. Carrick set up alot of the plays, looked comfortable on the ball and only ventured forward when necessary. So doesnt that tell you something?

To me, these so called 'BIG' players are not as good as they are hyped up to be. Look at Rio Ferdinand yesterday, he was poor and has been for England for awhile.

So why do they keep getting picked?

What is it all about when the manager turns round and says he will consult the 'senior' members of the squad on team selection?

Whats it all about when the manager says that these friendlies dont mean anything? Excuuusse me! Every players dream is to pull on a shirt for their country, every game should matter. The players should be proud to run onto that pitch and play on the greatest stages wether its a full international, world cup, euro cup or friendly. To play for your country is the greatest achievment a player could possibly dream of and for the manager to dismiss some of these games as a nothing game is absurd.

How can a player get picked if he is not playing for his club? Like Owen did and play badly in the England games awhile back when it happened.

How the hell did Owen Hargreaves get capped for England?

How can a player get picked while still injured? Like Beckham was when he broke that bone in his foot and was in the squad for a major tournament. A waste of a plane ticket and he stood in the way of someone else getting into the squad.

Something needs to be done with this team selection, no one should be guarenteed a place. People should be picked on current form, not what they achieved 3-4 years ago. Will Sol Campbell be going to the world cup, will Ashley Cole if they are passed fit in a few weeks time?

So what is going on with England and Sven?

Hey man..

about the young players who came on a sub, when i said prove i know what you mean about them playing for top teams in England. But with Sven, he likes to keep certain players in the team and hence, at international level when it comes to getting games many of the younger guys aint had the chance. i.e. Andy Johnson gets a game on the right wing? so.. when i say prove.. they want to play and show they can do as good a job, or a better job than Svens favs.

Good stuff about Beckham. The other bit to that is.... Gerrard likes to do the long passes and he knows where Owen is going. Beckham is doing that too, long passes through. So.... his crossing isnt needed, is his long passes if Gerrard is doing the exact same there?

I guess with Bechkam though, if Crouch is going to be playing Beckham is then handy to have

I like Wright Phillips, hes looked great in the games i have seen him play and hes different from the rest of the midfielders. Par the exception of Cole i think, i think Cole has more to his game and is skillfull too at dribbling, but not got the pace of Wright Phillips

Aint seen much of Carrick recently but i know what you mean with Gerrard. I dont think he is really skillfull and is way too much one footed. Just like Beckham He covers alot of ground too. I prefer Lampard to him.

But with Gerrard being the light of Anfield, it makes it hard not to play him.

I guess. at Liverpool you have Hamann usually playing with Gerrard or Xabi, to stay back so Gerrard can go forward. Same at Chelsea, Mackelele and Essien hanging back to support Lampard.

The thing with Carrick, is he not quite light weight? just... the anchor man of midfield needs to be pretty tough.

I think with Hargreaves, there was a time he looked a player.I think Hitzfield seen him as a guy he got for nothing, and had loads of energy to run about. Like a Robbie Savage, and due to Bayern being a good team, it looked like Hargreaves was a player but... umm.. hes went down the pan

The other day at work, we were talking about the England Defence

Looks like no Woodgate, no Campbell possibly, like you say, maybe no Cole. I think its safe to say, it will be Terry and Rio in the centre. But can you imagine if Terry gets injured the state the defence will be in? i think hes a class apart in that area although i dont like him, hes a great player.

Forgot to say, seen some of the under 21' game and Bentley looked great, he was hpyed up big time at Arsenal and didnt get a chance just like Pennant. I think hes a future star..

Did the guy from West Ham get a game? the midfield guy. i forget his name

Gerrard is well overrated, i agree that all he does is take long shots and his shots per goal ratio is piss poor. He is a greedy player and thats the difference between him and Carrick. Carrick will play the ball rather than shoot, he will look around and see the best plan of action. IMO Carrick is a much better all round player than Gerrard and he is proving it.

I see the point in why pump the ball up field all the time or ping in long balls into the box. It only works if you have a big man upfront and other than Crouch we dont have one. The players that we do have we should be playing it with the ball at feet and i think we are much more effective playing it that way. We should be able to take teams apart and win the World Cup, but the way Sven does things i just cant see it.