England v Egypt

[Luka Lennon]

England frustrate the shit out of me everytime I watch them. It's like there's no flow or rhythm to their play most of the time. Lampard and Gerrard should beable to play together but on current form Gerrard porobably shouldn't even be starting as he's been pretty shit this season. Capello talks a good game but he's already making the same mistakes most of our recent managers have. Certain players regardless of their current form always get picked and the inclusion of walnutt in the squad over Young is unfathomable. Green and Upson starting is also funny as they've been shite this season. England will be outside contenders as usual because we've got players who can changes games and one genuinely world class talent but with the likes of Heskey starting and the Gerrard Lampard England underperformers along with a suspect defence even when Capellos choosen starters are out there and lastly our 2 numbers 1's being SHITE we'll be hard pressed to reach the semis. Quarters at best I reckon which is about the norm with this current batch of fucking idiots prancing around doing whatever the fuck they want. Capello for me is tactically very one dimensional and has failed to get a squad together who can adapt to different situations through out a game. It's always the same thing and anytime he tries something new it fails miserably and we're right back to hit the target man and try to bully our way in. FFS I just wish old red nose would give it a go but that'll never happen.

 

[DogsOfWar]

Our first problem is Rooney and his role up front.

He wants to do it all which usually involves him dropping deep to try and set up the play, but the result is that we usually lose possession.
He should be played as far forward as possible and be told to stay there.

Crouch should play in the deeper role, getting the ball to feet and playing the ball as he doesn't have the touch but he knows how to keep it.

The second problem is the old chestnut of the manager playing favourites. He has to play those who perform the best for England, on the International stage, not the Premiership.
For me this is Carrick, Joe Cole and Lennon. This combination also has a natural balance about it. Tricky left/cutting in midfielder, central play-maker and pacey/wide midfielder.
The final spot would be the second CM berth. Hargreaves would have been my first choice but it appears his days are numbered so next choice would be Barry as it would need to be a defensively minded midfielder.

On the whole this would be a very unfashionable team but one I reckon would be ideally suited to International football. All players who are comfortable on the ball and, above all, are capable of keeping it. As well as each one having a different strength creating the kind of balance that a top team needs.

 

[ShelfSide18]

Our first problem is Rooney and his role up front.

He wants to do it all which usually involves him dropping deep to try and set up the play, but the result is that we usually lose possession.
He should be played as far forward as possible and be told to stay there.

Crouch should play in the deeper role, getting the ball to feet and playing the ball as he doesn't have the touch but he knows how to keep it.

The second problem is the old chestnut of the manager playing favourites. He has to play those who perform the best for England, on the International stage, not the Premiership.
For me this is Carrick, Joe Cole and Lennon. This combination also has a natural balance about it. Tricky left/cutting in midfielder, central play-maker and pacey/wide midfielder.
The final spot would be the second CM berth. Hargreaves would have been my first choice but it appears his days are numbered so next choice would be Barry as it would need to be a defensively minded midfielder.

On the whole this would be a very unfashionable team but one I reckon would be ideally suited to International football. All players who are comfortable on the ball and, above all, are capable of keeping it. As well as each one having a different strength creating the kind of balance that a top team needs.

The English don't seem to cherish possession that much unfortunately.

 

[DogsOfWar]

The English don't seem to cherish possession that much unfortunately.

Sadly it is the English way and stems from kid's football right up to the so-called 'educated' Premiership game.

It doesn't matter how hard Capello tries to coach them the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney can't help themselves, they have to revert to type and play direct usually giving the ball away.

I also think another issue at work here is ego. All the above players are seen as their respective club's legends and end up trying to live up to the hype.
For me the likes of Cole, Carrick, Lennon, Barry and Crouch are underrated and part of that is they just get on with the job with the minimum of fuss.
And that for me is the key, it's not about individuals but the team.

 

[ShelfSide18]

Completely agree, possession and patient probing football isn't the English way, it was amazing how a large majority of fans around me were screaming at the Croatian trio last saturday and then Luka put the ball in the top corner - do people ever learn?!

It was pretty amazing how the last world cup we were playing in scorching temperatures but we were intent on giving the ball back to the opposition with a Gerrard/Lampard 50 yard speculative ball that works once in 20. This WC will be fairly normal to them heat wise, yet the problem still remains - we will qualify through our group but when we come up against a Spain or Brazil they will just let us continually surrender possession and pick us off. It's so predictable, at least we have a manager that can see what needs to be done, yet some of our players don't have the intelligence to carry it through.

The quicker they learn that international football isn't like the premiership, and possession is far more valued then we might get somewhere.