- Aug 21, 2011
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Following on from today's fairly average performance against Germany, who would you like to be starting for England come our first match of the World Cup next year?
Ok, bang on with everything apart from cole and daws, who wouldn't get picked if there was a 'national centre half strike'....I don't see the point in us going out to the world cup and trying to dominate sides as we're simply not as good as the likes of Germany, Spain, Brazil etc in midfield nor do we have the 'continental' style of centre backs to play a high pressing game. I think we should play to our strengths which are that we have some solid backs to the wall English centre backs and a bucket full of fast as fuck wide forwards. We should therefore sit deep and hit teams on the break with our pace. It does require a classy distributor of the ball playing in the deep to start the counter attacks and very controversially I would say that the person to do that could actually be..........Tom Huddlestone He's only 26 and will have a whole season of game time to find his form. At his best he's one of the best passers in the league and playing a counterattacking game with two other midfielders to protect him we wouldn't be too vulnerable.
I reckon Townsend may find himself pushed out to left wide forward for us so as to accommodate Lamela and he might actually thrive there meaning that he can also play there for England and Walcott can come back in on the right. We'd then have Chamberlain, Lennon, Lallana, that Liverpool guy etc etc as cover. Wilshere and Gerrard are both suited to playing a counter attacking game as they have good distribution, are willing to support attacks and are yet tenacious in defence. Would be interesting
Some pretty attacking line-ups being put up.
We aren't inventive or creative enough to try to outscore other teams and our centre backs are so average that I feel they need to be protected.
Agreed,
I do have a defensive line up in mind but honestly our chances of scoring is just horrible
England can't pass through teams, their best chance is on the counter attack, and as such they should set up to try and absorb presssure. For me:
HartEveryone is saying Lallana didn't do enough in the last two games but I genuinely believe he's England's best player (mostly because he doesn't player like an Englishman). Just because he's not scoring a goal or slicing the opponent's defence in two with passes every 2 minutes, it doesn't mean he's not playing well. He was efficient with the ball, didn't use it wastefully, moved around the pitch well and did his bit defensively. If Welbeck gets the LW slot back then it will be a disgrace.
Walker - Cahill - Jagielka - Baines
Carrick
Gerrard - Wilshere
Townsend ------------- Lallana
Rooney
Someone really needs to get through to Sturridge that passing to a team mate isn't to be avoided at all costs, he also needs to stop trying that move where he attempts to beat his man in about a yard of space on the byline. It might work against the mighty PL teams of Sunderland and Norwich, at the World Cup things will be different.
Wilshere is another who seems to refuse to do anything simple and is regressing as a footballer. Looks like he is feeling the pressure and trying to hard to make an impression. If there is an easy pass on then use it.
Townsend looks by far the most dangerous player since he came into the team, which sums up the dearth of quality. I don't think Woy can drop him after what he has shown.
Lallana looks an intelligent player and I would have him in the squad, but Welbeck works hard to be fair and I think he will get his place back. We aren't going to outclass teams, so will have to be busy ****s.
No thanks to the likes of Milner, Henderson, Cleverly etc...
I dunno what to do in defence. Jagielka and Cahill seem nailed on picks. Smalling I thought did reasonably well last night apart from the goal. Dawson is no worse than any of these but doesn't look like getting in. Jones is average at best and I would honestly prefer someone like Caulker. After this I am struggling to think of options... At fullback, Walker ahead of Johnson for me, although wouldn't rule out someone like Clyne and at left back I wasn't impressed at all with Cole last night and would pick the superior attacker.
Hart
Walker Cahill Jagielka Baines
Gerrard Carrick
Townsend Rooney Welbeck
Sturridge