England v Sweden

[Willlow]

Not what I said. Gerrard is worth his place, but is the team best served by having Gerrard and Lampard alongside each other?

I think they can if its 4-4-2 formation they are both good enought to alternate going forward! But the idle would be 5 accross midfield with a holding midfielder, IMO.

 

[Melton Fox]

He has started two games in the last two years one at left midfield and one right midfield. I can see how you made your judgement that he isnt worth his place. :icon_roll

i just think people are on his back for no reason and when he has a decent performance people still slate him.

Obviously you are entitled to your opinion that he isnt worth being in the squad, but he is and when he does well he should be given credit. It cant be hard knowing that the majority of english fans dont want you in the squad!

Why has he only made 2 starts?, he made a lot of sub appearances in friendlies but never proved himself worthy.

I understand perfectly why you think people are on his back, and that is a sad but true fact. For the record, I am not one of them. If you qualify to play for this country and you are good enough, then play (Hick, Peterson, Lamb, Holyoaks, Lennox)

I have given Hargreaves credit today, I have said a couple of times that it was his best game to date. Not good enough, but a platform nonetheless to build from, but he must, otherwise he goes

 

[OldGit]

1st half was a big improvement imo. But it started to fall apart when Rooney who was fecked after half time could no longer link the play up. We needed our big names to step upto the mark after his substituition, but like euro 2004 against Portugal, we struggled without a fit Rooney up front. Imo Beckham had a very poor game, and where was Terry and Ferdinand in defence? Having said that Ecuador in the last 16, so its all going to plan:icon_roll

That, I think, gets to the essence of the game,

And to be fair, the Swedes hasd done their homework - their set piece play was 5 star, and they deployed their defence to exploit Englands lack of width. I still remain optimistic of further progress - Rooney will be far more effective now he has got that under his belt.

 

[pds]

And just for the record Steven, if we get to the last 8, we will play either Mexico,Portugal,Holland or Argentina :icon_wink

 

[Hazzman]

Very average England. Too frustating to write details. They need a bollocking and a kick up the arse.

Homer's view on Owen was correct, a crock but you feel sympathy for him in what was a terrible injury.

It looks like destiny is bound to have 5 midfield.
Rio looks out, Campbell was rubbish when he came on. I would rather have the haphazard Carragher there and Hargreaves at right-back if 4-4-2 is going to be continued.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Mixed bag last night for me, in pockets of the game we played some decent football and looked too be cohesive, Hargreaves did ok, didnt set the world alight but did the job required.

Very disappointed that Sven did not use Owen's injury as an opportunity to try Walcott, would have been the ideal chance to blood him. He has surely now demonstrated that he doesnt have enough faith in the youngster, which effectively means we will play the rest of the tournament with 2 strikers.

We should certainly not look at the Ecuador game as a foregone conclusion, whilst we have to be confident of beating them, based on the performances over the group matches, they will also be thinking they have a decent chance of causing an upset, we have been far from convincing.

What does concern me is Sven he reminds me very much of Levein, he is too cautious and defensive, he seems unable to deliver a side capable of stringing together a decent performance over 90 minutes, we always seem to become negative and withdrawn following his half time team talk and tactical input, we were very fortunate last night to come away with a point after Sweden had numerous second half chances to win the game.

There is a lot of work required for us too seriously challenge the top teams in the tournament based on current performance, however on a positive note we have still finished top of the group without playing well so if Sven can get his formation, team selection and tactics right to get the best out of the squad in the knockout stage then we can still go on to have a very good tournament.

 

[DesertFox]

I watched the game (without sound) in a bar with a Swede, a Mexican, an American and a Kenyan. The general impressions were:

-Pretty decent game to watch
-England: good first half, shit second
-Sweden: some good stuff second half and might not be as bad as they think they are
-Hargreaves: looked well worth his place in that position
-Beckham: crossing alone is worth a place in the team
-Crouch: OK, but "he ain't all that"
-Ashley Cole: improving
-Sol Campbell: past it
-Joe Cole (and Beckham): quality, but offer no width
-Lampard: well out of form
-Gerrard: improving, could be the key man
-Carragher: not a right back
-Terry: decent
-Rio: OK
-Robinson: OK but you can see him fooking up at some point
-Owen: fooked
-Rooney: the special one
-Sven: "a fooking traitor" according to the Swede
-England: could stumble on like this for quite a while... a bit like Germany did last time

And that's the verdict from the Tucson panel. Back to the studio.... Chris...

 

[highland fox]

We need 10 Steven Gerrards....Lampard is woeful.

 

[Darth Vodka]

i'm agreeing with highland and desert here

thought hargreaves was our best player, he's very quick and has great awareness

but lampard, utter toilet, always looking to shoot from the halfway line and never really up with the game

perhaps sven was hoping lampard would get carded...

i too wanted walcott on for owen

sad to see owen injured, but he wasn't playing *that* well. in hindsight, 4 strikers was woefully inadequate, why take carrick AND hargreaves and leave Defoe/Bent at home?

ecudor line up:-

rooney, walcott
j cole, gerrard, hargreaves, beckham
a cole, ferdinand/campbell, terry, carragher/neville
robinson

if neville is fit and ferdinand isn't stick carragher in at centre half

crouch, he's ok at knock down, but fouls when he jumps a lot and isn't that great at scoring headed goals

lennon: i'd play him, but beckham's crossing/set pieces are important, bring him on and drop beckham to right back like befopre if we are in trouble

 

[Han]

Sven will persist with crouch. which is a shame. We won't see walcott in an angland shirt in this tournament

 

[Real Sharapova]

I watched the game (without sound) in a bar with a Swede, a Mexican, an American and a Kenyan. The general impressions were:

-Pretty decent game to watch
-England: good first half, shit second
-Sweden: some good stuff second half and might not be as bad as they think they are
-Hargreaves: looked well worth his place in that position
-Beckham: crossing alone is worth a place in the team
-Crouch: OK, but "he ain't all that"
-Ashley Cole: improving
-Sol Campbell: past it
-Joe Cole (and Beckham): quality, but offer no width
-Lampard: well out of form
-Gerrard: improving, could be the key man
-Carragher: not a right back
-Terry: decent
-Rio: OK
-Robinson: OK but you can see him fooking up at some point
-Owen: fooked
-Rooney: the special one
-Sven: "a fooking traitor" according to the Swede
-England: could stumble on like this for quite a while... a bit like Germany did last time

And that's the verdict from the Tucson panel. Back to the studio.... Chris...

Pretty good summary. I'd like us to play five in midfield for the Ecuador game ( with Hargreaves in ) with Rooney up front. He won't do it, but I'd drop Lampard for Lennon.

 

[highland fox]

He'll play Lampard and gerrard and drop Hargreaves.Crouch and Rooney up front..we might beat Ecador but i have a feeling thats as good as we are and we'll get beat in the Quarters,hope i'm wrong.Theres too many players who are fireproof and no matter how poorly they play they are never dropped.

 

[fcukcov]

hargreaves did okay I thought and it was always gonna be a draw but what a cracking goal by joe cole.

 

[western road]

Dont know about you lot but that last night reminded me of Leicester City early last season, clueless at corners, nothing in midfield,goalkeeper that gives you the runs, Captain non-existant, in others words ....crap

 

[drummindefender]

this whole situation reveals that how stupid it was to bring theo walcott-last night when owen went off injured the situation was made for him to come on-we had already qualified, hes similar in style to owen so could link up with rooney, and crouch on a booking for the second round-what was the point in brining him if hes not going to be given a chance because of his inexperience?

 

[drummindefender]

i think robinson did ok-made a fantastic save from larsson when he tipped it onto the bar-its either him or calamity james-i know who i would rather have.

 

[glyn]

-Beckham: crossing alone is worth a place in the team

True, but he couldn't even deliver any decent balls last night. He was poor.

-Crouch: OK, but "he ain't all that"

Not even OK last night. We were never going to win the WC with Crouchy up front, sorry to say.

-Gerrard: improving, could be the key man

Agree. Hope Sven sees the same.

 

[glyn]

this whole situation reveals that how stupid it was to bring theo walcott

He wasn't wrong in picking Walcott, it instead reveals how stupid it was to bring Carrick, Hargreaves or Jenas instead of Defore or Bent. Also shows that Walcott hasn't hacked it in training with the big boys.

If we had 4 other strikers, he was worth a gamble. But Eriksson has ruined 4 years of planning with the most talented England team in years, at peak age, by the strange decision to leave Defoe or Bent at home on the day before picking the squad. All for £5m a year

 

[DesertFox]

lennon: i'd play him, but beckham's crossing/set pieces are important, bring him on and drop beckham to right back like before if we are in trouble

So far in this tournament, we've looked best with Lennon on the right wing and Beckham in a strange advanced right back position! Can't see it being deployed from the start of a game, but if you need to throw the kitchen sink at it, and feck the defending....

 

[Han]

So far in this tournament, we've looked best with Lennon on the right wing and Beckham in a strange advanced right back position! Can't see it being deployed from the start of a game, but if you need to throw the kitchen sink at it, and feck the defending....

we have the option to play a very attacking formation with the current squad but still allow sufficient cover at the back.

----------Robbo
Becks--terry--rio/carragher--A.Cole
-------Hargreaves
Lennon-Lamps-Gerrard-J.Cole
-----------Rooney

that line-up will score bags of goals. it allows both gerrard and lampard to attack. although rooney isn't an ideal lone striker he's got the quality to hold the ball up and produce the goods when he's got the ball at his feet with no support. also he'd have all 4 attackiong midfielders supporting him.

Beckham can still produce his crosses from deeper and overlap. he's also just as good at defending as neville.