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England national side

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

So what's the verdict on here with the problems with England? My own view is - aside from having a coach that should never have got the job - there are a core of players there who have never performed for England but still get selected without question.

I'm talking here of the likes of Gary Neville (and his brother whenever he gets called up, which isn't that often anymore), Rio Ferdinand, Paul Robinson, Jermaine Jenas (surely one of the worst players to ever pull the shirt over his head, yeah, I know, Brian Deane, Geoff Thomas, Nick Pickering, Andy "Forty-five minutes" Gray, David White, Michael Ricketts etc etc, but Jenas is up there with this lot IMHO), and Frank Lampard especially. I've seen players this season that have surely been worth a look-at (Shorey and Sidwell at Reading, Lescott at Everton, Agbonlahor at Villa, Dawson at Spurs, Baines at Wigan, Bentley at Blackburn) but it seems to me to be such a closed shop.

Also, sack McLaen and appoint Coppell - who'd jump at the chance and has a couple of decades of managerial nous to call on, unlike the greenhorn McClown - or Wenger, who'll be out of the Emirates at the end of this contract next season.

Comments?

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

I think Lampard is over rated (good but not great), he always plays no question for england when others have played better in middle, he may score many goals but he does very little else. His passing can be good but is often not and gives possession away cheaply, he is a horrible timer of the tackle, also he comes in with hard fouls that deserve cards when he gets fustrated.

Don't think Jenas is the worst player to pull on England top, plus he is still young. can't be that bad if he has 15 caps to his name.
Right back has always been a problem and there aren't many challenges for Gary's spot.
Young players you mentioned some have only really come good this year. Agbonlahor on started playing regularly this season, Dawson's had an average year. I like Bentley and Lescott though

Team ATM - Kind of 4-5-1 or 4-3-2-1 (AC Milan Christmas tree) but without Neville pushing up as much and Lennon and Rooney have Kaka''s free role.

Robinson - G Neville, R. Ferdinand, Terry, A. Cole, - Hargreaves, Gerrard, Carrick - Lennon, Rooney - Crouch.
SUBS: Carson, Carragher, Lescott, Bridge, Downing, Lampard, D. Bent

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Another player I like the look of is Fulham's right back Liam Rosenior. There has got to be an alternative to Gary Neville, and he could be worth a look.

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Che Nev is the best right back in England by a stretch. I think England should stick to what they know 4-4-2.

Robinson

G.Neville Ferdinand Terry A. Cole

Lennon Hargreaves Gerard J.Cole

Johnson Rooney

Peoples Republik of Aucklandia

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

PROAK wrote:

Che Nev is the best right back in England by a stretch. I think England should stick to what they know 4-4-2.

Robinson

G.Neville Ferdinand Terry A. Cole

Lennon Hargreaves Gerard J.Cole

Johnson Rooney

Thats the kinda lineup i would like to see them play. But he will put Fat Frank in for his quality deflections

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Englands main problem is in mid-field with the balance of gerrard and lampard as they both need the ball to be able to pefrom at their best and who really wants to see Steven gerrard in the midfield holding role???

if i was manager i would play a 4-4-1-1

robinson
carragher terry ferdinand woodgate
leenon gerrard hargraves j.cole
rooney
crouch

SUBS:
carson
beckham
lampard
a.cole
carrick
campbell!?
johnson

what you reckon???

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Why so many picking Owen Hargreaves?

Total crap.

39 appearances for England and 0 goals.

I expect the goalkeeper to have a record like that,not a midfield player.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

PROAK wrote:

Che Nev is the best right back in England by a stretch. I think England should stick to what they know 4-4-2.

Robinson

G.Neville Ferdinand Terry A. Cole

Lennon Hargreaves Gerard J.Cole

Johnson Rooney

Yeah, but a line-up similar to this has been to two big tournaments now and only made the quarters. Time for changes.

Robinson

Rosenior Terry Lescott Shorey

Lennon Gerrard Hargreaves J. Cole

Rooney Agbonlahor

SUBS; Foster, Crouch, Dawson, Taylor, Bentley

I think you need a player like Owen Hargreaves to carry the water if you want to get the best out of Gerrard. I know he's not scored for England, but he's not there for that, he's there to hold shape, which he's very good at.

I also think that Joe Cole could quite easily switch to the middle if you wanted a more attacking line-up with Matt Taylor coming in at left half and Hargreaves dropping to the bench and gerrard playing a bit deeper. Another alternative through the middle could be Kevin Nolan (who will probably follow Fat Sam to Newcastle).

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Worthy one wrote:

Why so many picking Owen Hargreaves?

Total crap.

39 appearances for England and 0 goals.

I expect the goalkeeper to have a record like that,not a midfield player.

He was a revelation in the World Cup last year - best English performer by a mile. Picking on his goalscoring record is like having a pop at Peter Beardsley for not scoring enough when he was helping Lineker to all those goals - it's about the team, not the individuals.

The problem with the English team, is the English game. It's part and parcel of the game that everything is played hard and fast - whenever clubs slow down, the fans get upset, which apparently reflects back onto the team, leads to fear of failure, and ultimately to a speeding up of the game in order to appease the fans. From a league point of view, it makes ours the most entertaining in the world, from a international point of view, it doesn't help.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

david james should play keeper, hes been doing well for portmounth

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Yeah he's had a great season at Pompey, and a great career, but he has been found out time and time again at international level. He's a great Premiership keeper, he's just not quite capable of the next step up. Shame really, but the game is and has been full of players who have been great players at club level and then out of sorts whenever representing their country. Think Clive Allen, Ian Wright, Malcolm MacDonald for England, Alan Hansen and Eddie Gray for Scotland etc etc.

Doesn't explain the exception to the rule that is David Healy though, does it? Quite the opposite, internationally one of the world's best strikers, but at club level...

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Benjamin wrote:

Worthy one wrote:

Why so many picking Owen Hargreaves?

Total crap.

39 appearances for England and 0 goals.

I expect the goalkeeper to have a record like that,not a midfield player.

Agree completely, well put. It's always struck me as weird that England feel they have to slow down the player's natural game when they hit the international stage, when maybe they should try and maintain the high tempo methods the players are used to at club level.

It's tended to have been the British players that have relied on speed that have failed when they've gone to European clubs too. The likes of Ian Rush, Michael Owen - even back to Jimmy Greaves, who wasn't so quick over 50 metres but lightning over 5 - have been failures abroad whereas the successful exports, John Charles, Joe Jordan, Liam Brady, even Wilkins and Hoddle, have been players who played the game at a slower pace.

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

I think both Rush and Owen could've done well abroad if they were given a better chance. Well, Rush didn't want to be there even though he scored about 10 goals in 30 games (which is a good return). Owen played well when he was given a chance but wasn't wanted by the then coach, he was kept out because Raul was captain (that really was the only reason that season he was incredibly poor, of course hes playing much better now). Then Newcastle came in with a ridiculous bid and snapped him up (excuse the pun).

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

linds wrote:

I think neither was properly given a chance because in order to accomodate their styles (i.e. use their pace) it would have meant too many changes to the overall team pattern. Both were bought (and Jimmy Greaves too) as a result of their reputations rather than the coaches sitting down and thinking "how can we fit them in?". This was certainly the case with Owen, who was bought right smack in the middle of the Galacticos thingee.

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

The England national team is perhaps only second to Spain as the biggest underachievers at Major international tournaments.

Three for me, and two for them.

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almost 19 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Oh yeah agree totally. 1 WC win and that was at home in a tournament - if we're honest - that was planned and run to give them the best possible chance of victory, even down to the semi being relocated to Wembley. I guess that's the host nation's prerogative.

Nix, Leyton Orient and Alloa Athletic supporting schmuck.

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