*Official* English Football Season 2005-06

[Scaly piscine]

There isn't a complete lack of left-sided options - Joe Cole, Downing, Wright-Phillips and Bridge can all play there - it just never seems like any of them play well when they play there, because Sven never a) gives them any service, or b) allows them to do anything with the ball once they get it other than pass it sideways. He seems to hate allowing wingers to run at players - inconvenient seeing as that's what wingers do best.

And who says every team needs a 6ft 7in striker? Since when did Brazil, Argentina, France or Italy play hoof-and-hope football? Sven will pick Crouch because it means he doesn't have to think of a way to incorporate someone else - you can guarantee England's tactics on Saturday are going to be long ball from minute 1, and if that doesn't work there won't be a backup plan, just like against NI.

They are either injured or worse than Richardson in that position. As for teams needing a 6ft 7 striker, I didn't say they needed one, but it's a different means of attack if needed. All good teams have some sort of variety available.

 

[Barney Rubble]

They are either injured or worse than Richardson in that position. As for teams needing a 6ft 7 striker, I didn't say they needed one, but it's a different means of attack if needed. All good teams have some sort of variety available.

So which ones are worse than him in that position? 'Cause if you're claiming that Richardson is a better left-sided midfielder than any of them (except possibly Bridge, who as you say is injured so is irrelevant to this argument), then there's just nothing at all to back it up. He has never even started consistently in that position at Premiership level - at WBA, he played centrally and Greening played wide left.

And we do have variety in our strikers without Crouch - Rooney can play any type of role, Owen stays on the shoulder of the last defender, Defoe goes wide quite a bit, Bent plays very centrally and holds it up; Crouch just gives Sven an excuse to play long ball football, as I said - and that won't ever win us anything.

 

[BoyBrumby]

So which ones are worse than him in that position? 'Cause if you're claiming that Richardson is a better left-sided midfielder than any of them (except possibly Bridge, who as you say is injured so is irrelevant to this argument), then there's just nothing at all to back it up. He has never even started consistently in that position at Premiership level - at WBA, he played centrally and Greening played wide left.

And we do have variety in our strikers without Crouch - Rooney can play any type of role, Owen stays on the shoulder of the last defender, Defoe goes wide quite a bit, Bent plays very centrally and holds it up; Crouch just gives Sven an excuse to play long ball football, as I said - and that won't ever win us anything.

TBF he didn't look too clever with his back to goal or wide left either. With his pace & (crucially) his strength he's a far more dangerous propostion running onto the ball or coming from a little deeper.

 

[Barney Rubble]

TBF he didn't look too clever with his back to goal or wide left either. With his pace & (crucially) his strength he's a far more dangerous propostion running onto the ball or coming from a little deeper.

Yeah, he's more dangerous like that - but he did the lone role for United between Giggs and Ronaldo pretty well last year, and scored goals doing it, and I wasn't classifying wide left as an "up-front" role - besides, I would hope it's very unlikely that Sven would ever consider playing him there ever again.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yeah, he's more dangerous like that - but he did the lone role for United between Giggs and Ronaldo pretty well last year, and scored goals doing it, and I wasn't classifying wide left as an "up-front" role - besides, I would hope it's very unlikely that Sven would ever consider playing him there ever again.

Amen. It's a waste of our best player. If the papers are to be believed it's going to be wee Joe out left.

FWIW I'm not convinced by Crouch, for all his height he's fairly ordinary in the air. We haven't had a striker who's really good in the air since Sir Les & I think he was only about 5' 10".

 

[Scaly piscine]

And we do have variety in our strikers without Crouch - Rooney can play any type of role, Owen stays on the shoulder of the last defender, Defoe goes wide quite a bit, Bent plays very centrally and holds it up; Crouch just gives Sven an excuse to play long ball football, as I said - and that won't ever win us anything.

Defoe is similar to Owen, those two and Rooney just don't pose much of an aerial threat. Rooney holds it up so that's the same as Bent who I don't know much about.

 

[twctopcat]

Amen. It's a waste of our best player. If the papers are to be believed it's going to be wee Joe out left.

FWIW I'm not convinced by Crouch, for all his height he's fairly ordinary in the air. We haven't had a striker who's really good in the air since Sir Les & I think he was only about 5' 10".

To be fair a certain geordie couldn't half head a ball. Not quite "leap like a salmon" ferdinand however.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Defoe is similar to Owen, those two and Rooney just don't pose much of an aerial threat. Rooney holds it up so that's the same as Bent who I don't know much about.

Rooney doesn't hold it up - not when he's playing naturally. He's at his best when he's behind the front two, and given space to run with the ball in central positions and shoot from distance. Players with incredible natural ability such as him, Ronaldinho, Zidane etc, are best in the position in which their talents can best be utilised - where their creativity has most effect, i.e. just outside the area. Rooney only holds it up when he's told to.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Rooney doesn't hold it up - not when he's playing naturally. He's at his best when he's behind the front two, and given space to run with the ball in central positions and shoot from distance. Players with incredible natural ability such as him, Ronaldinho, Zidane etc, are best in the position in which their talents can best be utilised - where their creativity has most effect, i.e. just outside the area. Rooney only holds it up when he's told to.

Rooney holds the ball up to some extent every England game, because Owen gives the ball away with his supreme first touch that goes a minimum of 5 yards off his foot or body.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Rooney holds the ball up to some extent every England game, because Owen gives the ball away with his supreme first touch that goes a minimum of 5 yards off his foot or body.

Yeah, but he doesn't hold it up any more than any other decent striker would do, that's my point - he doesn't make it the focal point of his game.

 

[sledger]

glad to see that rio ferdinand has been dropped (hopefully) for 2mos game, as many of you know i do not rate this player at all, very overated imo, mind you sol campbell isnt that much better, but better by a little, hopefully this will be a long term sacking.

 

[roseboy64]

That's a bit harsh. You have to admit that he's a good player. I'm sure even Marc will. He's just got some mental problems right now. I agree with leaving him out but permanently, no.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Rio Ferdinand has been nothing short of shocking this season - I'm ****ed at the moment and even I can tell that. He does not deserve to start for England. Carragher should be ahead of him, just behind Terry and Campbell - that seems to be the way it is, and that's the way it should be. His errors against Fulham on Satuurday were appalling considering he's supposed to be worth £30million.

 

[roseboy64]

I agree just not to the extent sledger's pushing.

 

[Craig]

There isn't a complete lack of left-sided options - Joe Cole, Downing, Wright-Phillips and Bridge can all play there - it just never seems like any of them play well when they play there, because Sven never a) gives them any service, or b) allows them to do anything with the ball once they get it other than pass it sideways. He seems to hate allowing wingers to run at players - inconvenient seeing as that's what wingers do best.

And who says every team needs a 6ft 7in striker? Since when did Brazil, Argentina, France or Italy play hoof-and-hope football? Sven will pick Crouch because it means he doesn't have to think of a way to incorporate someone else - you can guarantee England's tactics on Saturday are going to be long ball from minute 1, and if that doesn't work there won't be a backup plan, just like against NI.

Wright-Phillips on the left?

 

[Craig]

I agree just not to the extent sledger's pushing.

I generally take what some of things that come from his keyboard like a pinch of salt. Then again he probably does so the feeling is probably the same.

 

[marc71178]

Wright-Phillips on the left?

God no - he was bad enough on the right last game, but the BBC had to wax lyrical about him because his dad was in the studio with them.

The number of brilliant balls Beckham played to him in the first half that he just messed up was shocking.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Wright-Phillips on the left?

He spends enough time out there for Chelsea when he and Robben/Duff/Cole are interchanging for us to know he can play there - he's certainly a viable option, if not the best one.

 

[Pothas]

I think Joe Cole on the left will be fine he has been the most succesfull of the seemuingly hundreds of people tried out ther in recent years. I think England will be fine today, i predict an easyish win and hopefully the Netherlands wil beat the Cech republic so we wil be in the world cup, then hopefully we can have a rest from basching sven for a few months

 

[Scaly piscine]

Hartson is dumb, so many opportunities he could have had and instead he manages to run offside when he's looking across the line.