posted Mar 25, 2007

Reading through, its as though there is a magic bullet.... guys there isn't.

Think - when was the last time England actually played in a way that made you really sit up and take notice? Even the 5-1 was 5 chances which Owen and Heskey took (Heskey, eh? The golden era!)

The only time England have made me sit on the edge of my seat is through "glorious defeat" - Argentina in 98, Portugal twice... and before then....? Struggling.... probably the demolition of France in Spain in 82. Even the Argentina game in Sapporo was more about Nicky Butt playing his once in a lifetime game, since the rest of the team were ordinary...

Lets be honest, it has not really mattered all that much what side we plonk out on the field, there mentality, capability, desire, management... whatever it is has been middling at best, poor as usual for a lot longer than McLaren has been in charge.

I am a patriot and a glass half-full sort of person normally, but I have to say that I now just could not give a monkeys what players the FA, McLaren, whoever put in the side since they will not be a team, but a group of individuals whose main task in life is "the bread and butter week in week out"!... the names on the shirts are irrelevant, its the mentality that they have that we only have to turn up to turn a team over.

One last point.... if you were Sky TV, and you had a multi-billion pound deal with the Premier League, how honest would you be about the inadequacies of the product that you have bought?
The Premiership is great - but its mainly great because we support the teams or because its 2 teams hammering away at each other for 90 mins.... but it does not make Brazilians, or French players - Brazilians /French etc. adapt their technique to it, our guys do not have that advantage so when they want to be "patient" they simply look inept, unable to zip the ball between each other - lots of two touch or out of control passes etc..... so our strengths in the premiership are that we can go at 100mph and have a desire to be attacking (not always successfully!!).... unless we get a team and manager who just go out and attack (like Klinsmann's Germany last year), and stop thinking that it is better not to lose than to win, I personnally will get very very old before I see the next England game that we win against a significant team and in style.

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posted Mar 26, 2007

mclaren has said the players are behind him. lets hope that they push him over the edge before jumping themselves!!

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posted Mar 26, 2007

Aside from the tactics (or lack thereof) and who's performing worst, McClaren needs to drop a couple of big players for player management reasons. Let them all know that nobody has a guaranteed place in the starting line up.

I would like to see Gerrard play 2-3 games in central midfield though.

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posted Mar 26, 2007

The biggest issue is the midfield.

Theoretically we have four quality centre mids: Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick and Hargreves. Four into two(assuming 4-4-2) does not go but that doesn't really matter. As far as I'm concerned, these four are interchangable depending on form. Right now I'd go with Gerrard and Carrick vs Andorra. Lampard and/or Hargreves can start on the bench.

Lennon on the right and someone who's actually a left mid on the left.

I don't blame McLaren for trusting Downing due to his history with Boro but right now the guy reminds me of Steve McManaman, unable to reproduce his club form at international level.

At least Downing is a bonafide left mid though, so either start with him or Barry in that position.

Rooney and Defoe up front, problem solved.

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posted Mar 26, 2007

I'm sick and tired of the drop Lampard army. He will start for any club team in the world and if not English would be in every International team in the world. Gerrard is in the same category. As I see it there are two problems with the England team performances. First off MacLaren is no good and in over his head. Was no good at club level and he has nowhere to hide. The second reason is the media (and so the fans??). England play every game as if they are scared to lose. That's it. They never try and win. Cautious unimaginitive play designed not to fail. We could have had Scolari but he was not going to put up with the intrusive and ignorant English media. I'm actually amused by those calling for Big Sam. If you want someone out of touch with international football look no further. Top class international defenders can cope with Bolton tactics in their sleep. We need a Benitez or Mourinho to bring England out of their coma. Tactically brilliant the both of them.

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posted Mar 26, 2007

i agree with bonnetti1. we played ridiculously. We were too bland. Knocking it long when crouch is not even there. Johnson and Rooney both had 2 guys each. I dont blame the players, thats what they told to do. Mclaren is at fault. When u have a left winger, why put lennon on the left. Move downing there and lennon on the right. Gerrard into the centre infront of hargreaves. Lampard does nothing really. he only starts because of his name and the media pressure him to pick them. Mclaren was never the right choice. He got picked cos he took Boro to a uefa cup final after like 6 yrs trying. He didnt do anything else. The most successful coaches in the epl at the moment are non english. So what if the coach aint enlgish. If we winning, it doesnt matter. Action is necessary to win, not waiting for things to happen. Its not going to.

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posted Mar 26, 2007

Rather than just blaming the players as greedy, good-for-nothing so-and-soos, I think the public & press need to be pragmatic and help the team for once. The senior players are clearly folding under the pressure that the country has put on them - and this has been the case since Sven said we wld win the world cup. Lets not forget that no-matter how much these players are getting paid, they are still human beings. We put so much pressure on a young lad like Rooney and then have a go when it affects him!

The solution has got to be removing that pressure by dropping these players. Defoe and Johnson are hungry, carry little expectation, and shd start against Andorra. Gerrad was our most creative player on Saturday and think deserves to play in the centre. I also hope the team selection will reflect the attacking rhetoric with carrick over hargreeves and proper attacking fullbacks...

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posted Mar 26, 2007

rite first i think none of you know hwat you are on about, david beckham was the biggest inspiration to the england team and part of the glue that elp it together, think about it england would be far more beneficial keeping all the strong players such as lampard and rooney but simply changing the formation to make it work, its not that they have all gone bad overnight its that the formation that is being played is shoking so shut you pie hole and look further than your club were not just stupid arsenal fans or manu fans even chelsea fans were all english and for once we should all pull together whats the point of being a nation of idiots, think aobut it

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posted Mar 27, 2007

The problem is pre world cup if you asked ten england fans to pick the squad nine of those teams would be identicle. Now nobody would pick the exact same team. Nobody knows what the best squad is as it has been so long since we last played well. Half would bring Beckham back, Half would drop Lampard, Some would start with Defoe others Johnson, Bridge/Barry for left back if Cole isnt fit. Who goes on left? Lennon/Downing/Barry.

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posted Mar 31, 2007

I don't know where all of you are levetating at but Lampard does play good for his club and too be honest, he did play better than Gerrad in the game against isreal... so all this fancy touch about dropping Lampard is garbage... If anyone should be dropped its Andy Johnson for Defoe and Lenon for Becks

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Beckham was injured you tool!

And I think Lennon's minutes versus Beckham's hours in the World Cup demonstrated how stupid your comment would still be even if Beckham had been available for selection...

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