posted Oct 11, 2008

yer but gerrard is better at shooting.... but then lampard is a more creative player and better at through-balls IMO... ok touche sir!

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posted Oct 11, 2008

could we not play lampard center mid (holding) and then allow gerrard to push forwards in a more attacking role?
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You know Id love to see that happen.

The amount of times gerrard has been told to play there so Lampard can go running forward is crazy.

Lampard failed for years and years but Gerrard still never got a chance in his best position.

I remember a few months ago everyone was on about how fantastic Gerrard and Barry were as a partnership and so Lampard should be left out. Suprise, suprise the next time Lamps plays he actually bothers to put in a decent performance and all of a sudden everyone loves him again.

Capello is doing a great job, getting the big stars out of their comfort zones and making them perform with the threat of being dropped very much apparent.

I do think Gerrard is the better player overall, but without doubt I would start with Lampard at the moment. Hes playing brilliantly for Chelsea and leaving Gerrard on the bench might spur him onto to giving everything next time he gets a chance.

Put it this way, Spain just won Euro 2008 and they never played both Fabregas and Xavi. Why? Because they both play the same position.

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posted Oct 11, 2008

yer totally agree 100% could we not rotate them each game? or better perhaps give them a half each??? Id like to see owen hargreaves back in the starting team also maybe instead of barry because his workrate is second to none, and his ability to win back possession is awesome. Having hargreaves sitting in front of the defence will allow either gerrard or lampard to play their preferred more attacking style as this is what they have both had at their clubs. The luxury of having a defensive midfielder sitting in front of the back four in Essien/makelele and xabi alonso. I think if we used this system then we would be able to utilize both gerrard and lampard in the same game and release all of their ability!

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posted Oct 11, 2008

Gerrard and Lampard can play together in a 4-3-3, Gerrard can drop deep and take the game forward, put the ball into dangerous areas for Lampard and Rooney to exploit, and can also be used to bring Ashley Cole into the fray down the left.

Lampard is more of a Scholes-type midfielder who loves to make that occasional burst into the box and score, meaning he will also benefit from Heskey's physical presence.

My worry is that if we go 4-3-3, Kazakhstan could go 4-5-1 and they could throw two players on the right to mark Walcott, and another two anchor men could be deployed to block Lampard's runs and to deny Rooney the space. On the left wing, they could use the extra midfielder to block the overlaps of Cashley.

I am saying this because we are using a system whose purpose is to give Walcott and Rooney the space to run at defenders. But this is the system Arsenal used on Saturday at Sunderland, and it was easily stifled by Sunderland's ultra-defensive 4-5-1 system, where Van Persie was constantly shackled at the back, and Walcott was double-marked by Malbranque and Chimbonda, while Yorke was doing the dirty work on Fabregas and Denilson.

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posted Oct 11, 2008

I agree that they can play together in that formation, but I think it would be a bit of a risk at this stage.

Its quite a complicated way to play, and I think the main weakness of England players is their lack of game intelligence.

This is why everyone thought Gerrard was on the left wing last time Capello tried it. he just wasnt used to interchanging positions.

Its very similar to the way Chelsea play, but I would worry that after Rooney has performed so well playing behind Heskey against Croatia and also Berbatov for Utd, that putting him as a sort of left inside forward would hinder his game.

I think the bare minimum of changes would be best to get confidence up. obviously Capello knows much better than me though! Its just my opinion.

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posted Oct 11, 2008

Lets hope there is no complacency,we should pretend we are playing Croatia.

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posted Oct 11, 2008

Kazakhstan are a team in crisis, while we are on the back of a great win. With an exrta 90000 backing us, 5-0 should be the minimum. I can see a first-half goal rush, and then we will take it easy in the second half.

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posted Oct 11, 2008

Gerrard should start on the bench.

He needs to know that he is not indispensable at this level as the match in Zagreb proved.

If Capello plays Gerrard in place of either Barry or Lampard then he is just as big a coward as McLaren and Sven.

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posted Oct 11, 2008

England was rubbish tonite.They should play in the Asian qualifying zone.kazhastan would have been trounced 8 nil by Iran, Korea or Japan.And in the first 45 minutes too.

What a boring match, devoid of tactics.

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posted Oct 14, 2008

lampard failed for years?
Who has scored more goals for England? Gerrard or lampard who's goal's got England to Germany 2006?
Who was named England player of the year twice?
Any guess's?

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