Sven - will the penny finally DROP now for the Swedish Slap ?

[Pavilionaire]

Can someone explain to me why Sven took SWP off and put on Crouch? I see no future in the "let's play off Crouch" tactic at all.

Does anyone else think Gerrard could do better on the left than Joe Cole?

I certainly think he'd provide better defensive cover and, again, with King mopping up, I fancy he could do real damage with some raids down the left.

 

[Gritt23]

Does anyone else think Gerrard could do better on the left than Joe Cole?

No, I think Joe Cole does well out on the left, and I like the way he drifts off the wing to come inside with the ball. I strongly disagree with the theory that the left side of midfield has to stay out wide. Look at Arsenal at their best, Pires playing left midfield would drift inside all the time. But to get away with that you need a very good left back who can get up and down the wing with tremndous energy and at times cover the whole left side on his own, giving the 'flair' left sided player license to drift inside.

If only we had a left back as good as the guy who plays behind Pires.

D-dah!

 

[enigma]

The balance was spot on tonight.

King is a quality player, and seems very comfortable in midfield. Terry Venables suggested this a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say I thought it was a good idea.

King reminded me tonight of when Desailly played in midfield for Milan, winning tackles in the midfield and allowing others to play their natural game with greater ease, witness Lampard, who looked a lot more comfortable with a natural tackler alongside him.

 

[enigma]

No, I think Joe Cole does well out on the left, and I like the way he drifts off the wing to come inside with the ball. I strongly disagree with the theory that the left side of midfield has to stay out wide. Look at Arsenal at their best, Pires playing left midfield would drift inside all the time. But to get away with that you need a very good left back who can get up and down the wing with tremndous energy and at times cover the whole left side on his own, giving the 'flair' left sided player license to drift inside.

If only we had a left back as good as the guy who plays behind Pires.

D-dah!

Agreed. I think the Coles down the left could be a decent prospect- I dont think that both left sided players must be left footed but one should as it provides more options. I t would have been great to see a left back with more attacking skill than Carragher tonight, although injuries obviously didnt allow for this.

 

[Brovion]

I agree with Easy 10! Everything he's said!

My only quibble would be that Gerrard's name is often mentioned when people talk about the 'golden generation' despite the fact he's just a 21st century Emlyn Hughes without the cheesy grin. Now it's been proved he's just a Sammy Lee I hope he takes his rightful place as a useful squad member who can come in and do a job whenh one of the 1st choice players is injured or suspended, a la Peter Crouch.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Pace, energy, balance, fluency, ideas. England were TRANSFORMED tonight, and you know why ?

Ledley King.

The fella just oozes class. So much composure on the ball, right place at the right time, always in space to receive it, anticipation to intercept and block, exquisite simplicity on the ball, and gives the whole team that balance and shape its been so desperately lacking for so long now. Rooney was superb as well, and for once we finally had a solid platform to see Cole, Rooney, SWP and Lampard at their devastating best.

It

Said like you've known it all along.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Can someone explain to me why Sven took SWP off and put on Crouch? I see no future in the "let's play off Crouch" tactic at all.

Crouch set the move going for the second goal, generally works hard and make it difficult for defenders. Thought he looked good when he came on.

 

[Simster]

Crouch set the move going for the second goal, generally works hard and make it difficult for defenders. Thought he looked good when he came on.

Agreed, but why did SWP have to make way in the first place?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Agreed, but why did SWP have to make way in the first place?

The problem I find with swp is that in a way he is a bit like Jarrett - He will beat his man get to the by line and put in a woeful cross to no one.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Agreed, but why did SWP have to make way in the first place?

Because he had become ineffective during the second half and we didn't look like scoring, something had to be done.

Crouch was there from the firast part of the move and on tthe edge of the box at the other end when Owen crossed for Lampard.

 

[Infernal Optimist]

Width,balance and tempo. All the things a blind man could see that we have lacked were there. Why, Ledley King yes, but also a right winger who played right wing and not LB,CM,LM depending on how the mood takes him.

I still think Beckham is the better option on the right, but someone has to tell him, he's not bigger than the team and if he wants to pay he has to play RM and STAY there.

rant over.

 

[Marshy]

I was very very pleased with last nights performance it really was what i was looking for from an England side.

Although i have to disagree with Easy in that i think that this performance was more down to SWP than King. Although King obviously played very well.

The natural width that SWP gave us was the major factor in this performance, having a player that actually hugged that right hand line created the space for Lampard and Rooney to operate so effectively in. I believe with Gerrard and Lampard we would have put on just as good a show maybe even better.
Also the amount of times SWP carried the ball and attacked players really made great viewing and is something we simply dont have without him in the side from that position.

Please Sven stick with SWP for a couple of games and give the lad a chance, no defender in the world likes players running at them.




SWP

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

I believe with Gerrard and Lampard we would have put on just as good a show maybe even better.

You really think so? I don't think it's a coincidence that Lampard was finally excellent when he had a holding player behind him, allowing him to attack and bomb on as he does for Chelsea (where, unsuprisingly, he has Makelele behind him). Gerrard doesn't do the same job, with the result that neither play to their potential, as they are always having to worry about the space behind them.

As far as I can see, it's Lampard or Gerrard, not both. Agreed that SWP was very good, though - he adds a lot on the right; I'd just like to see him believe in himself a bit more though - he should be running at the full-back every time he gets the ball in space.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Pace, energy, balance, fluency, ideas. England were TRANSFORMED tonight, and you know why ?

Ledley King.

The fella just oozes class. So much composure on the ball, right place at the right time, always in space to receive it, anticipation to intercept and block, exquisite simplicity on the ball, and gives the whole team that balance and shape its been so desperately lacking for so long now. Rooney was superb as well, and for once we finally had a solid platform to see Cole, Rooney, SWP and Lampard at their devastating best.

Its a change that was FORCED onto Sven. This was not the lineup he would have selected if injuries and suspensions had not come into play. But like Bobby in 86', circumstances have conspired to land him with a lineup that AT LAST looked cohesive and fluent. Poland arn't world-beaters, but they're a competant team who were given the absolute runaround tonight - something we've utterly failed to do for, well, quite some time frankly. Probably since Croatia.

So well done SVEN for finally picking a team that can play together. I hope this has, at last, lit a lightbulb in that shiney cranium of his that will tell him that Lampard/Gerrard does not and will not work. Ever. And yes, Golden Boy Beckham, captain or not, might actually have to FIGHT for his place against SWP, who brought so much pace and vibrancy down that side that it makes him difficult to discard.

The biggest factor for me tonight though was King. He was the lynchpin tonight, the hub, and the basis for that whole performance. Even if we HAD failed to win, the performance at last showed some encouraging signs from the GASH we've had over the last couple of years.

I just hope to Christ that Sven (at last) knows what to do with this squad.

What he said.......

 

[Easy 10]

Re: Re: Sven - will the penny finally DROP now for the Swedish Slap ?

Said like you've known it all along.

EVERYONES known all along that we've been crying out for a holding midfielder in the team to give us that balance. It doesn't take a genius to know that - its just taken Sven a few years to come round to it as well.

Sven was forced into trying something different in midfield last night, and whaddya know, it seems to work quite well. He picked precisely the right player for that role and deployed him perfectly last night - well done Sven, THATS what you're paid to do.

The question is, when Svens favourites are all available for selection, does he regress back to his usual team, or does he make some BIG decisions for the sake of the team ?

 

[FamilyGuy]

Because he had become ineffective during the second half and we didn't look like scoring, something had to be done.

Crouch was there from the firast part of the move and on tthe edge of the box at the other end when Owen crossed for Lampard.

Crouch was crap - always off the pace, never knew what to do, never attacked the ball, never looked like scoring.

How many times did Motson say "with Crouch the obvious target...." without any further comment when he was nowhere near the ball or in the right position

"White Carlton Palmer, he's just a white Carlton Palmer, white Carlton Palmer, he's just a white Carlton Palmer....."

 

[ryans father]

Why cant we play 3-5-1-1.

Robinson

Terry Campbell Rio

Beckham Lampard King(holding role) Gerrard Cole

Rooney

Owen

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

I still think Beckham is the better option on the right, but someone has to tell him, he's not bigger than the team and if he wants to pay he has to play RM and STAY there.

rant over.

Agree about Beckham, SWP was poor last night and for someone who has a lot of pace he made hard work of getting past the defenders.

The problem I have is that .... 'was it agreat performance by England or was it as I suspect a crap performance by Poland?"

 

[CHAPPERS]

Re: Re: Re: Sven - will the penny finally DROP now for the Swedish Slap ?

EVERYONES known all along that we've been crying out for a holding midfielder in the team to give us that balance. It doesn't take a genius to know that - its just taken Sven a few years to come round to it as well.

Sven was forced into trying something different in midfield last night, and whaddya know, it seems to work quite well. He picked precisely the right player for that role and deployed him perfectly last night - well done Sven, THATS what you're paid to do.

The question is, when Svens favourites are all available for selection, does he regress back to his usual team, or does he make some BIG decisions for the sake of the team ?

Yet suddenly YOU have identified that Ledley King is that man.

 

[Dandyman]

Pace, energy, balance, fluency, ideas. England were TRANSFORMED tonight, and you know why ?

Ledley King.

The fella just oozes class. So much composure on the ball, right place at the right time, always in space to receive it, anticipation to intercept and block, exquisite simplicity on the ball, and gives the whole team that balance and shape its been so desperately lacking for so long now. Rooney was superb as well, and for once we finally had a solid platform to see Cole, Rooney, SWP and Lampard at their devastating best.

Its a change that was FORCED onto Sven. This was not the lineup he would have selected if injuries and suspensions had not come into play. But like Bobby in 86', circumstances have conspired to land him with a lineup that AT LAST looked cohesive and fluent. Poland arn't world-beaters, but they're a competant team who were given the absolute runaround tonight - something we've utterly failed to do for, well, quite some time frankly. Probably since Croatia.

So well done SVEN for finally picking a team that can play together. I hope this has, at last, lit a lightbulb in that shiney cranium of his that will tell him that Lampard/Gerrard does not and will not work. Ever. And yes, Golden Boy Beckham, captain or not, might actually have to FIGHT for his place against SWP, who brought so much pace and vibrancy down that side that it makes him difficult to discard.

The biggest factor for me tonight though was King. He was the lynchpin tonight, the hub, and the basis for that whole performance. Even if we HAD failed to win, the performance at last showed some encouraging signs from the GASH we've had over the last couple of years.

I just hope to Christ that Sven (at last) knows what to do with this squad.

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