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

[CHAPPERS]

King is a footballer. He'll do as he's TOLD, and like it.

That comes from being black though innit. Slavery is in the blood.

 

[Easy 10]

Well, I wasn't going to say, but...

 

[Marshy]

hehe everyone still argues even when we play well....

 

[Uncle Buck]

King is a footballer. He'll do as he's TOLD, and like it.

I'm not saying other options shouldn't be explored, but at the moment I think King has made that position his own and should be considered first choice.

How can you make a position your own after one game?

 

[Easy 10]

By playing bloody well.

 

[Marshy]

Will Sven take on board what he learnt from last night or will he revert back to the old routine.....thats the question

 

[LDH]

It was a lot better last night but my complaint would be the 10 or 15 mins when we turned really defensive and sat back in our half going from having virtually all the posession and looking comfortable to letting them come at us.

The swede needs to learn that sitting on a one nil lead isn't always a good idea (see France and Portugal games in the euros).

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

It just proves that for a team to function properly, you have GOT to have a holding midfielder. King was superb. On an Albion level, look what happens when Chippy is not in the side. All right, the Albion are nowhere near the England level, but the Chippy-Hammond combination was working well until Chippy got his foot injury. As another example, look at the season when we nearly reached the old First Division. We had Wilkins and Codner in midfield and both were attackers. We had no ball-winner and far too often used to concede goals when we should have seen sides off.

 

[Easy 10]

It was a lot better last night but my complaint would be the 10 or 15 mins when we turned really defensive and sat back in our half going from having virtually all the posession and looking comfortable to letting them come at us.

The swede needs to learn that sitting on a one nil lead isn't always a good idea (see France and Portugal games in the euros).

Its rare at International level (any level in fact) that you have complete control of a game for 90 minutes - the other team will ALWAYS have a spell at some point. I don't think thats because of England deliberately dropping back (after all, we only actually had the lead for a total of about 8 minutes in the match). Poland had some brief spells of pressure, but by and large we ran the show.

I'd agree though that in the past, we have been guilty of grabbing a goal and then trying to sit on it for the rest of the game.

 

[LDH]

I also had a fiver on 3-1 with owen scoring first (40/1) so our reluctance to attack at the end was particularly frustrating for me..

 

[Easy 10]

I had a quid on Lampard 2-0 on Saturday (30/1) so I know exactly how you feel.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

King was oustanding again but Carrick would do that job even better.

All the critisism of Crouch is unfair too, we scored the winner after we came on and that was no coincidence.

 

[LDH]

King was oustanding again but Carrick would do that job even better.

All the critisism of Crouch is unfair too, we scored the winner after we came on and that was no coincidence.

yeah, it was. I thought he was less awful yesterday than saturday but still isn't good enough to be the third choice striker.

 

[Pevenseagull]

I couldn't disagree more.
Theres no problem with Ledleys pace (he's certainly no slower than Gerrard), and Ledleys far less prone to playing the "hollywood balls" that Beckham and Gerrard look to play from that position.

Ledley does EXACTLY what you need from a player in front of the back 4. He finds space, made himself available, plays it nice and simple, and gives the ball simply to the offensive players who can go and do some damage.

In time, he could become Englands Dunga. Just the unglamerous guy that enables everyone else to play. He's that good.

every team needs one

qv Dieter Eilts for Germany in the early/mid 90s - massive contribution

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

SWP - it was inevitable he was going to be subbed. Sven lets him captain know his place is not under threat.

Terry - is he as good as everyone reports - he was on his arse a lot last night.

Substitutions - what was that all about - it's not a friendly - confusion reigned towards the end.

Crouch - if he is the answer - we are asking the wrong question. And whu bring him on for a winger ? Bizarre.

Sven - I liked his attempts at emotion last night. That part of his make-up does not worry me - but it was amusing to watch.

Rooney - Genius.

 

[Easy 10]

every team needs one

If it genuinely hadn't ever occurred to Sven, you'd have thought Steve McLaren might have mentioned something to him about it, wouldn't you ? Something along the lines of "yes Sven, Becks, Lampard and Gerrard are all great players, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to sacrifice one of them and play someone behind them a little less glamarous, just for the shape of the team..."

But no, given the choice, Sven would still rather play Beckham in the holding role instead, just so he can have all his shiney superstars in the team still.

Frightening, when you think about it.

 

[CHAPPERS]

SWP - it was inevitable he was going to be subbed. Sven lets him captain know his place is not under threat.

.

Eriksson said: "It was the right decision to substitute him, he got a knock in the first half and was not 100% fit. ''

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Eriksson said: "It was the right decision to substitute him, he got a knock in the first half and was not 100% fit. ''

That could be one reason. I suspect he was more thinking of the message to his captain. But I might be wrong.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

But no, given the choice, Sven would still rather play Beckham in the holding role instead, just so he can have all his shiney superstars in the team still.

Well that is an oft quoted method - you choose your best players and choose a formation and style of play to suit.

It is just the last part of the equation that Sven can't figure.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Easy, could you please put up your preferred team and formation with everyone fit? Just interested like....