Charles N'Zogbia - England

[Trigger]

Considering England's failings to find many decent left wingers over the years would you be unhappy with Capello if he picked Charles N'Zogbia in the England squad for the World Cup?...

Gotta be better than Downing, surely...



(Can also play Left Back in the absence of Bridge)

 

[The Wizard]

No way, Young/Cole/Walcott/Lennon are better than him and can play LM...

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

All those players you named are right footed!

 

[Silent Bob]

No way, Young/Cole/Walcott/Lennon are better than him and can play LM...

Tottenham played Lennon on the left and destroyed his form for two years, and Walcott can barely play on the right at the moment.

 

[Mellotron]

We've got a ridiculous amount of competition for midfield spots for the plane to South Africa as it is. So he won't.

Milner
Young
Downing
Joe Cole
Barry
Lampard
Gerrard
Lennon
Walcott
Beckham
Carrick

While YES there is a lack of left footed midfielders, I don't think shoe-horning in a player weaker than ALL of those put above purely due to which foot they use would be a very wise choice.

 

[Brighton M]

Etherington?

 

[The Wizard]

All those players you named are right footed!

All except Lennon are used to playing there though...especially Joe Cole..

 

[Mellotron]

Gerrard is currently working fine playing narrow left midfield for England, linking up excellently with Rooney.
Next in line is Joe Cole, who I wish we had space for in the starting eleven but at present, don't quite.
Next then is James Milner who has been in excellent form all season.
Then Ashley Young who is comfortable on either wing and is the best crosser of a ball we have.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

I would rather we had a Giggs style left winger who can beat a man and cross the ball in first time.

Joe Cole is a centre midfielder by trade, and a good one at that.

 

[Mendoza]

Adam Johnson? Is he any good?

 

[Mellotron]

I would rather we had a Giggs style left winger who can beat a man and cross the ball in first time.

Joe Cole is a centre midfielder by trade, and a good one at that.

I like that we have different options on each of the wings.

For me should be either Lennon or Young on the right, using pace to get to the byline and cross the ball in first time, as you suggest.

Then Gerrard or Cole on the other side, tucking in and linking excellently with Rooney, as has been happening.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And it couldn't be LESS broke at the moment.

 

[The Wizard]

Adam Johnson? Is he any good?

Class player for the future, probably to late for him to get in the WC squad though.

 

[sten_super]

No way will N'Zogbia go. Johnson is an outside chance if Capello wants an out-and-out winger, although I suspect Downing is a more likely choice in the case. Given that Lampard and Barry seem to have the centre mid spots nailed down it looks likely that Gerrard will start on the left; you then only need probably one person to cover him, which is probably Joe Cole. Given that Milner is also likely to be in the squad and I don't really see where there's space for anyone else.

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Overall i think i would prefer an Englishman

 

[sten_super]

My likely WC squad:

GK:
James
Robinson
Hart

CB:
Ferdinand (c)
Terry
Upson

RB:
Johnson
Brown

LB:
Cole
Bridge? (Warnock if not)

RM:
Lennon
Beckham

LM:
Gerrard
Cole
Milner

CM:
Barry
Lampard
Carrick

CF:
Rooney
Heskey
Defoe
Crouch

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

I like that we have different options on each of the wings.

For me should be either Lennon or Young on the right, using pace to get to the byline and cross the ball in first time, as you suggest.

Then Gerrard or Cole on the other side, tucking in and linking excellently with Rooney, as has been happening.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And it couldn't be LESS broke at the moment.

Yeah it's working at the mo but any team worth their salt will know to simply attack down our right where there's no one about and pile pressure on the already defensively suspect Cashley Cole.

It would be nice if we at least tried someone discplined enough to stick to the left sideline.

 

[sam86]

Current England formation = Current Brighton formation

 

[Mellotron]

Yeah it's working at the mo but any team worth their salt will know to simply attack down our right where there's no one about and pile pressure on the already defensively suspect Cashley Cole.

It would be nice if we at least tried someone discplined enough to stick to the left sideline.

This is the same Ashley Cole who is looking like possibly the best full back in the ENTIRE world on current form?

Why?! We completely outplayed Holland (we did, performance wise) and Germany using the current system. We don't have a natural left winger good enough.

 

[Mellotron]

Current England formation = Current Brighton formation

So...

Dicker = Gerrard
Dickinson = Heskey
Murray = Rooney

All sounds about right, actually.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

This is the same Ashley Cole who is looking like possibly the best full back in the ENTIRE world on current form?

Why?! We completely outplayed Holland (we did, performance wise) and Germany using the current system. We don't have a natural left winger good enough.

Fair enough, opinions and all that... but mine is that Cashley is nowhere near the world's best left back. See his performance in the Ukraine game for pretty damning proof of that.

It's also worth noting that every time under Fabio we've come up against a decent team (the Germany game you mentioned being the exception), we've failed to win. France, Spain, Holland and Brazil. It would be foolish and naive to suggest there's not still a lot of work to be done in finding the right team and formation or that we're ready to complete with the Spains and Brazils just yet.