Well, thanks Sven.

[Dave the OAP]

I would like to thak Sven for giving me the best feeling watching a football game beating Germany in Germany 5-1 - still probably the best performance I have seen an England team produce in the 40 odd years I have been watching football.

I would like to thank him for introducing players to the squad who I would have thought other managers would have overlooked - Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole and Peter Crouch.

I would like to thank him for sticking by Beckham these last 4 or 5 years.

I would like to thank him for getting us to the last few world cups and also european championships.

On the negative side I will not miss the media circus he encouraged with his behavior and his propensity to fall into situations ( set up by the tabliods mostly) that was unbecoming to an England manager.

I will not miss the apparent inability to make up his mind how he wanted the team to play, which I am sure had an effect on players whome we are led to believe are like sheep and cannot work out how to adapt to something they are not used to.

On the neutral side, I have always been amazed that our players are not capable of bringing their excellent club form to the international stage and in that respect, I think Sven was always on a loser and McLaren and whoever follows him will have that millstone around his neck.

 

[Easy 10]

So even from what you have said there, he has taken us forward, so I am right in saying just not as far forward as he should have done with the players he had at his disposal.

The problems under Sven started to become apparent during that 2002 tournament (the lack of a 2nd half performance, the persistance with his favourites even when injured, the inability to make effective tactical changes and substitutions, etc etc), and these problems continued to manifest themselves over the following 4 years. So no, I don't think Sven has taken us forward at all. Despite the emergence of some first class players, and all that experience they've gained through three tournaments and numerous qualifiers, as a team we are no further forward than when he took over. They've learned absolutely nothing from Sven. As I say, despite the emergence of some terrific players over the last few years, we've totally stagnated as a team.

 

[keaton]

i don't think Sven's been an incredible success, i think he has moved us in the right direction though and we're are ignoring a lot of his achievements.
I'd also argue that the squad is not better than our 1990 or 1996 squads. The back four's better, but we don't have as good a keeper. They had Linekar and Shearer two of the best strikers in the World Cup, better than Owen who was injured and out of sorts anyway. I'd pick Beardsley over Rooney and Sheringham not that far behind him. The midfield for all three squads contain a simialiar amount of talent if you strip away the hype concerning Lampard and Gerrard

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

" Mark McGhee is a better football manager than Sven Goran Eriksson. "

Uncle Spielberg
4/7/06

 

[Uncle Buck]

The problems under Sven started to become apparent during that 2002 tournament (the lack of a 2nd half performance, the persistance with his favourites even when injured, the inability to make effective tactical changes and substitutions, etc etc), and these problems continued to manifest themselves over the following 4 years. So no, I don't think Sven has taken us forward at all. Despite the emergence of some first class players, and all that experience they've gained through three tournaments and numerous qualifiers, as a team we are no further forward than when he took over. They've learned absolutely nothing from Sven. As I say, despite the emergence of some terrific players over the last few years, we've totally stagnated as a team.

But then the facts are the team is in a better state than post Keegan, its ranking has risen and it is generally a seed for tournaments.

However I think the underlying problem is he did not take this group of players on as far as they should have, so he will be viewed a failure.

 

[Uncle Buck]

" Mark McGhee is a better football manager than Sven Goran Eriksson. "

Uncle Spielberg
4/7/06

Go and take your medication, there's a good head mental.

 

[Easy 10]

But then the facts are the team is in a better state than post Keegan, its ranking has risen and it is generally a seed for tournaments.

However I think the underlying problem is he did not take this group of players on as far as they should have, so he will be viewed a failure.

If the team are in a better state than post-Keegan, its because the likes of Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and John Terry have further matured and/or come into the fold.

Agree with your second point. I just say it more swearily, usually.

 

[Uncle Buck]

If the team are in a better state than post-Keegan, its because the likes of Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and John Terry have further matured and/or come into the fold.

Agree with your second point. I just say it more swearily, usually.

Well the only one of those that played under Keegan was Gerrard. Sven has been lucky to have this crop of players and in the last 2 tournaments the frustration has been that he has not taken them to the next level. However to his credit he has introduced these players and phased out those post it such as Butt and Southgate, where as previous managers had a habit of sticking with these sort of players for too long.

Before you say Campbell was past it, if King and Woodgate had been fit, would he have gone?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

" Mark McGhee is a better football manager than Sven Goran Eriksson. "

Uncle Spielberg
4/7/06

Hmmmm

 

[Easy 10]

Before you say Campbell was past it, if King and Woodgate had been fit, would he have gone?

Good question.
King would certainly have gone if fit, not so sure about Woodgate as he's been out of the England fold for too long to bring back for a World Cup. But yes, I think Sven would still have taken Campbell AND King, and maybe left someone like Jenas out instead.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

King was back before Rooney I believe.

Its time to play players on form rather than past glorys.

 

[Uncle Buck]

King was back before Rooney I believe.

Its time to play players on form rather than past glorys.

But picking form players too much leads to your Kevin Phillips and Michael Gray's being picked.

I have no problem with essentially having the core of a settled squad, it is just then how you use it.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

But picking form players too much leads to your Kevin Phillips and Michael Gray's being picked.

I have no problem with essentially having the core of a settled squad, it is just then how you use it.

Would you carry on playing Lampard, Gerrard and Beckham?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Would you carry on playing Lampard, Gerrard and Beckham?

My views on Lampard are pretty clear.

Not sure Beckham will be fit for the start of the season.

I would like to see a midfield along the lines of Cole, Hargreaves, Gerrard and Lennon given a go.

However I think McLaren will start with Cole, Hargreaves, Lampard and Gerrard.

 

[keaton]

I'm not entirely certain why people are obsessed with Lennon. He's got a lot of pace and does scare defenders, but he's can't pass, cross or shoot, provides no cover for his full back, has a poor work rate and has to be given the ball rather than getting it for himself. I think Beckham's been overly criticised this world cup,
he's not been at his best , but has made or scored nearly all our goals and done a lot of good defensive work.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I'm not entirely certain why people are obsessed with Lennon.

Because he's really good, and going to be around for 10 years. Next.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I'm not entirely certain why people are obsessed with Lennon. He's got a lot of pace and does scare defenders, but he's can't pass, cross or shoot, provides no cover for his full back, has a poor work rate and has to be given the ball rather than getting it for himself. I think Beckham's been overly criticised this world cup,
he's not been at his best , but has made or scored nearly all our goals and done a lot of good defensive work.

Beckham did look like he was struggling this World Cup at times, but still nobody gets near him when it comes to delivery.

I think McLaren will stick Gerrard on the right to start with and play Hargreaves and Lampard in the middle, as Beckham is likely to be out until some point in August.

 

[London Calling]

Is Uncle B and Easy startting to concur here?

In terms of quality performances, this is the worst I can remember. Not one side has performed with constant quality over the tournament.

I actually wonder if the players are suffering from physical and mental fatigue.

Looking at England, on Saturday Gerrard has played exactly for one year without a break. How many weeks has he not played football over the last four years.
On Saturday that was Lampard's 58th game in a year.

These are meant to be prime athletics, but their club sides treat them like mules.

For other English based players it must be the same.

Three players stood out for me in England's last performance.

A Cole he was fast and furious - his season was just beginning.
Lennon : Fast. Only a few games last year.
Hargreaves. Absolutely everywhere. German based player?

The others?

Across Europe I believe we may have a similar problem. I would imagine a huge majority of players in the World Cup also played in the Champions League and the UEFA cup. Could this explain why - despite the hype - that Brazil (with now a European based side) never really performed. Is FIFA, UEFA, the English FA and associated Clubs bleeding the players and our national sides dry.

 

[London Calling]

My views on Lampard are pretty clear.

Not sure Beckham will be fit for the start of the season.

I would like to see a midfield along the lines of Cole, Hargreaves, Gerrard and Lennon given a go.

However I think McLaren will start with Cole, Hargreaves, Lampard and Gerrard.

Agree.

This system allows the manager to exploit our full bed of talent.

If Cole doesn't perform on comes Downing as he surely will.

If Lampard is needed for more bite up front he could replace Gerrard or Hargreaves.

Beckham could also be an option - lets not forget the man is as experienced as any intenational in the world.

Others On the subs bench could be Carragher to replace any defender. And well I am struggling on international class forwards - in the present team or just out there!

This to me is our weakness. Above we refer to Shearer and Sheringham, Linekar and Beardsley.

We just have Rooney - who is still a bit of a live wire. His card will be marked for many years to come.

LC

 

[Uncle Buck]

Agree.

This system allows the manager to exploit our full bed of talent.

If Cole doesn't perform on comes Downing as he surely will.

If Lampard is needed for more bite up front he could replace Gerrard or Hargreaves.

Beckham could also be an option - lets not forget the man is as experienced as any intenational in the world.

Others On the subs bench could be Carragher to replace any defender. And well I am struggling on international class forwards - in the present team or just out there!

This to me is our weakness. Above we refer to Shearer and Sheringham, Linekar and Beardsley.

We just have Rooney - who is still a bit of a live wire. His card will be marked for many years to come.

LC

At present a lot depends on how Owen comes back. If he is not robbed of pace he will still be an asset, a goal every other game at international level is good by anyones standards. It then comes back to what else is there. Ashton will probably be looked at, but like Rooney he likes to come deep, so the chances are in the short term, they will have to look at Defoe, again.