Well last night was fun wasn’t it? Waste of 90 minutes of my life.
Hey, Fab, here are two changes which would make England play better:
First – take off Heskey, now whatever you think about Heskey as a player, the tactics clearly aren’t working. He doesn’t seem able to link up with Rooney (which is a major problem). But more crucially having Heskey on the picture causes England to play long ball football, not pretty, so far not successful because the gap between forwards and midfield is too great. Even if Heskey can bring the ball down there’s usually little option. The change needed is either to go for a 4-5-1 with say Gerard playing off Rooney, or keep the 4-4-2 but try playing Rooney and Defoe instead.
Second – if you play a 4-4-2 you need some width. Last night Lennon didn’t seem to want to run with the ball, and there was no one down the left. Cole and Johnson, two of the most attacking wing-backs in the world rarely crossed the half-way line in anger. So, everything was aimed through the middle, where Gerard and Lampard under perform. So rather than sticking to Gerard-Lampard-Barry, and sacrificing your width, I would play Wright-Phillips down the right, Lennon down the left and probably Gerard and Lampard in the centre, add Barry into the mix if you play a 4-5-1.
I think these two tactical observations are hardly ground-breaking… Fabio must have seen these, so it’s bizarre that he didn’t address them. I wonder if it is fear… particularly on the width side… where were Cole and Johnson? Why did Lennon not run with the ball? Who was playing left midfield?
Fabio – change it! Maybe this guy was right…
Heskey has to go, bring in Joe Cole and push Gerrard up field I reckon. Beyond that Dawson into the defence, may as well stick with James now. Not convinced by Lennon yet but best we have for now there probably.
Joe Cole would be good… but needs to push down the left… Ashley needs to support him.
I rate Dawson, but Carragher looks solid…
Carragher was about the highlight of Friday’s match. However, he picked up a second yellow card so he can’t play the next game (hence Dave’s comment).
Although I agree that your tactical points would help, tactics isn’t really the problem, fear is. Steven Gerrard tried a ridiculous pass to no one when in any normal situation he would have shot and scored. That was typical of the performance; no one would shoot unless it was from far enough away that they wouldn’t be blamed for missing (eg. Rooney and Lampard shots). Rooney was like a newly qualified supply teacher with a classroom full of inner city year 10s; no control.
The fix is to bludgeon our way through with a fortunate own goal or two, get a lucky deflection to win our second round match and get some confidence back. It’s looking difficult though.
I suppose it was unlikely for Carragher to not get suspended!
I agree with the fear factor, however there were very few moves which even penetrated the Algerian area… maybe the tactics, maybe the fear, whatever it was it prevented any creative freedom, any runs against the Algerian defence, any crosses going in to the box…
However, the big question this week is… John Piper or Football?
…I imagine he might say something like this… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPBCGMBmDHE