Bolton Wanderers Forum The-Wanderer.co.uk

I was in Lisbon to watch the England France game in the last euro championships. Why was this significant? Because all of the worst mistakes in selection that have plagued England over the years were made in that game. Erickson had four fine attacking midfielders. He should have chosen one. Instead he played all four across the midfield. Scholes, Lampard,Gerard,Beckham. Both Scholes and Beckham did not hold station and wandered inside where Lampard and Gerard were already standing on each others toes. Result? The midfield collapsed. They were pushed back and forced to play long balls to guess who? Rooney and Owen. The two midgets never even got near them...

England's one good performance was against Poland when Ericksonn was forced through suspension and injury to make the changes he would not make by choice. Gerard was injured and Beckham was suspended. England played with a real winger (SWP) and Ledley King as a holding midfielder. They won and were excellent. But when Beckham and Gerard were fit again guess what happenned......

Now go to the Russia game. Once again through injury Mclaren is forced to make changes he would not otherwise have made. We had AT LAST a target man for owen to play with, the Lampard and Gerrard "partnership" was broken up and we played with one winger (SWP again) and we looked excellent.

Tomorrow will be a repeat a FRance England in Euro 2004 as none of the lessons of the past have been learnt. England will play with Lampard and Gerrard in the centre behind owen and rooney and they will loose.

Here is what is required. English football is about getting the ball in the box. For that you need proper wingers who can make the byeline and cross. Neither Beckam or Cole ever did this because Beckham couldn't beat the left back and Cole always comes inside onto his right foot. You also need a target man for either owen or rooney (be it Heskey,Crouch or dare I say it SKD) and lastly you need a holding midfielder to allow either Lampard or Gerrard to get forward.

Tommorow it will be either 2-1 or 1-0 to Russia. We will try to pass through them, but be unable to break them down. We won't play with any width and we'll end up hitting long balls towards two midgets and get caught out because we won't have a midfielder protecting our back four.

Its so obvious it's depressing.

Doesn't matter, you'll still qualify.

I thought it was nailed on that Barry would keep his place?

Barry will play and the team will be:

Fatty

Richards, Terry, turtle face, Commander Wharf

Barry
Lampard, Gerrard

Shrek, showpony Cole
Owen

Throughout training yesterday, England lined up 4-4-2, as per Saturday but with Terry and Lescott repalcing Bonkers Sol and Asher-C respectively.

I'd add that there's not much point lumping the ball high into the box, from wide or deep, if your strike partnership is Rooney and Owen.

Why does Shorey not get the LB slot

Are we woried he's actually a better player than Cashley?

Is Bridge injured?

Recovering from an ankle injury is Bridge

boltonboris wrote:Recovering from an ankle injury is Bridge

Thanks Yoda.

Perhaps one day a Jedi I will make?

boltonboris wrote:Barry will play and the team will be:

Fatty

Richards, Terry, turtle face, Commander Wharf

Barry
Lampard, Gerrard

Shrek, showpony Cole
Owen

Quality.

CAPSLOCK wrote:Why does Shorey not get the LB slot

I can only think the veer toward Lescott (who played there for much of last season, although I don't see Pedersen playing left-back for Denmark...) is a Mourinho-style preference for a tall centre-back playing as a primarily defensive left-back, one who won't fly foolishly forward and will also help add height at defensive set-pieces. Course, you could say Micah Richards isn't exactly Kenny Sansom-size. (For that, he'd need a season ticket at Greenhalgh's.)

superjohnmcginlay wrote:

boltonboris wrote:Barry will play and the team will be:

Fatty

Richards, Terry, turtle face, Commander Wharf

Barry
Lampard, Gerrard

Shrek, showpony Cole
Owen

Quality.

cept it's Worf

communistworkethic wrote:

superjohnmcginlay wrote:

boltonboris wrote:Barry will play and the team will be:

Fatty

Richards, Terry, turtle face, Commander Wharf

Barry
Lampard, Gerrard

Shrek, showpony Cole
Owen

Quality.

cept it's Worf

Dreadfully sorry

I would have played super Kevin Davies alongside Owen tomorrow. He's the nearest thing to Heskey as Crouch is not actually that good a target man. The press would have howled with derision, and Owen would have had a field day with Davies' flick ons.

Is there any other nation (barring the pygmies) who play with two midgets up front? Its like Scotland starting with ARchie Gemmell and Jimmy Crankie...

ARchie Gemmell and Jimmy Crankie...[/quote]

Quality

It just seems so easy to select the right side, it's unbelievable that he's going to get it wrong again.

Why would you start Lescott at left-back. It's not his best position (he's been outstanding at centre half), it's not his favoured position, and we have a solid full back in Shorey who I imagine would absolutely die for the chance to come in and stake a claim. Lescott looked nervous enough against estonia; I can't imagine his nerves if he's playing out of position in such an important game.

McClaren's poor judgement was evident in the Estonia game. When he had reshuffled the back 4 after injuries and substitutions, he was left with this as the back line

Neville (RB)---- Richards (CB) ----Campbell (CB) ------ Lescott (LB)

Shirly the correct arrangement of that group of players is:

Richards (RB)---- Campbell (CB) ----Lescott (CB) ------ Neville (LB)

I can't imagine he was experimenting in a Euro qualifier.

If he plays Lampard instead of Barry, in midfield, I'll fecking cry. Or, if he plays Barry at Left back, just to fit him in, I'll laugh then cry....

If Lampard plays, he's got to score, or at least set-up the winner. He's got to have the game of his life in the England shirt to get back in the good graces of most England fans. To me, it just seems bizarre to change a winning team, unless he was planning a more defensive formation for the away game.

I rate Lescott, but Arshavin will go out to the right flank and give him a torrid time

CAPSLOCK wrote:Why does Shorey not get the LB slot

Are we woried he's actually a better player than Cashley?

Is Bridge injured?

Shorey plays for the wrong kind of team. Decent enough for friendlies but not when it comes to the biggies.

Dunno what it is with england, just cant seem to get the right mix etc .Maybe if the media gave you lot a break you might actually start playing a bit.

Edit = I hope russia pump you's tmrw. GIRUY

scottishlad wrote:Dunno what it is with england, just cant seem to get the right mix etc .Maybe if the media gave you lot a break you might actually start playing a bit.

Edit = I hope russia pump you's tmrw. GIRUY

Why thank you kind sir! And GIRUY too.

Looking forward to getting in from work and sticking on BBC 2 to watch the Scots.

England on MOTD later.