Lampard on the left?
by Herr Ed
Tony Cascarino presents a radical perspective on how England should organise their midfield this summer. He argues that the team should be built around England’s most important player Steven Gerrard. This is sensible enough comment, but Cascarino’s proposed method for achieving this aim is rather ill-formulated. He states that Gerrard must be positioned at the vertex of a midfield diamond, with Frank Lampard pushed to the left (Joe Cole benched).
Aren’t we sick of lopsided diamonds in England?! Joe Cole has been playing well on the left for England and must be first choice for this position. However, England are wedded to 4-4-2 and unwilling to drop their biggest stars, so there’s still a good chance Cole will be replaced on the left by a player who would rather be stationed elsewhere. But of the three midfielders mentioned above, Lampard would surely be the least comfortable on the left. As the article states, Lampard would not be a genuine left-sided midfielder, but would “lean leftwards”. So we’ve really moved on since Euro 2004 then! Instead of Scholes unhappily and anonymously leaning to the left we’ll have Lampard doing it instead. Therefore, Cascarino’s contrived midfield arrangement compromises the shape of the team and reintroduces England’s tedious ‘left-side problem’ which we thought Joe Cole had solved.
Cascarino states that it is Lampard, rather than Gerrard, who should perform the steady ’six out of ten’ role in midfield. But since when has six out of ten been the aim for any position in an international midfield? Do we really want to sacrifice the left midfield position for some misconceived centre-left hybrid? Left midfield should not be viewed as an ancillary position which merely serves to support a marauding central midfielder. The defensive midfielder is there to provide restrained solidity, so it shouldn’t also be the primary function of a left-sided player.
Cascarino believes that he is demonstrating an example of how to design the team around Gerrard, like Argentina did for Maradona and France did for Zidane. But in fact he is demolishing the team’s structure, and if Sven adopts this approach Gerrard will be playing amongst the rubble. Of course England need to accommodate the requirements of their best players, but it is imperative that this is reconciled with the overall functioning of the side. We must maximise Gerrard’s effectiveness without losing Joe Cole to the bench and consigning Lampard to some nebulous position on the centre-left midfield continuum. If England are going to play 4-4-2, let’s have a gleaming diamond in the middle of the pitch - and not some crapulent rhombus.
May 29th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
I see what you are saying, however look what Gerrard has done this season, he has motored Liverpool on all season by himself has Lampard done the same, I don´t think so. The problem with Gerrard is that he can´t put in those performances for England and you need to keep it safe and play the 4-4-2 as we haven´t had much practice at anything else and you don´t want to blow this big chance that we have.
Anyway, we will see what happens - but with the strikers at the moment I think that everyone has high hopes only to be let down again.
May 30th, 2006 at 10:30 am
I don’t know when Cascarino started thinking he was a tactical expert!
I have never been a fan of players being used out of position. As soon as you ask players to think about a new set of instructions in a tournament they lose their natural positional instinct. If you play Lampard on the left you will find him hanging back more than usual because he is unsure of his role. I doubt that Ashley Cole would feel too comfortable making runs down the flank if Lampard is the intended cover. If we haven’t got a left sided player in the squad good enough for the first team then we have to question Sven’s selection process.
May 30th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
If the England squad was not already announced I would say that Cascarino’s plan is the most stupid idea since marmite in a squeezy tube. However, in his divine wisdom, Sven decided to take one striker who is too unfit to play, another too young to play, and another too (despite having a good touch for a…) tall to play. That leaves little Mickey Owen as our only world class striker.
So, without being able to call upon any further strikers I believe that Joe Cole should be played and pushed further forward instead of Gerrard. This has the added advantage that Joe Cole’s inevitable dives* will be closer to the goal perhaps resulting in a penalty or two.
* No disclaimer. Joe Cole does dive because he is a cheat.
May 30th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
I have never known little Joe Cole to indulge in simulation.
Anyway, if England do start diving in earnest, it is about time.
May 30th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Erratum.
In place of
“This has the added advantage that Joe Cole’s inevitable dives* will be closer to the goal perhaps resulting in a penalty or two.
“* No disclaimer. Joe Cole does dive because he is a cheat. ”
Please read
“This has the added advantage that Joe Cole’s inevitable letting the referee know that contact, however slight, was made* will be closer to the goal perhaps resulting in a penalty or two.
“* No disclaimer. Joe Cole does not dive because he is not a cheat when he plays for England. “
May 31st, 2006 at 3:31 pm
I guess I mistook Joe Cole for Stevie G.
May 31st, 2006 at 3:34 pm
At least Gerrard made sure he kicked his foot out so some contact was made. An intelligent diver in the Gabriel Batistuta mould.