Comments on: Carragher for England!

by: Jimu

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 15:41:24 +0000

I have watched several games that Carrick has been involved in this year and he is a marvellous passer of the ball both long and short; threaded, lofted or threadbare. If we have marauding midfielders and attacking fullbacks I think we require somebody with his range to pick them out and alter passages of play as seamlessly as a Surgeon mix. Carragher is also a fabulous player but at the World Cup, against top teams and systems, it would be nice to have somebody who is a genuine passer of the ball, rather than somebody who does it functionally because that what his new role needs for him to be deemed a success at it. Also Carrick did not play well against Belarus, but what good did lumping him staright out of the team in favour of somebody who is a relative novice in this area do? Against Jamaica Lampard will start. Owen will start.

It all seems about as well thought out as a Charlatans greatest hits album.

by: David Painter

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 11:40:57 +0000

Since when was a midfield required to be either focussed on wither attack or defence. I was under the impression midfields should be ready to be any thing at any time. I don’t believe in ‘total football’ but do have faith in ‘flexible football.’

by: David Painter

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:15:57 +0000

England’s superstar complex shapes much of what is written about our national team. For example, in the Guardian today Kevin McCarra provides his views on the England line-up. He notes that Owen did not play well against Hungary - so the solution is to drop Gerrard back to midfield and pair Crouch with Owen. Owen played poorly, Crouch and Gerrard played well (and both scored whilst Owen didn’t) but heaven forbid Owen should be dropped. It’s a classic case of the ‘Big Breakfast Fallacy’ - named after the early morning show which kept changing its female presenters to address falling ratings, but no one recognised it was the irksome male presenter Johnny Vaughan who was the problem.

McCarra also queries why Sven ‘reverted to’ a 4-1-3-1-1 formation against Hungary. But Sven hardly changed his usual formation! Gerrard played in Rooney’s regular position, so the only difference was that he incorporated a defensive midfielder. This is a change which addresses the fact that Lampard and Gerrard don’t gel in midfield - a problem the press has been bleating on about for two years. Who’d be an England manager?!

by: Wes Truth

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 09:54:45 +0000

Pundits for some reason think England should decide on their first XI and stick to it regardless of the opposition. Every other nation has a number of different ways of playing, formations and personnel that can play in each position with different roles.

I’d be happy to see Carrick start against Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago and Carragher against Sweden.

Personally I don’t know why everyone thinks Carrick is a great passer of the ball. Admittedly I haven’t seen all his games for Spurs but the times I have seen him play he doesn’t strike me as another Hoddle.