England v Hungary

[Spoonhead]

Is Carrick injured or what? Bit of a kick in the teeth having a centre half playing before you in your own position. If Sven wants to play Carragher he should drop Rio. Lively start, come on England!

[tony d]

Is Carrick injured or what? Bit of a kick in the teeth having a centre half playing before you in your own position. If Sven wants to play Carragher he should drop Rio. Lively start, come on England!

Not really i would play Ledley King if fit before him....

[king billy]

Thought the same myself - Carrick would surely have been the much better option - in fact i'd have probably played dogshit Hargreaves in that position before Carragher....:confused:

[Parrot]

He's probably experimenting like playing Hargreaves at RB in B game:eek:
Least if it goes Pete Tong it wont be during the World Cuptup:

[Parrot]

I'd like to see Rio played there TBH:eek: ...It would keep the dopey fecker out of the centre of defence anywaytup:

[wykie]

England look shit so far.

[Mallorcabantam]

England look shit so far.
Sure do Wykie zzz:

[king billy]

He's just brought Hargreaves on for Neville......WTF.....:confused: :rolleyes:

[king billy]

EDIT - he's playing the holding role and he's moved Carragher to right back - my mistake....tup:

[Wicker Man]

1-0 Gerrard, nice head! But Hargreeves, oh dear....

[Spoonhead]

Terry breaks his duck. Get in!

[Wicker Man]

What a goal by the Peckish! Wonder goal

[Parrot]

I agree with half of what your sayin', mate! He is ideal for the role, problem i see is who do you put at CB? Cambells a liability (most likely thinkin about bummin' Ashley)and i prefur Ferdinand to Carragher at CB!!

Campbell & Terry for metup: ...Campbell will be back to his best if Sven plays him in these freindlies, strolls through the easy group games;) then he will be 100% for the final stages;) ...just make sure him & Ashley arent room mates for the tournamentlove:

[king billy]

Aye - Campbell and Terry are the best pairing.....i wouldn't have Ferdinand anywhere near the holding role - for that position i'd have King (if fit) 1st choice, then Carrick, then Hargreaves, then Carragher - i'd even try Reo Coker before Ferdinand there!!...

GET IN - Crouchy.....tup:

[Spoonhead]

Excellent finish from Crouch. He started the move too with a neat flick to Cole. A lovely backheel minutes earlier too. The doubters must eat their words! How many times this summer will we hear the phrase "He's got good feet for a big lad!"

[king billy]

They won't admit it though, it was an excellent goal - and move, he's the type of player who won't ever let England down - it says it all about the mental state of those loons that say he's shit that a couple of em think Heskey's a good player....:eek: headtap:

[tony d]

Excellent finish from Crouch. He started the move too with a neat flick to Cole. A lovely backheel minutes earlier too. The doubters must eat their words! How many times this summer will we hear the phrase "He's got good feet for a big lad!"

My my my...He scored yes... Turn and shot ..Lucky really but still a goal and thats what matters...

I havent seen anything to make me eat my words... He did nothing till then but if he does nowt and scores in the WC i will be happy...

Dont make out he was brill prior to scoring just to make your view on him appeased...

He did his job against a crap back four....Walcott showed his pace but notthing more too..

I would of liked to of seen Theo given a starting role tonight but Sven got it right...Carragher was quite good in the holding role...Good run out...

Friendlies mean nowt though...Just getting the team to gel and tonight against an ever changing Hungarian side they got a good result...Well done the lads...

[Lofty]

My my my...He scored yes... Turn and shot ..Lucky really but still a goal and thats what matters...

Heskey would've finished that much better.....!!! jump: ;)

[tony d]

They won't admit it though, it was an excellent goal - and move, he's the type of player who won't ever let England down - it says it all about the mental state of those loons that say he's shit that a couple of em think Heskey's a good player....:eek: headtap:

Yep Heskey scored for England too..Btw save your gobbing for the time when Crouch reaches the same caps as Heskey..

Matt you are a follower...If pressed you change sharpish....Heskey wasnt shite... Dont make me laugh...He wasnt the best by a fooking long way but he was far from shite...

[king billy]

My my my...He scored yes... Turn and shot ..Lucky really but still a goal and thats what matters...

I havent seen anything to make me eat my words... He did nothing till then but if he does nowt and scores in the WC i will be happy...

Dont make out he was brill prior to scoring just to make your view on him appeased...

He did his job against a crap back four....Walcott showed his pace but notthing more too..

I would of liked to of seen Theo given a starting role tonight but Sven got it right...Carragher was quite good in the holding role...Good run out...

Friendlies mean nowt though...Just getting the team to gel and tonight against an ever changing Hungarian side they got a good result...Well done the lads...

Fookin hell mate - what a load of shite.....you know you'd actually get a bit of respect if you did the man thing and admit your wrong, he played well and he scored a good goal - your just sounding like a sulky kid mate.....:rolleyes:

Here you go - make sure you share it with your other crouchy hating mate won't you....

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/gallery/2005/09/21/gallery1.jpg

[Spoonhead]

A real man can admit a mistake Tony. Come on, do it!:D

[tony d]

Fookin hell mate - what a load of shite.....you know you'd actually get a bit of respect if you did the man thing and admit your wrong, he played well and he scored a good goal - your just sounding like a sulky kid mate.....:rolleyes:

Here you go - make sure you share it with your other crouchy hating mate won't you....

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/gallery/2005/09/21/gallery1.jpg

Matty rewatch the match without your i love Crouch glasses on and write that again...Im more than happy to eat humble pie re England and CROUCH...

You watch that game again and tell me what he did besides the goal...

Then tell me what theo did...

Both nothing much...Theo showed his pace...Crouch scored a turn and shoot goal...The ball went in the net great...Im happy the lad scored but im not gonna say he played brill because he scored...

Get real mate...

[Spoonhead]

Tony, he didn't put a foot wrong! He was a target man who won every ball. His link up play was excellent. He dropped back when we were only 2-1 up...oh and he scored a lovely goal! I had my doubts but I have seen the light! A better option then Heskey imo. He can stay on his feet at least!

[tony d]

Tony, he didn't put a foot wrong! He was a target man who won every ball. His link up play was excellent. He dropped back when we were only 2-1 up...oh and he scored a lovely goal! I had my doubts but I have seen the light! A better option then Heskey imo. He can stay on his feet at least!

I dont want Heskey to play for England ffs...

He isnt good enough at the moment... There are plenty who are though...

But whatever flicks your switch...Fact is if he turned in a great performance i would regardless of what you think gve him credit for it...

He did nothing tonight bar the goal which i have said well done for...Thats what he isnt good at and tonight he got one..Fair play..

But even though he scored im not blind enough to warrent praise where it isnt due...If you dont like that fine..

[ChuckleBantam]

Get real mate...

Oh the fucking irony!!

[Loyalish2]

I find all this, 'he did that so he's great', 'he only did that so he's sheeite', very interesting.

You see, my old mate Mr Beckham once again earned gushing praise for his ninety minute contribution of three crosses and two 'safe' fourty yard CROSSFIELD passes. I happen to think that isn't good enough. Take out the free-kicks, which any international player in the world could deliver just as well, and his sole contribution in ninety minutes was two sodding crosses. Like I said, not good enough!

Imho, with Becks in the team we're just like the Republic of Ireland used to be, or for that matter any other second rate, one dimensional team feeding on scraps from set pieces, flick-ons and knock downs.

Admittedly I didn't think he was too bad in the first-half(he certainly wasn't great either), but rather bizarrely when we upped the tempo in the second half and looked threatening he was nowhere to be seen. His disappearing act culminating yet again in a booking for a petty, dummy spitting, reckless challenge near the end of the game. Which to be honest took me by surprise, only I thought he'd been substituted.

Sod the two good crosses a game. Joe Cole's playing out of position and he continues to be our biggest threat outwide, oh to have a 'proper' player just like him playing on the other flank as well.

Over to you Chucks.

P.S. Ignoring the penalty, I haven't seen Lampard play well in an England shirt for months, and on current form I've got my doubts it will get much better during the World Cup. :(

I'm off to bed now to slash me wrists. Goodnight.

[ChuckleBantam]

Over to you Chucks

I can see a little bit of your point about Beckham, but I think your being a bit OTT. He had about as reasonable game as the others had. The booking wasn't a booking and at the end of the day he delivered two goals, which is what the game is about, getting it in the net.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about Lamps though. Till the penalty he might as well not been playing and from thenit was totally downhill. If England decide to go 4-4-2 either on the back of Rooneys return or Crouch's selection on the back of another top notch England performance tonight, I'd relegate Lampard to the bench for Carrick because Lampard can't play the "holding role" and is nowhere near the level Stevie G is. No doubt the Chelsea Azzuri will jump on that in the morning but Lampard hasn't performed for England in a half dozen games.

Yet again though the biggest disappointment of the night was Rio Ferdinand, time after time after time napping too far up the field and finding a red shirt with practically every pass and clearance. Some fucker wants to tell the twat to learn to defend. And as for the calls to play him in Midfield, we wouldn't get past the group stage giving him that kind of responsibility at least in the back four Terry can cover his mistakes for him, which he did tonight time and again. I'll guarantee you tonight that however well or poor we do in Germany, the amjority of the Goals we concede will come from Rio errors.

[Superfatbantam]

OK, my analysis:

Of the players we are concerned with, what I was most looking forward to was seeing:


Owen get the ball and run with it (which he did fleetingly)
Beckham put in a Captain's performance (which arguably he did by delivering 2 excellent crosses, but then again did not much else save for dropping deep into what should have been Carragher/Hargreaves' roles)
Ferdinand and Terry be the tower of strength we will need (Rio looked a lot better to me than he has done and Terry was solid, ball control of both is excellent and gives me confidence ion them)
Ashley Cole put in a tackle seeing as he's been out for so long (which he did after about 75 minutes, but his overlapping although not used or needed by Joe Cole was a positive)
Gerrard take the game by the scruff of the neck (which in his own words he can't do in that position as well as Rooney, but he managed to do a job)
Lampard put in a decent performance (which he didn't, but I think he didn't llike the formation, he was on his own a lot in there and felt isolated not having Stevie G alongside him, must affect your confidence if you seem to be the only one in the middle and can't get forrard)


As for the rest, Neville was steady, Joe Cole continues to impress and it is great to see someone have the confidence to run with the ball at their feet a la Brazil-style dribbling, Robinson had not a lot to do but did it effectively when called on, Campbell looked out of sorts but blame the gaffer for that bringing him on with 15 minutes to go stupid time to do this, Hargreaves didn't look up to it, Carragher was effective but too much like Batty and Wilkins of old "square-ball" masters never go forward always go sideways or backwards, Theo did alright for me for his first game glimpses of his lightning pace and Crouch went some way to making tony d think twice about his analysis of him which is no mean feat and deserves man-of-the-match for just that:D - honestly didn't do a lot but did what he is there to do, hold the ball up, provide the space, oh and score!jawdrop:

All-in-all nothing to get my heart racing in terms of us being world-beaters but a steady enough performance. If Sven only learns one thing though I want it to be that 4-1-4-1 is not the formation to use, and if faced with full-backs of such poor quality again he should bite the bullet and bang a pacey right winger on who can do more damage than a few pin-poi9nt 40-yard crosses.

Fair assessment? I doubt it. Cue the anti-Crouch brigade, bring it on!jump:

[tony d]

Just for the record again Lampard is the most potent attacking midfielder the Premiership has ever had...

When he played the forward position out of the two it was Gerard people were talking about dropping because of the clash of these two players styles...

Now the simple way around this problem is to play

3 at the back where we are more than capable of having 3 world class players and still have the backup to change it around

A holding def midfielder

this releases both Lamps and Gerard to do what they do best...

Two wingers as per and two front men...

Now whether Sven plays that or not is neither here nor there...But if he sticks with the formation used for the first half against Hungary he needs to swap and change Gerard and Lamps for the man in the pocket...

Lamps for the last two seasons minimum has outscored and out performed all the other midfielders in the prem..Thats not tony d saying that thats easily attained facts...

So to bench the best midfielder in the country and one of the best in the world for a player who is around his same level is madness.. But hey thats not unknown on here is it...