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Subject: World Cup footie
Farcial.
A few points.
A) WTF was Rooney doing? He knows he's the only real striker, why go off and get in Lamps and Gerrards way?
B) Why wasn't Heskey brought of earlier? Surely Capello could see Heskey was basically the lone striker?
C) Carragher? Enough said.
D) Really pity Green, still doesn't change what he did.
A few points.
A) WTF was Rooney doing? He knows he's the only real striker, why go off and get in Lamps and Gerrards way?
B) Why wasn't Heskey brought of earlier? Surely Capello could see Heskey was basically the lone striker?
C) Carragher? Enough said.
D) Really pity Green, still doesn't change what he did.
I actually think Heskey played quite well. Ok, he didn`t score a goal, but so didn`t Argentina stars yesterday. No need to be that harsh against him. For me he was a good surprise.
Green's fault is only minor in the overall scheme of things. Heskey is a fat, near-sighted has been and was simply dire! But overall...
Capello is NOT a good manager/coach. This is as simple as that. It seems as if quite a few of his choices were made under political coercion and the others are cheap populist decisions.
1. Heskey & Carragher even being in the team.
2. Lack of discipline... Rooney roaming - even though he does that at MU. FFL & Gerrard stepping on each other's toes and nerves.
3. Tactical blunders - SWP playing on the left, Milner feeling and acting out of depth, Green being,... well... 'green', the whole formation aimed to please a few die-hards.
It has come to the point that Rooney, FFL, Gerrard & Terry - mighty as they are, are held to a tie by Altidore (relegated Hull - 1 goal in 16 games) and a few other Arizona Mustangs (or some such) 'soccer' players.
Although I think Dempsey is a decent player
Thank you Capello for your brilliance!
Capello is NOT a good manager/coach. This is as simple as that. It seems as if quite a few of his choices were made under political coercion and the others are cheap populist decisions.
1. Heskey & Carragher even being in the team.
2. Lack of discipline... Rooney roaming - even though he does that at MU. FFL & Gerrard stepping on each other's toes and nerves.
3. Tactical blunders - SWP playing on the left, Milner feeling and acting out of depth, Green being,... well... 'green', the whole formation aimed to please a few die-hards.
It has come to the point that Rooney, FFL, Gerrard & Terry - mighty as they are, are held to a tie by Altidore (relegated Hull - 1 goal in 16 games) and a few other Arizona Mustangs (or some such) 'soccer' players.
Although I think Dempsey is a decent player
Thank you Capello for your brilliance!
All due respect, but I have a feeling that Capello knows football better than you.
With all due respect he still needs to prove it. I don't ;-)
We were obviously watching different matches... as poor as England sometimes were, Heskey was one of our better performers.
Though his shooting was poor (but we knew that it would be before kick off) his link-up play was good. Virtually every time that the ball got out too the flanks, was due entriely to Heskey being able to win the header or challenge and bring others in to play with a good touch.
When Crouch came on he offered a goal scoring threat, but if you watch the last 20 minutes again he didn't manage to lay the ball off or head the ball down to a single England player. His touch was always too heavy.
It's a trade-off, either England have two goal scoring threats who don't have any interplay (I think the issue is the same whichever other striker was to start with Rooney) or we lose a goal scroing threat, but get the link-up play from Heskey.
The third option is the one I'd like to see Capello take, and play Rooney as a lone striker (this forces him to stop dropping deep and is a role he's got used to at MU). This allows Gerrard to play further forward, and allows Lampard to break forward more often as Barry would bi in as a true holding mid.
But I do agree SWP was very poor - I'd go with Joe Cole. However, with Milner I think you can't judge him solely on that performance, it's been reported he'd had a bug for 3 days earlier in the week, so maybe the mistake was Capello's in letting him start.
As for Capello, he must have been awful lucky in his career then... 5 Italian titles, 2 Spanish titles, 1 CL title
Though his shooting was poor (but we knew that it would be before kick off) his link-up play was good. Virtually every time that the ball got out too the flanks, was due entriely to Heskey being able to win the header or challenge and bring others in to play with a good touch.
When Crouch came on he offered a goal scoring threat, but if you watch the last 20 minutes again he didn't manage to lay the ball off or head the ball down to a single England player. His touch was always too heavy.
It's a trade-off, either England have two goal scoring threats who don't have any interplay (I think the issue is the same whichever other striker was to start with Rooney) or we lose a goal scroing threat, but get the link-up play from Heskey.
The third option is the one I'd like to see Capello take, and play Rooney as a lone striker (this forces him to stop dropping deep and is a role he's got used to at MU). This allows Gerrard to play further forward, and allows Lampard to break forward more often as Barry would bi in as a true holding mid.
But I do agree SWP was very poor - I'd go with Joe Cole. However, with Milner I think you can't judge him solely on that performance, it's been reported he'd had a bug for 3 days earlier in the week, so maybe the mistake was Capello's in letting him start.
As for Capello, he must have been awful lucky in his career then... 5 Italian titles, 2 Spanish titles, 1 CL title
capello had a shocker last night though really. Playing someone with a bug, bringing another pacey winger on for Milner which limited Cole and Johnson, Rooney trying to play as a 3rd CM was just odd, Heskey up top worked but he had noone to work with, Green in goal? Either go with the more experienced and reliable James or the most talented Hart, bringing on Carragher, not putting Joe Cole on.
Despite all this though we had 58% of the possession and deserved the win, we looked a bit poor at dealing with crosses into the box but that we didnt let america into the box which was good, kept the ball well and created a few chances.
Despite all this though we had 58% of the possession and deserved the win, we looked a bit poor at dealing with crosses into the box but that we didnt let america into the box which was good, kept the ball well and created a few chances.
Am agree - mainly.
Except that Heskey had a blinder, brilliant holding skill and good short passing game, sadly this meant that Rooney was so often out of position drawing defenders that it was down to Heskey to shoot - not a good idea. Now I am not a fan of Heskey at all, and have often wondered whether he is of international standard, not because of his lack of skills, but because international teams have better players than most league teams.
This whole gameplan made me further question Capello's abilities as a tactician, further highlighted by the US clearly lacking in skill but were marshalled superbly and played a truly awesome offside trap that cancelled nearly anything we could muster.
I have no idea why you would ever use Rooney as a decoy for England as we just don't have the clinical finisher for him to play along side. Stupid idea.
Sadly Capello will now have to field a team that can outgun the US for the two remaining matches as I can't see either team losing again, but two 2-0 victories will still leave us in second place probably and I would rather see us play Australia than Germany in the next round.
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Except that Heskey had a blinder, brilliant holding skill and good short passing game, sadly this meant that Rooney was so often out of position drawing defenders that it was down to Heskey to shoot - not a good idea. Now I am not a fan of Heskey at all, and have often wondered whether he is of international standard, not because of his lack of skills, but because international teams have better players than most league teams.
This whole gameplan made me further question Capello's abilities as a tactician, further highlighted by the US clearly lacking in skill but were marshalled superbly and played a truly awesome offside trap that cancelled nearly anything we could muster.
I have no idea why you would ever use Rooney as a decoy for England as we just don't have the clinical finisher for him to play along side. Stupid idea.
Sadly Capello will now have to field a team that can outgun the US for the two remaining matches as I can't see either team losing again, but two 2-0 victories will still leave us in second place probably and I would rather see us play Australia than Germany in the next round.
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Well Germany are almost certainly going to top there group. I reckon England should win their next two games. After that they will need to get the best out of Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney to have a chance of making it through a couple more rounds. Most teams in the last 16 will give them an even ish game. Unlikely they'll beat Brazil, Spain or Germany if they meet.
I would like to see England vs Germany and they could meet already in 1/8 final. Would be an epic battle:)
Yesterday I started to think about useless/overpaid strikers. For some reason Heskey, who doesn`t like for many didn`t pop in my head. However Mario Gomez was the first one I could think about. I think his transfer from Stuttgard to Bayern for 30-35m € was one of the most ridiculous transfers ever.
Yesterday I started to think about useless/overpaid strikers. For some reason Heskey, who doesn`t like for many didn`t pop in my head. However Mario Gomez was the first one I could think about. I think his transfer from Stuttgard to Bayern for 30-35m € was one of the most ridiculous transfers ever.
are you sure he's pap? in the current geographic context that makes him pretty tasty
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that may be so, but it wouldn't make him any better at football.
You're wrong sir - that ball would have stuck to pap like a superglued kitten to a skateboard