The england starting 11 for the 2006 world cup - The dilemmas faced
Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:06 pm4-4-2 is the only way to get the best of the important players and most of team picks itself:
GK: Robinson
RB: Gary Neville
LB: A.Cole (as long as he is able to participate in the first training session for England)
CB: Well we all know it between Terry, Campbell and Ferdinand.
Ferdinand: has had the worst season of his career and you have to question his attitude when he seems more concerned with taking crack, buying new furniture and getting up on stage at G-Unit concerts with Rooney. When he is focused he is one of the best centre backs in the world and is perfectly suited to European and International football, I think he will naturally focus when the World Cup comes along.
Campbell is a big occasion player, if he was injury free, mentally focussed and reasonably weighted, and 5/6 games under his belt he would be the first centre back on my team sheet. Since Euro 2004 he has been carrying to much weight which means that he is slow in the turn and lacks some of his old recovery pace. But when on form is the man to have at back, especially on the big occasions.
Terry is the one that has had the best season, but he had a terrible Euro 2004 and seems to choke in big match occasions. He also lacks the recovery pace of the other 2 and is very slow in the turn, this means the he is exposed by quicker and more dynamic strikers, so he drops deeper and deeper which either ruins the line and offside ploy or forces the team to drop deep and invite pressure.
But overall it’s a good situation.
Midfield:
This is the biggest problem, despite having some very good players there is no balance. Between Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick and Joe Cole, Sven needs to get 4 of them working effectively together. I see these options:
1 - Beckham Gerrard Lampard J.Cole: I’m afraid that Sven is most likely to go for this system, it means Gerrard will be restricted to a defensive role.
2 - Beckham Gerrard/Lampard Carrick J.Cole: He can sacrifice one of Gerrard or Lampard in order to have Carrick as the specialist anchor man, this system will mean that you get the best out of EITHER Lampard or Gerrard but leave one out.
3 - Beckham Lampard Carrick Gerrard: Gerrard is so good and so versatile that he could play on the left which would give him more licence to attack then if he play in the centre with Lampard.
4 - Gerrard Lampard Carrick J.Cole: Beckham has been poor for both club and country since that metatarsal injury in 2002, and in reality does not deserve a place in the starting line up. Gerrard has shown he can play excellently out on the right and he would need any time to adjust because he has been doing it all season for Liverpool, and at the same time England would get the best out of Lampard. But we know this will not happen because Beckham is Sven’s blue eyes boy.
I believe the most important thing is to get the balance right, and also England must get the best out of Gerrard if they are to give themselves a chance for success.
Strikers: Owen and Rooney pick themselves. It would have been nice if Owen had got 5/6 games under his belt, but as long as he is fit to participate in the first full training session then that is fine.
So I would go:
Robinson
Neville Ferdinand Campbell* A.Cole
Gerrard Lampard Carrick J.Cole
Owen Rooney
* If Campbell can not get himself injury free, slim and fit, mentally focused and get a few games under his belt then TERRY should come in.
If Beckham must play because of finical reasons and Sven cant bear to be with out him then:
Robinson
Neville Ferdinand Campbell* A.Cole
Beckham Gerrard Carrick J.Cole
Owen Rooney
*If Campbell can not get himself injury free, slim and fit, mentally focused and get a few games under his belt then TERRY should come in.
At the end of the day, England must play a 4-4-2 to get the best out of Rooney and Owen. The England team should be built around Rooney and Gerrard, these 2 players are the ones that will help you win the big games and beat the big team. And somewhere in the midfield a sacrifice will have to be made in order to get the balance. So far Sven has always taken the east option in his England career, anyone can take the easy option, does he get paid £5MIL a year to take the easy option, big manager make big decisions and its time Sven did, even though I know he wont.
GK: Robinson
RB: Gary Neville
LB: A.Cole (as long as he is able to participate in the first training session for England)
CB: Well we all know it between Terry, Campbell and Ferdinand.
Ferdinand: has had the worst season of his career and you have to question his attitude when he seems more concerned with taking crack, buying new furniture and getting up on stage at G-Unit concerts with Rooney. When he is focused he is one of the best centre backs in the world and is perfectly suited to European and International football, I think he will naturally focus when the World Cup comes along.
Campbell is a big occasion player, if he was injury free, mentally focussed and reasonably weighted, and 5/6 games under his belt he would be the first centre back on my team sheet. Since Euro 2004 he has been carrying to much weight which means that he is slow in the turn and lacks some of his old recovery pace. But when on form is the man to have at back, especially on the big occasions.
Terry is the one that has had the best season, but he had a terrible Euro 2004 and seems to choke in big match occasions. He also lacks the recovery pace of the other 2 and is very slow in the turn, this means the he is exposed by quicker and more dynamic strikers, so he drops deeper and deeper which either ruins the line and offside ploy or forces the team to drop deep and invite pressure.
But overall it’s a good situation.
Midfield:
This is the biggest problem, despite having some very good players there is no balance. Between Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick and Joe Cole, Sven needs to get 4 of them working effectively together. I see these options:
1 - Beckham Gerrard Lampard J.Cole: I’m afraid that Sven is most likely to go for this system, it means Gerrard will be restricted to a defensive role.
2 - Beckham Gerrard/Lampard Carrick J.Cole: He can sacrifice one of Gerrard or Lampard in order to have Carrick as the specialist anchor man, this system will mean that you get the best out of EITHER Lampard or Gerrard but leave one out.
3 - Beckham Lampard Carrick Gerrard: Gerrard is so good and so versatile that he could play on the left which would give him more licence to attack then if he play in the centre with Lampard.
4 - Gerrard Lampard Carrick J.Cole: Beckham has been poor for both club and country since that metatarsal injury in 2002, and in reality does not deserve a place in the starting line up. Gerrard has shown he can play excellently out on the right and he would need any time to adjust because he has been doing it all season for Liverpool, and at the same time England would get the best out of Lampard. But we know this will not happen because Beckham is Sven’s blue eyes boy.
I believe the most important thing is to get the balance right, and also England must get the best out of Gerrard if they are to give themselves a chance for success.
Strikers: Owen and Rooney pick themselves. It would have been nice if Owen had got 5/6 games under his belt, but as long as he is fit to participate in the first full training session then that is fine.
So I would go:
Robinson
Neville Ferdinand Campbell* A.Cole
Gerrard Lampard Carrick J.Cole
Owen Rooney
* If Campbell can not get himself injury free, slim and fit, mentally focused and get a few games under his belt then TERRY should come in.
If Beckham must play because of finical reasons and Sven cant bear to be with out him then:
Robinson
Neville Ferdinand Campbell* A.Cole
Beckham Gerrard Carrick J.Cole
Owen Rooney
*If Campbell can not get himself injury free, slim and fit, mentally focused and get a few games under his belt then TERRY should come in.
At the end of the day, England must play a 4-4-2 to get the best out of Rooney and Owen. The England team should be built around Rooney and Gerrard, these 2 players are the ones that will help you win the big games and beat the big team. And somewhere in the midfield a sacrifice will have to be made in order to get the balance. So far Sven has always taken the east option in his England career, anyone can take the easy option, does he get paid £5MIL a year to take the easy option, big manager make big decisions and its time Sven did, even though I know he wont.
Sorry. I couldn't get through that without laughing 