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I'm glad Bridge is starting at left midfield, he deserves a run in the team. It was also pleasing to see it wasn't him that lost his place in the team once Gerrard was passed fit, as Wright-Phillips had been expected to play.
Alan Smith's been on form so I shall expect a lot from him, although I would like to see him partner Defoe at some point.
And if Beckham plays like a Donkey again tonight... then... I'll...I'll... well I dunno what I'll do but I'll be disappointed.
I shall now go and eat, before sitting and watching Joe Cole cry on the bench all evening.
Alan Smith's been on form so I shall expect a lot from him, although I would like to see him partner Defoe at some point.
And if Beckham plays like a Donkey again tonight... then... I'll...I'll... well I dunno what I'll do but I'll be disappointed.
I shall now go and eat, before sitting and watching Joe Cole cry on the bench all evening.
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Pah! You know nothing!
I've admired Alan Smith since shortly before he made his goal-scoring England debut! :I
The fact that Jermain Defoe IS Michael Owen was one of my main problems with seeing the two upfront together, yes. I'd much rather have seen an Emile Heskey or even Wayne Rooney come on, if "Smith" had to go.
But, one strike of the post as he's suddenly sweeter than sugar?
I don't think so.
It was a brilliantly-taken goal against Poland also - one Glenn Hoddle has descried as "Romario-like", even - but, unlike the media, let's not get to carried away with this young Spurs striker here...
I've admired Alan Smith since shortly before he made his goal-scoring England debut! :I
The fact that Jermain Defoe IS Michael Owen was one of my main problems with seeing the two upfront together, yes. I'd much rather have seen an Emile Heskey or even Wayne Rooney come on, if "Smith" had to go.
But, one strike of the post as he's suddenly sweeter than sugar?
I don't think so.
It was a brilliantly-taken goal against Poland also - one Glenn Hoddle has descried as "Romario-like", even - but, unlike the media, let's not get to carried away with this young Spurs striker here...
What did I tell you, Sols?
heh i wish beckham was out and owen, combined with butt's injury, if that happened we would be in danger of field ing our best line up in years
Heh, how time flies.
Ashman wrote:
> but he was rightly subbed last night.
Twas on saturday. But I agree... it seems like only yesterday....
> but he was rightly subbed last night.
Twas on saturday. But I agree... it seems like only yesterday....
Solskjær wrote:
> I can't understand why Alan Smith went off, either. I know he didn't
> score, and barely had a strike on goal, but, aside from that, he was
> having a fine game. Holding the ball well. Working to win it back. He
> was even first head to the ball when Austria's corners came in! Yet,
> when Jermaine Defoe came on, again, all that was lost...
I agree with most of your post, but completely disagree with this particular part. Okay, so maybe its influenced by your new found love for Smith being a Man Yoo fan, but he was rightly subbed last night. The only thing I can say is that it should've been earlier!
He didn't hold the ball up well enough in the second half, he missed a sitter, and when the ball came to him he never really looked like doing a hell of a lot. Defoe comes on, and all was lost? Need I remind you of his superb strike from outside the box that struck the post? Defoe was great, pacey and didn't lose the ball unnecessarily. Its just a shame he's the same player as Owen.
> I can't understand why Alan Smith went off, either. I know he didn't
> score, and barely had a strike on goal, but, aside from that, he was
> having a fine game. Holding the ball well. Working to win it back. He
> was even first head to the ball when Austria's corners came in! Yet,
> when Jermaine Defoe came on, again, all that was lost...
I agree with most of your post, but completely disagree with this particular part. Okay, so maybe its influenced by your new found love for Smith being a Man Yoo fan, but he was rightly subbed last night. The only thing I can say is that it should've been earlier!
He didn't hold the ball up well enough in the second half, he missed a sitter, and when the ball came to him he never really looked like doing a hell of a lot. Defoe comes on, and all was lost? Need I remind you of his superb strike from outside the box that struck the post? Defoe was great, pacey and didn't lose the ball unnecessarily. Its just a shame he's the same player as Owen.
Had Nicky Butt and Wayne Rooney been fit, I have no doubt we'd have seen the exact same team the beat the Ukraine - and, perhaps, it would've suited us better...?
I was very pleased to see Wayne Bridge handed a chance on the left-side of midfield, but, with the way we tend to play under Eriksson, I just don't feel we benefited from it, and Bridge went quite un-noticed for most of the game.
Bringing on Joe Cole was a good substitution, but, if Eriksson really wants to change the formation like that, he's got to give the midfield more discipline, to keep people like Beckham and Lampard in their places; free from roaming wherever the heck they feel like going.
Once again, we had a match in which David Beckham clearly should've been substituted. Not Steven Gerrard - once again, he was our best player. Any talk of injuries or strains is rubbish - he even said, himself, after the match, that there must have been a misunderstanding in communication. If he was deemed fit enough to start the game (and even I had doubts about that late-morning "test"...), he could've lasted the full 90 minutes.
Jamie Carragher may be 'versitile', but he is NOT a midfield player!
When we lost Steven Gerrard - without replacing him - we lost half our spirit. That particular substitution reminds me of when Kevin Keegan opted for Gareth Southgate in place of Paul Scholes.
I can't understand why Alan Smith went off, either. I know he didn't score, and barely had a strike on goal, but, aside from that, he was having a fine game. Holding the ball well. Working to win it back. He was even first head to the ball when Austria's corners came in! Yet, when Jermaine Defoe came on, again, all that was lost...
Now, we had young prima-dona who was "too good to pass the ball". I've previously thought Joe Cole was a bit of a "ball-hog", but he DID release it in the game, and at least he has the skill to keep hold of the thing. Not like Defoe, the striker. A goal-scorer, like Michael Owen (is it just me or, physically, is Owen's head getting bigger?)
Credit is due to Alex Manninger. I always had respect for his talent when he was at Highbury, and for his first international in nearly two-years, I thought he did exceptionally well. This is a man who's career was under great threat after several years of ups-and-manydowns in Serie A. Yet, he's proven he's still the same as he ever was with Arsenal.
That was a certain handball, and yes, he should've walked for it. But, like Sky did, you could also argue Michael Owen should've done better. :I
As for the "passback" argument, I'm with Andy Gray on it - not like Teddy Sheringham, as, I presume, 98% of the population are. To be an intentional pass-back, surely, the ball has to travel BACK to Alex Manninger? If you look at what the defender did when he heard that "whistle", he simply nudged it across his own box, and the other defender was about to hoof it clear. However, Manninger realised that noise was not of the referee's doing and his instant reaction was to get the ball first, before England could pounce on an easy goal (which, in a way, they did, anyway...).
Why did he do this? Because, quite simply, the ball was not 'intentional' for him to collect. It was a knee-jerk reaction. Just like how Eriksson changed his starting eleven for this game, there was absolutely nothing intentional about it. It was something he had to do. So, he did it. Because he HAD to.
Just don't mention David James to me for the rest of the year, okay?
I was very pleased to see Wayne Bridge handed a chance on the left-side of midfield, but, with the way we tend to play under Eriksson, I just don't feel we benefited from it, and Bridge went quite un-noticed for most of the game.
Bringing on Joe Cole was a good substitution, but, if Eriksson really wants to change the formation like that, he's got to give the midfield more discipline, to keep people like Beckham and Lampard in their places; free from roaming wherever the heck they feel like going.
Once again, we had a match in which David Beckham clearly should've been substituted. Not Steven Gerrard - once again, he was our best player. Any talk of injuries or strains is rubbish - he even said, himself, after the match, that there must have been a misunderstanding in communication. If he was deemed fit enough to start the game (and even I had doubts about that late-morning "test"...), he could've lasted the full 90 minutes.
Jamie Carragher may be 'versitile', but he is NOT a midfield player!
When we lost Steven Gerrard - without replacing him - we lost half our spirit. That particular substitution reminds me of when Kevin Keegan opted for Gareth Southgate in place of Paul Scholes.
I can't understand why Alan Smith went off, either. I know he didn't score, and barely had a strike on goal, but, aside from that, he was having a fine game. Holding the ball well. Working to win it back. He was even first head to the ball when Austria's corners came in! Yet, when Jermaine Defoe came on, again, all that was lost...
Now, we had young prima-dona who was "too good to pass the ball". I've previously thought Joe Cole was a bit of a "ball-hog", but he DID release it in the game, and at least he has the skill to keep hold of the thing. Not like Defoe, the striker. A goal-scorer, like Michael Owen (is it just me or, physically, is Owen's head getting bigger?)
Credit is due to Alex Manninger. I always had respect for his talent when he was at Highbury, and for his first international in nearly two-years, I thought he did exceptionally well. This is a man who's career was under great threat after several years of ups-and-manydowns in Serie A. Yet, he's proven he's still the same as he ever was with Arsenal.
That was a certain handball, and yes, he should've walked for it. But, like Sky did, you could also argue Michael Owen should've done better. :I
As for the "passback" argument, I'm with Andy Gray on it - not like Teddy Sheringham, as, I presume, 98% of the population are. To be an intentional pass-back, surely, the ball has to travel BACK to Alex Manninger? If you look at what the defender did when he heard that "whistle", he simply nudged it across his own box, and the other defender was about to hoof it clear. However, Manninger realised that noise was not of the referee's doing and his instant reaction was to get the ball first, before England could pounce on an easy goal (which, in a way, they did, anyway...).
Why did he do this? Because, quite simply, the ball was not 'intentional' for him to collect. It was a knee-jerk reaction. Just like how Eriksson changed his starting eleven for this game, there was absolutely nothing intentional about it. It was something he had to do. So, he did it. Because he HAD to.
Just don't mention David James to me for the rest of the year, okay?
As we said. One season in Serie A.
No-one rates Mourinho for winning the Portugese league. You only have to beat Sporting and Benfica home and away, and you've won.
Sweden... Well done Sven.
No-one rates Mourinho for winning the Portugese league. You only have to beat Sporting and Benfica home and away, and you've won.
Sweden... Well done Sven.
indeed, but thats not the point. only a handful of managers have won leagues in 3 different countries.
Don or†ega wrote:
> won league titles in sweden,
*yawn*
He must be good then.
> won league titles in sweden,
*yawn*
He must be good then.
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