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"You've got to really take your hat off to the tactical approach of Northern Ireland coming in this game" says Graham Le Saux. Yeah, what a genius move it was to lob everybody behind the ball for the first half and hope in the second. Note: I'm not knocking the NI performance, but the tactics really were exactly what you would have predicted.
But Sven, one of that game's well-respected managers, can do worse, oh yes. Not only did we have to continue with the nonsensical 4-5-1 rubbish (we're playing Northern Ireland ffs, a team we should be attacking for 90% of the match, on an extremely narrow pitch. whywhywhwyhwy?) but then, at the end of the first half when bloody Shrek-fase decides to act like a retarded monkey why on earth didn't Sven pull him off straight away? Rooney may be almost completely devoid of common sense, but A) he was playing greedily, and poorly, and B) he's never going to learn that he can't act like an idiot when he wants to unless you show him a lesson.
And then, after NI score and you start to think things couldn't get any worse, that complete buffoon of a manger takes off the player with the best long range shot on the pitch and replaces him with a holding midfielder. There's 15 minutes on the clock, you're 1 - 0 down to a team you shouldn't be, and you bring on bloody Owen Hargreaves. An out and out midfield scrapper. Absolutely illogical.
Nice one, you passion-less Swedish hove.
But Sven, one of that game's well-respected managers, can do worse, oh yes. Not only did we have to continue with the nonsensical 4-5-1 rubbish (we're playing Northern Ireland ffs, a team we should be attacking for 90% of the match, on an extremely narrow pitch. whywhywhwyhwy?) but then, at the end of the first half when bloody Shrek-fase decides to act like a retarded monkey why on earth didn't Sven pull him off straight away? Rooney may be almost completely devoid of common sense, but A) he was playing greedily, and poorly, and B) he's never going to learn that he can't act like an idiot when he wants to unless you show him a lesson.
And then, after NI score and you start to think things couldn't get any worse, that complete buffoon of a manger takes off the player with the best long range shot on the pitch and replaces him with a holding midfielder. There's 15 minutes on the clock, you're 1 - 0 down to a team you shouldn't be, and you bring on bloody Owen Hargreaves. An out and out midfield scrapper. Absolutely illogical.
Nice one, you passion-less Swedish hove.
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Mav wrote:
> Dringo wrote:
> SWP should have stayed on.
>
> He wasn't using the ball intelligently.
No but he had pace and was trying hard...
Beckham aside who else was?
> Dringo wrote:
> SWP should have stayed on.
>
> He wasn't using the ball intelligently.
No but he had pace and was trying hard...
Beckham aside who else was?
Bonus wrote:
> No one in an England shirt did anything intelligent.
Intelligence results in doing the right thing (usually)
They lost
They did the right thing.
> No one in an England shirt did anything intelligent.
Intelligence results in doing the right thing (usually)
They lost
They did the right thing.
What puzzles me is, when all was going to poo in the second half and Sven finally decided to make a change, why not revert to type!
He brings Cole on..OK go to 4-4-2...yet cole appears on the right, leaving Beckham in the middle, and Gerrard forced out to the left!
It beggars logic..ok Beckham was playing ok in the middle, and neither Gerrard or Lampard can really play that deep role..but when you are chasing a game that you really need to win, against weaker opposition, surely playing without a holding player is ok!
Put Beckham back on the right, Cole on the left and play the way you have for the last 2+ years....
No Sven knows best and we get....Owen Hargreaves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*slaps forehead*
I ask you...Owen Hargreaves? Do you think he has Sven's parents tied up in a cave in Nova Scotia? Only an action so devious could explain his continued presence in the team!
The bottom line is...the team picks its self...what most of these over paid prima donnas need is someone to explain that playing for England is an honor...not a god given right!
He brings Cole on..OK go to 4-4-2...yet cole appears on the right, leaving Beckham in the middle, and Gerrard forced out to the left!
It beggars logic..ok Beckham was playing ok in the middle, and neither Gerrard or Lampard can really play that deep role..but when you are chasing a game that you really need to win, against weaker opposition, surely playing without a holding player is ok!
Put Beckham back on the right, Cole on the left and play the way you have for the last 2+ years....
No Sven knows best and we get....Owen Hargreaves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*slaps forehead*
I ask you...Owen Hargreaves? Do you think he has Sven's parents tied up in a cave in Nova Scotia? Only an action so devious could explain his continued presence in the team!
The bottom line is...the team picks its self...what most of these over paid prima donnas need is someone to explain that playing for England is an honor...not a god given right!
I'll tell you what was missing, and you're going to think I'm joking, but I'm not.
Gary Neville.
Seriously. That guy can cross a ball incredibly well. Luke Young didn't once cross it in, even though he got in some great positions to do so. Maybe he didn't want to give the ball away, but passing it back and trying to get through a congested middle was never going to work.
I suppose one of Wales or NI were going to 'shock' us, and I seriously doubt we would have struggled so much against the two teams ranked one position higher than Wales and Northernm Ireland. Who are...
Estonia and El Salvador - but they're not European, so Moldova.
Last night there were a few players who didn't really perform, Gerrard and Lampard were culprits, but the formation could be to blame. Still, they're quality players, and they should be able to impose themselves on a game, no matter where they play.
Taking SWP off seemed to be a mistake, as he was getting the ball in dangerous positions, with some fantastic balls from Beckham, but too often he wasted this. Why leave Rooney frustrated on the left - switch him with SWP on and off throughout the match, and give him a chance on the end of one of those balls that was clearly working.
Still, two wins and we win the group - a win and a draw and we're probably best runners-up. Otherwise it might be a play-off. And what are the chances that Scotland will scrape intot hem too, if that's the case...?
Gary Neville.
Seriously. That guy can cross a ball incredibly well. Luke Young didn't once cross it in, even though he got in some great positions to do so. Maybe he didn't want to give the ball away, but passing it back and trying to get through a congested middle was never going to work.
I suppose one of Wales or NI were going to 'shock' us, and I seriously doubt we would have struggled so much against the two teams ranked one position higher than Wales and Northernm Ireland. Who are...
Estonia and El Salvador - but they're not European, so Moldova.
Last night there were a few players who didn't really perform, Gerrard and Lampard were culprits, but the formation could be to blame. Still, they're quality players, and they should be able to impose themselves on a game, no matter where they play.
Taking SWP off seemed to be a mistake, as he was getting the ball in dangerous positions, with some fantastic balls from Beckham, but too often he wasted this. Why leave Rooney frustrated on the left - switch him with SWP on and off throughout the match, and give him a chance on the end of one of those balls that was clearly working.
Still, two wins and we win the group - a win and a draw and we're probably best runners-up. Otherwise it might be a play-off. And what are the chances that Scotland will scrape intot hem too, if that's the case...?
Hmmm, Enlgand lose to Northern Ireland, and rather than being a complete tactical farce you sum it up by saying Gary Neville would have made it better :-).
That's like saying Scotland would have beaten Norway yesterday if Berti Vogts was still manager.
That's like saying Scotland would have beaten Norway yesterday if Berti Vogts was still manager.
therage79 wrote:
> What puzzles me is, when all was going to poo in the second half and
> Sven finally decided to make a change, why not revert to type!
>
> He brings Cole on..OK go to 4-4-2...yet cole appears on the right,
> leaving Beckham in the middle, and Gerrard forced out to the left!
That would require some sort of tactical knowledge and the man makes Kevin Keegan look like an expert in that department. Plus he can't be upsetting Quarterback Becks.
> What puzzles me is, when all was going to poo in the second half and
> Sven finally decided to make a change, why not revert to type!
>
> He brings Cole on..OK go to 4-4-2...yet cole appears on the right,
> leaving Beckham in the middle, and Gerrard forced out to the left!
That would require some sort of tactical knowledge and the man makes Kevin Keegan look like an expert in that department. Plus he can't be upsetting Quarterback Becks.
Dont get me wrong im not one of these perenial Sven haters. I actually think his competitive record is very good. I just cant accept his overly patient non passionate approach all the time. Sometimes players need a few flying tea cups to raise the tempo, and I dont think Sven has that in him!
Also, I know it has been said before but some of his substitutions are woeful and that must reflect his tactical ability!
looking back to some of his 'close tactical victories', im starting to think a lot of them were just lucky!
A quote I like:
"Does Sven ever, ever look like he cares? If he shows that little passion in bed, how the hell does he get so many ladies?"
Also, I know it has been said before but some of his substitutions are woeful and that must reflect his tactical ability!
looking back to some of his 'close tactical victories', im starting to think a lot of them were just lucky!
A quote I like:
"Does Sven ever, ever look like he cares? If he shows that little passion in bed, how the hell does he get so many ladies?"
If Stryke was here I'd be strung up for this but England need Peter Crouch.
If Sven is gonna insist on playing Beckham... which is fair because he is a top crosser, passer, free kick taker... then a target man like Crouch will be ideal.
And he is likely to do very well at Liverpool.
If Sven is gonna insist on playing Beckham... which is fair because he is a top crosser, passer, free kick taker... then a target man like Crouch will be ideal.
And he is likely to do very well at Liverpool.
Dringo wrote:
> If Stryke was here I'd be strung up for this but England need Peter
> Crouch.
>
> If Sven is gonna insist on playing Beckham... which is fair because
> he is a top crosser, passer, free kick taker... then a target man
> like Crouch will be ideal.
>
> And he is likely to do very well at Liverpool.
Funny, yesterday I was thinking "I bet Sven wishes Heskey was on the bench". Which is something I never thought I'd say.
But yes, if Crouch was fit, and does well at Liverpool, someone like him would be worth bringing on.
We had three strikers, none of which are good in the air.
Seriously though, does no one agree that we missed Gary Neville yesterday? If he was in the positions Luke Young got into, he would have delivered balls into the box that would have troubled the defence.
> If Stryke was here I'd be strung up for this but England need Peter
> Crouch.
>
> If Sven is gonna insist on playing Beckham... which is fair because
> he is a top crosser, passer, free kick taker... then a target man
> like Crouch will be ideal.
>
> And he is likely to do very well at Liverpool.
Funny, yesterday I was thinking "I bet Sven wishes Heskey was on the bench". Which is something I never thought I'd say.
But yes, if Crouch was fit, and does well at Liverpool, someone like him would be worth bringing on.
We had three strikers, none of which are good in the air.
Seriously though, does no one agree that we missed Gary Neville yesterday? If he was in the positions Luke Young got into, he would have delivered balls into the box that would have troubled the defence.
Who'd be in the box? Out of form Michael Owen??
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