Holland vs England Tonite

[jayohaitchenn]

Rooney is a great supporting striker, not a goal scorer. Thats why we need Michael Owen back, a little nippy goalscorer. they balance each other well.

The same can be said of the balance in the middle. You need a central player who will go forwards to support the attack like Gerrard OR Lampard (Gerrard for me every time) and a central player who sits a little deeper like Hargreaves. I don't rate Carrick at all but he sort of fits into that mold as well.

The team we put out against Netherlands has no balance at all.

And one more thing. Why play Steven Gerrard on the right? surely you play your best players in their best positions, It's tantamount to playing Rooney at right back. doesn't make any sense to me at all.

[adje]

I really cant see how Supermac thinks we were the better side-for the most part we were chasing shadows as Holland Reserves kept the ball far better than we did.

[Northern Red]

Richards looked good, and can improve - while Phil Neville the other option can only get worse.

Andrew johnson, what a pile of... Neither he nor Carrick should where the 3 lions again.

Where was Bambi - surely he should've played?

Good to see Joe Cole back, what a cross for the goal

[Ben Wah Balls]

I love the fact the biggest Johnson knocker is a Crouch fan.

He is not top international class, but he should at least be given a chance to play in his position.

Lampard should be given the Beckham treatment.  The only thing he ever offered was an ability to turn up on the edge of the box and out away a goal every few games.  it did enough to just about justify his selection but now that's vanishing he offers absolutely nothing.

Crouch is way way better than Johnson and it's not even close. Lets see, 11 goals in 16 England games or 0 in 5. Crouch has scored 4 in the champions league this season, Johnson has never even played in Europe. Most of the English strikers in the premiership are also better than Johnson. I'd rather have Defoe, Darren Bent, or even Walcott, at least he has the potential to get better.

Lampard should definitely not be dropped, you only had to see his performance against Barcelona to see that he is one of the players who should definitely be in the England side. Players like Kieran Richardson who hardly even gets in the Man United team though definitely shouldn't.

[fatbury]

a really boring game ...

[McLovin]

I often agree with you Ben, in fact, i usually do 9 times out of 10. But Lampard definitely needs to be dropped. He isn't doing it for England for whatever reason, and so should be dropped.  A 4 man midfield of Cole-Hargreaves-Gerrard-Lennon when all are fit please.

[RobertT]

I love the fact the biggest Johnson knocker is a Crouch fan.

He is not top international class, but he should at least be given a chance to play in his position.

Lampard should be given the Beckham treatment.  The only thing he ever offered was an ability to turn up on the edge of the box and out away a goal every few games.  it did enough to just about justify his selection but now that's vanishing he offers absolutely nothing.

Crouch is way way better than Johnson and it's not even close. Lets see, 11 goals in 16 England games or 0 in 5. Crouch has scored 4 in the champions league this season, Johnson has never even played in Europe. Most of the English strikers in the premiership are also better than Johnson. I'd rather have Defoe, Darren Bent, or even Walcott, at least he has the potential to get better.

Lampard should definitely not be dropped, you only had to see his performance against Barcelona to see that he is one of the players who should definitely be in the England side. Players like Kieran Richardson who hardly even gets in the Man United team though definitely shouldn't.

Hmm, lets try Crouch on the left wing and see how he gets on shall we, oh and lets see him score bundles against teams other than Jamaica.

Defoe though has been given chances playing in his preferred position and has been found a little wanting at the top level.  Also note I didn't suggest Johnson could hack it, just that he has potential and should at least have been tried as a striker.  To try him out wide was pointless.

[Ben Wah Balls]

I love the fact the biggest Johnson knocker is a Crouch fan.

He is not top international class, but he should at least be given a chance to play in his position.

Lampard should be given the Beckham treatment.  The only thing he ever offered was an ability to turn up on the edge of the box and out away a goal every few games.  it did enough to just about justify his selection but now that's vanishing he offers absolutely nothing.

Crouch is way way better than Johnson and it's not even close. Lets see, 11 goals in 16 England games or 0 in 5. Crouch has scored 4 in the champions league this season, Johnson has never even played in Europe. Most of the English strikers in the premiership are also better than Johnson. I'd rather have Defoe, Darren Bent, or even Walcott, at least he has the potential to get better.

Lampard should definitely not be dropped, you only had to see his performance against Barcelona to see that he is one of the players who should definitely be in the England side. Players like Kieran Richardson who hardly even gets in the Man United team though definitely shouldn't.

Hmm, lets try Crouch on the left wing and see how he gets on shall we, oh and lets see him score bundles against teams other than Jamaica.

Defoe though has been given chances playing in his preferred position and has been found a little wanting at the top level.  Also note I didn't suggest Johnson could hack it, just that he has potential and should at least have been tried as a striker.  To try him out wide was pointless.

He's already scored bundles against teams other than Jamaica so that's done.

I often agree with you Ben, in fact, i usually do 9 times out of 10. But Lampard definitely needs to be dropped. He isn't doing it for England for whatever reason, and so should be dropped. A 4 man midfield of Cole-Hargreaves-Gerrard-Lennon when all are fit please.

Lampards England form hasn't been great but neither has Gerrards (or most of the rest of the team) but they are two of the best players for 2 of the premierships top teams, we don't have a huge amount of alternatives and I think an England team without Lampard would have to have even more Richardson/Johnson/Wright-Phillips style average players and I don't see how it would be an improvement. Lampard is also once again the premierships top scoring midfielder so he is in good form.

It's a shame Lennon was injured because it would have been good to see him play yesterday.

[RobertT]

Crouch has scored against:

Uruguay
Hungary
Jamaica
Trinidad & Tobago
Greece
Andorra
Macedonia

2 teams of average repute but both were friendlies and the Greece team barely managed to get off the coach for their game against us.

Failed to score against:

Colombia
Austria
Argentina
Paraguay
Sweden
Portugal
Croatia

Now, I'm not saying it's still not a good effort to score the goals he has - you still have to beat these teams.  However, it's not suggesting a great record in the tougher games with more organised and professional defenders.  Anyway, it's still a question of him being given that chance to play upfront against these teams and taking it.  johnson hasn't been afforded the chance.  If we are going to try him, better to do it upfront or not at all.

[jayohaitchenn]

 johnson hasn't been afforded the chance.  If we are going to try him, better to do it upfront or not at all.

100% agreed.

[Ben Wah Balls]

There is not a lot of difference in the quality of the first list of teams than the second, Portugal and Argentina are the best teams, but Crouch started neither of those games but was still the key factor in us winning the Argentina game. Clearly his record for England is outstanding.

Johnson has never shown anything to suggest he could even come close to that kind of record, he's a good penalty taker but that's about it and he's not even scored in 8 games, Crouch has 3 in the same period and he's scored 7 more than Johnson this season, so why the fuck should Johnson be starting? You have to show you deserve a chance and he hasn't. He scored 16 in the championship last year - we may as well have Cameron Jerome or Dave Kitson playing for England, they both outscored him.  Even Darren Bent has scored 3 more than him this season.

[janaage]

he's a good penalty taker but that's about it .

Isn't that what you boys have needed in the last few tournaments??

[RobertT]

Ben, read the bit in the quote above - if we play Johnson, then it has to be upfront.  I'm not saying we should or we shouldn't.

Bent would get in ahead of him for me, in order of trying someone out.

Personally I'd ditch half the squad and build a young team for the next 3 years, accepting that shit results will follow from time to time, I'd also go with a blank cheque to someone like Wenger as the entire approach of the team needs to be changed.  i don't see an English Manager with the right credentials to do it.

[quinnismyhero]

Ben, read the bit in the quote above - if we play Johnson, then it has to be upfront.  I'm not saying we should or we shouldn't.

Bent would get in ahead of him for me, in order of trying someone out.

Personally I'd ditch half the squad and build a young team for the next 3 years, accepting that shit results will follow from time to time, I'd also go with a blank cheque to someone like Wenger as the entire approach of the team needs to be changed.  i don't see an English Manager with the right credentials to do it.

 

[millom red]

How long will Dean Ashton be out?
He's worth a look imo.

Millom