World Cup

[Arfie]

So Rooney has a dreaded metatarsal injury and will be out for a good 6 weeks. Owen played in his first game this year after a similar injury and limped off the pitch yesterday. This leaves Peter Crouch as our number one striker (if they don't get fit), we are doomed

I really beleived that we had a chance this time. The center of defense is awesome, with Terry, Rio, Carragher all capable of playing at the very top (maybe Campbell too), the midfield is just brilliant, with any of Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard, Cole, Parker, SWP, Downing. And upfront we HAD 2 strikers feared around the world in Shrek and Sicknote. I think we're a bit weak with fullbacks and Whilst Robinson is the best English keeper, I'm not convinced he's world class, but with the rest of the team I don't think it's that much of a problem.

Now we've lost our strikeforce I fear that England will be like Liverpool were for most of the season, tight defense, great midfield, but toothless in attack and whilst we may not lose many games, I fear we'll struggle to win many, so we'll drop out

What do you think

Arfie

 

[guppy_man]

im a united fan, and after whatching the game yesterday, i was gutted that rooney has an injured ankle, so were the chelsea teemmates.
assoon as rooney went down i knew that there was somthing wrong, rooney never goes down easily, hope he comes back before the world cup.


edit ) im supporting spain in the world cup lol, bought the top

 

[jkrekord]

im a proud united fan an when rooney went down lets just say some foul words found there way out of my mouth i realy hope he can play a part in the world cup but im not feelin at all optimistic i think owen will play though

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

'He's big he's red his feet stick out the bed, Peter Crouch!' I Agree noway can we expect to win it this year if the lanky pool striker is a frontman When does the official 20-30 odd players have to be officially named?

I agree that we were shaping up for what could of been a successful world cup competition

Who else do we have about from PC? Darrent Bent has looked sharp this seson, to bad Keane isn't English but then if i'm saying that Henry might as well be also

Beatie? I'm sure we have another one who has been inform this season?

Let's hope that Rooney gets fit ASAP

 

[bennett]

up steps shaun wright-phillips to play off crouch

i read earlier that if no one else gets fit it'll be joe cole playing off crouch. this makes me want to cry!

 

[Arfie]

One of the Journo's on Jimmy Hills Sunday Supplement came up with a theory of Gerrard playing off the striker Leaving Lampard in Centre Mid and maybe put a holding player alongside to allow him to get forward too. Nice theory, but I think I'd rather put Fowler or Beattie in that role. Daft as it sounds at first, Fowler is bang in form, he has developed a partnership with Lurch and he knows how Gerrard plays so ...

There needs to be a surprise player in every squad and lets be honest, that'd be a surprise

Arfie

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

I reckon Lampard would be better just behind the striker if that is the route we're gonna use......


GK - P. Robinson
LB - A. Cole
CB - R. Ferdinand
CB - J. Terry
RB - G. Neville
LM - J. Cole
CM - S. Gerrard
CM - ???
RM - D. Beckham
AM - F. Lampard
CF - ???

 

[Arfie]

I'm thinking more along the lines of

- - - - - - - - - Robinson

Neville - - - Terry - - - Ferdinand - - Cole (if fit)

- - - - - - - - - - Parker

Beckham - Gerrard - Lampard - Cole

- - - - - - - - - - Crouch

Parker is a superb holding midfielder (IMO) and would do the job that Sissoko/Hamman do for Liverpool and Makalele does for Chelsea, basically to allow Gerrard and Lampard to bomb forward, the same with Cole and Beckham. You can afford 1 striker (even a poor one) if you have that kind of attacking talent allowed to get forward.

Of course if Owen is fit, you drop either Joe Cole or Parker for Owen

Is Ahsley Cole even fit? If not, who for the left FB? King is injured, Bridge doesn't seem up to it, I suppose Carragher could do it, he did it long enough at Liverpool and he'd give 110%.

Arfie

 

[bennett]

I'm thinking more along the lines of

- - - - - - - - - Robinson

Neville - - - Terry - - - Ferdinand - - Cole (if fit)

- - - - - - - - - - Parker

Beckham - Gerrard - Lampard - Cole

- - - - - - - - - - Crouch

Parker is a superb holding midfielder (IMO) and would do the job that Sissoko/Hamman do for Liverpool and Makalele does for Chelsea, basically to allow Gerrard and Lampard to bomb forward, the same with Cole and Beckham. You can afford 1 striker (even a poor one) if you have that kind of attacking talent allowed to get forward.

Of course if Owen is fit, you drop either Joe Cole or Parker for Owen

Is Ahsley Cole even fit? If not, who for the left FB? King is injured, Bridge doesn't seem up to it, I suppose Carragher could do it, he did it long enough at Liverpool and he'd give 110%.

Arfie

crouchy is ace at times, but i don't think he works well as a lone striker

i also don't think that we can rely on lampard or gerrard to get forward at every attack. i'm really at a loss as to what sven'll do, on the upside owen played a bit today, whether he can play with crouch is another matter. i think we might end up seeing becks pushed inside again (for the love of god not in the qtr back role though)

i want it to be

gk robinson
rb neville (i feel dirty typing that)
cb terry
cb carragher
lb a cole
rm beckham
cm lamps
cm gerrard
lm j cole (hmmm?)
cf crouch
cf owen

simple 442 with enough talent in there to be able to change to most formations

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

I'm thinking more along the lines of

- - - - - - - - - Robinson

Neville - - - Terry - - - Ferdinand - - Cole (if fit)

- - - - - - - - - - Parker

Beckham - Gerrard - Lampard - Cole

- - - - - - - - - - Crouch

Parker is a superb holding midfielder (IMO) and would do the job that Sissoko/Hamman do for Liverpool and Makalele does for Chelsea, basically to allow Gerrard and Lampard to bomb forward, the same with Cole and Beckham. You can afford 1 striker (even a poor one) if you have that kind of attacking talent allowed to get forward.

Of course if Owen is fit, you drop either Joe Cole or Parker for Owen

Is Ahsley Cole even fit? If not, who for the left FB? King is injured, Bridge doesn't seem up to it, I suppose Carragher could do it, he did it long enough at Liverpool and he'd give 110%.

Arfie

I see where you're coming from Arfie

I haven't really seen Parker play TBH (Had the chance to go to WBA Vs Newcastle, Thank God i didn't go ) but i'll take your word for it he's a good holding mifielder. I agree there doesn't appear at the moment anyone in the world who is as threatening as an attacking Gerrard/Lampard Combination going forward(Okay, Okay except Ronaldinho) So the formation should probably take advantage of that fact.

I think J. Cole has done fantastic in the Left position is his last few appearences and deserves the spot. I really hope that Beckham accepts he is a winger and doesn't cry to get into the centre. He's the best right winger in the world and the worst center midfielder Everyone knows that apart from Sven and himself

If Owen is fit i will get down on my knees and pray to god even more that Beckham doesn't go in the center
The problem with our squad is that as soon as they get under pressure they start hitting long balls. When you have Michael Owen as your lone striker, this tactic really is a lost cause. If we go with crouch then maybe that problems is solved.

I was a big critic of Crouch and thought he was highly Over-rated however he does win headers and holds the ball up really well, If he can do this for England i think we can be successfull with or without Owen. I still think he is Over-rated though

England start to Panic = Becks hits Long ball > Crouch Wins the ball and holds it up > Gerrard/Lampard Bomb forward and recieve ball > GOOOOAAALLL!!

TBH i'd much prefer if if the squad didn't panic and just kept things simple and got a hold on the game again if it does start to go against us. Only time will tell.......

I'm thinking more along the lines of

- - - - - - - - - Robinson

Neville - - - Terry - - - Ferdinand - - Cole (if fit)

- - - - - - - - - - Parker

Beckham - Gerrard - Lampard - Cole

- - - - - - - - - - Crouch

Parker is a superb holding midfielder (IMO) and would do the job that Sissoko/Hamman do for Liverpool and Makalele does for Chelsea, basically to allow Gerrard and Lampard to bomb forward, the same with Cole and Beckham. You can afford 1 striker (even a poor one) if you have that kind of attacking talent allowed to get forward.

Of course if Owen is fit, you drop either Joe Cole or Parker for Owen

Is Ahsley Cole even fit? If not, who for the left FB? King is injured, Bridge doesn't seem up to it, I suppose Carragher could do it, he did it long enough at Liverpool and he'd give 110%.

Arfie

crouchy is ace at times, but i don't think he works well as a lone striker

i also don't think that we can rely on lampard or gerrard to get forward at every attack. i'm really at a loss as to what sven'll do, on the upside owen played a bit today, whether he can play with crouch is another matter. i think we might end up seeing becks pushed inside again (for the love of god not in the qtr back role though)

i want it to be

gk robinson
rb neville (i feel dirty typing that)
cb terry
cb carragher
lb a cole
rm beckham
cm lamps
cm gerrard
lm j cole (hmmm?)
cf crouch
cf owen

simple 442 with enough talent in there to be able to change to most formations

If Owen is fit i'd probably choose the same squad as you, if Rooney can get fit he'd take Crouches spot.
Come On England!

The Americans don't seem to talk about their 'Soccer' team too much? ???

 

[bennett]

i was gunna quote but this thread'll start to get massive!

i can see us going down the everton route..whenever ferguson played (before he got himself sent off) they just lump it forward and hope for the best instead of playing football. the same is true of owen with balls over the top.

annoyingly that's the brilliance of rooney, he can get onto any type of ball and do something with it. perhaps that's what sven will try to replicate with joe cole playing off crouch or owen?

can't see it working out tbh as i think joe cole is massively over rated!

downing left wing anyday

 

[Arfie]

Yeah the 4-4-2 with Owen can work and I can't believe I'm praying the little judas will be fit, but I think we are in trouble without him AND Shrek.

It hurts typing Neville for RB because I don't rate him as a defender, but tragically, he's probably the best we have, he is damn good at putting crosses in when he gets forward. It also hurt putting the smackhead in rather than Carra, but I like a CB partnership with one do or die outright defender and one with pace and Terry is a better defender than Carra and Rio is quick. If Ashley Cole isn't fit I'd put Carra in at leftback.

I don't think Joe Cole is over rated anymore, he used to be a show pony, but now he works hard and saves his tricks for when they can do damage. I think you need a showboat player that scares the opposition, like Gazza and like Ronaldinho.

As for Parker, he's a player I really rate and had we not bought Sissoko I'd have loved to see him at Anfield and if Chel$ki hadn't got Makelele (then Essien), I think he'd have been a first choice there and would have established himself.

Arfie

 

[keesh121]

i think there is a bigger loss than we have all expected in rooney and owen a lot of people have overlooked that ledley king is now injured he played well as a DM and would have been a grat asset and i think he is a better defender than ferdinand

also i think gary neville is over rated i think that luke young or carragher would be better as right back

sven has been at the boro a lot lately infact every game for last 5 or 6 and openly addmited that he wasnt watching downing. which leaves riggott parnaby or morrison i think riggott may get a call.

downing i think although i see him as the allround player should not be a england midfielder at the mo as we have no target men and his best asset is pointless if you have no great headerers of the ball upfront. although i think downing should be a sub for england along with heskey or another air ball winner.

beckham should also not be in the first team he is over rated now he is not as quick and seems a lot slower with his reactions

 

[bennett]

i'd rather see douglas bader playing rb than either neville