England Team Thread

[nakamura]

Why are players like Scott Parker & Lee Cattermole who have quality and experience under their belts being overlooked.....especially the later for that holding position considering he plays alongside Henderson and was a mainstay at U21 level?

I wouldn't put Cattermole in at the moment, he is a little suspect but he does have some quality. Parker for sure, he is contantly a one man team for who he plays for.

[prinnysquad]

Why are players like Scott Parker & Lee Cattermole who have quality and experience under their belts being overlooked.....especially the later for that holding position considering he plays alongside Henderson and was a mainstay at U21 level?

I think you're right insofar as England need to look beyond Barry. He's terrible. Slow, and of limited technical ability. He sees himself as some kind of quarterback, but his 'long passes' often spray off wildly, and they surrender possession. I wouldn't go for Cattermole until he's reigned in his game. Tackling is a tough skill to learn - and his timing is way off. He could still be a good tackler without lunging in with mistimed challenges. At club level, he's got a reputation and more cards than Clintons, but he said he isn't going to change his game, so it's up to him to learn how to time a challenge and develop into a top class holding player.

On the upside he doesn't really have a long passing game, so there'll be no long punts with him - everything would have to go through the midfield rather than over it. And, like you say, he plays with Henderson, who is much more box-to-box than we saw last night. He was invisible because the ball was surrendered cheaply, and he was forced to a defensive position. I thought he played that role well, blocking passing lanes and marking both men and zonally. How many times did France genuinely carve up England after the first 20 minutes? Most of the time they were passing it around in the England half without really going anywhere. The England defence I thought were decent, it was their distribution that was off. Henderson and Cattermole carved Chelsea up the other day, getting up and down the pitch, and playing a tidy, skillful game. Yet England's style meant the former was always on the back foot.

[Baseley09]

I totally agree that there is an issue with Cattermole's game regarding his challenging, in my eyes he is very David Batty who was my preferred choice for that position during his time, short snappy passing and a bit of rough in the middle.

[nakamura]

Which is what we want. We have Gerrard, Milner, Barry and so on who are always looking for the wonder pass. Just keep in on the ground!

[vanpeebles]

At club level, he's got a reputation and more cards than Clintons,

hahaha

[yesteryeargames]

might as well call in Delap those long throws will go nice with the hoof tactics

[fallenangle]

While I do agree Smurf, half the reason they always deliver such poor crosses is that they are always at full pace. The simply do not know how to slow down before delivery. This is one area where Lennon has improved. He can burst past defender and look up.

Cole has always been good at that, where he makes the overlapping run he gives himself time to measure the ball in. You don't see him trying to deliver a ball in while sprinting.

Totally agree about Lennon - his delivery now is far better than it was. It's clear he's been working on that and, although I might be biased as a Spurs supporter, I think he would have been a better choice than the over-hyped Walcott, when he's been fit to play.

But the problem was for me last night that during first half Walcott barely saw the ball anyway and it was like that the last time Lennon played too. It's only when Capello shifts the formation around, when he finds his one up strategy failing yet again, that the wings see any action. Yet, usually, it's Walcott or Lennon who are taken off as part of that strategy and replaced by more universal mid-field player.

Barry is for me the main issue though. He is just so ordinary I can't understand how he gets a starting place. I'd go for Spurs' Tom Huddlestone instead. He has a nasty side to him I don't like and he appears casual at times but when he's in the mood his ball distibution skills are superb and he can score goals too.

[Team Andromeda]

England look so disjointed, I shouldn't be surprised, its been the same for over a decade. Ive never understood why they play at such a laboured pedestrian pace. Play at a Premier league tempo and they would start to threaten teams. Secondly, if you are going to have a striker excels on crosses, then get the ball wide and cross the pissing ball in.

Spot on Post, it's the only way. England clearly can't play the passing game to beat most teams, bit not many could live with the Prem style tempo and pace

Also think its time the Press and most of the fans woke up to the fact they really don't have many World Class Players, England aren't as good as some and the press love to make out .

[rmoxon]

Gerrard is the best current England player by a country mile. It really does go without saying. Only plus point, No Frances Wayne Rooney Jeffers.

It probably does go without saying, but thats only becuase nearly all the rest of them are absolubtley rubbish.

Dosent alter the fact that hes one of the most inconsistant and overrated players ever to grace the game, but commentators always love him no matter what. I can understand them liking his passion and comitment, he will run his socks off every game for both england and liverpool, but as far as his actual performances with a football go, he has as many bad as good. Think I have said in this thread before I would have tried other players out in his place ages ago, yet for some reason hes probabaly made more games for Capello than anyone else has.

He seems to be in some sort of protective bubble, where as the rest of the team arent.

[hudson]

Can't say I could pick an England team without Gerrard being in there to be honest.

[SharkSkin-Man]

The gap in ability between Gerrard and most of the other England players is so marked, even when he's off form he still looks better than the majority.

[Shozuki]

yeah Gerrard is by far and away the teams best player (both of his teams actually)...

Carroll I didnt think did too badly shame he just never had any service.

I felt a tad wrong but enjoyed watching Nasri who I thought ran the show for the french (yes I am an Arsenal fanboy...)

[nakamura]

I can't understand how anyone could say Gerrard is overrated. He is clearly an incredible player and Liverpool (sorry) would have won pretty much nothing without him. He has dragged them through games on so many occasions, more notable the champions league winning season. I cannot think of a more deserving Englishman that will never get a Premier League winners medal.

[fallenangle]

I can't understand how anybody can not notice how good Gerrard is in comparison to most of the players he's surrounded by in both the England and LIverpool sides.

He has his off periods and occasionally goes missing during games but this rather proves the point because it usually coincides with his side doing badly. He's the only English player I can think of who you can see regularly taking a match by the scruff of its neck and, as nakamura says, dragging his team through almost on his own.

[Baseley09]

Agree, Gerrard is a great just a shame he's surrounded by retards.