I see Wenger is at it again... Now asking Hodgson to take a gamble on Wilshere, who hasn't played a competitive game since June according to The Evening Standard. Take note Hodgson how he persuaded the England manager to take Walcott in lieu of Darren Bent to the Germany world cup. He made him out to be the new Pele. He only wants Wilshere to go because "it's very important for his confidence that he can go to the Euros".
Translation... I want Wilshere to go to the Euros so that he gets a Pre-Pre-Season under his belt ready for the new season which'll aid Arsenal!!
I see Wenger is at it again... Now asking Hodgson to take a gamble on Wilshere, who hasn't played a competitive game since June according to The Evening Standard. Take note Hodgson how he persuaded the England manager to take Walcott in lieu of Darren Bent to the Germany world cup. He made him out to be the new Pele. He only wants Wilshere to go because "it's very important for his confidence that he can go to the Euros".
The same vinegar faced tosser who moans if his precious little dumplings play too long in an international match when he wants them rested.
Really don't think Vardy has shown anything to say he should be played out wide. We've learnt enough in the past to not shoehorn our best players into a formation. If we play a diamond then him and Kane should start up front, if not we have one great option off the bench. Welbeck is different as he has proven to be able to perform out there.
He drops wide and quite deep for Leicester.
But from a starting central position up top, by wandering he causes centre backs problems, as they don't know whether to follow him or not. If he starts out wide, then the Centre backs know they can leave him to the full backs.
Scholes on the left for example. It usually just ends up meaning neither the team or the player benefit much.
The more time that passes, the more ludicrous that sounds. We were so spoilt for midfielders the coaches thought it was okay to put Scholes on the left. The one man worth building a team around.
I really think that if the right kind of coach was in charge of the 98-04 teams, we could've been incredibly dominant.
Sven's record holds up reasonably well, but we really should have been semi finalists at least at some time during that period.
When you look back, we had some bloody good players during that time, but maybe not the depth of talent. I think some players were allowed to become complacent about their place in the team and we just didn't have that many options to change it up. And there was the old left midfield problem (i.e. not having a single decent English one) as well which is partially what led to Scholes being shunted out there. What a difference Giggs might have made if he'd chose England over Wales.
I always think Hoddle was the one that maybe got away. He was seemingly building something around 98. We had some momentum after Euro 96 and were unlucky to lose to the Argies, even with 10 men, at France 98. Maybe by the next Euros we'd have been in a position to put in challenge but then he said what he said and the rest is history.
Since then the managers have either been tactically too rigid (Cappello) or just not up to the job (Keegan, McLaren).
I like Woy and think he's been a good steady pair of hands to guide us through this transition. For all the disappointment at the last two tournaments we haven't had a Taylor or McLaren-esque qualifying meltdown, but I do fear with this new pacy young side we have we need someone with a bit more imagination and an ability to occasionally throw caution to the wind. The trouble is, there are still not exactly a lot of obvious alternatives. Hopefully he proves me wrong, doesn't stay too loyal to older players and lets the shackles off a bit this summer.
I don't think we'll win, but I genuinely don't see a clear cut favourite either so I don't see why we should fear anyone this time out.
As England managers go, it stands out for me that Hodgson's had us playing quick, pressing football that is completely different to the style we've had under previous managers. Honestly don't know if that's him or the type of the players we have available at the moment, maybe a bit of both - but it's so different to the 'pass across the back 4 and lump it forward' that I associate with watching England.
Not getting carried away, but before Germany on Saturday I've thought we looked (probably since about Euro 2012) that we're trying to play a quicker tempo on the ball than we are actually capable of, which has resulted in poor possession and generally not creating many chances... because with slow build up you usually get to swing a ball into the box or something - which against poor, qualifying-group teams will pay off eventually over 90mins. Saturday was very encouraging just because we looked dangerous with the quick play on the ball, and the off-the-ball pressure was good throughout.
That said, don't think we'll do much at the tournament necessarily - but from this one friendly (huge pinch of salt needed) it looks like we're competitive and not a lame duck like the recent ones.
Agree and you raised a good point about how much of the short passing, one and two touch style comes from their own Club's style.
The reality is that Hodgson is not on his own in looking for quick tempo - Man Utd suffered under Moyes and less so with Van Gaal, Guy Luzon got and Jose Riga gets totally fired up when the mighty CAFC up the tempo and thus the work rate and mesmerise the opposition in so doing - it's pretty much a no brainer and the more static the play the less chances created other than by long ball, hoof ball, percentage ball which against giant centre backs is a shocking policy.
The Germany performance highlighted where we can be technically and where we should be but we only have certain players who are technically good enough to play this style successfully - the Tottenham lads did particularly well but Jordan Henderson struggled and several times his short passes were poor and we lost possession and were almost punished - Henderson did his best work when not in possession - pressing, getting physical and trying to break up the play.
For me, that Germany performance was one of the best I've seen from an England team - really positive. Defensively we need to improve our reaction and recovery of shape skills to quick breaks/counters because when you're playing one and two touch you need to compact the play and this way, if you lose possession and don't regain the ball in the Barcelona 6 second style then you are open to quick counters, as the Germans proved by spreading the play and expoliting the huge space left open for them.
We have time to improve, we are going in the right direction and time will tell if we have enough of this new breed of quick tempo players to sustain a full tournament and achieve success.
Ah - but those games without him were against inferior competition, or were "meaningless friendlies", or were played at home, or during a full moon, or when there wasn't an R in the month, or on an even year. So they don't count...
England captain and record goalscorer Wayne Rooney is confident he has "a few years left" at international level.
The Manchester United forward, 30, scored seven goals in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, but has not played since a knee injury in February.
The top two scorers in this season's Premier League are both England strikers, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.
"Over the past two years my form for England has been really good. I've scored a lot of goals," Rooney said.
"I'll keep trying to, first and foremost, help the team be successful and if I can score the goals to help achieve that then that'll be great.
"I've still got a few years left, I feel," he told the PFA's 4 The Player magazine. "I'm always just thinking about what comes next and making sure I'm at my best for the summer.
"I feel I'm a lot more patient now in my play. When I was younger I could be impatient and I'd end up in positions I didn't really need to be in."
I reckon he's a lot of years past his prime and he's not exactly an impact sub. Whether he should get any more games at all depends on the team set up. He's not good enough to set a team around him.
Henderson out for 6 to 8 weeks, so a doubt for the Euros
Good news for Drinkwater (and Milner), maybe Mark Noble might get a look in?
Hate to wish I'll on anyone but what a godsend his injury is meaning he is likely to miss the Euro's. I really think he's awful; just can't see the fuss about him? The only downside is I guess it will guarantee Milner's inclusion.
Henderson out for 6 to 8 weeks, so a doubt for the Euros
Good news for Drinkwater (and Milner), maybe Mark Noble might get a look in?
Hate to wish I'll on anyone but what a godsend his injury is meaning he is likely to miss the Euro's. I really think he's awful; just can't see the fuss about him? The only downside is I guess it will guarantee Milner's inclusion.
Exactly, would love for a CM two of Dier and Drinky. Dier shielding the back four as he does for Spurs, and Drinkwater doing exactly what he does for Leicester. Being a solid CM helping out with the defense but with a licence to go box to box when required..
Having said that if one of them were unavailable I would want Henderson in there. Certainly ahead of Milner...
Does this maybe open the door, just a crack, for Jonjo as well?
On Henderson specifically, he is like a lot of England players that hat have looked potentially decent at a young age but just no kicked on. Chris Waddle was talking about this after the Germany game when cautioning not to get too carried away with some of the performances of the young players in that game. There is now a very long list of English players who in their early 20s looked very promising but bu their mid to late 20s have just stagnated or gone backwards. I think you could probably put Henderson in that bracket.
Does this maybe open the door, just a crack, for Jonjo as well?
On Henderson specifically, he is like a lot of England players that hat have looked potentially decent at a young age but just no kicked on. Chris Waddle was talking about this after the Germany game when cautioning not to get too carried away with some of the performances of the young players in that game. There is now a very long list of English players who in their early 20s looked very promising but bu their mid to late 20s have just stagnated or gone backwards. I think you could probably put Henderson in that bracket.
Has Henderson ever looked THAT good? He was decent at Sunderland, but was hardly heralded as the new star (like Jack Rodwell say). Liverpool paid a lot of money for him, but then Liverpool has paid a lot of money for many ordinary players
Henderson has an engine, that's his thing. His passing is decent and he can tackle. But he can't score goals, and I don't think his qualities are that much greater than the rest to make it worthwhile picking him. But he'd be good in extra time or if we had ten men, cos he never stops running.
I desperately don't want to see Delph or Noble picked, and I wonder if Drinkwater needs Leicester's tactics. Begrudgingly I'd have to back Wilshere. He has excellent technique, I just don't like supporting people I detest. And Wilshere is a grade-A prat.
After today yes. Injuries are his downfall, the good thing is that he's a different type of striker to the others. He'll need and injury to one of the others to be in with a shout.
After today yes. Injuries are his downfall, the good thing is that he's a different type of striker to the others. He'll need and injury to one of the others to be in with a shout.
That's what I though... Like Crouch he gives different options and defences struggle against him. Not sure who would stay at home... Dare I say Rooney?
After today yes. Injuries are his downfall, the good thing is that he's a different type of striker to the others. He'll need and injury to one of the others to be in with a shout.
That's what I though... Like Crouch he gives different options and defences struggle against him. Not sure who would stay at home... Dare I say Rooney?
I think I'd leave Sturridge at home - bit controversial as he's a top player. You can bet your life that either Sturridge or Carroll will be injured by the end of the season anyway.
The more I see of Drinkwater, the more I think we'd be mad not to take him and play him. That assist for Varney at the weekend, while simplistic, was superb. He was slightly fortuitous to turn his man, but the way, first time, no hesitation, he just pinged it 50/60 yards, perfectly weighted, with a nice bit of back spin fade right into Varney's path was brilliant. It's the kind of thing that someone like Pirlo used to give commentators semis over. Even if it had been Carrick or Wilshire. But when someone like Drinkwater does it it's 'just a long ball'.
Apart from maybe offering slightly less goal threat, he's more reliably fit and just as mobile as Wilshire and is more naturally suited to being a more defensive minded midfielder. Compared to Carrick he tackles more, retains the ball just as well (and with more tempo) and has as great range of longer passing too.
I think he and Dier could play together anchoring the midfield (Drinkwater slightly ahead of Dier) and allowing Alli/Barkley/Rooney or whoever to just get on with making shit happen up top. With Alli as well, no midfield will out work ours and we have players that will make it easy for us to play a pressing game and take Premier League style football to the Euros for probably the first time.
The more I see of Drinkwater, the more I think we'd be mad not to take him and play him. That assist for Varney at the weekend, while simplistic, was superb. He was slightly fortuitous to turn his man, but the way, first time, no hesitation, he just pinged it 50/60 yards, perfectly weighted, with a nice bit of back spin fade right into Varney's path was brilliant. It's the kind of thing that someone like Pirlo used to give commentators semis over. Even if it had been Carrick or Wilshire. But when someone like Drinkwater does it it's 'just a long ball'.
Apart from maybe offering slightly less goal threat, he's more reliably fit and just as mobile as Wilshire and is more naturally suited to being a more defensive minded midfielder. Compared to Carrick he tackles more, retains the ball just as well (and with more tempo) and has as great range of longer passing too.
I think he and Dier could play together anchoring the midfield (Drinkwater slightly ahead of Dier) and allowing Alli/Barkley/Rooney or whoever to just get on with making shit happen up top. With Alli as well, no midfield will out work ours and we have players that will make it easy for us to play a pressing game and take Premier League style football to the Euros for probably the first time.
100%
Carroll is a dinosaur and we need to play football, not hoofball with the players we have.
Carroll scoring three against a poor back four like Arsenal won't happen at International football!
Not a fan of the idea of taking Carroll, assuming we take five strikers Kane, Vardy, Rooney, Welbeck & Sturridge are all much better options, I would probably even take Walcott over Carroll.
I see the logic in the argument for Carroll. I think if you take him, you're hoping you don't need to use him because plan A works every game, but if, in a one off match, our new found keep it on the deck style isn't creating much and we need a goal with ten minutes to go, I don't think it would be an entirely bad idea to have a plan B or C on the bench.
Vardy running off Carroll? Old school, but to try and force an opening from a stubborn defence late in a game? It could work.
I just don't like the idea of when we for once have a number of talented attacking players to choose from of wasting a spot on a player who does not fit in to our way of playing, lets just focus on improving the way we know we can play rather then leave someone like Sturridge at home in case we need to play hoofball.
Comments
The reality is that Hodgson is not on his own in looking for quick tempo - Man Utd suffered under Moyes and less so with Van Gaal, Guy Luzon got and Jose Riga gets totally fired up when the mighty CAFC up the tempo and thus the work rate and mesmerise the opposition in so doing - it's pretty much a no brainer and the more static the play the less chances created other than by long ball, hoof ball, percentage ball which against giant centre backs is a shocking policy.
The Germany performance highlighted where we can be technically and where we should be but we only have certain players who are technically good enough to play this style successfully - the Tottenham lads did particularly well but Jordan Henderson struggled and several times his short passes were poor and we lost possession and were almost punished - Henderson did his best work when not in possession - pressing, getting physical and trying to break up the play.
For me, that Germany performance was one of the best I've seen from an England team - really positive.
Defensively we need to improve our reaction and recovery of shape skills to quick breaks/counters because when you're playing one and two touch you need to compact the play and this way, if you lose possession and don't regain the ball in the Barcelona 6 second style then you are open to quick counters, as the Germans proved by spreading the play and expoliting the huge space left open for them.
We have time to improve, we are going in the right direction and time will tell if we have enough of this new breed of quick tempo players to sustain a full tournament and achieve success.
The Manchester United forward, 30, scored seven goals in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, but has not played since a knee injury in February.
The top two scorers in this season's Premier League are both England strikers, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.
"Over the past two years my form for England has been really good. I've scored a lot of goals," Rooney said.
"I'll keep trying to, first and foremost, help the team be successful and if I can score the goals to help achieve that then that'll be great.
"I've still got a few years left, I feel," he told the PFA's 4 The Player magazine. "I'm always just thinking about what comes next and making sure I'm at my best for the summer.
"I feel I'm a lot more patient now in my play. When I was younger I could be impatient and I'd end up in positions I didn't really need to be in."
Henderson out for 6 to 8 weeks, so a doubt for the Euros
Good news for Drinkwater (and Milner), maybe Mark Noble might get a look in?
Having said that if one of them were unavailable I would want Henderson in there. Certainly ahead of Milner...
I'd take Noble ahead of Milner..
On Henderson specifically, he is like a lot of England players that hat have looked potentially decent at a young age but just no kicked on. Chris Waddle was talking about this after the Germany game when cautioning not to get too carried away with some of the performances of the young players in that game. There is now a very long list of English players who in their early 20s looked very promising but bu their mid to late 20s have just stagnated or gone backwards. I think you could probably put Henderson in that bracket.
I desperately don't want to see Delph or Noble picked, and I wonder if Drinkwater needs Leicester's tactics. Begrudgingly I'd have to back Wilshere. He has excellent technique, I just don't like supporting people I detest. And Wilshere is a grade-A prat.
Apart from maybe offering slightly less goal threat, he's more reliably fit and just as mobile as Wilshire and is more naturally suited to being a more defensive minded midfielder. Compared to Carrick he tackles more, retains the ball just as well (and with more tempo) and has as great range of longer passing too.
I think he and Dier could play together anchoring the midfield (Drinkwater slightly ahead of Dier) and allowing Alli/Barkley/Rooney or whoever to just get on with making shit happen up top. With Alli as well, no midfield will out work ours and we have players that will make it easy for us to play a pressing game and take Premier League style football to the Euros for probably the first time.
Carroll is a dinosaur and we need to play football, not hoofball with the players we have.
Carroll scoring three against a poor back four like Arsenal won't happen at International football!
Vardy running off Carroll? Old school, but to try and force an opening from a stubborn defence late in a game? It could work.