Macca, You Got Merk'd
After all these weeks of bombardment from the mass media about how a team should be consistent with the starting players (etc. Liverpool, Liverpool & Liverpool), Steve McClaren decides to turn on deaf ears and bring radical change to his England side for the game against FYR Macedonia this weekend.
Radical as in, changing from the familiar 4-4-2 formation to a untested 3-5-2 formation. If you thought that changing personal is bad, then how about changing formation? I have always believe that no matter how much changes the manager makes, the system and formation must not be tempered with.
So now is McClaren going to use 2 totally different formation against Macedonia and Croatia? If he is, then he is making a serious mistake. Talking about 3-5-2, which team actually plays that formation? None. Yes, so the players will need some time to get used to the system. And everyone knows that Macedonia is going to be the 'guinea pig' or cannon fodder for England this weekend, but just what IF it backfires?
You can imagine the English papers on Sunday morning, having a field day of their own, the press will go 'McClaren out!' and '3-5-2 not the way!'. So by this radical change, McClaren is putting his reputation at stake and also how smooth the road ahead is depends very much on this not so important match.
Will he then revert back to 4-4-2 against a much stronger Croatia? Then if it is, where will they find the consistency? I just don't think that playing two different system in 3 days will get be of any good but in fact, it will cause confusion and disjointedness.
So good luck Macca, if it backfires, don't say I didn't warn you!
Likely Line-Up
Robinson; G Neville, Ferdinand, Terry; Wright-Phillips, Gerrard, Carrick, Lampard, A Cole; Rooney, Crouch.
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4 comments:
I believe in either 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 if a change is felt needed, but out of the two 4-4-2 will always win with me. Having engaged Hargreaves as the holding of the two central midfielders allowing Lampard to run forward with Gerrard on the right, I would have remained with four at the back, Carrick behind the three of Gerrard, Lampard and one other (for me it shouldn't be Downing), and two strikers.
With 3-5-2 I always wondered who out of G Neville, Ferdinand, Terry and Ashley Cole should make way. Ferdinand has played in midfield before and is comfortable coming out with the ball, so he could be an ad hoc holding midfielder and join the defence when under attack. That being that, we could have four across the midfield with Lampard and Gerrard going forward and the wingers. Ferdinand re-joining the defence when under attack is further aided by the midfield getting back quickly.
As it stands with no signs of the assumed first XI having injuries, then I would go 4-4-2 with Carrick holding. If we need more going forward then perhaps 3-5-2 with Ferdinand dropping forward to hold, allowing Carrick to join up in attack.
RedsMan.
Yea, I don't get why he want to change the tactics because the only injury that he has to deal with is Hargreaves and he can be replaced by either Phil Neville, Scott Parker or Carrick like you said.
According to Sportscentre, Ashley Cole will be playing in the left midfield position while SWP on the right. Essentially they are the 'wing-backs'. That means Neville, Rio and Terry will form the back 3.
My thoughts on why he wants to play 3-5-2 would be..to drift Gerrard inwards to the centre again. So again, round pegs, square holes.
Cheers
Um. Can Cashley do midfield?
No idea, but he'pretty attacking minded. But being an attacking full back is different from a winger I guess.
Anyway the idea seemed to be dropped because of player power.
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