Lampard Being Frank That He's Pretty Sh*t

Lampard said: "If you play with two of those holding type players in there it would give me more freedom to get forward.

"If you play with one, there will be more responsibility to be involved in the midfield and maybe try to get a grip of the game rather than get in the box so often.

"Why have I not done myself justice in recent matches? I don't know. I'm coming up to 50 caps now and it is never a case of having a clear run when everything is going great.

"Sometimes you have to play an important part for the team, sometimes the ball doesn't go in the net for you, like at the World Cup, and that is part and parcel of being a footballer.

In experience of reading footballers talk b*llocks week in week out, this has to be the mother of all quotes. A midfielder heralded as the 'second best in the world' actually telling you that he needs two people behind him before he can go on and do his stuff.

Essentially, it just means that other than attacking and scoring goals, he doesn't do anything more than that and is afraid to get his shirt dirty. Oh how wonderful is that! Yet again this has proved my theory right about Lampard based on the article I wrote about England last Sunday. He's a technical player that does what he is taught well but other than that, he's basically sh*t and doesn't know anything.

Which also means that in the future if England plays a 4-4-2, Lampard will be out of equation because he needs two defensive midfielder which 4-4-2 doesn't provide.

The most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long while, hands down.

We Need Medical Staff Training, D'oh!

From Who Ate All The Pies

Goalkeeper's Note For England

Those who actually enjoy international football will remember that Arsenal keeper and general scourge of the Premiership Jens Lehmann reviewed a list of penalty kick notes hidden in his sock prior to his World Cup shootout heroics against Argentina.

Jens is now auctioning that little bit of paper, presumably for charity, although with Lehmann you can never be too sure.

The notes, via translation, read:

1. Riquelme left high
2. Crespo long run/right, short run/left
3. Heinze left low
4. Ayala long wait, long run right
5. Messi left
6. Aimar long wait left
7. Rodriguez left

One can only imagine what Jens would have written in preparation for an England penalty shootout, but here’s a guess:

1. Stand in the middle and wait for him to miss.
2. Stand in the middle and wait for him to miss.
3. Stand in the middle and wait for him to miss.
4. Stand in the middle and wait for him to miss.
5. Stand in the middle and wait for him to miss.

From the folks over at CaughtOffside.com

3-5-2? 5-3-2? How About A 4-5-1 Then?

It's been a tremendous week so far, reading all the newspaper going 'Honeymoon period over for McClaren' etc. So there's actually a 'honeymoon period' for managers, eh? I didn't know, I thought they're supposed to do their best from game 1 till the day they get sacked or leave on their own consent.

Okay anyway that's not the point here today. England will soon face their toughest test so far under the new Steve McClaren regime. After a very disappointing 0-0 draw with Macedonia over in the 'Theatre of Dreams', Steve must have felt a little pressure from the fans and press already.

It was an inept performance from a group of 'world beaters' as proclaimed by Mr. Sven, who till this day, still get slated for getting England nowhere further than the quater finals every 2 years. To be really honest with you, he actually 'over-achieved' with this bunch, whom everyone thought to be a 'golden generation'. But it's for everyone to see, that they're nowhere near the pinacle of 1966 (40 bloody years ago).

With the latest news regarding Ledley King's injury that forces him out of the game, England will no doubt, have to start working on a tactic which fits the squad and at the same time, get the result. So now, I shall give a little suggestion of mine that is England should start the game against Croatia with a 4-5-1 tactics.

Why 4-5-1?

• England has a settled back four. Don't dismentle them in anyway.
• Most English players played in the formation before. Lampard did it @ Chelsea etc.
• They have Crouch and Bent who both are capable of playing the lone striker role.
• 5 midfielder will keep the central area tight. In away games, possesion is key.
  

I'll give more reasons as you read further. Now an indepth position by position look:

Goalkeeper: Paul Robinson. No reason for dropping him. He kept 7 clean sheets so far and have done...reasonably well actually. Nothing more, nothing less.

Defenders: G Neviller, Rio, Terry & Cashley. These 4 defenders have played with each other for long enough and the understanding is there. So playing a 3-5-2 will definitely jeopardise the already weak 'communication link' beween the England players.

Central Midfielders: Fat Frank, Michael Carrick, Scott Parker. Firstly, Lampard is undroppable and would you rather Lampard or Jenas? Yes, so I'll still keep him anyway if there's a need to deflect a shot in.

So the important thing is with a 4-5-1, you have 3 central midfield spot up for grabs. Currently, managers prefer Carrick, who is deffo not a defensive midfielder everyone is talking about. He's a deep lying ball playing midfielder who sprays passes, links up defence and midfield and also dictates the tempo of the game. BUT the down side of him is he needs a 'rubbish collector' alongside him to actually make him effective of any sort. Don't believe? Look at Alonso & Sissoko. One's a cultured passer of the ball who can't really tackle, the other's a 'destroy who runs and tackles'. Pirlo and Gattuso @ AC Milan is of the same partnership.

So without Hargreaves' all-action presence, Scott Parker would be the ideal man to partner Carrick. He'll do all the tackling and cleaning up, helping Carrick and giving Lampard the license to get forward. Parker will be needed with his guile and aggresiveness especially in this sort of games and let's take away the 'he's inexperienced' cliche because everyone started as one before, isn't it?

Wingers: SW Phillips & Kieran Richardson. Phillips was one of the few shining lights in the game against Macedona, so he deserves his spot in the first eleven with Gerrard being absent.

Now Richardson will be controversial to some, but I think he SHOULD be better than Downing, who looked out of depth and definitely not England class. At least Richardson has got the pace and ability to beat a man (no pun intended) and also his defensive aspect of the game will be better compared to Downing.

And Wayne Rooney MIGHT be able to suit in that role at left-wing. But he's really off form at the moment, so I won't risk him.

Lone Man: Peter Crouchinho. Who else but the big man with a good touch. His holding up of ball can bring Lampard and others into the game. He's the plan A and plan B for England isn't it. If things aren't going well, just hoof it up for the big man.


Some will argue that I might be having a game of Football Manager too much, but I think this tactic is the best England can get at the moment. Wayne Rooney's exclusion might make some of you feel that I'm kidding, but if Macca continues to play him and he continues to let people down, the pressure will be so huge that he won't be able to handle, even more so now when he seemed to be struggling already at the age of 20. I still think bringing him on for the last 15-20 minutes will be most suitable for him because he might be a good player, but he's still only 20.

Croatia will be a tough game altogether and England shouldn't expect an easy game, with the partisan crowd cheering on the home team, who haven't lost there for 30 games. So a 4-5-1 formation will be able to slow down the game a little, congest the midfield area and try to get hold of as much possesion as possible.

A draw will be good for England I think. Talking about winning with this players is a little far fetched at the moment and from what we've all seen. But this is football and it's unpredictable after all. Who knows Lampard might just hit a hat trick or some sort. We'll have to wait and see.

A Good Read

Change for change's sake? - ESPNSoccernet

Breaking away from the tabloid newspaper's sensationalism, Soccernet's journalist, Norman Hubbard provided sort of an alternate view on Rafa's tinkering.

And as one of English football's most enduring clichés is 'never change a winning team', any subsequent setback can be attributed to Benitez's inability to present the same teamsheet. The realities of defeat are often more complex, but the school of lazy punditry finds fault with the Liverpool manager; that his tinkering contributed to eventual victory in Istanbul is currently being ignored.

But as Benitez approaches an unlikely century, there are five facets to his ever-changing team selection. The first is a methodology that is the polar opposite of, say, Arsene Wenger's: a concession to the opposition in his thought process.

Then there are the merits of squad rotation. Benitez's thesis - that it is impossible for a club with aspirations to succeed to play 65 games a season while fielding the same 11 players throughout.

Then a summer recruitment drive left Benitez with a squad size commensurate with Liverpool's status among the biggest clubs. The dynamics of the modern transfer market and the absence of a billionaire backer, however, are contributing factors in the Spaniard's decision to split his transfer budget several ways. Lacking any galacticos means there are few automatic choices.

Fourthly, there are the options at Benitez's disposal which, given the adaptability of many of his players, are more than Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho or Wenger have to ponder. Versatility is an asset Benitez values; the addition of Fabio Aurelio and Boudewijn Zenden, providing an alternative in three and four positions respectively, shows at much.

If Gerrard and Luis Garcia, each deployed just behind the main striker, are included, Benitez has six options in attack and 15 possible partnerships.

Yet, where the squad system was abandoned, the result was despondency for Robbie Fowler; even the substitutes' bench has been beyond his grasp for the last five games. For five of them, Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt were united, providing an indication that they may be regarded as a long-term partnership. For Benitez, the consequence was criticism because of the omission of Peter Crouch.

Even the central defensive partnership, largely untouched last season, has been altered, the result of a rare injury to Carragher and evidence of the admirable Hyypia's decline which, coupled with Daniel Agger's precocious performances, means another significant decision every match for the Spaniard.

Whether a lack of consistency in team selection at Anfield equates to a lack of consistency in results is another matter. And in the meantime, whenever Liverpool next win because of a substitution or surprise selection from Benitez, it could be seen as a reason to carry on tinkering.

Gerrard Has A Go At Lampard !

"I hit the shot well, but maybe I hit it a little too well. Sometimes, you mis-hit them and they go in." - Steven Gerrard

Something like that.. I think...

The French Makes Good Excuses....

We used to have a French manager named Gerard Houllier and we all remembered his 'turning of corners' etc.

Then you have Arsene Wenger who...uhm never seemed to be able to see anything..

But the master of all is of course Raymond 'I look at stars' Domenech..

"I was disappointed with the ball boys for slowing down the game. They may have been educated in that"

Well done. The quote is in my little handbook which I might be using if I ever lose a game on my Football Manager 2007. Another of my excuses would be 'the little red dots won't respond when the ball is nearer to them. I don't know why.'

Most Shocking News Of The Season So Far....

Middlesbrough defender Jonathan Woodgate is undergoing treatment after picking up an injury in training.

The 26-year-old, currently on loan to his home-town club from Real Madrid, is understood to have been under the care of the club's medics for the last couple of days.

Boro were not commenting on the situation amid reports Woodgate will be sidelined for up to three weeks by a groin problem.

However, it is understood the injury could involve his thigh.

As shocking as Lampard hitting his shots into row Z or Titus Bramble playing as a defender.

Sorry.

Comments, Guys?

Okay as you know, I've changed the banner to something fresh. It's not a nicely done one because I'm pretty bad with Photoshop so had some help from my friend.

So comments? Good? Bad? Ugly? Close down the entire blog because it's hideous? Have your say guys!

Boring, Boring, En-grrrrr-land...

England 0 - 0 FYR Macedonia

The picture that sums up England's night. Stevie G, hand on his back of his head:


Hands up if you're one of those neutrals that watched the game and then dozed off. After so many years of watching football, this is one of the VERY few games that made me goes 'fishing'. It was a lame and pathetic performance from a country blessed with such abundance of talents. Again, it seemed like it's 11 individuals out there instead of a team of English players. So what went wrong? I'll try my very best to give you insights into this England 'team'.


1) Lack Of Width

Stewart Downing on the left and Steven Gerrard on the right. Ones a 'one season wonder' who struggles to get past a man and the other not even a winger. Such a sad state of affair that they couldn't even field two proper wingers who can get past man and put in decent crosses. It makes you wonder what would've happened if Beckham is still in the team.

Downing has to be one of those players whom you have totally no idea why they're in the squad, but made it anyway. Perhaps because he used to play under Macca at Boro? I would think so. There's such a player named Gareth Barry who has been consistantly good this season, putting in excellent crosses and got overlooked. Why? Because he's not playing in a big club?

Steven Gerrard on the other hand still doesn't looked disciplined enough to play on the wide right. Brings me to my next point:


2) Gerrard: Tactical Ill-disciplined Or Instruction From Manager?

Playing as a right-winger in majority of last season for Liverpool, he has been given the license to roam around the midfield by Rafa. But under McClaren, he seemed to be lost and running around like a headless chicken. I have no idea whose fault is it at all because we don't know what's going on behind the scene.

Gerrard is a dynamic player who wants to get involve in everything and therefore playing on the right wing restricts him from doing so. But as England's best player currently (I think), he has to lead by example and therefore it means, he has to have a 'free role'. So he tend drift inwards to the middle of the field, leaving acres of space on the right for poor ol' Neville to cover.

It's alright if you drift inwards ala Luis Garcia when he plays on the right. But drifting inwards too early (like Gerrard) means that the middle of the pitch will become very tight and therefore Lampard and Carrick are stuffed off any space.

The Macedonians took advantage of this flaw and launched waves and waves of attack on England's right hand side, and with Gerrard missing, Neville had a hard time together with King.

3) Where's The Pass 'n Move?

As a nation with such proud footballing tradition, it's a shame that their players struggles to keep hold of possesion and pass the ball accurately and with purpose. Michael Carrick was brought in to do exactly that, but he seemed too off paced and sluggush. Lampard got crowded out by the masses of Macedonian defence.

There was no sense of purpose when passing the ball as though they passed it because they don't want someone breathing down their neck. They passed it sideways and backwards and when finally they pass the ball forward, it seemed like they're trying too hard to impress with those one touch flicks and such.

Another thing was the movement of the players. They all seemed very slow to react and always wait for the ball to roll to their feet instead of running towards it and take it. Poor passing in the final third of the field eventually leads to:

4) Crouch and Rooney Isolated

Don't you think so? They're like two players in white shirts within a sea of red. There was no support whatsoever until it was too late. They're feeding off scraps and the service from the midfield was unbelievably bad.

A couple of times when Crouch got hold of the ball and waiting for someone to make a run, there was no one and there was nothing he could do but surrender possesion. Rooney still looked very unfit and lost out there. A couple of poor touch and hesitation rendered him ineffective. With virtually no supply line, the combination of Crouch and Rooney lacked sharpness and fluidity.

5) Terry's Flaw

Some might not agree with this point, but John Terry might be one of the causes of their problems. We all know that Terry is not the fastest defender in the world and therefore, the defence line have to be pushed backward a little so that they leave little space behind them.

This made the defence and midfield a little disjointed and once again, Carrick was supposed to be the one linking the two departments up, but he was ineffective.

6) Failure To Impose

Midfield caught in no mans land. They have no idea whether to drop back or move forward to support the strikers. Therefore England failed to 'surround' Macedonia and stamp their authority in the game. The players didn't step up the gear and hasten the pace of the game, rather looking lazy and slow. They couldn't find the rythmn and that sums it all up.

7) No Creativity, No Flair

You cannot fault the players or managers for this one, but you got to admit that England lacks a playmaker of any sort. Look at Argentina and you have Riquelme (retired, though). Look at Brazil and you have Kaka. And England? The closest thing you get is Gerrard, but of course he got shafted on the right. Joe Cole is another one of those flair players, but sadly, he's unavailable at the moment.

Looking at the English players reminds you of those students you have in school who gets A* in everything because they memorises everything instead of really understanding it. They only excel in the things they're taught.

Looking at a player like Lampard. We all know that he's a pretty good player and his strong points are he's physically fit and of course, his shots usually ends up in the back of the net. But he's the type of player I branded as the 'technical players', who excel at the things they are taught, but other than that, they're average at best. He's good at shooting because during his youth, he was made to practice them all day long. Not that I'm critical about him and doubting his football talents, but other than that, do you actually see him doing anything apart from that?

He's not the only one of these 'technical' players. But the thing is if the trend continues, England will continue to suffer. The lack of natural flair players is making England a very dull and uncreative side. Technically good they might be, but natural talent with proper guidance will definitely be the best.

But,

Early days still for McClaren. The qualifying round is still a long way to go and he cannot afford to let his boys drop their heads. They will face a very difficult encounter with Croatia without Gerrard, but if McClaren could go back to basics, then perhaps he will bring out the best in a group of good players.