Does anybody like the look of this team ?

[The Tye]

i think he will go with the dangerous OWEN HARGREAVES instead of £15 million rated Carrick!!!

Why Hargreaves is worth £20 million.

I would play both Carrick and Hargreaves in midfield as both Lampard and Gerrard are rested for the 2nd round match. Its not very often you get the oppotunity to rest players at a World Cup. I think Sven will rest more players if Germany draw with Ecuador as however well Ecuador have done we dont really want to play Germany in their own back yard whatever quality of team they are at present. I think the current German team on paper is better than the one that made the final in 2002.

I take group bookings are wiped out.

I can see what your saying but there too similar and it wouldnt work, just too defensive, although the svede does like his ultra defensive tactics he may opt for it!

[the lawn mower]

Personally......

Robinson

Beckham/Terry/Ferdinand/A.Cole

Lennon/Carrick/Lampard/J.Cole

Owen/Rooney

We do know that Rooney DEFINITELY starts, as sven has gone public with this, and Owen needs games to get sharp so id play him despte being poor, and take into account that until the 83rd minute Crouchinho was having a shocker, understandably Craig you wouldnt have noticed this being in a Bar in Prague absolutely off your tree!!!

I would replace Lampard at Half Time to a) give him a run out to regain form & b)avoid the second yellow!

Rooney off after an hour and Big Theo to have a run, after all he has gone for a reason, nothing to lose, why not!

I would replace Lampard with Joe Cole in Middle and Downing Wide Left, again a valuable run out!

Although this is what id like him to play, i think he will go with the dangerous OWEN HARGREAVES instead of £15 million rated Carrick!!!

..If your saying that Beckham plays at right back and no room for Gerrard in the side.

..Well I dont know nothing ( which something else to CCFC)

[wrighty]

Threads like this are 1 of the main reasons we love football, wether it's on here, in a pub or on holiday with like minded people from other countries we all have an opinion and who's to say wether it's right or wrong.

we have got 6 points and we could ask no more but we all know we will have to play alot better,I think we have found it hard to break down the 2 sides so far due to them sitting so deep, against better opponents we will have to defend more which will give us more room to break into which is why I would like to see 4-5-1

robinson

carrager ferdinand terry cole

beckham

lennon gerrard lampard cole

rooney

[The Tye]

Personally......

Robinson

Beckham/Terry/Ferdinand/A.Cole

Lennon/Carrick/Lampard/J.Cole

Owen/Rooney

We do know that Rooney DEFINITELY starts, as sven has gone public with this, and Owen needs games to get sharp so id play him despte being poor, and take into account that until the 83rd minute Crouchinho was having a shocker, understandably Craig you wouldnt have noticed this being in a Bar in Prague absolutely off your tree!!!

I would replace Lampard at Half Time to a) give him a run out to regain form & b)avoid the second yellow!

Rooney off after an hour and Big Theo to have a run, after all he has gone for a reason, nothing to lose, why not!

I would replace Lampard with Joe Cole in Middle and Downing Wide Left, again a valuable run out!

Although this is what id like him to play, i think he will go with the dangerous OWEN HARGREAVES instead of £15 million rated Carrick!!!

..If your saying that Beckham plays at right back and no room for Gerrard in the side.

..Well I dont know nothing ( which something else to CCFC)

Cant see your point??? gerrard must be left out to ensure that he plays in round 2!

[Lord Zola]

Before the World Cup 90% of us would have picked the same side, if everyone was fit and available so why after 2 wins and no goals against are we saying certain players should not play.

You can largely ignore the Sweden team, as it will obvioulsy be picked to accomodate yellow cards & rest bite etc etc, but from the last 16 onwards assuming everyone is fit, the team should and will be;

Robinson

Cole
Terry
Rio
Neville (though Carragher pushes him very close, Neville play Right Back week in week out, Carragher does not)

Beckham
Lampard
Gerrard
J Cole

Rooney
Owen

are normal 4-4-2 formation. I perosonally think the team picks itself. All this talking of changing systems right smack bang in the middle of the World Cup is crazy.

Lennon done OK, but remember who we were playing, the lad had an good season for Spurs, but he's not yet ready in my opinion to start in The World Cup knockout stages.

[Lord Zola]

..................................Robinson.............................

..............Carragher.....Ferdinand......Terry..............

....................................Carrick.............................
Lennon.....Beckham.....................Gerrard.....J Cole

..............................Rooney...................................

......................................Crouch...........................

Obviously this leaves out Lampard and Ashley Cole. But the best players dont always make the best team.
This team gives us balance and pace down both flanks.
Becks plays on the right side of the three midfielders alowing him to get into his crossings positions.
In my opinion, you can not play all your superstars. You have to sacrifice that for the balence of the team. The right blend between attck and defense. Having said that, we still have plenty of match winners in there.
Am i right ? Surley you can see the benifit in this line up.

Going back to the original post.

No Roggie, that team is awful. Could we be more vunarable down the flanks (said like Chandler out of friends).

[Fingers]

I dont think I answered the question set by Roggie. But I agree with Lord Zola not the team I would pick. As far as Im concerned the team picks itself at 4-4-2 now Rooney is fit. Crouch, Lennon and excellent options from the bench. Carragher will play only if Neville isnt fit otherwise thats the team that will play in the 2nd round providing they are all available.

I fear no team at this world I think we will beat any team we play.

[wrighty]

I see what your saying lord zola and maybe I should have been clearer with what I said, I belive we should have looked at things a lot earlier and i agree we should not be tinkering in the main I agree g.neville to start ahead of carrager if fit, my point with the midfield is in gerrard and lampard we have 2 of the worlds finest attacking midfielders being asked to share a role that does not allow them the freedom to contribute in the devasting way they can, it is not so much they cant do it, it is what the team loses when they are asked to do it, secondly as we progress we will spend alot more time in the defensive third of the pitch our ball retention will need to much better and we will need to break with pace (owen 1998)
lennon is bang in form young, hungry and one would think no fear.

All that said I belive it is something that should have been looked at before now, I am no doom monger and believe we have a great squad with a great chance and dont really give a f*** who plays as long as we win the world cup he can pick ulrika if it helps us win

[roggie]

I dont think I answered the question set by Roggie. But I agree with Lord Zola not the team I would pick. As far as Im concerned the team picks itself at 4-4-2 now Rooney is fit. Crouch, Lennon and excellent options from the bench. Carragher will play only if Neville isnt fit otherwise thats the team that will play in the 2nd round providing they are all available.

I fear no team at this world I think we will beat any team we play.

I am 100% sure we canot win the world cup by playing 4-4-2. Surley you all realise that against teams like Argentina for instance they have a certain guy call Requelme, (i know thats not how you spell it but i dont care). There is no way you can play them with 4-4-2. And i dont see why we can not defend down the wides. Any way, there is no perfect formula. With England, i see any way you chose to line up, there will be a weekness. But the best form of defence is attack is it not.
I am not talking about gung ho tatctics here as we have a very capable defensive unit. Back three and Carrick in front. Whats the problem ?
But we will definatly start 4-4-2 against Sweden. Why, by the way does Sven insist on Hargreaves instead of Carrick ? I think the same way he just did not rate Defoe when he seamed the obvoius choice for back up.

[Dave]

Defoe was not picked because he has had a poor season spending most of the time on the bench.

Carrick does not get picked over Hargreaves probably due to European & International experience which Hargreaves has an abundance of. We all think Hargreaves is a load of pone (including me) but Sven has probably watched a lot more of him than any of us have and must have his reasons in picking him.

[wrighty]

I for one have not been a hargreaves knocker, I can't see why people mainly english seem to want to slaughter a lad who has who european trophys and plays for one of the biggest teams in the world, it is just a shame we don't see more of him playing so we can make a more balanced judgement, but now we have a player in the squad that must have been affected by treatment of his own fans (although fans would be questionable) you get behind your team whatever you think, I for one hope he has a blinder and maybe temper some of the critics just like crouch did

[Dean Bradford]

I agree. I feel he is knocked because most of us do not see him play week in week out.

At the end of the day he is a regular for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Can I also make a really obvious point overlooked by many of us.

HE PLAYS IN BLEEDIN GERMANY WEEK IN WEEK OUT!!!

Surely that has to be an advantage! At the end of the day he does play the holding role well and feel he will bring the best out of Lampard tonight.

BRING IT ON - CANNOT WAIT

[fanbase]

..WELL __ I know this sounds and probably looks total "crap", But Beckham has been in three world cups and two Euro championships and has failed to get us to the final in any of them. I personally dont think he is NOT world class anymore. Lennon is the future, plus, he attacks defenders and given more chances to play you will see him score vital goals for his country.

Still think the same. Shows how much you know.

[the lawn mower]

..WELL __ I know this sounds and probably looks total "crap", But Beckham has been in three world cups and two Euro championships and has failed to get us to the final in any of them. I personally dont think he is NOT world class anymore. Lennon is the future, plus, he attacks defenders and given more chances to play you will see him score vital goals for his country.

Still think the same. Shows how much you know.

So he had a reasonable game yeh!

"I" think the side carried the player untill he was subbed.

Someone in any football team that tries to take "ALL" the corners ( about 12 ) "ALL" the free kicks ( about 10 ) and gets payed £110,000 aweek and has the undying backing of a manager reguardless of form, is bound to get on the score sheet once in 10 games.

I know what I see and that aint a good performance by a long shot. Just look at the performance points through-out the World cup for England so- far (especially Beckhams).

But not to labour the point, I hope, just as much as you, that England go on and win the World cup, with, or with-out him.

[Fingers]

Unbelieveable Lawn-Mower Man - Beckham scores a great free-kick and has won us three games at this world cup - Paraguay Free-Kick, Pass to Peter Crouch against trinidad and Yesterday's goal and you still think he isnt good enough to play. Being a wholehearted Spurs has clouded you opinion of Beckham. If it were anyone else other than Lennon who could play instead of Beckham would you still be bleating on how rubbish Beckham is? You can say what you like about Beckham but he is the only Englishmen to score in 3 different world cups. He deserves to be playing and works hard for the side.

Talk in Manchester is that Aaron Lennon is going to sign for Manchester United after the world cup, now that would really wind you up wouldnt it.