June 24, 201411 yr Given that the vast majority of the squad other than the Liverpool contingent play 4-2-3-1 for their clubs, that might give you a clue as to why it's not working. Gerrard and Henderson simply doesn't cut it as an international midfield unless you have a pure midfielder playing as the Number 10.
June 24, 201411 yr Given that the vast majority of the squad other than the Liverpool contingent play 4-2-3-1 for their clubs, that might give you a clue as to why it's not working. Gerrard and Henderson simply doesn't cut it as an international midfield unless you have a pure midfielder playing as the Number 10. Only clubs that play it are Man City and Arsenal. Begs the question why he plays the formation with Gerrard, when everyone knows Gerrard just doesn't have the legs to play in a two man midfield. Either you compensate with the extra midfielder, or you drop him altogether. Yet again we're way behind all the other top teams. The best teams at this World Cup are mixing it up with formations, whilst playing a pressing game, whilst we stick to the same non-winning formula. We're witnessing the return of 3-4-3.
June 24, 201411 yr Only clubs that play it are Man City and Arsenal. Begs the question why he plays the formation with Gerrard, when everyone knows Gerrard just doesn't have the legs to play in a two man midfield. Either you compensate with the extra midfielder, or you drop him altogether. Yet again we're way behind all the other top teams. The best teams at this World Cup are mixing it up with formations, whilst playing a pressing game, whilst we stick to the same non-winning formula. We're witnessing the return of 3-4-3. What? Looking at the squad you've got outfield players from Chelsea, Everton and Southampton who are used to 4-2-3-1 as well. Literally everyone apart from the Liverpool players. He plays Gerrard because he's the captain and we have a complete dearth of defensive midfielders, so dropping him isn't an option unfortunately. I don't dispute that we need more flexibility though. 4-2-3-1 would actually morph fairly easily into 3-4-3 if the full backs push on, Gerrard drops between the centre backs and the Number 10 drops alongside Henderson. English players aren't used to playing with anything other than a back four though so that kind of thing, while fairly easily drilled in a club side where you see the players every week, is difficult to do as an international manager.
June 24, 201411 yr The post Manaus record is now played 4, lost 4, scored 3, conceded 10, with the three teams that played well there looking much worse and completely ineffective in their match after. Thought it may have been a big factor for England's exit after Italy lost, definitely do after watching Croatia last night.
June 24, 201411 yr The post Manaus record is now played 4, lost 4, scored 3, conceded 10, with the three teams that played well there looking much worse and completely ineffective in their match after. Thought it may have been a big factor for England's exit after Italy lost, definitely do after watching Croatia last night. Croatia shot themselves in the foot if that was it - they were coasting against Cameroon (who incidentally played better against Brazil last night).
June 24, 201411 yr What? Looking at the squad you've got outfield players from Chelsea, Everton and Southampton who are used to 4-2-3-1 as well. Literally everyone apart from the Liverpool players. He plays Gerrard because he's the captain and we have a complete dearth of defensive midfielders, so dropping him isn't an option unfortunately. I don't dispute that we need more flexibility though. 4-2-3-1 would actually morph fairly easily into 3-4-3 if the full backs push on, Gerrard drops between the centre backs and the Number 10 drops alongside Henderson. English players aren't used to playing with anything other than a back four though so that kind of thing, while fairly easily drilled in a club side where you see the players every week, is difficult to do as an international manager. But they don't play 4-2-3-1 in the same manner England play it, that's the point. You shoe-horn players in to a system where they're not being best utilised. Gerrard/Johnson have played in a 4-2-3-1 as well at Liverpool in the Benitez area. Just if you play that formation, the midfield is the most vulnerable part, and the players who play as the right and left sided forwards need to double up as tucked in midfielders. Really poor management imo to play Gerrard in that formation and not give him the extra body. But it's a problem managers of the England side have always had, you accommodate the star players instead of the team. I remember when McClaren dropped Beckham and he got slaughtered for it.
June 24, 201411 yr But they don't play 4-2-3-1 in the same manner England play it, that's the point. You shoe-horn players in to a system where they're not being best utilised. Gerrard/Johnson have played in a 4-2-3-1 as well at Liverpool in the Benitez area. Just if you play that formation, the midfield is the most vulnerable part, and the players who play as the right and left sided forwards need to double up as tucked in midfielders. Really poor management imo to play Gerrard in that formation and not give him the extra body. But it's a problem managers of the England side have always had, you accommodate the star players instead of the team. I remember when McClaren dropped Beckham and he got slaughtered for it. Like I mentioned a couple of pages back, we're far from unique in having wide forwards who don't always do their defensive duties perfectly. It's the reason so many full backs in this tournament have had a field day. The difference with Beckham was that at the time you had alternatives in that right midfield role. Lennon was at his peak, Wright-Philips was still in some kind of form and Joe Cole was probably better suited to that side as well. We've just got no defensive midfielders. It'd work to do as Croatia have done and play three in the middle with no specific defensive brief - maybe Wilshere, Henderson and Barkley - but that leaves a very inexperienced XI.
June 24, 201411 yr God I hope FIFA have some serious punishment powers because whatever they give that prick Suarez it really won't be good enough. Biting people THREE times, clearly punishments so far don't work, he wan't banning from all football for the rest of the year!
June 24, 201411 yr And I thought it couldn't get any worse than Italy's red card :o Really quite a shocking display there, The replay looked pretty dam clear that he bit him as well so a ban for the rest of the tournament I'd say is the minimum that should happen. Made it a bit bittersweet that they scored straight after as I was initially supporting them as I thought they were playing quite well, dunno what to think now :/
June 24, 201411 yr And I thought it couldn't get any worse than Italy's red card :o Really quite a shocking display there, The replay looked pretty dam clear that he bit him as well so a ban for the rest of the tournament I'd say is the minimum that should happen. Made it a bit bittersweet that they scored straight after as I was initially supporting them as I thought they were playing quite well, dunno what to think now :/ My thoughts exactly, tho I didn't want Italy to go through either
June 24, 201411 yr Now where's that rule that says Suarez's goals in the tournament can be wiped out? Oh look, England have four points and are through :lol: I wonder what - if anything - Liverpool will do about him.
June 24, 201411 yr http://www.feintzebra.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/suarez-kfc.jpg http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02542/all-branislav_2542908k.jpg
June 24, 201411 yr The mind boggles at what the British press would have been like over the last few days if Suarez had done that against England.
June 24, 201411 yr If they ban him from the rest of the tournament (which will probably only be one game because they'll get spanked by Colombia) and nothing else then it's a joke. That's three cases of assault if he's on a football pitch. Something seriously wrong in the head.
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