World Cup - no chance

Amanda reminds me I haven't been commenting on the footy on this blog:

I think we don't have a chance of winning with Sven, because he believes in picking the best individuals and not in melding them as a team. One of Joe Cole, Lampard or Gerrard should be dropped from the starting lineup and Carrick or Hargreaves should be the holding midfielder (and I think Lampard should be dropped). That would then be

Owen, Rooney
JCole, Carrick, Gerrard, Beckham,
A Cole, Terry, Rio, Carragher/Neville

Crouch should be an impact striker - looking at the realities of England, they always start lumping it long-ball towards the end, so that's when he should come on. His presence just encourages them to start doing that earlier. I think he can take the ball to the feet better than to his head, but they don't pass to him like that.

Sven doesn't look at the realities of England. Sven has not ever said 'Owen is my best striker - how can I maximise his chances?' He has not said 'how do I get the players to recognise what is occurring tactically in a game, and change it by pressing in a different area?' All he says is, 'Who are my best players?'

If Sven was really brave he would play three-five-two

Crouch/Rooney, Owen
A Cole, JCole, Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham
Terry, Rio, Carragher

This would 'unshackle' Lampard and Gerrard, but is Beckham mobile enough to play as a winger like that? Probably not. Maybe you'd have to play Lennon as the right-winger and drop either Joe Cole or Lampard. But Sven has never played three at the back and, to be fair, no-other team at this world cup does. He found himself doing it accidentally against T&T, and had to move Beckham into right-back! No-one has commented on that particular formation!