Euro 2012 line up

[Josedinho]

whats wrong with Robinson

retired from internationals

Gone at the game

[Josedinho]

The level that a keeper plays at is far less important than for other positions - the lesser quality strikers he's up against is compensated by the clumsier defenders he has in front of him.

What is important for a keeper is that he is playing competitive football every week - better to be playing in League 2 than sat on the bench in the Premier League.

I think when Gordon came to the prem he said  the difference between that and the SPL were that the shots were harder and faster.

That would worry me.

[pleno1]

milner started abs terribly so far. gerrard seems to be forcing it too much, but ashley young/carroll looking good.

hope we see oxlade in the second.

[horseplayer]

big shock in gerard giving the ball away loads

[anthonyl]

can't really read much into this game.....

Switzerland 5 - 3 Germany
Netherlands 1 - 2 Bulgaria

but Carroll too slow, good defensive contribution though, and downing, milner, barry are just a trio of clowns.

Looks like playing the chelsea way is what we are going to be doing at the Euro's!

[bobby1]

I didn't see any of the game, how did we look and play?

[Snowball]

personally the lad who has been on loan at celtic would be for me probably as even second choice.

yeah, forster is my choice though arguably he's playing at the same level as butland

carson next choice after him

By League 2 I take it you mean the Championship?

[gatso]

personally the lad who has been on loan at celtic would be for me probably as even second choice.

yeah, forster is my choice though arguably he's playing at the same level as butland

carson next choice after him

By League 2 I take it you mean the Championship?

I'm a bit confused, who is that question for? neither of the posts you quoted mention league 2

[pleno1]

That was Gerrard's England career in a microcosm. Absolute rubbish as a central midfielder, ludicrous hollywood passing coupled with being easily pressed in possession.

He's had an entire career to find his right position and never done it. Hopefully Lampard starts ahead of him at the Euros, but we've given him the bloody armband.

Having Parker who doesn't pass more than 5 yards and constantly pirouettes in the middle of the field combined with Gerrard who is lookin to fizz 60 yard balls is very worrying. Gareth Barry was back to his absolute dog shit standards, he doesn't have yaya next to him to make him look good in this team.

Jones looked really shaky at right back and I think it showed that Roy made a mistake by not taking Micah Richards.

Carroll battled and led the line very well also contributing defensively but the service he got from the very poor Milner and downing meant he struggled to have a threat on goal.

Lescott looked solid to me.

Green is as ways very shaky and I'd make sure we wrap hart up in cotton wool as of he gets injured were fucked.

Roy's got a lot of work to do.

[The Baron]

Tbf if an England manager actually played Gerrard in his best position he'd be fine for England. He just hasn't ever had a run of games there.

[horseplayer]

great post by pleno

a mix of parker or barry and gerard just will not work

as pleno says parker does not pass the ball well enough full stop (even five yards) and gerard even when playing just can not resist a 60 yard cross field pass that almost certainly ends up on a full backs head..

tbf barry was obviously struggling with an injury soon after coming on tonight and is better than that.

For me it would be cahill and lescott at centre back but as it stands lescott would be a more than adequate cover, personally i would have him as cover for ashley cole as well as baines looks very nervous to me at this level ( i think he is a good player it is hard to perform well when you have no chance of starting i guess)

Jones agree again he is not a right back and for all glen johnsons weaknesses at least he plays there week in week out. Green was very lucky that corner did not fizz otherwise that would have been his last game in goal for england.

[mondatoo]

Gerrard is world class, vbol proving otherwise.

I said it before the Norway game and I still think it now, Ashley Young is a huge player for England, he is our main man.

Milner is shit, not sure how anyone can disagree with that,

Downing, mwuhahahahahahahaha.

[david3103]

Tbf if an England manager actually played Gerrard in his best position he'd be fine for England. He just hasn't ever had a run of games there.

Specifically, what is Gerrard's best position do you think? Is it the same in international matches as it is in prem games?

Should we be selecting a team around Stevie G in his best position? Or is it too late for that?

Wherever he plays Gerrard is capable of game-changing efforts.   pmsl at anyone who wants FatFrank in the team instead.

[The Baron]

Tbf if an England manager actually played Gerrard in his best position he'd be fine for England. He just hasn't ever had a run of games there.

Specifically, what is Gerrard's best position do you think? Is it the same in international matches as it is in prem games?

Should we be selecting a team around Stevie G in his best position? Or is it too late for that?

Wherever he plays Gerrard is capable of game-changing efforts.   pmsl at anyone who wants FatFrank in the team instead.

It's the AM role just off the strikers. Unfortunately for LFC our midfield is so bad he's now a CM again, if we had the likes of Alonso and Mascherano I wouldn't let him near CM ever again. It's too late now. Being honest we're 4 years past Gerrard's peak. Young looked v good where he played so you either play Gerrard CM or you play him RM (Which is not ridiculous in games where Carroll plays) or you don't play him at all - which I don't think Hodgson will do to his new captain. I wouldn't move Young. Gerrard has shown this season that he can do it there still though when playing off Suarez (vs Norwich is the best example).

Previous England managers did the same to Scholes to accomodate Lampard which is equally ridiculous as to how Gerrard has been positioned for his country.

My philosphy would be to build around one off players like that. England managers seem to think that becuase they're better than the others they can adapt to LM or whatevs.

Italy rarely used to play Totti and Del Piero. Spain in 2008 didn't play Senna and Alonso. In 2010 Fabregas wasn't shunted out to LM to get a game because he's too good to sit on the bench.

[pleno1]

Gerrard is world class, vbol proving otherwise.

I said it before the Norway game and I still think it now, Ashley Young is a huge player for England, he is our main man.

Milner is shit, not sure how anyone can disagree with that,

Downing, mwuhahahahahahahaha.

He was abs dirt yesterday met. No world class cm would have given the ball away like he did yesterday especially against a terrible opposition. I seriously think in 1000 games xavi would play as poor less than 5 times. Gerrard being world class is a myth he tries these 60 yard passes every time and we see one good one on motd and are like omggg, being a world class players isn't about being able to do a good pass it's about knowing when to do the pass and what separates xavi and Gerrard.

Parker and Barry and Parker and Milner both wouldn't work being they are too slow and static and have no penetration. Our defence looks ok, I'm not worried about our attack so much but we really need to work on the midfield.

Do we have anymore games before the euros?