RobL

think people are being a bit too optimistic,beckham isnt the answer imo
as skeg said he had everything to prove last night in a friendly against virtually a brazil B team whose mind was probably on the copa america at the end of the month and not getting injured for that tournement
hardly conclusive that hes going to be our saviour

S1sam

made my day seeing becks in an england shirt again

that idiot lampard was useless as always !

Rab

Every team needs that Talisman. The man who lifts the team, lifts the crowd, and generally uses his enthusiasm and will to get a game going when it counts.

Beckham is that man for England. I hope you do a bit better now he's back, Euro 2008 won't be the same if Scotland can't beat England cos they're not there

fezzajsy

iTrader: (9)

well done to Becks..glad he's back

haz87

I still cant understand why as a team we play so slowly. I know international football is a world away from premiership games, but thats the pace our players are used to, and it would fookin suprise the opposition in an international! We get to midfield and just seem to stop most the time

alb

Scholes was approached to come back but it was obvious he would play second fiddle to Lampard, no manager has the guts to drop him even though he's toilet for England.

Gerrard was his usual hard-working self, If the other 10 worked as hard as him we'd be up there with the best.

Now Beckham....
Yes he had a good game, yes he is on form but seriously he's dropping as time goes by. Yes he's a better option than Lennon, but then Lennon needs to stop listening to his club and faking injuries to avoid internationals and get some experience in an England shirt.
Beckham's on form now, but give it 3 or 4 games and he'll be back off-form and people will be calling fo him to be dropped again.

Options like SWP, Lennon and Pennant should learn that they ain't gifted a place in the England squad and think long and hard about whether they truly want it or not.

Redkop

Although Becks had a pretty good game and the team needed him, he is only a short-term answer to England's problems IMO.

skeg

I agree with the above ^, short term. Beckhams on a honeymoon like i said in the other post and it will wear off. Its the qualifying and the tournements that we need names to perform, not friendlies. They way i see it since both Sven and Mclaren the Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham thing didn't work also we did have J cole on the left at the world cup 2006 so its esentially the same fucking team. If sven whos won trophies in italy, portugal and sweeden can't make it work then how will Mclaren?

Lampard is useless most of the time, was good once. Gerrard doesn't play good consistently but was great last night. Maybe he just wanted to get Kaka back for the defeat and that t shirt and he did a good job on him. J cole is worth having in the side but wish he'd stop with the slow motion step overs. Get the ball in.

If Mclown must insist with the same failed team and tactics why doesn't he try a midfield of J cole- Beckham - Gerrard- Lennon/Swp and bench or drop Lampard? The only problem is getting Hargreves in but in would be a good alternative, something different to try to the same old Fattie and Gerrard when we don't have OH availible. But at least we'd have the dead ball/long ball option plus a pacey winger.

Redkop

Even if we can get a pretty decent team together, which will be more luck than judgement if we have to rely on McClown, there's still the big question about a goalkeeper..... Robinson was awful last night, his punching out of the ball so nearly backfired on him a few times in the 1st hald (don't know what he was like the 2nd half as we switched over channels). I don't rate David James that much and Carson/Foster aren't experienced enough yet. If Brazil had played to their top form, I don't think Robinson would have stood a chance.

Hardeep_Singh

Gerrard and lampard DON'T work, drop lampard in comes Hargreaves or another good defensive midfielder

becks did well and he is playing well watched the real madrid game last week and he was awesome, he NOW deserves to be in the team his passing so good but i'd like to see SWP and lennon used more, i like speed and them boys have loads of it.

smith was shit

skeg

Perhaps if in his 60 minutes he actually got a good chance as a result of a pass or cross then he'd have got a shot in but the midfield yet again created next to nothing. Without beckhams long balls, corners or free kicks there was nothing, bearing in mind you've got 3 of the best in midfield supposedly. Then theres McClaren having him covering midfield as well with his negative defensive tactics which he was vertially saying all week when he said how he can fill in for midfield.

I remember when poor old Johnson earnt his chance from Everton form them got slapped on the wing. Not Carragher, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Rooney or Smith get their correct spot and decent tactics often. I think only Owen and Robinson gets a free pass. Maybe Robinson could come up and create something for the strikers

Hardeep, i will play an invisible ball over to yours that you can't see and you score with it. Hows that? Thats what steve has the team doing, fuck all.

alb

Maclaren's biggest problem is consistently playing people out of position, so they're never going to play to their best ability. Instead of dropping big names and putting a lesser known player in the position he plays week in week out he'd rather have a disfunctional squad that we all recognize.

Midfield should be Carrick, Gerrard and Hargreaves behind them. I know people slate Carrick and is yet to prove his position but any utd fan will tell you he's improving with every game. Hargreaves to win the ball, Carrick to pass it and Gerrard to get it forward.
Rooney and Owen or possibly Defoe upfront, Rooney great at getting past defenders or Owen/Defoe/Johnson as the poacher. With pace on the left from Joe Cole and the right from Pennant/SWP/Lennon i don't see how we could fail to be the attacking side.
If it fails then Becks and Crouch come on. Tired defenders cannot handle Crouch, and who better to get those high crosses/set pieces onto his head than Beckham. Becks may as well come on at the end as he cannot last 90 minutes anymore, Crouch is always best as a sub. If option 1 doesn't work to start with then at least you have an alternative.

With a solid defence of Carragher/King/Terry the only hole is on the left (sorry i don't rate Ashley-Married a racist- Cole).

The only person left out is Lampard, who should start on the bench. Then if we need a more attacking approach at the end of a game he should come on for Carrick, then you have 2 attacking midfielders and still OH there to get them out of trouble.
Everyone plays in their regular position, everyone does the job that got them picked in the first place.

But the most important thing is spirit. Players who don't perform can watch the next game from the stands/bench. When they are then given the chance they are more likely to prove why they are there and give 100%, rather than just be picked purely on their name.

Hardeep_Singh

what you talking about? every time the crap got the ball he'd lose it or do absolutley nothing positive with it, at least owen made runs and made gave the defenders somting to think about, i know jes manu but sorry he was crap

SimonT

It was a friendly it means shit.

If that was the world cup Brazil would've raped us.

England are shit.

MadMac

Sorry but gotta agree with baldi cunt on this one

skeg

I know he was and didn't disagree with that did i. Was he the only one though? Caragher got nut megged didn't he What about the world cup? Everyone but Rio, Terry and Hargreaves was crap.

My point was that the issue isn't really with the strikers. Theres nothing getting to them. Why did diego score? Something was put on his head thats why.

It's Czech Mate

Why did we play arguably the worlds best crosser and then leave Englands best most in form striker on the bench? Love him or hate him Crouch does the business ( when he's allowed to play )

He's ideal for getting on the end of a beckham cross

Maclown hasnt lost the plot, he's never fucking had it

skeg

I agree for England he probably is the most in form goal wise but have you ever seen him head the ball without having to put his hands on someones shoulders and give a foul away? Hes very tall but so weak in the air considering how big he is.

Besides Beckham doesn't do that many crosses from the wing these days. In Peles book he describes a few of the big countries in football, he described us as being a strong team physically who rely on the long ball. Still all these years later and we're still doing that and nothing else. Wank. What manager will decide that this tactic is not successful tournement wise?

It's Czech Mate

Seen him power loads of headers in, he's quite strong, good feet too. ^ goals in CL this year too. He HAS to start for england on current form, with all the other strikers playing shit.

as for the long ball....we dont really play it effectively, if we set out to play a proper long ball game we'd get results.

Truth is that Maclown doesnt really know what he wants to do and the players are fucked up out of position with no real clue what to do.

Venables is fuck all help too.

I'm beginning to think Big Sam would have been a better choice

Hardeep_Singh

so what are you doing writing a list of excuses why he wasnt crap?

why mention carra? like rio and Edwin van der Sar didnt make themselfs look like laural and hardy last season yeah!? and they werent playing anyone in Brazils league, rio is a calamity who likes to shout at others for HIS mistakes so i wouldn't mention Carra if i were a scum fan

skeg

Not at all but if you want to pin the previous Euro, World cup 2006 and now the botch of this Euro qualifying plus all the dull performances in between on Alan Smiths one game against Brazil an no other player then be my guest. Personally i'd like to discuss the bigger picture about England and striker isn't it, besides it good that other players than Owen and Rooney are getting a go. Thats what friendlies are for.

We all take the piss out of each other but honestly Hardeep mate its about time you grew up, you target a United player purely for that alone and when Sir Jamie gets mentioned you're banging on about other United players. Whats worse being a striker and having no chances or being a defender and getting pissed on through the legs?

And what the fuck has Van Der Sar got to do with England? This is exactly what i mean. A few more posts and you'll be mentioning 5 times

Hardeep_Singh

seriously what are you on??? i suggest you re-read exactly what has been said in this thread, your replys aren't making much sense.

i gave my opinion on how smith played as well as others in this thread and everyone has said he was crap! deal with it

Sunil_FiestaRS1800

iTrader: (1)

I was there and thought Beckham played very well. One of the best players on the pitch for us. He was defo giving it his best and was all over the place looking for the ball

Heres osme of the pics i took on my shitty digi camera . My mate got better pics on his N95 lol


Wembley Way


The Front of the Stadium


Us with a Brazilian matey, im on the right , mate Damo licking his ear lol same bloke who has is arse out in the vid in my sig lol


couple pic from our seats





Crowd opposite


Brazilian Crowd, fair play they were well noisey considering there wernt that many of them


Lone Brazlian Burd in England stands celebrating Brazils last min goal, we had a chat with her at half time and she was sound

skeg

Deal with it? I agreed with you you tool. See above ^


I'm on drugs, is that really the best you can come up with? I sugest you practice what you preach mate. As i said, grow up.

It's Czech Mate

Crouch played well last night Lovely free header How many crosses did Beckham do? Lots

Richie Russ

Another good game by Beckham last night, is he the only person that can provide for the strikers ? yes is the answer, as long as he is fit, he should always play for England, even if he isnt fit, i think personally he should still be involved due to the whole aura of the man which has no doubt lifted the whole team and nation !

And it goes to show that when England played Brazil, the master tactician in McClaren takes off Beckham then Crouch comes on what happened last night ? Beckham put the ball right on Crouchs head - goal.

I think Beckham played far too deep last night, as the England team seem to be doing with 5 or 6 players behind the ball, so having not a lot up front other than lob it on Crouchs head or put it to the feet of Owen who must always wear bloody plimsoles, the man cant stand on his feet, but took the goal well.

Also, why oh why does Wes Brown get in the side, i just dont know, absolutely hopeless, just as bad as Downing bring back Hargreaves when he is fit and drop Lampard, let Gerrard get forward and with Rooney back, we stand a very good chance of qualifying

Overall a reasonable performance but so much more to come if we just played a bit more attacking football, which is afterall, what we're best at.

SapphyMike

Finally!!! someone agrees with me!!