enter hargreaves..

[brighton2win]

so now that hargreaves has impressed after starting against sweden, how would you use him from now on?

it must be too late to change the system, ie. 3 in defence and 5 in the midfield or something like that

but it has to be said we looked a lot more balanced tonight and he certainly did his job of clearing up and playing simple balls.

would you start hargreaves with gerrard/lampard, and have one of them to come of the bench with half an hour to go to add more pace to the game, or would you continue with gerrard and lampard starting in a 442 as we have been recently?

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Cole ... Gerrard ... Beckham
.......... Hargreaves ............

Lampard's had his chance in this World Cup, and has failed to impressed. Given we stand no chance without a holding midfielder, he's probably the one to make way.

 

[Gwylan]

I'm with the Badge on this: 4-5-1 and switch things if we're losing.

But only if Rooney's fit - please not with Crouch.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I'm with the Badge on this: 4-5-1 and switch things if we're losing.

But only if Rooney's fit - please not with Crouch.

Crouch was dire again last night.

 

[Les Biehn]

This is the team I would play:

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

Neville.....Ferdinand.....Terry......Cole

......Gerrard...Hargreaves...Lampard...

Beckham....................................Cole

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

Gotta go with the Badg on this one although I would swap Gerrard and Beckham around. I think with Crouch we are predictable and use him as a target man which he is not. He can't hold the ball up and his heading is not great, he looks better when he hasn't got his back to goal. Also defences have worked out if you push him high up the pitch his height has no real affect, I would bring him on as an impact player.

I think Hargreaves and Beckham should sit in while Gerrard, Lampard, Cole and Rooney work as a fluid attacking unit. If the play breaks down then you have to players sitting back to slow down any attack and protect the back four. So I might tweak it to look like this.

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

Neville.....Ferdinand.....Terry......Cole

..........Beckham.....Hargreaves........
....................Lampard.....................
Gerrard....................................Cole
....................Rooney.......................

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

Some of the idiots who slaughtered Hargreaves because he's not Wayne Rooney will hopefully quieten now. He was one of the better players last night, having been given the job he's good at for once. He should keep his place, IMHO, at the expense of Lampard, not because I think Lampard's no good, but because the team is better balanced and retains possession with that shape. Alternatively, as many have already suggested, Rooney could play on his own up front, with two wide men pushing on and Hargreaves sitting behind Gerrard and Lampard.

Last night, in the first half, we actually looked a bit like a team because we adopted the revolutionary tactic of passing the ball to each other. (I wonder if any other teams will cotton on to this startling new thinking?)
Hargreaves' presence in the side helps that be possible.

 

[Marshy]

Hargreaves did ok, nothing more than that.

The 1st half performance was ok, people are getting carried away.

Other than the goal i dont remember the keeper having to make a save of any note in the first half.

 

[Commander]

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

Neville.......Ferdinand.......Terry........A. Cole


.....................Hargreaves

Beckham..................................J. Cole

........................Gerrard


.............Rooney........Walcott / Crouch


Why was Walcott not brought on last night as a straight swap for Owen? Surely if ever there was a game to try him out it was last night's? That was the least important game we are going to play in this World Cup.

 

[zefarelly]

Some of the idiots who slaughtered Hargreaves because he's not Wayne Rooney will hopefully quieten now. He was one of the better players last night, having been given the job he's good at for once. He should keep his place, IMHO, at the expense of Lampard, not because I think Lampard's no good, but because the team is better balanced and retains possession with that shape. Alternatively, as many have already suggested, Rooney could play on his own up front, with two wide men pushing on and Hargreaves sitting behind Gerrard and Lampard.

Last night, in the first half, we actually looked a bit like a team because we adopted the revolutionary tactic of passing the ball to each other. (I wonder if any other teams will cotton on to this startling new thinking?)
Hargreaves' presence in the side helps that be possible.

spot on

 

[tedebear]

Last night, in the first half, we actually looked a bit like a team because we adopted the revolutionary tactic of passing the ball to each other. (I wonder if any other teams will cotton on to this startling new thinking?)
Hargreaves' presence in the side helps that be possible.

Thats what we said as well, the structure looked better!!

 

[Yoda]

I'd go with what we something similar to how we finished with. A 4-1-4-1 formation.

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

Neville.....Ferdinand.....Terry.....A.Cole

...................Hargreaves......................

Beckham...Gerrard....Lampard...J.Cole

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

 

[zefarelly]

I'd go with what we something similar to how we finished with. A 4-1-4-1 formation.

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

Neville.....Ferdinand.....Terry.....A.Cole

...................Hargreaves......................

Beckham...Gerrard....Lampard...J.Cole

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

take the Manure twat out and Put Sol Campbell back and thats my preferred line up too

the alternative is

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

Neville.....Campbell.....Terry.....A.Cole

...................Hargreaves......................

Beckham.......Lampard.............J.Cole

.....................Rooney/Giraffe Gerrard/Walcott...........................

or any striker set up we can get away with

 

[London Calling]

Hargreaves did ok, nothing more than that.

The 1st half performance was ok, people are getting carried away.

Other than the goal i dont remember the keeper having to make a save of any note in the first half.

OK goes a long way at the moment.

Rooney is not fit yet, he is not sharpe yet.

Our goal keeper is flapping, our defence has not been up to it for a while and were a joke last night. The best players in the premiership? You're having a laugh.

Carragher is obviously a great player but is not a world cup quality right back. He looked slow last night!

Cole Ashley is still not match fit and is constantly making simple errors including breaking down that great passing sequence in the second half.

To conclude I liked Hargreaves performance, he did his job, he did it well.

I wish about 7 or 8 of the others has done the same over the 90 minutes.

LC

 

[enigma]

Hargreaves showed what he can do.

Dont see that dropping Rio would help, Campbell was a bit at fault for the second goal and Rio and Terry complement each other pretty well.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

I'd go with what we something similar to how we finished with. A 4-1-4-1 formation.

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

Neville.....Ferdinand.....Terry.....A.Cole

...................Hargreaves......................

Beckham...Gerrard....Lampard...J.Cole

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

That's what i'd do - with Hargreaves holding, Lampard and Gerrard should be able to push forward as much as possible.
I hope Neville gets fit quick though, Carragher hardly inspires confidence at right full back, and could be useful cover at centre half if Rio is out.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

That's what i'd do - with Hargreaves holding, Lampard and Gerrard should be able to push forward as much as possible.
I hope Neville gets fit quick though, Carragher hardly inspires confidence at right full back, and could be useful cover at centre half if Rio is out.

I would agree but you can only do that if Neville is available, which it looks increasingly likely he's not going to be for this tournament.

 

[McShane79]

I'd go with what we something similar to how we finished with. A 4-1-4-1 formation.

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

Neville.....Ferdinand.....Terry.....A.Cole

...................Hargreaves......................

Beckham...Gerrard....Lampard...J.Cole

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

That's it for me, although it looks like Neville and Ferdinand won't make the Ecuador game, so you've got to go for Carragher at right back and Campbell in the center.

Then bring on Crouch later in the game for Rooney as he's still not at 90 minute pace yet.

 

[McShane79]

My mistake - looks like Rio is ok for Sunday now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5101132.stm

Things change when you've been down the pub for a bit!!

 

[Yoda]

My mistake - looks like Rio is ok for Sunday now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5101132.stm

Things change when you've been down the pub for a bit!!

What? Two minutes?