Lampard

[Sid James]

As the current scenario proves Lampard is ONLY effective when the team is built around him and he has NO defensive responsibilities. Where you get the positional discipline from I do not know, frankly it is a laughable statement.

As far as being a better passer is concerned I don't agree. David Batty didn't give the ball away but he didn't do much with it either.

I don't want either of them dropped but the current set up is certainly stopping Gerrard, whilst Lampard is not exactly making hay with the freedom that Gerrard sitting gives him.

 

[Icy Gull]

Apart from Gerrard's hit and miss long passes neither are really that good with the killer ball for England, or maybe the forwards just aren't good enough to read the passes. This much vaunted midfield seems to rely on Beckham crosses far too much to be considered World Class. Best midfiled in the World? , I think not, and that's what many on here were saying not so long ago.

 

[philgull25]

[BLampard should make way

Lampards shooting tonight was abysmal.

So in order to expose Gerrard to his true capability (which is clearly further forward), you need a defensive player. Carrick or (dare i suggest it) Hargreaves.

I firmly Believe we CAN win this tournament, but to do so we just HAVE to find a way of getting the best of Gerrard [/B]

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I don;t often get involved in these threads ........ but as Neville is out we have an opportunity to play Beckham as right wing-back - with three at the back.

So

.................. Robinson (if he learns to come out for crosses)

.........Carragher ....... Terry ............ Ferdinand .....

Beckham .......... Carrick (or Hargreaves) ........ A. Cole

.............. Gerrard ......................Lampard .....................

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

........................................Crouch .............................


we have changed formations mid-way through a World Cup in the past - and we can do it again. Note I'd prefer Owen - but he does seem out of it. And Ashley Cole needs to get fitter otherwise it is J Cole right wing-back and Downing on the right.

 

[magoo]

Gerrard and Lampard can play together. They just need to be played in their best positions.

Gerrard is an attacking midfilder not defensive and the only reason he scored last night was because he was out of position.

Lampard and Owen need a rest by the way.

 

[Icy Gull]

G.

Lampard and Owen need a rest by the way.

If Owen needs a rest maybe he should quit the game, he's played about 2 hours in 6 months

 

[magoo]

If Owen needs a rest maybe he should quit the game, he's played about 2 hours in 6 months

A rest as in dropping. Rooney/Crouch.

 

[blockhseagull]

In my opinion Lamps and Gerrard would work better given more space.

I think if Becks can stay wider and play further up the pitch Lamps and Gerrard might find the space so that they are not on top of each other so often playing short pointless passes.

I don't think either is better than the other, both have strengths and weaknesses and although Gerrard maybe playing slighty better at the moment don't forget whose goals actually got us to the finals.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Unfortunately, they also leave huge defensive gaps - the number of times T&T were able to run straight at our defence was a little alarming; they kept knocking balls into the space behind Lampard & Gerrard, and a better team would have had a field day there.

They can only play together if they have a holding player behind them to do the defensive job.

 

[Les Biehn]

Not for the first time recently I agree with LI, Lampard was the only one from midfield getting into the goal scoring positions. I'm positive he will start scoring.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Chris Waddle on 5Live this morning recons we are going back to the old 80's style of haveing a big cetre forward and lumping it towards him...a la Dion Dublin.

In his eyes, if we are going to do that we may as well play all 5 forwards and not have a midfield as the ball bypasses them anyway.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I never enjoy seeing Gerrard and Lampard playing together. In each of their teams, they are concentrated on and allowed to do what they want. So they rest confused by tactics and endeavour as a pairing. Neither have a glaring skill of motion or deceit, but can whack a ball from distance.

 

[Lokki 7]

I cannot see us winning the world cup with last nights midfield line up. In an ideal world I would play Ledley King and Gerrard with Lamps on the bench. Given that king is not in Germany perhaps Hargreaves can do the job of holding whilst Gerrard does what he does best and runs the show.

 

[Silent Bob]

Gerrard has never run a show in his life. On a better day Lampard would have had a hat-trcik against Trinidad, do people really want to take that out of the side? Remember he was our leading scorer in qualifying and joint leader with Rooney in Euro 2004.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

It's patently obvious the midfield is not the sum of it's collective parts. Something needs to be done. Someone or players need to be sacrificed to make the team cohesive. Both Trinindad and Paraguay have been able to cut through our midfield far too easily.

Gerrard and Lampard are both awesome for their clubs but thats because the tactics suit them. Playing Gerrard as a sitting midfielder nullifies all of his game and he's not particularly good at it. And, as someone said above, Lampard isn't exactly going to town with the freedom he is supposed to have. So, one of them needs to make way or we need to play a 5man midfield.

If one of them has to go, I'd prefer it to be Lampard. He's immense for Chelsea but he's immense within their system. I've never seen him take a game by the scruff of it's neck and I've never seen him drive a team on or inspire them to greater things. Gerrard on the other hand, has and does. So, I'd like to see him play with the holding midfielder and given the freedom to roam. Then, if he's not being too effective he can be replaced by Lampard. Imagine how much that would demoralise a team. They think they've subdued Gerrard only to see him replaced by a player of equal ability.

 

[Parson Henry]

I was just about to say that.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I was just about to say that.

If you mean my post Pezza, feel free to quote it and then put some clappy smilies underneath so that I can feel like a straight talking man of the people.

If you meant someone else's, then er,... carry on...

 

[blockhseagull]

It's too close to call really, both can be majorly effective when on the top of their game.

I'm not sure if it's a case of they can't play together or whether Sven is unable to get them to play together. I personally don't believe you can drop either, Gerrard is in form and playing well but Lamps is our best goalscorer over the past two years and although missed chances yesterday was getting forward and getting himself into the right postions to get goals.

I think Becks has to pull wider and play further up the pitch allowing some space for the two of them. I also think for us to get the best out of them we need to play at a higher tempo and both play better when they seem to be driven on rather than simply knocking the ball about.

At the end of the day Sven will not drop either and in some ways i don't think he should as neither deserve to be dropped, they are suffering a bit at the moment but i think that is more to do with the way the whole team is set up and told to play rather than their inabilty to play as a pair, this is Svens fault as he has just expected to put them together and expect it to work.... and the problem following on from that is i doubt McClaren will be any different

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

I think it's time to drop Lampard. Playing both of them to support a lone striker in theory sounds mouth-watering but all the top continental sides who play a 4-5-1/4-3-3 play it with two pacey flair style wingers, a Ronaldinho or Robben type and a striker willing to play off them.... Rooney is a midfield link up man. Oh and the last time Sven tried this tactic it was in Belfast. Nuff said.

4-4-2 all day long with a holding midfielder.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think we need to come at this problem from a different angle.

The question should be how can we ensure that Rooney gets as much of the ball in dangerous areas.

Any suggestion that we should play Rooney up on his own is, in my view, ludicrous. That would mean him running tirelessly in the channels and going up for aerial balls that he has a minimal chance of winning.

In addition, there's only so many runners from central positions you can accommodate, and I think Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney would get in each others way and make us too narrow a side.

We need Owen and Rooney up front working in tandem stretching the opposition defence, creating space for Joe Cole and Gerrard to burst into. They then either create chances or get brought down for free-kicks, bringing in Beckham.