England Formation
- Thread starter Obnoxiousness
- Start date
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Blimey, sticking your neck out there.
The Master
New Member
that is a choice
but if Barry was fit (which in 50/50 about as will he be fully fit) i would choose him in holding mid, Gerrard for attacking Mid and Milner on the Wing.
but you did say "Using available England players"
but if Barry was fit (which in 50/50 about as will he be fully fit) i would choose him in holding mid, Gerrard for attacking Mid and Milner on the Wing.
but you did say "Using available England players"
Obnoxiousness
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Barry would be nice, yes. 
I think Lennon will be rather special and will outshine Walcott on accuracy of crosses.
I think Peter Crouch will be mostly on the end of those crosses too.
But what most excites me is the thought of the double-barrel attacking defenders we have. A real stereo nightmare for any team regardless of their quality. It gives us speed and penetration on both wings.
I think Lennon will be rather special and will outshine Walcott on accuracy of crosses.
I think Peter Crouch will be mostly on the end of those crosses too.
But what most excites me is the thought of the double-barrel attacking defenders we have. A real stereo nightmare for any team regardless of their quality. It gives us speed and penetration on both wings.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Yeah, can't say I'd change much with that, except I'd swap Milner and Gerrard round. Having a holding midfielder would be nice, and my instinct would always be to sacrifice Lampard (whether we're talking about football or otherwise), but he has been in pretty decent form lately.
I'd perhaps replace Crouch with a holding mid (in a different part of the pitch, obviously) with Rooney playing solo up front, supported by Gerrard and Lamps.
Although what about Joe Cole
I'd perhaps replace Crouch with a holding mid (in a different part of the pitch, obviously
) with Rooney playing solo up front, supported by Gerrard and Lamps.Although what about Joe Cole
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
When wide, Gerrard always leaves his full back isolated and exposed. He also drifts inside leaving the team unbalanced and giving the opposition right side too much space. He doesn't play for the team.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Whereas Milner will provide some cover when the full backs inevitably go walkabouts; just a shame he can't be on both wings.
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
Hence the purpose of looking at Joe Cole. Pref Barry will be fit.
Obnoxiousness
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Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Milner as the holding defender? That's really not making the best of him...
Other than that it could be interesting, though still not a great deal of cover for the marauding full backs.
Other than that it could be interesting, though still not a great deal of cover for the marauding full backs.
Obnoxiousness
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I think Milner will have an excellent World Cup and I think Joe Cole should be in the 23.
Here's the selector thing...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/3914143.stm
Here's the selector thing...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/3914143.stm
ericjarvis
give a feck for the feckless
I'd like to see a flexible 4-3-3/4-5-1. With Crouch in the centre up front and Rooney, Lennon and Gerrard switching between the two flank positions and a central attacking midfield spot. Lampard in central midfield with Barry (if fit), Carrick, or Milner. I wouldn't want to be a defender not knowing if he'll next have to deal with Crouch, Rooney, Lennon, Gerrard or Lampard.
Not Capello's way though, so I expect something a lot more like a 4-4-2.
Not Capello's way though, so I expect something a lot more like a 4-4-2.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Just finished putting a formation together that tried to do something "a little different" and was trying to work out the best way to put it up here when I remembered a thread I did ages ago that featured a formation editor.
Turns out the one I did on the BBC isn't too different from this!
Turns out the one I did on the BBC isn't too different from this!
Will get the one I did on the BBC up in a minute...Just come across this little site which is kinda useful. The editor can be a bit fiddly, but it's a failry easy way of setting out your desired formation.
This is my starting England XI (reliant on form and fitness, obviously
It's not particularly considered as I knocked it up pretty quickly, so feel free to point out the glaring idiocy.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Right, are you ready for this...?
Allow me to illuminate.
This team is based on movement and versatility.
The front five can all interchange with each other as the game and particular moves dictate. As the Coles and Johnsons move up*, Gerrard and Milner stay back, providing cover for a counter-attack while still providing support for their own attack and acting as a second wave to keep the pressure on.
J.Cole and A.Johnson could also swap with each other, causing problems for the opposition as they struggle to adapt to defending against right and left footed players all over the park.
Obviously this relies on the players being able to execute all this seamlessly and having the stamina of distance runners. So no problem there.
If you want to change things up, you can bring on Lennon/Walcott to sprint at a defense that has been knackered trying to cover the England attack. To go to a more traditional 4-4-2 you just bring off a midfielder (take your pick...) and put on a forward. Same goes for if you want to adopt a more defensive approach.
*yeah, that did have a certain part to play in me picking them...
Allow me to illuminate.
This team is based on movement and versatility.
The front five can all interchange with each other as the game and particular moves dictate. As the Coles and Johnsons move up*, Gerrard and Milner stay back, providing cover for a counter-attack while still providing support for their own attack and acting as a second wave to keep the pressure on.
J.Cole and A.Johnson could also swap with each other, causing problems for the opposition as they struggle to adapt to defending against right and left footed players all over the park.
Obviously this relies on the players being able to execute all this seamlessly and having the stamina of distance runners. So no problem there.
If you want to change things up, you can bring on Lennon/Walcott to sprint at a defense that has been knackered trying to cover the England attack. To go to a more traditional 4-4-2 you just bring off a midfielder (take your pick...) and put on a forward. Same goes for if you want to adopt a more defensive approach.
*yeah, that did have a certain part to play in me picking them...
Allow me to illuminate.
This team is based on movement and versatility.
The front five can all interchange with each other as the game and particular moves dictate. As the Coles and Johnsons move up*, Gerrard and Milner stay back, providing cover for a counter-attack while still providing support for their own attack and acting as a second wave to keep the pressure on.
J.Cole and A.Johnson could also swap with each other, causing problems for the opposition as they struggle to adapt to defending against right and left footed players all over the park.
Obviously this relies on the players being able to execute all this seamlessly and having the stamina of distance runners. So no problem there.
If you want to change things up, you can bring on Lennon/Walcott to sprint at a defense that has been knackered trying to cover the England attack. To go to a more traditional 4-4-2 you just bring off a midfielder (take your pick...) and put on a forward. Same goes for if you want to adopt a more defensive approach.
*yeah, that did have a certain part to play in me picking them...
I quite like the look of that
I'd tweak it in a couple of areas I think (I may do a longer post to explain exactly how later) but that post has actually made me a little bit more excited about England's chances this year.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Get on the phone to Capello and get me on that plane!I quite like the look of that
I'd tweak it in a couple of areas I think (I may do a longer post to explain exactly how later) but that post has actually made me a little bit more excited about England's chances this year.
Would love to hear how you'd tweak it though, it really is a 'fantasy' team as I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work out in real life how I've described it above.
Obnoxiousness
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All of this reasonable speculation proves that Capello has options. It ain't gonna be like previous world cups where the manager just throws on the biggest names. There will be a good plan, and he won't be afraid to switch it around.
TrippyLondoner
Well-Known Member
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
4-4-2. It's impossible to leave Crouch out.
I haven't read it properly yet, but there's an article in the Indy today saying that Beckham might do some personal coaching of Walcott in terms of delivery. I agree that Lennon has more of an all-round game at the moment though, and I think Spurs have occasionally swapped him over to the left which opens more possibilities.
Maurice Picarda
Actually, might as well flounce.
That never worked terribly well at Spurs. Putting him in the middle wasn't great, either.
Oh he's a proper outside right really, buzzing past the full back getting to the by-line. I think Walcott possibly has more goals in him than Lennon, but if the team has Rooney, Crouch, Lampard and Gerrard in then potential goalscorers aren't a problem.
twistedAM
Left Of The Dial
It's a bit late in the day for him to get a start but Adam Johnson could be a key squad player. If Capello picks SWP ahead of him (which I doubt as Mancini will have told him the score) he's be insane.
stupid kid
...
Thought I'd have a go too. The midfield is based on the Chelsea midfield under Mourinho, which is simple enough. Barry in the Makelele role, Gerrard in the Essien role and Lampard in the Lampard role. I think if you're going to play Terry you have to have a deep lying midfielder to get the best out of him, he seems to close strikers out of the game very well when played right. I also think you need someone behind Gerrard, he's too wasteful with the ball, and this is especially true for England. He looks at his best when he gets the ball on the half way line and has space to burst into, even if he scores more goals when he tucked up behind a striker. Two wingers high up the field will create space for Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson to run down the flanks in a Dani Alvez stylee, The only real difference from the Mourinho formation is I'd expect Rooney to drop back and play nearer the midfield where he can run at defenders with the ball, although being Rooney I'd expect he'd try to get on the end of crosses anyway. I chose Walcott over Lennon even though I don't rate the former as highly, because teams respect his pace, even if he doesn't always do anything with it, he'll create space just by being there. And I've got two wingers for each wing position because I'd also expect them to track back and cover to make a 451 when the other team has possession, again in the mould of a Mourinho team, if Duff and Robben can do it I don't see why any England player can't, but obviously if they're going to do it at altitude they'll get worn out quicker.
ETA: Oh the arrow doesn't mean anything, I couldn't remove it.
Obnoxiousness
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I like that .... I would just like to see Lennon in there with Walcott as a sub.
Keeper seems a really hard one to pick, all three options have played well in the last two games. Hart looks very talented, but I'd be worried about him having a Seaman-Ronaldinho moment that dents his confidence without really being his fault. James obviously wins on experience and has recovered from similar events in the past, and Green has been the first choice recently. It's a poser, because England haven't really had a definitive first-choice keeper since Seaman. It'd be nice to have a first and second choice as good as Shilton and Clemence again.
