discokermit
Well-Known Member
very trying.
England v Algeria
- Thread starter Badgers
- Start date
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
What did he change? He brought on SWP for Lennon which is like for like, Defoe for Heskey which isn't exactly like for like but hardly revolutionary, and then finally brought on Crouch, another striker, when we were desperately chasing a goal. Fuck it, at that point we were desperately chasing any kind of attempt on goal.Well, he did change things a bit, but to be honest just about every player bar Barry & James was shite and totally unable to string a pass together. When you're confronted with that as a manager, what can you do??
I take the point about only being able to work with the players he's got, but he's got players on the bench who could have brought something different, and who's introduction would have changed our approach.
Like the players, he just seemed to have no ideas.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I have to say, he did look more active than most of the rest of the team, actually going after balls and trying things (even if some of them, like the stepovers, he probably shouldn't have
). Even Rooney, who you can normally rely on to try if nothing else, seemed pretty listless.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
It is not Heskey's fault that his presence in the team causes his teammates to start hoofing the ball aimlessly forward in his general direction. Just because route 1 is an option, that doesn't make it obligatory. I said the same thing after the first game, but it was even more evident in this one.
Heskey needs to be dropped, but because of the deficiencies of others, primarily.
Heskey needs to be dropped, but because of the deficiencies of others, primarily.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
that would be ok if he was actually good at what he's supposed to be good at.
I don't understand why everyone keeps picking on Heskey. Last night, he was the hardest-working England player on the pitch and at least he usually managed to pass it to a white shirt. The supposed stars, Gerrard, Lampard and above all Rooney are the ones who should be carrying the blame. They were absolutely shocking .... I'd like to know Rooney's pass completed/pass fucked up ratio from last night as every time he touched the ball, the next touch was by an Algeria player. Lennon ran at the Algeria defence precisely once that I can recall, Wright-Phillips was a little better when he came on but not much. Barry was better than his midfield colleagues but still failed to find his intended target with his passes too often. The defence was reasonably solid but Algeria scarcely presented a threat.
Algeria played defensively and were well-organised, but it was only for a very brief period at the beginning of the second half that we ever looked like breaking through. It was a pathetic excuse for a performance and the whole team (James and Heskey apart) should hang their heads in shame.
stupid dogbot
Haughty and Superior
I'm amazed that anyone can even remotely defend him.
Rooney looks unfit, but Heskey is fucking shit.
Anyone can run in a straight line. Shame the big fella can't fucking kick a ball.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
No it absolutely would not be ok. Aimless humps are aimless humps, however good your frontman is. Heskey is not bad at what he does. He is lacking confidence in front of goal, not surprisingly given he hasn't scored since February, but as a target man, he is competent. What he is not is nine feet tall.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
or control it. or stay on his feet.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
God bless him for dropping to right-back at times to cover for Johnson 
He doesn't help himself. Fucking up the one on one v the US and last night's muppetry on the wing are all most will remember.
Despite him being one of our better players so far, I agree with lbj. Route one being an option is stifling any other route. It worked very, very well in qualifying when he brought forward players into the game, because those forward players excelled. Now that they're useless, there's no point playing that way.
Sadly, his replacement isn't exactly a first-team, world class player either.
He doesn't help himself. Fucking up the one on one v the US and last night's muppetry on the wing are all most will remember.
Despite him being one of our better players so far, I agree with lbj. Route one being an option is stifling any other route. It worked very, very well in qualifying when he brought forward players into the game, because those forward players excelled. Now that they're useless, there's no point playing that way.
Sadly, his replacement isn't exactly a first-team, world class player either.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
His control was no worse than Rooney's last night. In fact, Rooney's control was probably even worse than Heskey's. Heskey was mixed – controlled it sometimes, didn't others; Rooney lost the ball almost immediately most times he touched it.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
Because they're not very bright.
stupid dogbot
Haughty and Superior
So you'd have the mighty Donkey in the side for the next game, eh?
In fairness, you're a fucking Leicester fan, what the fuck do you know about winning?
You probably still think Engerland are a good shout for the win!
In fairness, you're a fucking Leicester fan, what the fuck do you know about winning?
You probably still think Engerland are a good shout for the win!
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I assume you mean one of Defoe or Crouch? Personally I think he should be dropped for J.Cole - Rooney leading the line, Cole, Gerrard and Lennon behind, the Lampard and Barry.
I mean, if they play like they did last night then nothing's going to help, but it might bring something different.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
So you'd have the mighty Donkey in the side for the next game, eh?
In fairness, you're a fucking Leicester fan, what the fuck do you know about winning?
You probably still think Engerland are a good shout for the win!
I've already said that Crouch should start
I'm perfectly secure in the knowledge that I understand the game better than you. You're making that quite clear
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
Yeah, a possibility, but that relies on a shockingly off the pace Rooney.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Yep. That is my choice too. It was my preferred choice before the tournament began, but I'm a Cole fan, and despite defending Heskey on here, I don't really like seeing England play that style of football. I think I'd drop Lampard, though. Exactly how anonymous does he have to become before he is dropped?
stupid dogbot
Haughty and Superior
I'm perfectly secure in the knowledge that I understand the game better than you. You're making that quite clear
Whatever ya smug cunt.
Off you pop and polish your Engerland flags...
discokermit
Well-Known Member
hoof to heskey, heskey chases it up, lays it off to rooney, goooooaaaaal. hoof to heskey, heskey nods it back, gerard volleys, gooooaaaal. see, two nil up already.
instead we have hoof to heskey, heskey attempts to turn but his arse, due to having way more momentum than the rest of his body, carries on in the same direction, causing him to overbalance. then the massive gravitational pull of his arse shifts the eath towards him. upon impact, a large family on the opposite side of the planet are propelled fifteen feet into the air. nil - nil.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Well, quite; like I said if they play like last night the formation any formation is of little consequence.
Aye, to be fair either Gerrard or Lampard could play behind Rooney, drop the other and bring in... Carrick alongside Barry.
Wait, that doesn't sound right
If, somehow, I had never watched any of the players before then I'd say that Heskey had a markedly better game than Rooney. A very low standard to beat admittedly, but at least he occasionally won a 50-50 and completed a pass.
Rooney promises more of course, but fingers crossed he turns back into a shadow of his midseason form. I'm guessing he'll play and clumsily whole-hearted Heskey will be dropped, but unless Rooney steps up it's deckchair reshuffling on the Titanic time. He'll drag down whoever he's playing with in that form
Rooney promises more of course, but fingers crossed he turns back into a shadow of his midseason form. I'm guessing he'll play and clumsily whole-hearted Heskey will be dropped, but unless Rooney steps up it's deckchair reshuffling on the Titanic time. He'll drag down whoever he's playing with in that form
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
It's a risk. But I'd give Rooney the responsibility. Right, you're up front on your own, which we all know is what you wanted. Go and show those England fans who were booing that they were wrong. Could be what sparks him off.
Rubbish. Sorry, absolute rubbish. Count the number of balls that were hoofed in his general direction, but were nowhere near him. Doesn't matter how good Heskey is with that standard of service.
Lo Siento.
Second As Farce
yeah, I don't think Heskey was any worse than anyone else last night. That said, I think he's a long way off how he was playing for England last year. I think if we'd been picking target men on form, rather than trying to recreate what was working a year ago, he'd be sat in England and Zamora would be leading the line.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
his movement is also poor.
i thought we looked marginally better when he went off.
Kaka Tim
Half Arsed and Slapdash till I Die
The only way to save this is for rooney to play up front with either joe cole or gerrard behind him. That way we might actually start passing the ball around and creating space for attacking opportunities rather then constantly lumping up to the ever willing but consistantly mediocre heskey.
However the whole team are playing so badly that this goes way beyond tactics. Like france, half of the players look like they cant wait to get the plane home.
However the whole team are playing so badly that this goes way beyond tactics. Like france, half of the players look like they cant wait to get the plane home.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. If Heskey's movement isn't good enough, you don't 'pass' to him. I put pass in inverted commas because aimless hoofs are not passes. Don't blame Heskey for the poor play of others.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
i'm not saying heskey looked any worse than any of the others on the pitch, it's just that the rest of them were playing shit, whereas that's as good as heskey gets.
discokermit
Well-Known Member
wolves played a season of fairly aimless hoofs up field last season yet kevin doyle looked by far our best player. chased everything, won tackles, and when he got the ball, made the best use of it he could.
