Lampard and Gerrard can no longer be automatic choices for England
Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard should no longer be considered as automatic choices for England’s midfield. While their performances for their clubs are usually first rate that has never been the case when they play for England.
Frank Lampard in particular has had trouble in replicating his performances for Chelsea with England. Indeed, during last summer’s world cup they were both disappointing and with Owen Hargreaves arriving on the scene he should be given one of the central midfield positions and let Lampard and Gerrard fight it out for the other.
Great players play great when it really matters.
Neither Lampard nor Gerrard had good world cups but as we all know Owen Hargreaves was outstanding in the big matches and was the only England player to convert a penalty in the shoot-out with Portugal. He’s got what it takes to perform top class in important games as he showed at nineteen years old when he starred for Bayern Munich in the Champions league final against Valencia (2001).
McClaren, who I don’t expect to be around too long as England manager (he’s mediocre at best and was a typically political choice by the FA) must pick the players that produce for England.
In goal Paul Robinson has shown some weakness this season (and during the world cup) and Ben Foster - currently on loan at Watford from Manchetsr United - is probably our best in-form keeper right now and it would be good to see him get another chance in a game that matters.
Here’s a good formation that could represent England against Israel on March 24th (assuming 4-4-2):
Ben Foster (Watford, ManU)
Gary Neville (ManU), Jonathan Woodgate (Middlesbrough, Real Madrid), Rio Ferdinand (ManU), Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Aaron Lennon (Spurs), Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Kieron Dyer (Newcastle)
Jermain Defoe (Spurs), Darren Bent (Charlton)
This assumes John Terry and Peter Crouch are unavailable through injury or lack of match practice.
As always - it will be interesting to see the team McClaren actually does pick – for a must win game.
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- England vs Spain - completely unacceptable
- Why Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard Should Not Be England Captain
Discussion - 32 Responses
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No Rooney?
whatever happened to rooney.. me a liverpool fan, but still… rooney over bent anyday!!
No Carragher, come on give the defence a chance.
Rooney’s obviously too hairy to get into this guy’s team! I mean, come on - Woodgate over Carragher? The goal we conceded against Spain was his fault! Bent and Defoe up front? Defoe is a one man team - and not good enough to be first choice at his club and Bent had a great 05/06 season, but has not done much this year and has been injured recently.
The Crouch/Rooney combo is the best we have and Downing should be backed on the left until Cole returns from injury. We just have to hope that the referee allows Crouch to win ariel battles!
This concludes the vote of the Indian TV viewer. Get back to your sofa, you tourist.
ridiculous. If ever u wanted to pick a team on form how can you leave out jamie carragher? Besides Rooney is too good to leave out. And you say Gerrard is not a big game player? Where were u in Istambul, Cardiff??
Darren Bent over Wayne Rooney?
You sure about that Ed?
However, i do agree with you regarding Foster and Robinson. Foster on form, is possibly one of the best keepers in the world right now.
Also Gerrard and Lampard can’t play together. They play in a position too similar for their clubs, and then are asked to play differently for their national team, that ultimately restricts the impact they can have on a game. I’d also have Gerrard over Lampard in the team too.
It would also be nice if the English management team took their blinkers off and actually recognised Lee Naylor. On form, he’s possibly the best English left back. Ashley cole has been nothing more than average this season. Baines i think is suffering froma bit of a loss of form, as are Wigan, i think. Wayne Bridge, needs to leave Chelsea if he has any sort of ambition!
Èngland should be building their team around Gerrard. To say he is not a big game player is ridiculous. Gerrard is the only player to score in every final (league cup, FA Cup, UEFA cup and Champions League). If thats not a big game player, I dont know what is.
Even though he didnt have the best world cup, he was still Englands top goalscorer.
No Rooney???? shambles!! Rooney and Defoe without a doubt as strikers, centre mid has to be Gerrard and Lamps, they need to work it out, wingers have to be Lennon and Downing, defence SHOULD consist of the iron man Terry and ferdinand without a doubt, and I’d try fitting Carragher in their with Ash Cole! thats the way to win the world cup EASY PEASY not!
With No Rooney, no wonder this site has turned shit! Wot kind of Englishman says no Rooney!nob!
For me Woodgate is the best center back apoart from John Terry - and Ferdinand just shaded it over Carragher - because of his international experience.
Carragher is also close at right back in place of Neville but Neville shades it - for me - again through experience.
Newcastle could really do with Wayne Bridge - he’d be great at Newcastle - and I will continue to pray (most nights) that we get him in the summer - if not Bridge then Leyton Baines would be good.
3-4-3 is the way to go
foster
rio-terry-carra
gerrard-hargreaves-lampard-lennon
rooney
defoe-crouch
england needs to start taking it to the opposition who ever they play and stop sitting back and loosing to never has beens.
Gerrard wasn’t bad in the infamous 5-1 match…
Ed - England vs Sweden, Germany 2006. Gerrard scored the all-important second goal…
liverpool 5-germany 1 only liverpool players scored in that and yeah carrager is the best to be with terry at back give him a chance and he’ll give you his heart!! gerrard also brings more to the team than lampard e.g lampard 80000 shots per game, selfish.
You’re not a Liverpool fan. No proper Liverpool supporter would come on a public arena like this tin pot site or the national moan-ins, and slag off one of our players. I vent my opinions in the pub, before and after the match. Radio City, Merseyside and the Echo meet supporters needs. Go and ’support’ someone else.
Gerrard is great for Liverpool - but not for England …. that’s my point (even though I still had him in my England team).
The Brush - shame on you for calling this a tin pot site!
Ed - Lamps was pretty good in 2004 and 2005, Gerrard was fairly good then as well. But who cares really, McClaren’s not breaking those two up.
Ahmed - The all important second goal would have mattered more had we not leaked like an incontinent sheep dog at the back in that match.
I’d sooner have Gerrard over Lampard any day, though.
without rooney, gerrard england is sure to lose…..crouch and rooney makes a gd choice. Give carragher a chance, is on form now. see how he played against Barcelona.
Rooney should be in there as should probably David James as he had a faboulous season this year. And picking a defense without Carragher is just nonsense.
3 at the back would only work with two quick centre backs in the left and right positions. Rio would have to go in the middle - I’m a Pool fan, but Rio is THE best centre back in the world.
Carragher and Terry are too slow to play semi full back - remember how Jamie was made to look pretty awful against Croatia as part of a back 3.
Lampard has to be put on the bench, just like Cesc or our own Alonso take turns in doing for Spain in the name of a balanced team.
Against Israel, we should just stick Crouch up there and have Rooney, Downing, Gerrard and Lennon (Bentley is now also worth a look) bombing-on in support. It’s Israel for Christ’s sake - even at this level, we should just go for it for the first 30 minutes, getting a couple of goals then relax into a pattern.
The Spurs/Chelsea game typified what makes the English game so purposeful - pace and high tempo. We would blow them away if we took the gamble - it’s not even that big a gamble with the likes of Rio, Jamie/Woody, and Neville at the back.
Fact of the matter is its lampards UN-versatility that means that him and Gerrard cant work together. lampard will not come back at all if Gerrard pushes on a bit! So gerrard is left covering Lampards ass and restricting his own game!! All lampard does is sit in behind the strikers and pass and shoot (granted he does have a nery good shot) from up there! He is almost a second striker at times, he also restricts Rooney dropping deep be taking up positions Rooney naturally drifts into (no one seems to notice this because their concentrating how much he ruins Stevie’s game). Gerrard has and can come back into a defencive role if needed we see that all the time that he does come back, especially earlier in his career! I ve said it for a long time now that you could never play 2 lampards together but 2 gerrards would be unstoppable! I think the team should be based around the spine of Terry Gerrard Rooney! and with lampard in there he retricts 2 of the most gifted players in the world!
Ashley Cole is suspended for the Israel match so he can’t play for you.
Gerrard played anchor man or left midfield throughout Sven’s time in charge (including in the 5 - 1 game). If he hasn’t shone it’s because he’s not been given the opportunity to as he’s been shackled. Lumplard has enjoyed the same freedom as he does for his club and still he’s done nothing in an England shirt. He shoots at every opportunity and doesn’t bring anyone else into the game.
Allow Gerrard the freedom given to lumplard and he will excel.
Ed,
The Newcastle fan explains the Dyer choice when did he ever have a good game let alone for England or play more than 2 without being injured. By the way I don’t think he’s a bad player just making a silly comment like you did.
Gerrard is the worlds best player (Henry close 2nd) he has had plenty of good games for England, Greece and other friendlies recently and he was one of the better WC players. Although I think what you meant is that the high standards set by Gerrard you expect 2 goals and a MOM performance every game. Well Sven was partly to blame playing the worlds best mid as a holding man, its like putting Henry up front with lead boots on.
But Tippers is right Gerrard 1st name on teamsheet but we need England to play more like a proper team and not individuals. Maybe we should work on that instead of slating individuals as funny as it can be.
Aaron Lennon is a lightweight