England

[Chelseacheam1905]

I'm posting this lads because I had a moment of clarity some time ago just before the game when we spanked Croatia 4-1. I've been watching Don Fabio with a keen eye since he came in and have been mightily impressed with his overall management of the team. (This is coming from a person who thinks England are the laughing stock of top nations for having foriegn managers!).

Fabio is setting our side up to play like an Italian team with a specific system and most of the pundits and fans have missed this point. Let me explain: Italian sides tend to set up with a big man upfront and an exceptional talent playing off of him with the freedom to roam whereever they please and do damage to the opposition. The rest of the team have to play a specific role. Look how popular Zlatan Ibrohimovic has been in Italy. He could not hit a barn door with a Banjo, but he has specfic roles to play, his back to the goal playing in others. Look at when he was at Juve, he played in Alex Del Piero. The national side do it with Luca Toni up front.

With this in mind Hesky is our big man up front and Fabio has chosen Rooney as the man to cause havoc. It's currenlty working very well at the monent and I personally think we could go very well at the world cup. He has a few problems with this set up however:

1. What to do with Stevie G? He can only afford to give one player freedom in the system and thats been given to Rooney, so can Stevie play a specific containment role? That remains to be seen.

2. Goalkeepers - We are not blessed with good goalies at the mo and he'll stick with James, but at the business end of the market is he good enough?

3. What to do if Heskey gets injured - We are stuffed simple as that. Rooney can be covered by Stevie G or even Joey Cole. He's tried bringing other players in the team i.e. Carlton Cole to play in Heskey's role and noone seems good enough to do it. Certainly Crouch is no target man. The person I think could do it (waiting for the groans) is Kevin Davies. Only problem with this would be the media backlash if he picked him (don't forget it's a specific role and if you ask any defender in the premier who they hate playing against, I bet Davies is up there).

4. And this is the contravertial one, we are far too honest to challenge for trophies. I know people in Britian hate cheats but Maradona was a national hero after world cup 86 and the hand of god. The Brazilians never catigated Rivaldo for his antics against Turkey when the ball hit his Knee and he was down clutching his face. Look at the Italians in the last one against Oz when their No.3 when down in the box with noone hear him? I'm not advocating cheating per say, but this seems to get teams over line sometimes and if Rooney took a suspect dive to get us into the world cup final i'd not blame him and take the victory. It's all about winning you see and I'm sick of being cheated out of games and losing. People say we are respected all over the world for our fair play. Is that true? Is that right? I'd take a little abuse for a world cup win wouldn't you?

Watch this space!

Edited June 26, 2009 by Chelseacheam1905

[midlandblue]

point 3. Ashton will be back from Injury.

[PloKoon13]

"Dean Ashton" + "world cup winning"

DOES NOT COMPUTE

(Oh wait... you were kidding)

[midlandblue]

No I wasn't kidding, I was just stating that he is an option as a replacement target man for Heskey.

[dkw]

No I wasn't kidding, I was just stating that he is an option as a replacement target man for Heskey.

when he was fit and active i would have agreed with you, in fact i would have been more than happy to see him ahead of heskey. a very physical striker but a much better finisher than heskey will ever be. but hes far too injury prone to take to tournament now, and its a shame as he was shaping up to be a very accomplished forward.

[geezer]

Point 3 - Kevin Davies. Likely to give away a record number of free kicks but also just as likely to score as Emile

[Chelseacheam1905]

Point 3 - Kevin Davies. Likely to give away a record number of free kicks but also just as likely to score as Emile

Yeah but he'll also win us a number of free kicks, in the dangerous zones as well!

[PloKoon13]

Yeah but he'll also win us a number of free kicks, in the dangerous zones as well!

Geezer has enough free shots in dangerous zones as it is.

[geezer]

Geezer has enough free shots in dangerous zones as it is.

Better than paying for them..............

[g3.7]

when he was fit and active i would have agreed with you, in fact i would have been more than happy to see him ahead of heskey. a very physical striker but a much better finisher than heskey will ever be. but hes far too injury prone to take to tournament now, and its a shame as he was shaping up to be a very accomplished forward.

don't think ashton will be considered seriously for the same reason crouch isn't (as a first choice)- they're not mobile enough, can't get in behind.

we look like a 4231- two holding players, rooney and the left sided player swapping positions (which means that ashley young will struggle to get in given we don't use a left winger, and when we do capello seems to want a left foot and someone a bit more patient- downing). joe is almost nailed on as gerrard's deputy given that he can offer something similar, and cap seems to want the striker to either be pacy or mobile and strong. seems to require a striker with great physical quality (so whatever owen, ashton and crouch do none are likely to ever start for him). on the right he seems to want raw pace (to later be replaced by beckham)

IMO there aren't many question marks left-

can foster get in the man united side?

will johnson do well at liverpool and how involved will wes brown be at man united?

will hargreaves ever get fit?