Gerrard's MOM winning performance against Estonia

[Iceman]

as awarded by today's Observer. They gave him an 8!!!

Now look at this:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pYHggzKlAi4#

[Alan]

That really is a joke, he was terrible.

[BackInBlue]

Great analytical video, someone should hire the guy for the England coaching set up.

[The Moos]

That vid says it all. We might as well put Cole in there instead of Gerrard if Lampard can't play. Heck, we might even put Robinson there

[sweet waffle]

What annoys me about Gerrard's "performances" for England is the way that the commentators just tail of their sentences when he makes a mistake and just ignore it or try and blame someone else for it, whereas anyone else makes a mistake they highlight it, the worst offender is Stevie G's number one fan Mark "the c*nt" Lawrenson.

[loz]

Spot on Sweet Waffle - I don't even get annoyed by it anymore, I just find it all laughable.

I have lost track of the number of times I have seen Gerrard launch a long ball and you hear something like 'That looks like another glorious pass from Gerrard' and then you realise he has over hit by at least 10 yards and there is the TV equivalent of what radio DJs call 'dead air' until they can gather themselves and find somthing entirely different to comment on.

The fact that anyone could even consider him as MOTM last night just makes the entire player rating process a sideshow at a media circus. Barry and Joe were head and shoulders above everyone else in what was a fairly below average team performance despite the score.

[Backbiter]

What annoys me about Gerrard's "performances" for England is the way that the commentators just tail of their sentences when he makes a mistake and just ignore it or try and blame someone else for it, whereas anyone else makes a mistake they highlight it, the worst offender is Stevie G's number one fan Mark "the c*nt" Lawrenson.

That's so true.

[Backbiter]

Something weird's going on. I've tried to delete the above two comments but get the message "Sorry, but you can only edit your own posts". Well, I'd like to able to edit some other people's on occasion, but this time I'm only trying to edit my own.

[Backbiter]

I see you've done the job for me, Loz! Cheers.

[loz]

No problems - I have seen that message a few times as well, no idea why it happens however like a true England fan I am planning to blame Lampard for it.

[g3.7]

omitting the through passes he got right hurts the argument made by the video, however I totally agree with the sentiment.

[JT26CFC]

Gerrard motm, wow. It seems as if everyone is a liverpool fan all of the sudden. Gerrard could make an own goal and somehow the blame would be put on frank lampard. This just baffles me, i can't stand Gerrard!

and comments saying that joe cole can't do anything but make some fancy moves is b.s.

[The Moos]

Joe Cole is alot about fancy moves and admitedly some of them don't work that well. However he might not have been 100% in his fancy moves but he was still way better than Gerrard. Atleast Cole created stuff. How many goals did Gerrard set up? How many chances did Gerrard create or even help create?

I have to admit that Gerrard was almost everywhere on the pitch against Estonia and I have to say that he worked hard. That is however not the same thing as being good. Gerrard had the ball alot but didn't do too many good things with it. He ran all over the pitch but didn't contribute that much really.

Sheva runs all over the pitch too for us but that doesn't mean that he's the best player at Chelsea

[Dorset]

Not every journo is fooled by current Stevie G and Gareth Barry hype. Martin Samuel says it all in this article in the Times today...

Steve McClaren refusing to accept people?s vote

A matter of minutes before the end, Gareth Barry was revealed to be the man of the match. The sponsors could have saved time and made the announcement before kick-off. Gordon Brown has not courted popularity so shamelessly. Barry was always going to be man of the match because he is Not Frank Lampard; and being Not Frank Lampard is a guarantee of approval right now. So when Barry was caught out twice in the opening eight minutes, in areas that, if replicated on Wednesday night, will take Russia straight into England?s back four on the counter-attack, it did not register because he was Not Frank Lampard. When he gave away the ball with a poor pass midway through the second half, nobody cared because he is Not Frank Lampard (who made a similar error soon after and was predictably jeered). Even Steven Gerrard turning in an insipid display by Barry?s side did not matter, because it was Not Frank Lampard also playing in the centre of midfield, meaning this was a different type of vapidity, one that comes endorsed by all leading phone-ins, message boards, most national newspapers and other dedicated followers of fashion.

Had Lampard and Gerrard turned in such a pedestrian display together, it would have been used to espouse the clich? that they cannot play together. As this was Gerrard and Barry, routine was reinvented as exceptional. Hailed as the best player on the pitch, ahead of the superior Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole, the cheers Barry received for not being Frank Lampard were evidence of public opinion and populist punditry in complete accord. Nothing against Barry. He did fine, he did OK. He was tidy and linked the play well and worked hard and any game in which the mistakes of an individual are so infrequent they can be remembered one by one, is far from shabby. He should start against Russia on Wednesday. So should Gerrard. And so should Lampard. Altogether now: boo.

The arguments are well rehearsed. People pay their money. People are entitled to an opinion. Fair enough; except, on the subject of Lampard, the conformity is too expedient, almost faddish. Some inconvenient truths: Lampard was the best England player against Germany, when he also scored; against Brazil and Estonia, his partnership with Gerrard worked very well; at the moment, when he was injured and left out of the team against Israel and Russia, he was in his best international form since before the 2006 World Cup finals. Lampard?s critics have an alternate view, of course, and forcefully express it, but what of the verdicts delivered before the man had kicked a ball, as happened Saturday? Are they reasoned opinions, too, despite being passed before the event? Lampard was booed before the Germany game, as well, when Steve McClaren rated him the best player on the pitch. Are his prematch detractors blessed by psychic powers? If so, the spirits must have been having a night off.

After inconvenient truths, an inconvenient theory: England need Lampard in Moscow, where a repeat of the 4-3-3 formation deployed against Russia at Wembley is required and the central midfield area needs strengthening. The way that England shaped up in the last 21 minutes against Estonia on Saturday is the way to go and, although the game was long dead by then and it was plain the system needed more work in training, to play 4-4-2 in Moscow would be a lead to Guus Hiddink?s strongest suit.

He can play three at the back then, and five in midfield, outnumbering England in two key areas. Better to change the shape, as happened at Wembley last month, when Shaun Wright-Phillips was pushed high and wide right, Emile Heskey tracked left, and Hiddink, the Russia coach, ended up having to use four at the back, a system he dislikes. Joe Cole was left of England?s midfield three then, but might be considered too lightweight for Moscow, hence the need for Lampard?s inclusion. Joe Cole and Rooney would then be played either side of Michael Owen and Wright-Phillips, whose passing can be careless, would return to the bench. Anyone who thinks this equates to McClaren surrendering to the star system or making an easy call has not been paying attention.

Picking Lampard is less fashionable than crochet right now, particularly at the expense of Wright-Phillips. After all, it is not Lampard?s dad who is part of the BBC?s studio team for England matches. Fortunately, since winning in Andorra, McClaren has cared less for popularity contests and the benefits are manifold. Whether reintroducing David Beckham and Sol Campbell, playing David Bentley or giving regular cameo roles to Phil Neville, he is demonstrably his own man. Bucking the star system was a rare vote-winner, but McClaren needs more than the love of the common people on Wednesday; he needs at least a draw in Russia. And he needs to pick a team to get it.

?Absolutely, we want Frank in Moscow,? the head coach said. ?We must have as much experience as possible. We talked about why he is booed at Wembley and I have no answers. We have expressed our disappointment, but he has to cope and I am sure he will.?

Certainly, England are coping well now. With goals from Wright-Phillips, Rooney and the luckless Estonia defender, Taavi Rahn, McClaren?s team eased through what proved to be a glorified training exercise. Rooney scored his first competitive goal for England since 2004, while the biggest downside of the afternoon, the injury to Ashley Cole, could not overshadow a good day. With the game effectively concluded an hour early, the contest was never going to be high-intensity and many of the crowd had already departed when Barry was recognised for not being Frank. That will have been a disappointment. Maybe they should change the name to the People?s Choice award: but will Barry see off Ant and Dec?

[The Brit]

according to green twa* on radio five stevie me is our only world class player

and yet he made estonia look good...how bad does this average footballer have to play for people to realise he ain't all that

[bonetti]

The Sunday Times gave him a 7 or 8 and said he 'bossed' the midfield' - think they meant 'lost'

[JT26CFC]

[web]http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article340264.ece[/web]

didn't the same thing happen to Beckham? He was booed for awhile.

Lampard just needs to score the winning goal against russia this weekend

[JT26CFC]

in career total-

Gerrard: 75 goals

Lampard: 133 goals

[geezer]

By contrast the Sunday Mirror had Rooney down as MOM with a 9 stating he was 'sensational' whereas the Daily Mirror today got it about right by giving him a 5 with some not very enhancing comments. Shows the press for what they really are when even the sister papers disagree so much.

[ianwatkins]

The only thing that Gerrard stevens got right was actually saying Joe Cole was probably our best player on the night.

One paper gave Joe as low as a 5 saying once again he was wasteful and kept losing the ball (he should look at the stevie g video at the start of this thread) and another he got an 8. I think we can safely say these ratings are a bit of a waste of time.

[Gem]

Has the Saint come out and spoken against the booing of Frank?

JT has, Joe Cole has, Ferdinand has, Barry has... Hmm... I guess whilst someone else is getting booed it only makes you seem more popular doesn't it Mr. Hit and cry.

[Liam]

Ferdinand has

Ferdinand has gone up in my estimation* as a result.

*He's now moved ahead of Stephen H*nt.

[The Moos]

Has the Saint come out and spoken against the booing of Frank?

JT has, Joe Cole has, Ferdinand has, Barry has... Hmm... I guess whilst someone else is getting booed it only makes you seem more popular doesn't it Mr. Hit and cry.

Rafa didn't say anything when JM was "sacked" and now Gerrard doesn't speak up when Frank is being booed. I know the scousers don't like us but surely the players and manager can show some f*cking respect?

Or does Gerrard enjoy seing his "main threat for the midfield role" being taunted by the people who are supposed to cheer for the team (which includes the players actually)?

I actually hope that the few ba*tards who boo are scousers because that atleast would explain it. They hate Chelsea and the players there so they treat them like crap. Well the players they can treat like that anyway. They wouldn't dare touch JT.

[geezer]

I take it there's only Dean Saunders below those two now then Liam?

[dkw]

ive just bposted this in the booing frank lampard thread, but it probably shoulda went in here. just a few things ive noticed in the media for the england games.

gerrard has a better pr team. thats why hes untouchable. after every poor england display, hes the first in the papers saying they hadnt played well AS A TEAM. the TEAM needs to sort it out. therefore making sure no-one zeros in on his poor performance. and hes always in the papers ahead of games saying the TEAM needs to be fired up. they need the bulldog spirit etc.....