Terrace Talk

You have a crucial qualifier coming up as your last match in qualification. Do you:

a) Schedule and play a friendly 5 days before, using starters which you plan to use against your crucial qualifier?

or

b) Field players which you won’t be starting/playing in your crucial qualifier?
You are given a week to prepare for a crucial qualifer where you know that all you need to progess is a draw. Do you:

a) Field a 4-5-1 formation and play for a draw?

or

b) Field a 4-4-2 formation and go for the win?
You are playing a crucial qualifer. Do you:

a) Start Shaun Wright-Phillips?

or

b) Start David Beckham?

Lastly, you are playing a qualifier that decides whether you progress to Euro 08. Do you:

a) Pair Gerrard and Lampard in central midfield?

or

b) Pair either Gerrard/Lampard with Barry/Hargreaves in central midfield?

These questions had to cross Mclaren’s mind before he made his decisions. In my mind, he chose incorrectly on all of them.

Who in their right mind schedules a friendly so close to a fixture where you MUST get a result and then to compound the situation, fields players that you’ll have to rely on come this important fixture?
If you’re Steve Mclaren and The FA, please select ‘a)’ from the first set of questions. Also, remove Michael Owen from
your list of available players, because he was injured during this pointless friendly.
There was absolutely no need for a tune up match because:
i. with the exception of David Beckham, all your players are match fit

ii. you allow Croatia to scout your players tendencies and your tactics 5 days before
you play them.

iii. you risk injuring players.
McLaren should have had closed sessions from the time his players reported from their respective clubs, to kickoff against Croatia.
Croatia benefited from ii) and iii) and Beckham could have reached match fitness
if more closed-door sessions were held.
The logic of lining your pockets with $$$ early instead of preparing properly and earning even more $$$ was silly and proved so with the
end result.
If you are foolish enough to accept a friendly and use a in a 4-4-2 formation, why would you then
think the best route to take in an all important qualifier is to attempt a 4-5-1 formation?
The unfortunate reality is… England tend to play their best formation in 4-4-2. Why go and change that? I’m sorry, but England had a point to prove not only to their fans, but to the footballing world. You field your strongest tactics full stop.
With that said, two things bothered me about McLaren fielding a 4-5-1:
i. He appeased the British media and most fans who wanted this formation instead of going for the strongest formation for England.

ii. It showed that England was quite content to settle for a draw.
This last qualifier against Croatia represented in my mind a must win game. The moment you show in any way that you’re looking for a draw, is the moment the opposition will one up you. Coaching 101:
YOU NEVER PLAY FOR A DRAW, YOU PLAY TO WIN!
As a coach, you will take heat for decisions you make that go against what couch potatoes think. That’s part of the job as coach. Multiply that by millions and that’s what any England manager should expect.
Did Mclaren really think that by going with what the Nation thought was the right formation things would work out and his job would be safe? I fail to believe that he actually thought a 4-5-1 would be the best formation when you have strikers like Defoe and Bent fit and ready to play.
England really had no business looking for 1 point when 3 were available. Furthermore, McLaren had no business changing from a 4-4-2 formation when it had been working quite well for the last few matches.
So again, if you are Mclaren please choose ‘a)’.
Start SWP or start Beckham? Folks that know me will probably say my “fan boyism” of one David Beckham is clouding my judgement with this question. So let me run by you a similar situation.
2006 World Cup Qualifiers. A team in Europe thought the youth movement was the right way to go after they lost there greatest player due to retirement. They struggled tremendously. Then it dawned on managerment. “Maybe we should use our older, more experienced players.” They did, and along with their greatest player coming out of retirement, not only did they qualify for World Cup 2006, they reached the finals.
The team was France, and England should have looked to that example heading into this game.

Experience always wins out in massive games. Beckham has done it time and time again for England. When he plays, England play with a purpose. Srikers know that they will get chances to score because he provides service. This would have come in handy during the first half when England provided just a lil more than 0 percent service to one Peter Crouch. Cue Beckham. Within 15 minutes, Crouch gets a ball perfectly placed by Beckham and scores. He provided opportunities to Defoe and Bent to score. As effective as SWP was against Russia, for a game of this magnitude, he should have been coming off the bench to provide a speedy alternative to the proceedings. Croatia were tired and he would have been a difference maker then.
If you’re Mclaren, please choose ‘a)’.
A debate that has lasted longer than father time and with an answer clearer than whether Derby County will stay up this EPL season was once again a focal point of discussion after England vs Croatia. The pairing of Lampard with Gerrard in midfield.
Sven proved it could not work. 4-4-2, Rubbish. 4-5-1, Rubbish. 4-3-3, A lil better better than rubbish. They just don’t play well together. There is nothing wrong with that. You make adjustments to bring out the best in both of them. So why after seeing four years of ineffective play, Mclaren thought it would finally work in the biggest game of his national team tenure is very puzzling. Lumptard and Captain Craptastic as I affectionately call them, played the part of their nicknames to perfection.

So let me get this straight. You pair Barry and Gerrard together and they play exceptionally well. Lampard comes off the bench, plays well. So you think,”How
about we pair Gerrard and Lampard together, with Barry holding? Sven couldn’t get it to work, but I’m positive I can.”
What made this worse in my eyes was England’s best player of World Cup 2006, was
sitting on the bench. He didn’t even factor in the game although being cleared match fit.
Yes, that would be one Owen Hargreaves. So with Mclaren’s “wonderful” selections, what does it get England? A 3-2 Loss To Croatia.
Let’s recap the game shall we.
Inside of 16 minutes, England are down 2-0he first a complete error by Scott Carson.
The irony being that Carson was given the starting role because Paul Robinson was making
similar errors to what Carson made. The 2nd goal, a complete and school yard error by the
back four looking to get an offside call. They didn’t and Carson was left out to dry in the
pouring rain. Although England were pressing for the remainder of the 1st half, they were not providing service to Peter Crouch. Nor were they pressuring the keeper. Beckham and Defoe were the subs to start the 2nd half and they provided a much
needed boost to England’s attack. 2 goals scored and a chance to save the game. And
then…
Croatia score on a saveable shot. It shouldn’t have gotten to the point of a shot, because the defence was napping. Then again the team was caught napping on a counter attack.

and England officially out of Euro 08 after controlling there destiny not once, but
twice.
So, Where do England go from here?

The termination of Mclaren by The FA is a start.
Although I don’t blame Mclaren for those 2 opening goals, I do blame him for some terrible team selections and tactical decisions. 3-5-2 against Croatia, Who remembers that? Dropping Beckham, Campbell and James. Drawing to Macedonia. All these silly mistakes cost England in the end. The players need to be held accountable too, because there were matches where you could see they weren’t playing as a determined side.
The task of selecting a new manager is here once again. For all the reasons Sven was villified by the media, supporters and some players, he got the job done. He experimented in friendlies and played wise formations in games that mattered. Qualification in all tournaments and quarters in each. Why didn’t he get the teams further? 2 areas in my opinion and 2 areas which the next manager needs to be a master at.
1. A great tactician. They must know which players work together to maximize every result. They must understand that not every “star” player should start (Gerrard, Lampard). That “star” players can be just as effective coming off the bench as getting the start.
2. Can deal with the British media. Let’s be real, the British media is ruthless.
They help set up teams to fail. They try there best not to support any managers
decisions. Sven did more for England than Mclaren ever did. Yet, when Sven was fired
and Mclaren was brought in with a CV which was echelons below Sven’s, the British media
played up the “oh, we need a British manager, because foreigners don’t understand the
English game.” Yet, Sven has Manchester City playing some inspired football and are sitting
in an EPL position which is quite mind boggling.
The next manager should have coached a top 4 side in England or abroad and know English players abilities. Last, the next manager needs to know how to effectively balance being a players manager, yet be able to crack the whip when necessary.

The rumours have started up with all the potential candidates. Let’s quickly recap:
Cappello. Has stated that he wants the job. Has an extremely successful coaching record.
Yet I can’t help point to his last season with Real Madrid. He alienated players, handled the
Spanish media poorly and was eventually fired after winning La Liga. That there should tell
you why he shouldn’t be England manager.
Lippi. Would be an interesting choice, but with his defensive style, I dont’ think he’ll be
appreciated too much with supporters or the players.
Big Sam. The long ball tactics, the ‘abusing the opposition’ tactics, just won’t work with the current crop of
players with England. He is another manager that alienates players (Obefemi Martins).
Would be a poor choice.
Martin O’Neill. A players manager who has been reconstructing Aston Villa. Don’t
see him leaving and I don’t see him wanting the job.
So, you’re probably wondering who I think should be the next manager. Provided that
The FA grow some balls, and follow my suggestions, I think the choice is quite obvious.
This manager is a master tactician.
This manager handles the British media very well and knows when to tell them off when
needed.
This manager is still based in England looking for a job.
Now for some better hints.
This manager had a 99 match home undefeated record in the EPL.
This manager has won the Champions League, English Premier League twice, Carling Cup
twice and FA Cup.
This manager is being shortlisted by Austrailia as there next manager.
This manager is…

Patiently waiting for The FA to make this happen.