Denmark v England (Zzzz)

[Elmer Park]

After last night I would be tempted to play a 4-2-3-1
Hart
Johnson Terry Ferdinand Cole
Parker Barry
Walcott Wilshere Young
Bent

I would be fairly happy with that side although I might go with Dawson or Jagielka instead of Terry and probably Gerrard just ahead of Wilshere for the time being.

When we were knocked out of the World Cup my immediate reaction was to want to ditch some of the so called golden generation players but on reflection I thought England really didn't have viable alternatives so I would have stuck with most of them although I would have left Terry out as I think he is a difficult presence in the camp. Amusing to see England play pass the parcel with the Captains armband last night and making sure the music didn't stop at Terry.

Now though I look at our so called top players form over the season as a whole and without their past reputations you would have to say that Rooney,Lampard and Terry would not have irresistable claims on a starting place and, although I would pick him, probably not Gerrard either.

Of course when it comes to the Wales match I cannot see Capello leaving out the so called big names but I think the Manager and the entire team would get more enthusiastic support if he did.

[papereyes]

1) England are a lot harder to dislike with Milner, Barry, Young, Bent, Downing, Cahill, Hart, Walcott, Wilshere, Parker in the side. A lot harder.

2) Balanced sides play better - there is a LOT more to football than 'one stays, one goes'

3) Danish lad Eriksen was also pretty damned good.

[ZacNaloen]

That second half team except Wilshere playing with Parker and England would play some of the best football England have played in a long time, plenty of ideas, and would know how to keep the ball.

I look forward to seeing Gerrard and Lampard hoofing it against Wales.

[papereyes]

I think its more that Lampard and Gerrard are both utterly despicable cocktards.

[6ft Kerplunk]

Thought it was a shame that Wilshere didn't get 15 mins in the second half with Parker or Barry next to him. Cappello was talking about Wilshere being used in a deep lying playmaker role like Pirlo but Pirlo only did that so well because he had Gattuso doing his tackling for him. Lampard obviously wasn't going to be doing that.

[cmonurz]

That second half team except Wilshere playing with Parker and England would play some of the best football England have played in a long time, plenty of ideas, and would know how to keep the ball.

I look forward to seeing Gerrard and Lampard hoofing it against Wales.

At least this proves that England fans are as knee-jerky as when they are supporting their league clubs. A few months ago (or even before last night's game), the thought that Young and Parker should be England starters would have been met with belly-exploding LOLz. Whilst I rate Young and Bent (not so much Parker), there are better players available than those that started last night.

I like the system, and if its Barry or Wilshere then I don't see the harm in the latter, but for me Gerrard and Rooney should replace Young and Bent, and the team will be better for it, imho, albeit sacrificing Young's pace on the wing.

Bring Lampard and Gerrard back in, and you defeat the system entirely. The irony if Lampard's last England cap was his only as captain?

[Wax Jacket]

I'd like to see McEachren (sp) brought in pretty soon, I think him and Wilshire could be a pretty decent pairing. actually they should be given lots of time together in the U21s

[No Fixed Abode]

If only Scott Parker had an L in it.

[prostak]

Poor Jack Wilshere. It's an enormous burden, being the only Englishman of his generation able to trap a ball. I'm looking forward to a central unit of him behind Carroll and in front of Fabrice Muamba. It'll be like pinball.

[Hoop Blah]

I didn't think Parker played that well to be honest, and I'm quite a fan of his. Barry looks like his time has passed though. He looked a much more accomplished and mobile player 2 or 3 years ago.

I've always been a fan of Young (well not quite during his Watford days when I didn't think he had that much more than pace) and I do think he has a role to play over the next few years. Like Milner he can play all across the pitch and deliver cracking set pieces. His problem will be that we have a decent set of wingers coming though at the moment. None of them are quite outstanding yet, but all of them look decent enough.

Walcott, Johnson, Young, Milner, Lennon with the likes of Downing, Wright-Philliips and Bentley knocking on the door too. That's healthy competition without any one of them being the outstanding first choice.

I thought the midfield worked ok. Wilshire is a great prospect (not quite the 'best young player to be blooded in generations' that I'd heard him touted as) and hopefully has a long England future ahead of him. Finding a player that can play alongside him and allow him a bit more freedom will be key though (IMO).

Rooney is still a bit of a conundrum though. He's still an exceptional player, but how do we get the best out of him and the likes of Wilshire or Gerrard, or whoever comes through in the future (McEachran and Oxlade-Chamberlain perhaps). Rooney and Carroll seem a mouth watering prospect in many ways, but will that be the best solution considering our other strengths.

[comeonyouroyals]

That second half team except Wilshere playing with Parker and England would play some of the best football England have played in a long time, plenty of ideas, and would know how to keep the ball.

I look forward to seeing Gerrard and Lampard hoofing it against Wales.

At least this proves that England fans are as knee-jerky as when they are supporting their league clubs. A few months ago (or even before last night's game), the thought that Young and Parker should be England starters would have been met with belly-exploding LOLz. Whilst I rate Young and Bent (not so much Parker), there are better players available than those that started last night.

No not Knee jerky at all, but do you not think we should be playing inform players? Parker, Wilshere, Young and Bent are all in cracking form, unlike Rooney Stevie G and Lamps so surely they should make way.

Last nights second half performance was a joy to watch, not once after we took the lead did I feel like England would let it slip and to see us keeping the ball on the deck was so much easier on the eye, Parker and Barry had nice interplay and only punted it long when under lots of pressure.

All in all I don't see the point in these friendlys if the players who perform well together don't get to play next time.

[Hoop Blah]

There's a trade off between picking inform players and building a coherent team.

When we end up playing the better teams and/or getting to a tournament it's not so much being in form as being good enough and having the right balance and understanding that gets you through.

I'd also argue that Rooney is actually playing pretty well. He might not be scoring the same number of goals as he has at times (some times) in the past, but he seems to be playing well again. He was involved a lot in our better play during the first half remember.

Barry and Parker together would get more exposed against a better side, as they did at times whilst finding their feet last night.

[papereyes]

There's a trade off between picking inform players and building a coherent team.

sticking with Lampard and Gerrard in centre mid, one goes, one stays, surely they can see that

Well

its neither

[moo]

Parker was excellent. Somewhat surprising he's never played for a top club.

Umm... Who did Charlton sell him too?

[Tails]

Whoosh FC

[Hoop Blah]

There's a trade off between picking inform players and building a coherent team.

sticking with Lampard and Gerrard in centre mid, one goes, one stays, surely they can see that

Well

its neither

That doesn't make a lot of sense, even when I'm used to reading your style of writing!

Not sure if it's intended as an argument against the bit of my post that's quoted or not, but sticking with Gerrard and Lampard in the way that the last few managers have done, to varying degrees, isn't building a coherent team or picking in form players (which I presume was your point).

I wasn't suggesting it was either by the way, I've said for years that the team was better off employing one or the other (well Gerrard to be frank) in their natural position with the other one as a very good back up.

[papereyes]

I wasn't criticising you, I was having (another) go at the whole Gerrard and Lampard thing and using your post as a decent starting point to build from. Not every reply is a criticism, even on here!

And trying to point out that sticking with them, in the face of all available evidence, is neither picking players on form (because their England performances remain pretty mediocre) nor building a coherent team (because coherence is pretty much the last thing I'd describe it as).

It just annoys me that you get 1001 ex-pros with the same arguments about one staying, one going, that these players are smart and can make it work. Well, having watched about a decade of those two in centre midfield for England, its pretty clear to me that they are pretty incompatible.

[The whole year inn]

whole Gerrard and Lampard thing

But why have so many managers refused to drop one of them? This is not like one guy is persevering, it has spanned several managerial generations

Why can none of them see it?

There has to be a reason.

[papereyes]

I don't know.

My hunch is that their reputations precede them by such a large amount that the managers are, well, scared of dropping them because of the potential fallout in the press.

Any other thoughts?

[No Fixed Abode]

Well, they both play regular European football for starters.