LOLiverpooLOL - Next Season

[sandman]

To be fair even players with Champions League experience and winners medals struggle at World Cups. Gerrard, Beckham, Lampard, Terry and the list goes on.

Surely it's best to give young players the chance to gain experience at tournaments and the higher level than stick with the same old people who have failed time and again. They should have got tournament experience in the under 21 tournament last summer but England chose to waste their time in meaningless friendlies. Spain have won 14 youth tournaments since 97 and been runners up several times as well.

[Royalclapper]

This is always the problem for England, so many players of similar uninspiring ability to choose from. Once in an International Tournament is Henderson really any better than Wilshere, Cleverly, or whoever else is currently being touted about?

Although it won't be popular with many I'd say Kevin Nolan is as good an England midfielder as any of the others mentioned and he scores more goals. Would be excellent if Sturridge could replicate his goalscoring form for England in the summer mind you and Sterling does have bags of pace.

[No Fixed Abode]

Entertaining game yesterday. Shame Swansea had a tough game against Napoli in the week, otherwise they could of got something out of the game.

+1

Liverpool are playing some cracking football these days

Offensively - yes.

[stealthpapes]

I don't see why you couldn't give a penalty for the foul and then book the fouled player for unsportsmanlike behaviour if he over-reacted.

that is something I have suggested on here before too. diving and being fouled should not be seen as mutually exclusive.

It's one of the things that might work ok with sinbinning, like dessent.

Why not JUST BOOK THEM and explain why?

[Sanguine]

Why?

Doesn't it just over-complicate an already (apparently) complex set of decisions?

Referees making judgement on how loudly a player screams, the velocity of a tumble and how many rolls that should naturally create etc.

I don't see you'd even need a rule change to book the most obvious play-acting, penalty given or not.


Fwiw I like the NBA approach - any player deemed retrospectively to have over-acted, or 'flopped' as they call it, get's a fine of $20k or so.

[Ian Royal]

It's one of the things that might work ok with sinbinning, like dessent.

Why not JUST BOOK THEM and explain why?

Well yes, ideally we'd see players behaving more honestly and referees actually enforcing the rules.

[Terminal Boardom]

So much for the fabled SAS partnership. Not for the first time this season Sturridge scores twice in a game then completely forgets that he has 10 team mates on the field with him. Something for BR to work on in training I would think.

[Hoop Blah]

This is always the problem for England, so many players of similar uninspiring ability to choose from. Once in an International Tournament is Henderson really any better than Wilshere, Cleverly, or whoever else is currently being touted about?

Although it won't be popular with many I'd say Kevin Nolan is as good an England midfielder as any of the others mentioned and he scores more goals. Would be excellent if Sturridge could replicate his goalscoring form for England in the summer mind you and Sterling does have bags of pace.

Nolan will be 32 by the time of the World Cup and plays in a position where we already have Rooney well established and other players like Lampard or Barkley as options. Why in the world would we look at Nolan.

Henderson is developing into a pretty good Premier League midfielder. Not quite worth the £15m or whatever it was that Dalglish paid for him just yet, but at 23 he's maturing into the player that they hoped he would. If he continues as he is he'll almost be a natural successor for Gerrards role in Hodgsons midfield.

[Royalclapper]

This is always the problem for England, so many players of similar uninspiring ability to choose from. Once in an International Tournament is Henderson really any better than Wilshere, Cleverly, or whoever else is currently being touted about?

Although it won't be popular with many I'd say Kevin Nolan is as good an England midfielder as any of the others mentioned and he scores more goals. Would be excellent if Sturridge could replicate his goalscoring form for England in the summer mind you and Sterling does have bags of pace.

Nolan will be 32 by the time of the World Cup and plays in a position where we already have Rooney well established and other players like Lampard or Barkley as options. Why in the world would we look at Nolan.

Henderson is developing into a pretty good Premier League midfielder. Not quite worth the £15m or whatever it was that Dalglish paid for him just yet, but at 23 he's maturing into the player that they hoped he would. If he continues as he is he'll almost be a natural successor for Gerrards role in Hodgsons midfield.

Yes of course I understand the Nolan argument, just trying to bring some reality and perspective into the frame. As soon as an English player has a few reasonable games for his club such as Henderson and also plays for one of the big clubs there's way too much pushy parenting going on by their respective fans.

Sturridge is certainly someone who is having a great season at the right time prior to a tournament, however, Hodgson will need to be mindful of some potential conflicts - particularly with Rooney one might think as Sturridge rarely passes to anyone and England won't be the same attacking threat as his club side Liverpool are.

[Hoop Blah]

There are always flavour of the months and people talking up those who are showing a bit of form, it's only natural, and I don't think it's isolated to the big clubs either.

This season we've already seen Lambert, Lallana, Shaw and others at Southampton talked up, plus plenty were suggesting Ravel Morrison could be pushing for a place after 2 good games. Berahino at West Brom got the same treatment earlier in the season and it's largely because the media and fans love to speculate.

[Sanguine]

Nothing wrong with that, either.

RC - you need to lower your expectations of England players a little! 'Box-to-box tryers', big aggressive players, goal-poachers, mercurial wingers - that's what England produces, Spain or Brazil we ain't. We are seeing more technically gifted players coming through - the likes of Berahino and Sterling aren't your typical England player, but ultimately the only truly 'gifted' player to have worn an England shirt in the last 25 years is Paul Gascoigne. If you're waiting for a team of Gazzas, you'll be waiting a while.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Been saying it for ages. Stop trying to be like the rest of the world. What do England produce best? Fast, strong, f/cknuts who can run forever, bash the shit out of anyone and play the game at an amphetamine pace.

Get a manager who sets us up like the best pub team on the planet and attack like every minute is the last. Those Euro slugs prancing around with all that passing bullshit won't know what hit em.

[Big Foot]

Been saying it for ages. Stop trying to be like the rest of the world. What do England produce best? Fast, strong, f/cknuts who can run forever, bash the shit out of anyone and play the game at an amphetamine pace.

Get a manager who sets us up like the best pub team on the planet and attack like every minute is the last. Those Euro slugs prancing around with all that passing bullshit won't know what hit em.

Agreed - this country's problem has been the fascination with the "Spanish model" - hence people like Cleverley being so apparently highly rated (until this season at least).

If I was England manager, I'd genuinely take Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll to Brazil this Summer in the 23 man squad.

[Sanguine]

Carroll's header against Sweden still gives me a semi.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Think back to the last tournament you genuinely enjoyed. 1990? 1996? Sure there were patches of skill and stuff but most of it was gung-ho English passion and never-say-die heroism. Like we are in war or something. That's what I want to see. Not Cahill passing the ball slowly to Lampard who passes it sideways to Milner who passes it back to Cahill only for the ball to be intercepted and stuck in the back of the net.

We don't LIKE passing. We never did. We used to think passing was CHEATING and SCOTTISH.

[Hoop Blah]

Been saying it for ages. Stop trying to be like the rest of the world. What do England produce best? Fast, strong, f/cknuts who can run forever, bash the shit out of anyone and play the game at an amphetamine pace.

Get a manager who sets us up like the best pub team on the planet and attack like every minute is the last. Those Euro slugs prancing around with all that passing bullshit won't know what hit em.

Agreed - this country's problem has been the fascination with the "Spanish model" - hence people like Cleverley being so apparently highly rated (until this season at least).

Mostly agreed as well.

We do need to concentrate on and play to our strengths and not just try to beat other at their own game as that just isn't going to work.

At the same time though you do need to keep the ball better the higher standard you play at because otherwise you just end up giving the best players more opportunities to hurt you whilst not being patient enough yourself to wait for a good opportunity to attack. It's finding the balance that works best for us and, most importanly in my opinion, freeing up our players from the fear they obviously suffer with when playing for England.

Germany are a better model for us. Culturally they produce players more similar to us but they found a way of playing that allowed them to attack freely and make the most of a few exceptional players and some other very good ones to play around them (much like the French side with Zidane & co).

If I was England manager, I'd genuinely take Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll to Brazil this Summer in the 23 man squad.

Absolutlely I'd take Carroll if he's fit. Nolan is going a step to far though!

[Vision]

Think back to the last tournament you genuinely enjoyed. 1990? 1996? Sure there were patches of skill and stuff but most of it was gung-ho English passion and never-say-die heroism. Like we are in war or something. That's what I want to see. Not Cahill passing the ball slowly to Lampard who passes it sideways to Milner who passes it back to Cahill only for the ball to be intercepted and stuck in the back of the net.

We don't LIKE passing. We never did. We used to think passing was CHEATING and SCOTTISH.

Euro 2004. I'm adamant we would have won that but for Rooney's injury.

[Extended-Phenotype]

One, maybe two skill players max. The rest of the team should be just picked on lion-power alone


------------------------------ Brian Blessed ---------------------------------

Ray Winston-----David Haye---Daniel Day-Lewis---Gary Oldman

Ross Kemp------------------Vinnie Jones--------------Sean F/cking Bean

--------------------------------Wayne Rooney--------------------------------

--------------------Bob Hoskins-----------Dizzee Rascal------------------


Heroes and hardmen. That's a cup winning team right there.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Think back to the last tournament you genuinely enjoyed. 1990? 1996? Sure there were patches of skill and stuff but most of it was gung-ho English passion and never-say-die heroism. Like we are in war or something. That's what I want to see. Not Cahill passing the ball slowly to Lampard who passes it sideways to Milner who passes it back to Cahill only for the ball to be intercepted and stuck in the back of the net.

We don't LIKE passing. We never did. We used to think passing was CHEATING and SCOTTISH.

Euro 2004. I'm adamant we would have won that but for Rooney's injury.

YEAH 2004! - all about the heroes, nothing about the gameplan. Rooney bursting through defences like a bull, Lampard kicking the shit out of the ball at every given chance, Scholes scything everyone down, Campbell defending the goal like Custer and Beckham running his slow, one-trick legs into the ground because he f/ckin LOVES England and it didn't matter that he was shit.

Now that's football.

[Big Foot]

Think back to the last tournament you genuinely enjoyed. 1990? 1996? Sure there were patches of skill and stuff but most of it was gung-ho English passion and never-say-die heroism. Like we are in war or something. That's what I want to see. Not Cahill passing the ball slowly to Lampard who passes it sideways to Milner who passes it back to Cahill only for the ball to be intercepted and stuck in the back of the net.

We don't LIKE passing. We never did. We used to think passing was CHEATING and SCOTTISH.

Euro 2004. I'm adamant we would have won that but for Rooney's injury.

YEAH 2004! - all about the heroes, nothing about the gameplan. Rooney bursting through defences like a bull, Lampard kicking the shit out of the ball at every given chance, Scholes scything everyone down, Campbell defending the goal like Custer and Beckham running his slow, one-trick legs into the ground because he f/ckin LOVES England and it didn't matter that he was shit.

Now that's football.

Lampard making it into the team of the tournament ahead of Gerrard and Scholes, it truly was halycon days