Cabbage Conundrum
By: Sam | April 11th, 2008
England coach, Fabio Capello, liked what he saw of Theo Walcott in the Arsenal v Liverpool Champions League 2nd leg at Anfield.
“To go past so many players with such speed and balance is one thing, but to have the composure and awareness to pick a pass at the crucial moment showed great skill and maturity.There can be no disputing Walcott’s ability.”
This suggests that the England competing in the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 will probably be comprised of Walcott’s contemporaries rather than the class we we are so familiar with and which we are seeing now in the Champions League. (Is there a 22-year old Cafu-type with a mom from Swindon now playing in the lower leagues, the SPL or the Faroe Islands?)
The England regulars we simply can’t imagine “graduating” are the likes of Beckham, Terry, Ferdinand, Lampard, Gerrard, et al. (Scholes has already hung up his Boots of St. George). I’m not so concerned with age. These players will be in the area of 30 years old when the World Cup rolls around and certainly there will be a healthy mixture of experience going to Capetown & environs. I am more concerned with the difficulty these players have of changing style or adapting to an England team when they all play for Big Four teams that are so successful.
Case in point: the Gerrard & Lampard partnership doesn’t work. It’s easy enough to see Terry & Ferdinand playing together to anchor the England back four into their 40’s; but Capello needs to shape an England scheme with flair that’s capable of scoring at will. England need a goalscoring framework — and there is none in this generation.
I don’t know who’s coming through the reserves: this is quite likely who will end up in S. Africa. The players of Liverpool (only 4 Englishmen), Chelsea (8), Manchester United (8), Arsenal (1, it’s Walcott himself) are very good players, but their success in these clubs has an effect on the brain which reinforces commitment (conscious and sub-conscious) to habits that work in their club settings, making it more difficult to play in varied ways.
For instance, Frank Lampard in a defensive midfield orientation is throwing the baby out with the bath-water. I’d have Frank deputizing for Stevie G in more or less the same forward-dashing role.
Okay. Wayne Rooney is almost surely a part of England’s future, just on competitive juice, work-rate and how he enables those around him. But where are the wide attackers and the striker who will combine and vary for aesthetic and scoring effects? I see Rooney in the pocket doing the Kaka’ or the old Totti role behind the one or two striker(s) — with the free reign to create unlimited trouble (Walcott or Agbon outside or forward of him?). Emphasis on create. Above all England need the scheme and the people to create. Banish the straight-ahead, predictable Ashley Coles.
Capello must have young players to have a clean slate. He needs youngsters who have not had the impossible demands of the English press and people starching the fear in and the art out of them. He will have to look beyond the Big Four.
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If you look at what Chelsea have done with thier current formation - it could show the way forward for England. Its accomadated the very similar Lampard and Ballack in the same way that Gerrard and Lampard could play together - as long as they have a Makelele type as a base, in England’s case, Hargreaves. I think with Owen in as well, a Gerrard Lampard Partnership could work.
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That’s very interesting, Rob. I was going to say: “How will be the Makelele?” — the teeth of the “meatgrinder”.
That leaves a 4-5-1 or a 4-3-3 possible — which we all know are the same thing — and can become a 4-4-2 intermittently, depending upon who has the ball and disposition to risk.
The remaining question is how does Cabbageman get them to loosen up?
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er — “Who will be the Makelele” … etc.
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United States -
I would guess Hargreaves. But could easily be Carrick or Barry. I would even be tempted to give Gerrard that role and then stick Rooney and Lamps as attacking midfielders - maybe even Owen in att Mid as he seems to have been reborn there at Newcastle
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For instance, Frank Lampard in a defensive midfield orientation is throwing the baby out with the bath-water.
I don’t know from where this notion comes that Lampard can’t defend. Mourinho utilized him as an attacking midfielder. And since he has Essien/Makelele he didnt have to worry about defense that much. But Grant is playing him more like central midfielder. Even in 4-3-3 he is making less forward runs and shots on goals (compared to Mourinho era). He is nowadays involved in more in defensive work.
And as far as deputizing him in attack to Steven Gerrard is foolish. He is better at attacking threat than Steven Gerrard. People say Lampard doesn’t play in England shirt because he doesnt have Makalele to do his donkey work. But also Steven Gerrard doesnt play in England shirt because he is not guaranteed the free role as in Liverpool shirt. Thats why he becomes one of the most indisciplined player on pitch. Gerrard is doing well in supporting striker role since he is given free role which is unlikely in England shirt.
As far as playing them together, any good manager can play them in proper system. SGE never had any system. Mr.Mac always chose 4-4-2 without any particular roles and England players looked like as kids in topless bars. I think this won’t be the case under Capello.
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