The Doc's Diagnosis: England vs Croatia
Wednesday, 21 November 07, 11:11 PM
I tend to look for an angle, and concentrate on that angle. Tonight, I'm dumbfounded: there are just too many angles to choose from.
First, let's deal with formation. If a team changes its shape when playing at home, that must give massive encouragement to the opposition. In fact, it must say "we're scared of you".
I've never seen England play well with any other formation than 4-4-2, and to change the formula for this game to a shape that said "a draw will do us" beggars belief.
It's incompetence, nothing else. The players looked uncomfortable with it, I felt uncomfortable with it on my sofa, the bench looked uncomfortable with it too - in fact the only bastard who looked comfortable with the 4-5-1 nonsense was Slaven Bilic. Make no mistake: it wasn't 4-4-3, it was 4-5-1...it was set up for a draw, and it failed miserably.
Secondly, my claret and blue heart bleeds for Scott Carson. There will be those in the England set-up and in the media who will either obliquely or directly blame our keeper for England's woeful first half showing.
He got it wrong, and made a schoolboy error but it was all nerves. I didn't write this yesterday, so it isn't hindsight: Paul Robinson should have been selected this evening to offer some experience to a depleted defence and to make up for his shortcomings in Zagreb.
This game, with massive tension, a huge and expectant crowd, driving rain and a soaking pitch was not the game to throw Scott Carson into to launch his competitive career in a full England shirt. This may sound soft or old fashioned, bt it wasn't fair.
Although I'm mighty happy that Carson kept England in the game with two superb saves in the second half. And I suppose I offer a crumb of congratulative comfort to McClaren for keeping Carson on for that second half: if he had replaced him, a career would have been destroyed.
Third: I heard Alan Mullery on Sky Sports saying he thought Frank Lampard had played well. Pardon? Frank Lampard's contribution to the game was the scoring of a penalty that - in a million years - was never a penalty. Apart from that, unless I am deaf, blind, mad or stupid, I didn't hear the commentator speak Lampard's name.
Lampard was pathetic. Gerrard ran, tackled, forced the play, and then ran and tackled some more. Not much came off for him, but at least the skipper was trying. Lampard was, as usual, a waste of space in an international shirt.
Fourth: did Gareth Barry play well? Barry was brought off at half time, but - please - that can only have been a tactical move as McMuppet changed the system from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2. Our captain did what he was asked to do: kept the ball, played it simple, made his tackles and allowed Stevie G and Fat Frank (?) to get forward. For my money, he was England's best player in the first 45.
Quite frankly, England were useless on every front tonight. The strategy was crap. The tactics were crap. The players were crap. We were just crap. Maybe we are - just - crap at the moment.
Personally, I hope the Ginger McMuppet keeps his job. But only because I don't want the FA sniffing around Martin O'Neill.
Tonight, I feel desperate. But as long as we beat the Boro away, I'll be on top of the world.
By the way, that's why England aren't ever going to be any good.
Comments (15)
Last sentence was a bit depressing but apart from that I agree with everything you said, Doc.
England have needed a kick up the backside for years and now they've been given it - it's just a question of where we go from here.
I just hope that they dont come knocking for Martin O'Neil.
I agree about Lampard: His contribution was negligible. His passing was off and he wasn't making those runs past Crouch. Bridge was very poor, as was Lescott. Gerrard was chasing the ball far too much after Barry went off, and that's always the problem when he plays alongside Lampard.
Carson's mistake was inexcusable really, but those two saves in the second half kept us in the game. His confidence clearly grew as the game went on. It's a shame he was picked for this game, really.
Of course, the worst performance of the night was that of the manager. Wrong formation, wrong team selection and, probably more importantly, he was not able to instill any confidence in the team. They looked as though they were shitting themselves for the whole 90 mins.
The groundsmen didn't help us (doesn't Wembley have a roof?!?), but the fact is that over the past 12 games, McClaren has proved himself to be woefully lacking. Let's get Mourinho in charge.
Damian - nice automatic censoring system you've got there! Very clever.
What a load of shit. Cant help but be depressed!
Carson.. well... lets get behind him, we know he's a great keeper, and i still believe he'll be number 1 for the nest 10 years, but to start him tonight was a poor choice.
Micah Richards was nowhere!... where was he in the 2nd goal... wright phillips was the last man back!... and in the 3rd he was marking empty space while Gerrard and Campbell stared at the ball! I actually thought lescott was ok tonight, but Campbell was shocking! Far too slow to be playing so high! I want players to bleed on that pitch, and the only 2 who would do that tonight are Gerrard and Beckham... otherwise everyone else would be tracking back!
Oh well, lets get Mclaren out and start rebuilding the national game. Limit foriegn players, cap wages, put more money into youth! I truly believe O'Neil won't take the job anyway so don't worry. Who will the FA appoint next though!!... Sammy Lee anyone?!
Carson wasn't ready, but made up for his mistake, Barry I thought had a bad first half but was played in a position that he's not really comfortable with. He kept popping up on the right hand side in the first half, must've been managerial instruction as he isn't that lost when playing for us! Lampard once more did nothing, no tackles, passes astray, no covering off the ball and no cares in the world. McTwats obsession with getting fat Lamp in the side wrecked the partnerships around the field that we'd developed and in the last 20 mins we (I'm sorry to say) looked like the Villa humping it to Carew, but England didnt have Gabby
Oh, and of course the press are gonna focus on Scott's mistake for the first goal and not praise him for keeping england in it in the second half, so lets give him our shouts on Sat.....Englands No.1..Englands Englands No.1
IT should have been Fat Frank off instead of Barry. Not saying that would have changed the outcome but I agree with the Doc on this one. I'd be a happy man if we signed Crouch and Beckham in January because they were the two that contributed and wore the shirts because they believed they could do it. We deserve to go out because we lost 2-3 at home to Croatia on judgment day. Sometimes It's sad that I'm half Dutch, the other half is in the Euros next year.
Hey Doc,
what a nightmare!!!! I can´t believe what i have seen yeserday night! After the game i go in a Bar and drink a lot off beers!
Feel sorry for the home country of foodball!!
For me the spirit of England will be in Innsbruck next Year!
so long Doc
i´m still drunken ;)
Personally I thought the tactics were right. It was just the players let everyone down by failing to do the basics (track back, defend, show some movement).
McLaren should walk. But please, please, PLEASE do not let the players get off scott free (like they did after 2000, 2002, 2004).
Croatia were fantastic last night. They played fluent, mobile, controlled football. Whereas what England produced was an embarassment.
I can only equate it to watching someone like Arsenal toy with someone like Sheffield United.
Right on ViLLaN, Englands no.1! Lets not give Scott the same complex that the nations media has given Paul Robinson.
Last night proved that Croatia (who had nothing to play for!) have alot more pride than our lot, but would I give a toss if I was on 100k per week!? That one of the biggest problems, too many premadonnas......and second choice steve.
Anyway UP THE VILLA
The 2nd goal was the entire defences fault. A) PLAY TO THE WHISTLE! DON'T LOOK FOR A FLAG! B) MICAH RICHARDS - LEARN TO FRIGGING MARK! C) Campbell, you're too slow. D) Wayne Bridge - learn to stand in a parallel line with your teamates.
Jesus, every lesson that football teaches players was forgotten last night. And, yes, Barry was one of the best players of the game, he was overlooked because Croatia attacked down the flanks - where Richards and Bridge SHOULD have been.
The worst player on the pitch by a country mile was Wayne Bridge. What a shocker... and a close second was Lescott! His pace was awful. I cannot wait to play everton next as Young will destroy Lescott
Bridge was the worst player on the pitch and could of end up giving away two goals...Barry made one mistake last night just like Carson. The tabloids can slate Carson but if it wasn't for him then England would of lost by more goals.. Crouch was England's best player in the whole game closely followed by Beckham.. Mourinhio will be the new England Manager.. They had the chance of O'neil and they rejected him for steve mc muppet.
ENGLANDS NUMBER 1 ENGLANDS ENGLANDS NUMBER 1
feel sorry for scott carson because that was not like him at all. at least he made the mistake for england and not villa. ENGLANDS NUMBER 1 ENGLANDS ENGLANDS NUMBER 1