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England vs portugal - Gerrard to score the winner
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:54 amby The_Rock
So England faces a depleted portugal team. But can england beat portugal ? Well.....it would be very hard, but i believe england can do it. How ? Ditch the 4-5-1 formation. Sven is no rafa. He has no tactical awareness. He should stick to 4-4-2 because that is the only formation he knows how to coach.
This would be my team.......4-4-2 which can change into 3-2-3-2 when it calls for it (ie...beckham and cole becoming wing backs..and carra dropping into defence).
Robinson
Beckham Rio Terry A.Cole
Carra
Gerrard Lamb-tard J.Cole
Rooney
Crouch
Beckham at right back...i know it sounds crazy...but look at it this way...beckham tracks back, he can defend, so why don't we just stick him at right back.
As a RW, he can't dribble pass opposition players, he lacks pace...so just stick him at rightback (as we all know sven ain't gonna drop him).
The rest of the team picks itself.
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:14 amby Mikz
Nice team that Rock. Id have Carra and Beckham swapped round tho, I think Carragher could handle Simao a lot better down the flank.
Really Looking forward to what should be a brilliant game. I hope the referee shows some sense in this one -so far theyve been a joke.
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:18 amby kewellandthegang
england 0 portugal 1
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:26 amby 2520years
I think Sven will play the same team again if the injury situation doesn't change. If the test tube baby's fit he'll play right-back and then it'll be a toss up for the holding midfield role between Hargreaves and Carrick, with my money being on Hargreaves.
I wouldn't play that team, but I think Sven might. I think the main psychological issue might be the Big Phil v Sven factor. Brazil beat us in 2002 because we were knack'd (and not as good anyway) and Portugal only beat us in 2004 on penalties, so Sven may have more chance than people think. But if Big Phil is simply the better tactician (which I'm sure he is) maybe we should play Crouch. Tactics can't do much against someone so tall, except making sure you pick up the second phase when he knocks it down, and I'd like to see Portugal's defenders try to muscle Wayne 'pitbull' Rooney out of the way. I'd drop Frank L'ard, play Carrick/Hargreaves and Gerrard in the middle and use Crouch and Roo at the top of a 4-4-2.
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:21 pmby 2520years
Scholari reckons that Ronaldo will play. If Neville is playing it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but I'm not sure if he'll catch out Hargreaves with his trickery. We'll see.
Also, the Portugese goalie reckons that Ecuador were the better team in our second round game - that's got to be a wind-up! England were average but what did Ecuador do to impress?
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:10 pmby stmichael
I actually think England will beat Portugal, and not just because Portugal have some key players out. I'm just going on the premise that we have to improve and I think we will against a better side.
I don't think Portugal are that great anyway even when they're at full strength. We would have beat them at Euro 2004 if the manager had just let them play instead of sticking 10 men behind the ball for 85 minutes.
We've got the players, we just aren't getting the best out of them in the current system. If it was up to me I'd drop both Lampard and Beckham for Hargreaves and Lennon but this just won't happen. What's for sure though is we have to play two upfront.
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:33 pmby Ace Ventura
2520years wrote:I think Sven will play the same team again if the injury situation doesn't change. If the test tube baby's fit he'll play right-back and then it'll be a toss up for the holding midfield role between Hargreaves and Carrick, with my money being on Hargreaves.
I wouldn't play that team, but I think Sven might. I think the main psychological issue might be the Big Phil v Sven factor. Brazil beat us in 2002 because we were knack'd (and not as good anyway) and Portugal only beat us in 2004 on penalties, so Sven may have more chance than people think. But if Big Phil is simply the better tactician (which I'm sure he is) maybe we should play Crouch. Tactics can't do much against someone so tall, except making sure you pick up the second phase when he knocks it down, and I'd like to see Portugal's defenders try to muscle Wayne 'pitbull' Rooney out of the way. I'd drop Frank L'ard, play Carrick/Hargreaves and Gerrard in the middle and use Crouch and Roo at the top of a 4-4-2.
Due to the inefficiences in Svens squad that is the exact team we should play.
The main reason is Rooney, he is our biggest attacking threat and he needs to play in his best position, that is dropping off a main striker. Crouch for all the stick he takes is great at holding the ball up and bringing others into play.
The problem for England lies with Svens inability to drop Lampard, he has been p!ss poor in this tournament and we cant afford to carry anyone in this stage in a tournament.
Hargreaves is the only player that will offer the protection to the back 4 thats needed so i think the team you suggested is the right one for this vital game.
Posted:
Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:49 pmby GOAT
2520years wrote:Scholari reckons that Ronaldo will play. If Neville is playing it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but I'm not sure if he'll catch out Hargreaves with his trickery. We'll see.
Also, the Portugese goalie reckons that Ecuador were the better team in our second round game - that's got to be a wind-up! England were average but what did Ecuador do to impress?
Them ecuador guys are tw@ts, they were talking sh.it before the match too
Posted:
Tue Jun 27, 2006 12:57 amby Dalglish
The problem with Sven is he doesn't pick the team on form or Lennon would start and Beckham wouldn't so the team picks itself with all the usual underachievers there???
On CURRENT Form Becks and Lampard wouldn't have a prayer but Sven won't drop them so lets not get carried away. the best we can hope for is that he plays Crouch up front as well as Rooney???
I'd play Neville , Ferdinand , Terry and Cole att he back
Lennon , Carrick , Gerrard and Cole in the Middle.
Crouch and Rooney up front
Even without Costinha who plays the holding role in front of the back four you know Portugal wil play witha holding player whuich leaves them a tad short in the middle of the park giving Gerrard a fair bit of space.
Losing Deco is a massive bonus for England and his loss might make the difference in the end .....
Posted:
Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:07 amby Lando_Griffin
kewellandthegang wrote:england 0 portugal 1
Nice to see you're back already, Hustler.
We've missed you SO! 
Posted:
Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:39 amby account deleted by request
Losing Deco is a massive bonus for England and his loss might make the difference in the end .....
Scolari has asked the portugese FA to appeal against Decos' first yellow card which will enable him to play against England
Posted:
Tue Jun 27, 2006 3:26 amby The_Rock
As long as sven, gives gerrard a more attacking role.......england will win.
Forget the group stage and the round of 16. Gerrard will truely "come alive" during the big stage (ie...quarter, semi & final).
We all know lamb-tard & beckham won't be dropped....so will sven at least ask lamb-tard to take on a more defensive role ?
I can't really stand to watch gerrard anchoring the midfield anymore... Its like having a ferrari and using it for grocery shopping............... Its a F@$KING waste.
Posted:
Tue Jun 27, 2006 4:13 amby Bad Bob
The_Rock wrote:Its like having a ferrari and using it for grocery shopping............... Its a F@$KING waste.
Hmmm....seems I've heard that before somewhere. 
Posted:
Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:36 amby TheoRacle
s@int wrote:Losing Deco is a massive bonus for England and his loss might make the difference in the end .....
Scolari has asked the portugese FA to appeal against Decos' first yellow card which will enable him to play against England
Surely FIFA won't listen to such an appeal with any sincerity... it would open up a huge can of worms for about a dozen other instances of referee error in the round of 16 alone...
Posted:
Tue Jun 27, 2006 8:13 amby Judge
we cannot be defeated (said in an ivan drago voice) 