Comments on: Duetschland 2006: Erikkson, Pekerman Get It Wrong

By: Dave Fox

Dave Fox — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 00:05:06 +0000

You’re right, angelo. England have the players and if they had a manager with a proven record at the top level (like Hiddink or Scolari) then they might have a chance of winning something. Both of those managers have no qualms about dropping big-name players if they need to and would that would certainly wake up players like Beckham and Lampard who knew they didn’t need to perform at their best to get a place in the side under Eriksson. I doubt McClaren will have the guts to drop the big guns if they’re underperforming, but we shall have to wait and see.

By: angelo

angelo — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 17:21:03 +0000

Then poor poor England. I would really like to see what England can do with all the players working at full stretch but it seems that the FA just made a lateral step instead of a step forward.

If it would be a club I would hope in a player revolution but at this level and with an english manager I just do not think it will happen.

By: David Fox

David Fox — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:05:55 +0000

I’ve never liked McClaren ever since he uttered the words “I’m suspicious of that word, ‘entertainment’” when his Middlesborough team were (rightly) criticised for playing dull, defensive football. This is a man who, on the first day of last season, encouraged his players to take to the ball to the corner flag to get a 0-0 draw in the last few minutes against Liverpool. Granted, Liverpool are a better team, but on the first day of a new season you ought to show some ambition, especially when your team is as expensively assembled as McClaren’s was. I can see the trend of negative football continuing with England. As Emmet rightly points out, he’s basically an English version of Sven (except he doesn’t even have the track-record at club level that Sven has)

By: Emmett Williams

Emmett Williams — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 12:41:35 +0000

I’ve not seen anything in Steve McClaren to suggest that he will be anything but an English Sven. True he got Middlesbrough to a UEFA Cup final, but in those crucial matches, he had a habit of picking the wrong first 11. It was only when his hand was forced that he made the player changes that brought about the late wins. Maybe that is a sign of better in-game decisions in England’s future….or a man acting out of desperation. And Middlesbrough have been mid-table for a long time under McClaren despite the money to turn things around. He’s bought a lot of big names for little results.

And does he really have the nerve to sit Beckham or Lampard? To play a 3-5-2 formation? To do what it takes to calm Rooney? To free up Gerrard, Lampard, Lennon and maybe even Walcott? He was Sven’s right hand man and seemed to be a part of all the major decisions, so i fear for England.

By: angelo

angelo — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 10:46:59 +0000

You are right to mention them in the same post because they both picked the wrong 23 and make costly mistakes in chosing the starting 11 and the subs.

Besides they both prefer a defensive approach to the matches despite having great offensive players and just that is enough to be happy for their departure

I wonder if the hyped reputation of Eriksson will be tarnished or if he will just blame his failures on bad luck. I heard that after the match he said that England deserved to advance but I hope for him that it’s just PR because he cannot be serious.

England has a very good team but you cannot just tell them to defend and hope every time that a free kick will save you.

If I can ask what do you think about Steve McClaren? Will he give England a less defensive mentality?