After watching BBC's coverage of the england game

[Marc]

Im with Raven. If the rest of the world cup bandwangoners actually watched football, rather than just every 4 years when the world cup is on, they would realise his tactics in the second half were nothing short of shocking.

 

[Calaen]

I love how people can say Sven is a good manager :-( hes got one of the best sqauds of players in the world right now and he goes 4 5 1 :-( the second half was a disgrace, never once did you see someone shouting or kicking off with the rest of the players trying to lift the team up.

Good teams keep posession when they are winning that way the other team gets worn out and they cant score if they have not got the ball. We just give it to Beckham who kicks it as far as he can up the field. Crouch is not a one up front on his own player, he has a good touch and nice control but you need better movement. Walcott or Lennon would have been a good move I thought in the second half lots of pace against tiring legs someone that isnt scared of going passed a man.

As always England come up short with their performance, the Draw T & T got against Sweden has pretty much guaranteed us a place in the next round though. So lets hope the stop talking trash to the newspapers and actually put in a performance on the pitch worth getting excited about.

 

[Darzil]

I'm quite certain there are things Sven does well.

The teams have always come out looking fit, confident and well prepared. The defence always seems to look good.

I don't think I've ever had a problem with anything he's done up until the substitutions start. It's then that things seem to fall apart, and I've no idea how an international manager can be so dense.

Crouch looked very good, as he was able to knock the ball down to Owen, he was chasing balls well, even going round defenders a few times. He's not usually a run past the defenders sort of player, though.

Then Owen goes off, and suddenly the midfield doesn't have anyone to pass to other than Crouch, balls to him he doesn't have anyone to knock them down to. Only chances thereafter that England had were long range shots from Midfield.

That was clear for everyone watching, how come Sven didn't see it and make a change ?

A friend rang me afterwards and asked whose side he was on !

Darzil

 

[Levin]

Then Owen goes off, and suddenly the midfield doesn't have anyone to pass to other than Crouch, balls to him he doesn't have anyone to knock them down to. Only chances thereafter that England had were long range shots from Midfield.

That was clear for everyone watching, how come Sven didn't see it and make a change ?

A friend rang me afterwards and asked whose side he was on !

Darzil

The Swedish commentators said they thought the intention was for Cole to go up and play more offensively, linking the midfield with Crouch. Perhaps they just failed to follow the plan? If he had to take Owen out for whatever reason, maybe he just didn't feel like risking playing unexperienced Walcott when England just had 1-0. Things will probably be less dramatic when Rooney is back.

 

[Darzil]

If he had to take Owen out for whatever reason, maybe he just didn't feel like risking playing unexperienced Walcott when England just had 1-0. Things will probably be less dramatic when Rooney is back.

The reason, according to the word from the English bench was that it was a tactical switch.

The tactic presumably being to prevent the players getting overconfident by making a mess of the rest of the game.

Darzil

 

[Darzil]

The Swedish commentators said they thought the intention was for Cole to go up and play more offensively, linking the midfield with Crouch.

Had he taken Crouch off and left Owen on, I'd have agreed, and it might have worked. Owen is the sort of player who that might work with.

Darzil

 

[Amildin]

If he had to take Owen out for whatever reason, maybe he just didn't feel like risking playing unexperienced Walcott when England just had 1-0.

Then why put him in the squad at all?

That was possibly the least pressure of games with a good solid defense from our side and lacking a speedy up front. If Sven doesnt think hes ready for that match then how can he be ready for any of the upcoming ones. He cant pick a player just to play when england is 4-0 up and 70 mins in...

 

[Corran]

Then why put him in the squad at all?

That was possibly the least pressure of games with a good solid defense from our side and lacking a speedy up front. If Sven doesnt think hes ready for that match then how can he be ready for any of the upcoming ones. He cant pick a player just to play when england is 4-0 up and 70 mins in...

One the major problems with Sven is he is set in his way and he relys on certain players to heavily. Currently those players are 1) Beckham, 2) Rooney.

Since Joe Coles emerging as a top quality player (something must give credit to Chelsea for actually, they really upped his quality in past year or so) we have another decent outlet though with a totally different play style. But at times he is being underused however least he is being used a bit now.

Anyways, back to what I was saying. Sven relys on Beckham to much as an outlet. Seems to like it to always be spread out to him to put in a long ball. Though it is effective at times it is now expected and so need to mix it up more.

And as for Rooney, that boy is talented in making something from nothing, he is an amazing playmaker. That is how he can drop off and fill that gap between midfield and attack. Yet he has the ability and the energy to be right up top when needed. When he cant play Sven sometimes tries to put someone else in that space, but it does not work and play just breaks down after the long ball to the front, putting us on the back foot. This was what he was attempting to do with Joe Cole, not push him right up but have him as a fill gap. Problem is the level of experience in that type of play made that unpratical.

Reliance on a few will be our undo, but the team is actually developing in many ways towards another style of football compared to what they were (when Sven first started it was basically - Defence > beckham > cross and nothing else). He has laid down some groundwork for the next manager to work on, and that is something worthwhile.

Just tactically he has some really strange ideas, but then he always has. More of the success comes from a bit of luck and pure british grit and determination in defence. But as proven in past, luck doesnt last forever and you need to do more.

And can anyone remember the last international tournament game where England actually managed to score in the 2nd half? Been quite awhile now and more often then not it is due to some strange tactical decision. May not be only factor but it is one the reasons.

 

[Darzil]

And can anyone remember the last international tournament game where England actually managed to score in the 2nd half? Been quite awhile now and more often then not it is due to some strange tactical decision. May not be only factor but it is one the reasons.

11 games, apparently, since England scored in the second half.

Darzil

 

[Levin]

Heh heh, ah well. I see your points and i guess Sven just thinks differently than you guys. I'm more of a hockey expert myself, so i can't say what's really right or wrong. I'm just glad the discussion is more constructive now than the "Sven is a joke" commentary. If you guys go far, i do hope that Sven will get some credit though, whether it's because he's lucky or thinking in some genius way that nobody else understands.

As a matter of fact.. i wish he'd come home and take over the Swedish team. Our current coach Lagerbäck said after 0-0 vs Trinidad & Tobago: "We played a great game!"

 

[Corran]

Heh heh, ah well. I see your points and i guess Sven just thinks differently than you guys. I'm more of a hockey expert myself, so i can't say what's really right or wrong. I'm just glad the discussion is more constructive now than the "Sven is a joke" commentary. If you guys go far, i do hope that Sven will get some credit though, whether it's because he's lucky or thinking in some genius way that nobody else understands.

As a matter of fact.. i wish he'd come home and take over the Swedish team. Our current coach Lagerbäck said after 0-0 vs Trinidad & Tobago: "We played a great game!"

Got to give T&T alot of credit though for that game. Sweden werent at their best but they threw alot at the little guys whom just somehow held on. At points I think that T&T removed their intestines and built a wall between sweden and their goal