The football
England v Croatia was televised here on some strange channel at midnight (we have a TV in our room in Ko Lanta) so with Michelle asleep I watched the game. We also watched the Macedonia game in a bar in Ko Tao. Doesn't look very good does it?!
I realise that many will not agree with this but why didn't Beckham play last night? From a brief check of the internet I can't see that he's injured. Fair enough if Maclaren wants to play Gerrard wide right as he's one of the best in the world, but with him suspended, and especially with Lennon injured, why can't we play one of the most gifted players we have? Instead we have the incredible blandness of Scott Parker and Gary Neville. Either of them should have been sacrificed to play Beckham.
Fingers crossed that England can pull it together, and that Maclaren isn't too proud to admit he made a mistake and bring Beckham back into the fold whenever Gerrard isn't available through suspension or injury.
posted by Ed at 6:46 am
3 Comments:
Quite agree with you. With Gerrard suspended, Hargreaves and Joe Cole injured, and most of the rest of the team hopelessly out of form, I would have thought Beckham was essential. I think that Maclaren is probably influenced by him only being on the bench these days at Real. I also think that anyone would be better than G Neville at right back: I don't think he's ever been of international calibre and he certainly isn't now (but the own goal wasn't his fault: Robinson was quoted on TV tonight as being unable to understand why he was being made a scapegoat; he must be stupid or something, a head-in-the-air attempted hoof by a goalkeeper is the same as an air shot by a professional golfer, should never happen!).
I don't think Maclaren has what it takes, but am surprised that Venables isn't yet proving a positive influence.
Very different playing Croatia at a neutral venue compared to playing them at home Dave...they haven't lost a competitive game at home for something like 12 years i think.
I discussed with Dom playing Beckham at right back during the World Cup...Dom had a good point that very few teams in world football play with a left winger so you could play Beckham behind Gerrard if you are playing 4-4-2...I can't imagine an international team that wouldn't be a little worried about that combination.
If we're playing 3-5-2 there is even less reason to play Neville as he certainly isn't a decent midfielder.
But i'm not sure I agree about Robinson - how was he meant to know that the ball would skip over his foot...even if he had been head down watching the ball he had no time to react to that bobble!
There's lots of reasons why I think Beckham should have played.....his bum, his legs, his abs.....
Post a Comment
<< Home