Left wing for England

[JD]

any suggestions for this problem spot?
I've put in at least one player I've never heard suggested - a leftie though genuinely two-footed, awesome at setpieces, stunningly strong in the tackle, fast, mobile, fearless, only 23 and yet loads of England caps - JOHHNYBOY the new saviour!!
Not in the poll are two leftfootedNorth London youth/reserve teamers I considered - Sperz Etherington and Jerome Thomas (a gooner) if either where to break into the first team they would be considered.
Jansen is classy but naturallya striker, Macca has played left mid covering for the cannonball kid outside (ashley does fly forward)
Taylor will be a prem player next season and his wingback experience means he can do a defensive job. Le Saux has the experience both at mid and left back (club and NT). Gerrard did well second half last night (bit of a square peg though) as is Heskey who is a striker.
Cole and Bridge are both midfielders converted to defence but also have both played most of their proffesional careers in defence.
Thompson is a great striker of the ball (done well in uefa)- O'Neill said he should be considered but playing in Scotland counts against him.

[The Rule]

Out of that list i'd pick JWill to be honest, although Gerrard was brilliant there last night.

I think Jermaine Pennant could be the answer if he can get regular premiership football and Paul Koncheskey is worth a mention as well.

Also David Dunn and Joe Cole should be given a chance(i.e. more than half a game)

[JD]

flukey could u add Cole(J) and Dunn 2the list pls
ta m8
(I did think the wilkinson pick was a moment of genius if I do say so myself - taylor should be given ashot though)

[ThreeLions]

Personally, I wouldn't play with a left winger. I'd go 3-5-2 with Bridge as left wing back. Either that or the diamond in midfield we played against the Turks. That worked very well.

[JD]

can't see Bridge displacing Cole - he improved as the game went on but he lost the ball far too much first half (as did Butt - how the times made him motm is beyond me - tackle then lose it tackle then lose it etc etc)
Sven is 4-4-2 thru n thru can't see him changing
also important to consider Arsenal, manYoo and newcastle play 4-4-2 virtually all the time (I count 4-4-1-1 as just a variation)
no team has won the EPl playing anything but 4-4-2 and I can't remember a team winning the 1st division before that with any other formation.

One of our traditional strengths is getting on the end of crosses - I think without a real left sided midfielder we will be unbalanced

[ThreeLions]

I know it's the traditional formation in this country but the two world cup finalists played 3-5-2 to good effect?. 4-4-2 is far to rigid, if you have a real quality team then 3-5-2 isn't a problem and that is the thing with England, are we good enough to play it?. We'll never know until Sven actually tries it. It worked okay at France 98 and I think this team is better than that one.

[The Rule]

Originally posted by JD

no team has won the EPl playing anything but 4-4-2 and I can't remember a team winning the 1st division before that with any other formation.



i read yesterday that no team has won the english championship playing anything other than 4-4-2 since before WW2, dunno how true it is though.

And Three lions, Brazil didn't really play a 3-5-2, the played 3-4-2-1 which is different. and do England really want to model themselves on Ze Germans, who played more of a 3-3-3-1 type formation??

and i disagree that this team is better than the team of 1998, Hoddle could have a world cup winning squad but he ***ked it up, there may by more talented players this time, but that team had 3 great leaders, more fluidity to their game and an incredible fighting spirit , this team can't match that one on any of those three categories

[JD]

I really don't think it did work in '98 at all
we could have avoided Argentina if we hadn't folded to Romania in the groups (how on earth was Hod not sacked earleir naming a Becks and Owenless lineup for the first two games!!)
German teams virtually ALL play 3-5-2 in the bundesliga (at one point they where INSTRUCTED they had no option but to play 3-5-3 by the german FA who wanted all their NT players to be used to the formation!)
Brasil play 4-4-2 (with wingbacks!) normally

[JD]

Brasil are just a seperate case though-
wot position is Roberto Carlos? where there any other 'centrebacks' who got forward like Lucio? was Ronaldo the only striker or where Ronaldino and Rivaldo part of a three?

[ThreeLions]

The Rule - The point is that 4-4-2 may be our traditional formation but it doesn't help us on the world stage. It's too rigid. The successful teams in world football don't system such a rigid system. The Brazilians are able to play that formation because they can adapt so well. If you get it right, it works a lot better than 4-4-2. It's a moot point anyway because I doubt Erikson will ever try it.

[JD]

people overcomplicate the game
its not ALL about formations
imo Scolari picked players and fitted them in
my team - Arsenal, have played 4-4-2 consistently under wenger
but is DB10 a proper centre forward or is Hebry for that matter who spends half his time on the wing
or the two rightfooted leftwinger from our last two championship teams Pires and Overmars (go back two more championships and its Limpar and Marwood but thats a different thread)
Llungberg was ostensibly a wide player but he drifts inside and breaks through the middle late
whether a team is inflexible or not is based on the players not the formation