Ballack & Essien - Lampard?

[sirpiechucker]

Anyone watching the Germany game will have heard the commentators talk about Germany without Ballack in their side and if he had been fit where would Schweinsteiger have fitted in? Would he have played on the right and therefore no Mueller?

Then theres the argument of which Ghanian player would have missed out if Essien had been fit? Arguably the likes of Ballack and Essien have for years been their nations top players and receive a lot of attention. Have the likes of Ghana (who after Essien got injured reached the final of the African Nations) benefitted by having to play as a team because they've missed their best player? Ballack is the German captain and leader and without him they looked united and fantastic.

Could England benefit from dropping another Chelsea midfielder? Lampard for me hasn't performed in an England shirt for a long time if ever at all. Both Germany and Ghana play 2 men in front of their back four and the real flair players have benefitted as a result. Lampard can't play as one of these two and he doesn't have the flair to play the Ozil or Messi role behind a front man.

England need to drop personalities and pick team players. Just because a player performs well for his club it shouldn't guarantee him a start for his nation if he's proven time and time again not to be good enough. Lampard has never won England a game but he'll continue to be selected because of his success at Chelsea rather than because of his success for England.

I hope Cappello hasn't gone gone on holiday and turned the TV off but instead is watching and researching how other teams play and take risks.

[W12_Ranger]

I'd like nto see Capello go out and end the International careers of the likes of Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand even Ashley Cole . Time to dump these Big Time Charlies they have achieved absolutely nothing at International Level. Gerrard and Rooney keep on, get rid of Johnson as well, the man can't defend for toffee there fore don't pick him for England.

Heskey, James, Wright Phillips, Green are players who shouldn't even be near the sqaud in the first place.

[Fez]

Anyone who will be too old to play at the next World Cup should be dropped out the team, what's the point? They should start bringing the youngsters through they moan they don't have enough experience well ****in well play them then, it's not like England will win anything anyway!
The U21s were runners up in the euro's that's better than anything the current crop have achieved.
Of course, this won't happen!

[Nik29]

Anyone watching the Germany game will have heard the commentators talk about Germany without Ballack in their side and if he had been fit where would Schweinsteiger have fitted in? Would he have played on the right and therefore no Mueller?

Khedira would have been the one to make way IMO.

[TheOddPost]

Anyone watching the Germany game will have heard the commentators talk about Germany without Ballack in their side and if he had been fit where would Schweinsteiger have fitted in? Would he have played on the right and therefore no Mueller?

Then theres the argument of which Ghanian player would have missed out if Essien had been fit? Arguably the likes of Ballack and Essien have for years been their nations top players and receive a lot of attention. Have the likes of Ghana (who after Essien got injured reached the final of the African Nations) benefitted by having to play as a team because they've missed their best player? Ballack is the German captain and leader and without him they looked united and fantastic.

Could England benefit from dropping another Chelsea midfielder? Lampard for me hasn't performed in an England shirt for a long time if ever at all. Both Germany and Ghana play 2 men in front of their back four and the real flair players have benefitted as a result. Lampard can't play as one of these two and he doesn't have the flair to play the Ozil or Messi role behind a front man.

England need to drop personalities and pick team players. Just because a player performs well for his club it shouldn't guarantee him a start for his nation if he's proven time and time again not to be good enough. Lampard has never won England a game but he'll continue to be selected because of his success at Chelsea rather than because of his success for England.

I hope Cappello hasn't gone gone on holiday and turned the TV off but instead is watching and researching how other teams play and take risks.

I believe Sir Alf Ramsey made some bold decisions during the 66 World Cup, especially the selection of Geoff Hurst when there were more experienced players available. Perhaps some who were around at that time could describe how contentious his decisions were at the time?

It seems to me that Ramsey would have chosen Lampard or Gerrard and sacrificed the unlucky one for the benefit of a balanced team. He clearly didn't give a stuff about how popular/unpopular his decisions were!

Square peg and round holes and all that..............

[sirpiechucker]

I believe Sir Alf Ramsey made some bold decisions during the 66 World Cup, especially the selection of Geoff Hurst when there were more experienced players available. Perhaps some who were around at that time could describe how contentious his decisions were at the time?

It seems to me that Ramsey would have chosen Lampard or Gerrard and sacrificed the unlucky one for the benefit of a balanced team. He clearly didn't give a stuff about how popular/unpopular his decisions were!

Square peg and round holes and all that..............

I thought Capello was the same as he didn't previously come across as someone who cared what others thought. Instead he's bowed down to the pressure of having to play both Lampard and Gerrard. Gerrard's best positions are either CM or off the front man and not left wing. If you have two players who play the same positions than either one has to be sacrificed or adapt the system unfortunately neither were done.

[swede]

If he had played with Milner and A. Johnson as wingers in a 4-5-1 formation, with Gerrard behind Rooney and Hargreaves as holding mf England had won the group and now been in the semis.

[G.T.P]

we wouldnt of beat germany if we had every sinlge englishman in the premeir league on the pitch you loon.

[swede]

we wouldnt of beat germany if we had every sinlge englishman in the premeir league on the pitch you loon.

If England had won the group, they wouldn´t have played the Germans......

[G.T.P]

oh right, didnt see the bit about the winning the group, just saw the semi shout.
but i reckon the team wouldnt of beat anyone other than a 500-1 shot minnow this world cup, so it wouldnt of mattered who we played when the group stages were over.
no matter how much he played the team to its best and even if he picked the best and most in form players. (which he didnt)
they just dont play welll enuff together no matter what a manager does imho.
needs a massive overhaul and rethink.

[m_cooper]

time to ditch any player who is unlikely to make next world cup,james,rio,terry,johnson,cole,lamps gerrard,heskey,crouch,etc,etc

[stan_bowles]

I'd like nto see Capello go out and end the International careers of the likes of Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand even Ashley Cole .

Especially Ashley Cole.After his comments he should never be picked again for England.He is genuinely not fit to wear the shirt after his comments about English people/fans.

[m_cooper]

it will not happen,no manager has got the balls to start again;we need a team not a bunch of ego's;same applies at qpr

[G.T.P]

muller has been one of the stars of the tournament, nad hes joint top scorer, and he only had 7 caps before the world cup. could you ever of envisaged capello dropping one fo the big time charlies for a young uncapped player? never.

[W12_Ranger]

it will not happen,no manager has got the balls to start again;we need a team not a bunch of ego's;same applies at qpr

I think Capello will go for the jugular, he is not a bad manager, he was let down by his players.

I think a few 'egos' will announce their retirements before the axe is wielded.