Yes I know it's not until Sunday but not much happening on Saints front. So what would you do if you were Hodgson. Will we play the same side? Who do you think are the main dangers? Italy will be without key defender Giorgio Chiellini which hopefully will give us the edge. I'm beginning to really believe we can win this one! Views
Changes Drop Parker Oxo Chamb on right, move Milner in the middle. Carroll starts, Welbeck on the bench
Not much happening on the Saints front? Did you not know that Anders Svensson is coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!! If Carroll starts, I think he'll get sent off; the Italians will play act all over the place and he'll get a couple of soft bookings just for jumping to win a header. i would drop Milner, as he simply hasn't looked confident enough to play a five yard ball, and this allows Roy to keep Parker and Gerrard in. One problem has been the midfield not getting forward enough, but if Theo or Chambo plays, he will get forward. I suspect he may play five in the middle.
It's not what I would do as Hodgson, but what he would do. I bet he'll start with basically the same team. Theo may start, but Chambo hasn't done enough to start but could be an effective impact player (as NA calls them). I think he's a Wellbeck fan for the other side of his game, but may start with Carroll hoping for an early set piece goal.
I thought it was What you would do if you were Hodgson and not mess with my team fats. In that case I would send Parker home on his own and see if he learns to move forward quicker or even at all but that's allowing for him to take about two years to get here as he will take about that long with his short back and forth movements. Lol Sorry fats
Anyone who wants milner or parker dropped do not fully understand the defensive work they perform for the team. Without them in the side we'd have conceded far more goals. Its not like we're not an attacking threat we've scored in our last 9 matches I think. Who do you think will be our first 5 penno takers? If it was me i'd sub on baines at the end and have Baines,Cole,Gerrard,Rooney and a youngster either Welbeck/oxo whoever is on the pitch.
I fully understand parker's, and as I previously said, understand why Milner has been picked for that reason, however, he has given the ball away needlessly with poorly executed 5-10 yards passes too often in the three games. He looks like he is lacking confidence to me and this is why I would drop him for someone who may keep the ball bettter.
Don't want penalties (shudder). If we are riding our luck, let it be a draw heading for extra time when Balotelli slips and heads in an own goal.
Yes Milner does do good work defensively but I agree he has played poorly. His attacking play has been very poor and his crossing ability equally shocking. I can't see Roy changing it though but I would love to see Ox or Theo in there.
Regardless of if they keep the ball better the two other options we have at right mid are oxo and theo, and neither of them can defend to anywhere near milners standard.
Oxo can defend ok and he can keep the ball far better than Milner. If we kept the ball a bit more rather than giving it away so cheaply we wouldn't have to defend so much. Besides, I can't see the Italians throwing too many men forward. I fear a 0-0 stalemate and the lottery of penalties.
But isn't passing a ball to a team mate part of defending. ok, I'll ask this a different way: do you think Milner has played well enough to keep his place?
Italy had the best defensive record in the Q games as they conceded only 2 goals, and they are noted for the dark arts of defending. In their last 9 competitve games there have been 2 or fewer goals – ie the Under 2.5 goals bet had a 100% record in those games. 2. Italy didn’t concede a single goal in the first half in any of their group games - 0-0 Spain, 1-0 Croatia, 1-0 Eire. 3. Under Hodgson, England are a well drilled defensive side with two banks of four, a real team spirit, an inspirational captain, with good attacking players in Carroll and Walcott probably on the bench. 4. Italy will miss their injured LB Chiellini and MF Thiago Motta is also doubtful. 5. Tactically England must nullify MF Pirlo who is the ‘heartbeat’ of the Italian side - so we may well see Rooney dropping back to give the MF an extra man. 6. Italy will probably start Balotelli ,keeping 34 year old Di Natale who is a superb natural finisher on the bench. 7. Indeed players coming off the bench could well be crucial - remember Walcott’s impact against Sweden? 8. England defensively have a weakness at RB Glen Johnson who was very poor in the second half against Sweden, and in John Terry playing ‘out of position’ at RCB whose initial error led to Ukraine’s goal that wasn’t. IN SUM - The probability is a tight defensive game with Italy who have the better technical players enjoying the bulk of possession. The first half will surely be very very cagey with no risk football played so a HT draw looks likely. It’s not easy to see either side scoring twice in 90 mins so if that’s true there are 4 probable scores 1-0, 0-1, 0-0 or 1-1 and two of them are draws so the 90 minute draw and extra time is a real runner.
I think Milner HAS to keep his place as against lesser teams than italy we spent a lot of time without the ball defending so Oxo or Theos ability to pass the ball wouldn't be useful anyways.
Check out this archive footage for anyone who hasn't seen it. I think it's football. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18550562
