We don't play 4231 because we're short of a natural number 10 who links the midfield with the front 3. Rooney is a striker by trade and will always look to drive into scoring positions. I wouldn't play him as an AM other than as a temporary measure. After the Euros, I would bring in a fresh face, who is suited to the AM role.
Not like you're biased on anything . Gerrard is still quality, but he has lost his legs an he's clearly frustrated by it. He's attempting long, speculative balls from deep when previously he would have made a run into a more advanced starting position. He's not used to the deeper role. He's good enough for adapting not to take long, but he's getting on anyway and soon it will be time for him to make way.
Rooney does often drop off more than one would expect, he likes to come deep to pick up the ball. Maybe more of a second striker/free role rather than an attacking midfielder. This. No way Gerrard is good enough defensively to hold, he runs around a lot but doesn't have the discipline or the tackling ability to play as a DM.
we don't play 4-2-3-1 because Roy has one formation, 2 banks of 4 parked near our goal. it has nothing to do with players. It's 100% the manager.
what aload of pony this statement is,clearly you know nothing,Gerrand isn't And couldn't do the DMF role,he hasn't got the discipline,and would go missing,there is no one better than Parker in England,for that role,and Parker has played twice as many games as gerrard,that's why he looks tired
That's really over simplifying. I'm sure any manager would play expansive, attacking football if they were in charge of Barcelona. Do you really think Roy would play a defensive 4-4-2 if her were in charge at Barca? Dunno. Like I said earlier, I thought his performances in the first two games were mediocre, lit up with some real quality for the assists. Welbeck's hold up play, work ethic and pass completion rate made him the standout in the first two, for me, but Gerrard was outstanding in the third game.
Rodgers taking over at Liverpool could give Gerrard a second life at this level. I could easily see him being changed into the central midfield play controlling Xavi type role we've not really had in the past, as he is probably the best passer in the squad.
He needs to cut out the Hollywood passes, though. Too often we see him hoofing it 75 yards across the pitch for no gain whatsoever, often surrendering possession. In fairness, we've seen less of that in this tournament.
The problem is, with Wilshere out, we don't really have anyone else in central midfield to keep possession, so Gerrard feels the need to get the wingers or striker(s) in behind the defence.
To play in the deeper role though, a player needs to keep it very simple. Xavi is so good, or someone like Pirlo or even Arteta, because they just keep the ball moving with short, simple passes. Patient build up with a deep-lying playmaker is the key, and I do agree that Gerrard has the quality required to adapt and fill that role. The style we play at the moment doesn't suit someone like that in the middle, though. That requires a trio in the middle.
He did it against Germany when England won 5-1. FYI. Can't have been too bad. And he played a lot of games there for Liverpool at the start of his career. We weren't too bad back then, won a cup treble in his first season of playing basically every game.
Alright then. We'll ignore the rest of his career and watch Liverpool play him as a defensive midfielder ahead of Lucas.
Yes. He used to tell Gerrard to sit inside our 18 and hoof at Torres. Back when Torres was good. Roy only knows park-hoof-and-counter
But, with no disrespect, Gerrard isn't really an intricate player. He's someone who loves the big pass. If Hodgson had a squad full of Xavis and Iniestas, I'm sure England would play technical football.
I'm not saying he's the ideal option mate. There's plenty of players around the world that I'd take ahead of Gerrard to play in the defensive midfield role, including Lucas. Its just for whatever reason there are not many defensive midfielders in England good enough on the international stage, and I include Parker in that. He's the ideal player to play infront of the back four until someone better comes through. And it'd give the squad a little continuity what with that enabling him to keep the captaincy going into the qualifiers and helping the younger players on.
To be honest Gerrard is capable of both. His tendency for the spectacular comes from years of pulling average team-mates through games. When we had Alonso and a firing Torres he was a superb link up player and we played great passing football.
Proved himself to be too much of an **** to be captain in my opinion but he's been our standout player in the Euro's.
