england vs croatia

[Stevie H]

predictions on mclaren's line-up?

[Hassony]

Robinson

Richards

Ferdinand

Lescott

A cole

beckham

barry

lampard

gerrard

cole

crouch

[sutty]

Dunno

 

I can't decide whether I reckon Robinson will be back in the side.

 

Or whether he'll have the courage to stick to his guns and play only one of Gerrard or Lampard

[Stevie H]

it's quite likely that he will play beckham and richards on the right isn't it? if i were slaven bilic i'd be expecting that and prepping my left-winger to play into the space created whenever richards goes forward and beckham fails to cover him.

[Stevie H]

Dunno

 

I can't decide whether I reckon Robinson will be back in the side.

 

Or whether he'll have the courage to stick to his guns and play only one of Gerrard or Lampard

robinson will be back in the side and they'll both play in the most unbalanced 4-2-3-1 formation ever seen.

[Gunga Din]

he'll go 5 across the middle and get beat 1 nil while trying to play for a nil nil

[Rimbeux]

I think he'll go 4-5-1 with no pace wide or up front, and we'll probably grab a goal from a set piece to get a 1-1 draw

[sutty]

robinson will be back in the side and they'll both play in the most unbalanced 4-2-3-1 formation ever seen.

 

 

I'd forgotten that there is only really Crouch available to play up front

 

He might actually stumble onto something

 

Carson

Richards Campbell Lescott Cole

Beckham Barry

gerrard Lampard Joe Cole

Crouch

 

Would require some notyetseen discipline from Beckham though

[sutty]

Robinson

Richards

Ferdinand

Lescott

A cole

beckham

barry

lampard

gerrard

cole

crouch

 

 

Ferdinand is suspended, isn't he?

[Stevie H]

I'd forgotten that there is only really Crouch available to play up front

 

He might actually stumble onto something

 

Carson

Richards Campbell Lescott Cole

Beckham Barry

gerrard Lampard Joe Cole

Crouch

 

Would require some notyetseen discipline from Beckham though

 

eriksson once picked beckham in that role in a 4-1-4-1 formation. it was utterly f***ing hilarious.

[Stevie H]

he'll go 5 across the middle and get beat 1 nil while trying to play for a nil nil

ohpleaseohpleaseohplease.

[sutty]

eriksson once picked beckham in that role in a 4-1-4-1 formation. it was utterly f***ing hilarious.

 

 

I know he was rubbish.

 

He has Barry next to him at least in that system. The best thing would be to play that side with Carrick or Hargreaves or somebody like that in it instead

[Bailo]

The best thing would be to play that side with Carrick or Hargreaves or somebody like that in it instead

Which surely he would do in this case, especially as Hargreaves is now fit? or is that giving 123th Choice Steve too much credit?

[Hassony]

Ferdinand is suspended, isn't he?

 

i was talking about Anton

[Hassony]

Will the croatian team get any bonuses from Abramovic if they knock out england?

[Stevie H]

Scott Carson back in the frame after crisis of confidence for Paul Robinson

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle2903800.ece

 

Oliver Kay

 

Paul Robinson’s fragile hold on the England No 1 jersey appeared weaker than ever last night after an apparent lack of confidence in yesterday’s training session spread panic among Steve McClaren and his players. McClaren is giving serious consideration to handing a competitive debut to Scott Carson in tomorrow’s crucial European Championship qualifying match against Croatia at Wembley and, even if Robinson keeps his place, it may prove to be only a stay of execution as first-choice goalkeeper.

 

Although he has kept clean sheets in all but two of England’s 11 qualifying matches, Robinson’s form has failed to inspire confidence and, after an erratic display at London Colney, the Tottenham Hotspur player’s position is under serious threat. McClaren intended to restore the 28-year-old against Croatia after taking a look at Carson in the 1-0 friendly win over Austria in Vienna on Friday, but that is no longer certain as the head coach ponders the merits of the Aston Villa goalkeeper.

 

It is one of several difficult decisions that McClaren was left to sleep on after a lengthy meeting with his coaching staff at the squad’s Hertfordshire hotel last night. He was also wrestling over whether to persist with David Beckham on the right-hand side, with Shaun Wright-Phillips offering far more pace and penetration, and whether to use Gareth Barry or Owen Hargreaves as the holding midfield player in the expected 4-1-4-1 formation.

 

The Beckham conundrum was said to be too close to call, but Barry was last night considered slight favourite to get the nod over Hargreaves, whose fitness is a cause for concern after his recent knee injury.

 

Even if Robinson is preferred, with England needing only a point to secure qualification, his long-term prospects appear increasingly bleak. It was partly by default — David James suffered a brief loss of form when it mattered — that he kept his place for the critical matches in September and October and, while McClaren may be inclined to go with Robinson’s experience against Croatia, the head coach is prepared to look for a new first-choice goalkeeper once the qualifying campaign is over.

 

Carson, 22, is in pole position, having impressed with Villa since joining the club on loan from Liverpool, but McClaren would also consider the merits of Ben Foster once the 24-year-old has returned from a long-term knee injury at Manchester United.

 

Robert Green has been critical of McClaren’s reluctance to consider him after a fine start to the season with West Ham United, but he may come back into contention.

 

A reliable goalkeeper will be required tomorrow, given the inexperience of a back four that is likely to be without Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Ashley Cole. Sol Campbell, at 33, can hardly be accused of lacking experience, but he will be joined in the back line by Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott, who respectively have ten and three caps, and Wayne Bridge, who is again likely to be preferred to Cole at left back because of concerns about his Chelsea colleague’s fitness.

 

In attack, in the absence of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney because of injury, Peter Crouch appears likely to start as a lone striker. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole would offer more attacking impetus in midfield, leaving the vexed issue as to whether Beckham retains his place on the right-hand side ahead of Wright-Phillips, who is fit again.

[Cobs]

Carson

Richards

Campbell

Lescott

Cole

Beckham

Gerrard

Lampard

Barry

Cole

Crouch

 

4-5-1

[Benitez]

lol, they have no confidence in Robinson, even in training.

He really is a chit goalie.

[sutty]

lol, they have no confidence in Robinson, even in training.

He really is a chit goalie.

 

 

he's be good at ice hockey goalkeeping, the fat feck would fill the net

[Stevie H]

lol, they have no confidence in Robinson, even in training.

He really is a chit goalie.

was wondering about that, what can he do in training that's so worrying? dive over the ball repeatedly? turn his back on shots? pull his shirt over his head and hide from the world?

[Benitez]

he's be good at ice hockey goalkeeping, the fat feck would fill the net

 

 

 

he's still find a way to let in plenty of goals.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

he'll go 5 across the middle and get beat 1 nil while trying to play for a nil nil

 

it does seem that he's going for a draw by using Crouch as a lone striker. Crouch is not lone-striker material.

 

A red-card for Beckham on his 99th cap would be nice. Or for Fat Fw***

[Bootle Buck]

Robinson

 

Richards Beckham Gerrard Lampard Campbell Lescott Cole Barry Cole

 

Crouch

 

 

He will play a 10-1 Formation

[Rimbeux]

BBC think Carson and Wright-Phillips have got the nod

[Alonso]

BBC think Carson and Wright-Phillips have got the nod

The's no way Beckham won't start this one so if SWP does start I can see something like:

 

Carson

 

Richards Campbel Lescott Cole

 

SWP Gerrard Beckham Lampard Cole

 

Crouch