Blend and balance
Not the World Cup 2006: a New England
England 4 Greece 0
Hard to get worked up about a friendly, which this was, but seeing as it was the first of the Steve McClaren Era, there was much riding on it. And what a triumph it was for the man who has promised to launch "an England style", with "blend and balance". Without Beckham, Rooney and Owen, for various reasons, McClaren was able to present a New England, in which Defoe actually plays, and in which Downing and Richardson and Bridge can have a crack, and - even more significantly - in which old hands like Lampard and Ferdinand and Cole and even Gerrard to a degree, can find their best form again. It was a minor miracle. John Terry made a solid captain, scoring the first of four goals, and Hargreaves seems to have comfortably settled back into his role of Popular Player. Crouch seemed his usual awkward, comical self, and missed a couple of easy crosses, but redeemed each with two goals, and the lovely Lampard, with his boring autobiography behind him, broke his recent duck. It was pouring with Mancunian rain, the England fans gave it as much welly as if the score had mattered and only one question resounded around Old Trafford, which I'm almost relucant to repeat:
Why the fuck couldn't they have ... etc.
(Oh, and special mention to Jonathan Pearce in the BBC commentary box for his valiant pronunciation of the Greek players' names.)
posted by Andrew Collins @ 7:48 AM
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7 Comments:
Thank goodness Sir Terry Venables is back in the set-up. The guy is a tactical genius and it showed last night in the free flowing play.
On another subject, anyone else amazed that a jumbo jet can be diverted because a woman has an "anxiety attack"? Oh, but she had a pot of cream so she must have been looking to hijack the plane, of course.
And John Reid now says that individual liberty may have to be sacrificed for extra security. Quelle surprise.
Yeah but Venables hardly worked his magic at his last club (MY club), Leeds United, did he? However, he does seem to be doing well with England.
Yeah, well done to Jonathan Pearce, although I'd rather listen to someone with bad pronounciation if they didn't shriek in the way Pierce does. He seemed to have controled it last night but every game he covered on Match Of The Day last season was almost unbearable. The man is excited when a pass is made and feels the need to scream out a players name when they're 40 yards out!
Not wanting to sound over-captious, but I know you're a stickler about these things, Andrew, it's McClaren and not McLaren.
"It was pouring with Mancunian rain". You can say that again, Andrew. I was behind the goal last night, overseeing the new England MOTD titles (watch their debut on the 2nd September!) and when those Manchester heavens open, they don't close!
Great blog, by the way, really enjoying it.
it is hard to worked up over a friendly, considering it means diddly sqaut in the grander scheme of things - I mean Italy lost.
If England can turn in results in tournaments when it matters, I'll sing McClaren's praises.
Well said anonymous! My thoughts exactly.
Friendlies and tournaments are completely different. England did score 4 goals, but how many did they score when Greece put up some kind of game in the second half?
Having said that, I'm pleased McClaren has come in with a fresh view. Starting now with players for the future so that they build up some kind of raport with each other. And at last, someone with the balls to kick out Beckham!! Excellent crosser of the ball, but does he offer anything else?
Thanks for the spelling correction, Stef, you're right, I am a stickler after the truth. I've been back in and corrected it.
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