Croatia 2 England 0
The England Players Rated And Slated...
Posted 11/10/06 21:03EmailPrintSave
F365 reviews the Three Lions' participants in Zagreb...
Paul Robinson
The correct judgement of a goalkeeper is not based on the number of saves he makes but the amount of mistakes he commits. While Robinson produced a series of fine saves in the opening hour, and that airkick was an unfortunate fluke, the Tottenham keeper was caught in no man's land for the Croats' opener. Even then, a top-quality keeper may have been able to redeem the situation, but Robinson's footwork is notoriously leaden.
He remains a second-rate goalkeeper for what is, at present, a second-rate team.
Rating (out of ten): Five.
Jamie Carragher
The junior member of the three-pronged defence, as demonstrated by his deployment on the left of John Terry. Typically, Carragher's commitment was total, but he was nonetheless palpably uncomfortable and regularly exposed by tactically superior opponents.
That superiority was also evident in the damning invitation for Carragher to advance forward in possession before, with frustrating inevitability, he had to turn inside onto his stronger right foot and telegraph a harmless pass.
Sad to say, the best moment of Carragher's night was his substitution.
Rating : Four.
Rio Ferdinand
If the inspiration for the 3-5-2 formation was a desire to improve England's distribution from deep then the experiment failed at stage one because, while the Croats happily permitted the limited Carragher to progress, they put up effective buffers to deny Ferdinand any meaningful forays.
The ManYoo defender endured an equally unhappy night on the backfoot as England's new-look defence struggled to adapt to the Croats' intelligent mobility.
Rating: Four.
John Terry
Carelessness in possession typified an undistinguished evening for the England skipper. Far from inspirational, Terry was beaten in the air by Eduardo da Silva when Croatia took the lead and appeared as uncomfortable as the rest of his team-mates in the new system.
Rating: Four.
Gary Neville
The less said about Neville's first ever international goal the better.
Few, perhaps not even the player himself, would argue that the Neviller prospered as a right wing-back. It was certainly noticeable that England attacked infrequently on the right compared to the left. All in all, an utterly dismal evening.
Rating: Five.
Michael Carrick
Inconsequential, lightweight, and negligent in tracking Kranjcar when Robinson was summed to make a fine sprawling save in the first half.
Carrick's penchant for five-yard passes sixty yards from the opposition's goal would be a useful function if he was supplying creative players. Instead, he spent much of the evening supplying Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher. No wonder England failed to muster a shot on target until the 91st minute.
Utterly anonymous in the second-half, Carrick retains the dubious distinction of being the first 'holding midfield player' in football history to possess the role whilst being apparently unwilling to make a tackle.
Rating: Four.
Scott Parker
Once Parker's unstinting industry has been acknowledged it becomes difficult to speak favourably of the Toon skipper's evening in Zagreb. Possibly dragged down by the midfield mediocrity around him, Parker scurried around to little effect and will struggle to remember his international debut with any fondness.
Rating: Four.
Frank Lampard
The best that can be said of Lampard is that he was no worse than the players in white around him. The worst is that his shooting was reminiscent of the World Cup and that he comprehensively failed to shine in a team and formation that was essentially built around him.
He keeps promising a riposte to his critics but instead just serves up new ammunition.
Rating: Four.
Ashley Cole
Saw plenty of the ball before the interval but, with a nasty case Downingitis, failed to produce a telling contribution. Having disappeared in the second-half, he finished the match lame and with a booking for a rash tackle that renders the Chelski player ineligible for England's trip to Israel.
Rating: Three.
Wayne Rooney
When you're out of form, everything goes against you. And thus an erroneous offside call prevented Rooney, with a sublime first touch that served as a salient reminder that class is permanent and form only temporary, transforming the evening by winning England a penalty shortly after half-time. Fifteen minutes later, the match was Croatia's.
Arguably the least worst of a rotten bunch, Rooney may not have suggested an end to his slump but he was the only England player to offer the semblance of an offensive threat.
Rating: Five.
Peter Crouch
Combined spasmodically with Rooney and was regularly viewed unfavourably by a whistle-happy referee. Crouch's struggles with international football officialdom are becoming so habitual that his supposed aerial menace is being rendered completely redundant.
The sight of the England striker being replaced despite the Three Lions' desperate need for a response in the final twenty minutes testified to his ineffectiveness.
Rating: Three.
Substitutes
Defoe, Richardson, Wright-Phillips: Game was up by the time of their 72nd minute introduction.
Pete Gill
Posted 11/10/06 21:03EmailPrintSave
F365 reviews the Three Lions' participants in Zagreb...
Paul Robinson
The correct judgement of a goalkeeper is not based on the number of saves he makes but the amount of mistakes he commits. While Robinson produced a series of fine saves in the opening hour, and that airkick was an unfortunate fluke, the Tottenham keeper was caught in no man's land for the Croats' opener. Even then, a top-quality keeper may have been able to redeem the situation, but Robinson's footwork is notoriously leaden.
He remains a second-rate goalkeeper for what is, at present, a second-rate team.
Rating (out of ten): Five.
Jamie Carragher
The junior member of the three-pronged defence, as demonstrated by his deployment on the left of John Terry. Typically, Carragher's commitment was total, but he was nonetheless palpably uncomfortable and regularly exposed by tactically superior opponents.
That superiority was also evident in the damning invitation for Carragher to advance forward in possession before, with frustrating inevitability, he had to turn inside onto his stronger right foot and telegraph a harmless pass.
Sad to say, the best moment of Carragher's night was his substitution.
Rating : Four.
Rio Ferdinand
If the inspiration for the 3-5-2 formation was a desire to improve England's distribution from deep then the experiment failed at stage one because, while the Croats happily permitted the limited Carragher to progress, they put up effective buffers to deny Ferdinand any meaningful forays.
The ManYoo defender endured an equally unhappy night on the backfoot as England's new-look defence struggled to adapt to the Croats' intelligent mobility.
Rating: Four.
John Terry
Carelessness in possession typified an undistinguished evening for the England skipper. Far from inspirational, Terry was beaten in the air by Eduardo da Silva when Croatia took the lead and appeared as uncomfortable as the rest of his team-mates in the new system.
Rating: Four.
Gary Neville
The less said about Neville's first ever international goal the better.
Few, perhaps not even the player himself, would argue that the Neviller prospered as a right wing-back. It was certainly noticeable that England attacked infrequently on the right compared to the left. All in all, an utterly dismal evening.
Rating: Five.
Michael Carrick
Inconsequential, lightweight, and negligent in tracking Kranjcar when Robinson was summed to make a fine sprawling save in the first half.
Carrick's penchant for five-yard passes sixty yards from the opposition's goal would be a useful function if he was supplying creative players. Instead, he spent much of the evening supplying Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher. No wonder England failed to muster a shot on target until the 91st minute.
Utterly anonymous in the second-half, Carrick retains the dubious distinction of being the first 'holding midfield player' in football history to possess the role whilst being apparently unwilling to make a tackle.
Rating: Four.
Scott Parker
Once Parker's unstinting industry has been acknowledged it becomes difficult to speak favourably of the Toon skipper's evening in Zagreb. Possibly dragged down by the midfield mediocrity around him, Parker scurried around to little effect and will struggle to remember his international debut with any fondness.
Rating: Four.
Frank Lampard
The best that can be said of Lampard is that he was no worse than the players in white around him. The worst is that his shooting was reminiscent of the World Cup and that he comprehensively failed to shine in a team and formation that was essentially built around him.
He keeps promising a riposte to his critics but instead just serves up new ammunition.
Rating: Four.
Ashley Cole
Saw plenty of the ball before the interval but, with a nasty case Downingitis, failed to produce a telling contribution. Having disappeared in the second-half, he finished the match lame and with a booking for a rash tackle that renders the Chelski player ineligible for England's trip to Israel.
Rating: Three.
Wayne Rooney
When you're out of form, everything goes against you. And thus an erroneous offside call prevented Rooney, with a sublime first touch that served as a salient reminder that class is permanent and form only temporary, transforming the evening by winning England a penalty shortly after half-time. Fifteen minutes later, the match was Croatia's.
Arguably the least worst of a rotten bunch, Rooney may not have suggested an end to his slump but he was the only England player to offer the semblance of an offensive threat.
Rating: Five.
Peter Crouch
Combined spasmodically with Rooney and was regularly viewed unfavourably by a whistle-happy referee. Crouch's struggles with international football officialdom are becoming so habitual that his supposed aerial menace is being rendered completely redundant.
The sight of the England striker being replaced despite the Three Lions' desperate need for a response in the final twenty minutes testified to his ineffectiveness.
Rating: Three.
Substitutes
Defoe, Richardson, Wright-Phillips: Game was up by the time of their 72nd minute introduction.
Pete Gill
posted by jake.com | 3:04 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home