than good?
Because McClown is certainly the former, lucky to get the job and lucky to hang on to it.
Another inept performance at home against a pub side, in Estonia, on Saturday saw them somehow come away with three goals and three points yet again.
Three lucky goals, between Poom’s legs, deflection and an own goal by a player that was obviously trying to make New Wembley folklore with a Tommy Hutchison type effort.
It was the usual suspects doing their usual worst, that should have shown McClown certain things don’t work – Owen and Rooney up front together, I don’t know about Rooney, he got rave revues and eight out of tens but he was annonymous for so much of the game after the first fifteen minutes until he got frustrated and started a Beckham style headless chicken hunt for the ball. He needs to be involved with the play and is he really a striker? Personally I see him as a Paul Scholes type player and maybe that should be the position and role for him in a 4-4-2, central to play, scoring and setting up a front two of Owen and a big feller. Also removes the Gerrard or Lampard debate.
And that 4-3-3 he tried when Lumpalard replaced Owen, but of course the media have talked him into that latter formation for the Russia game. Hasn’t he learned anything from his predecessor? Rooney wide left oh yeah that works, works to get him riled up, frustrated, booked and maybe sent off. And what exactly does Lampard offer to stiffen up the midfield, yeah it means Russians will have more to run around but that’s it.
The booing of the Chelsea player has been widely criticised after Saturday, mainly by those prawn eaters who get in for free, indeed are all expenses paid. Lampard should be booed, it’s the only way fans can show there displeasure at things, such things as being useless in the last World Cup, then when faced with the criticism didn’t hold his hand up and say “Yup I had a bad one, I deserve this at this time but I’ll work at getting back in their good books” he turned round and started spouting about how he deserved respect – I’m surprised he didn’t leave off the t 🙄 .
The thing is Lampard shouldn’t be the only one singled out, Gerrard was useless at the WC, unlike Lampard he was useless before the tournament and he’s been useless after it. Again on Saturday against a piss poor pub team did Gerrard dominate, did he run the game, did he boss the park? Did he buggery, found wanting yet again in an England shirt. For years we’ve wanted the Gerrard of Liverpool to turn up for his country, now we are getting it cause he’s been this crap for his club of late. But Stevie G has friends in the media, print and especially TV, so no reports of how bad he was in the post match analysis, all too busy falling at their knees to kiss his ring and no not the one on any finger.
He brings to mind another player from ‘Pool who has had his say about the booers, John Barnes who doesn’t like Lampard’s treatment. Of course Barnes was also booed, mainly cause he used to be outstanding for his club and then turn out England, be useless for 65 minutes before hobbling off with an injury that would miraculously have cleared up for his next great club game. Though they like to use other excuses for the fans reaction to this.
Ashley Cole is no great loss, though that could depend on who he is replaced with, you just know it’s going to be the unacceptable face of English football – Phil Neville – the talking up of this dire player since Saturday is amazing. Surplus to requirements at ManUre cause they have Fletcher he wouldn’t get near an England cap if he hadn’t been at Old Trafford.
The back lot looked shaky from the off, Campbell slow and fat, Cole usual inept defending and going forward and the replacement for Ferdinand in Lescott who I thought before the game should have started had a shocker, indecisive, ponderous unable to find a white shirt but of course they blamed Robinson for Cole’s injury.
But the main problem with Saturday’s performance was on the left wing, I can’t believe the crap I’ve read about Joe Cole since the game, high marks out of ten, talk of being the new Zidane all totally ridiculous on that performance.
He had the freedom of the left side and every time he received the ball instead of running into all the space there was on that left side, making to the byline and putting in an unopposed cross he stopped, stood there waiting for the Estonia defender to get close so he could do some fancy Dan showboating, lose any momentum of the attack and ultimately lose the ball. So useless I was willing for an Estonia to crunch him with a knee high challenge, get Ashley Young have him do what he does for Villa, run fast down wing, cross ball.
Unfortunately Joe Cole is that thick he will believe his own hype and we can look forward to seeing more of this from him in future as the fanboys in the media are enthralled and therefore so will McClown.
Will McClown be lucky against Russia, on the plastic on Wednesday, certainly won’t be good but will he out think himself with formations.