He may have stumbled upon it more through luck than tactical judgement but Steve McClaren has discovered that the formula for a successful team may not simply be playing your supposed best 11 players.
Gareth Barry was again at the backbone of a more than competent England display in which Estonia were brushed aside 3-0 with expected ease. The Aston Villa captain showed discipline and assured passing throughout in a man-of-the-match display alongside Steven Gerrard to leave the English press purring.
Anthony Clavane wrote in the Sunday Mirror: “Once again Barry was my man of the match, as he was against Israel and Russia. His great vision and simple approach will have delighted McClaren.”
Jamie Jackson wrote in the Observer: “Just the fact that Barry is content to play deeper than Liverpool’s captain seems to give England the balance and shape they lack when it is (Frank) Lampard partnering him.”
Barry’s selection came about due to injuries to Lampard and Manchester United pair Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick and it was originally expected that when any of the injured trio returned to fitness they would regain their place at the expense of the Villa midfielder. Not any more.
Barry’s third consecutive game coincided with a third consecutive 3-0 victory for England and Lampard’s introduction on Saturday as a second-half substitute was welcomed with a chorus of boos from a section of the home support who clearly feel Barry should keep his place regardless of Lampard’s health.
McClaren’s predecessor Sven-Goran Eriksson persisted with a midfield pairing of Lampard and Gerrard when fans groaned that they couldn’t play successfully together and some fear the current England coach may employ the same tactic.
Roy Collins wrote in the Telegraph: “So if he (Barry) is dropped in favour of Lampard, it will suggest that McClaren is continuing the policy of predecessor Sven-Goran Eriksson by pandering to the biggest names and that his claims to favour the team ethic are simply empty words.”
McClaren’s team selection against Russia on Wednesday could help define his legacy as England coach. He was commended for preserving Barry’s place for Saturday’s match, but that was at home to a side ranked 127 in the world. Russia, in Moscow, is a much sterner test and he may be inclined to go back to Lampard. Would that be right?
Patrick Johnston, London
PHOTO: England’s Gareth Barry (L) fights for the ball with Estonia’s Ragnar Klavan during their Euro 2008 Group E qualifying soccer match at Wembley Stadium in London October 13, 2007. REUTERS/Darren Staples.
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8 comments so far
i think the guy holding the shirt who deserves to be holding the shirt
stays untill otherwise.
lets not lose sight that the last 4-5 games have been against low rate opposition.
so it ultimately there is a decision to consider for future bigger matches.
Mike
- Posted by mike sextonInstead of worrying about whether to drop Barry, has anyone thought to look at Gerrards shocker of a display on Saturday?
I wouldn’t be suprised to see McClaren to go with a 4-3-3 in Russia anyway so that would delay any selection issues, Gerrard, Lampard and Barry in the middle with SWP and Cole supporting Owen or Rooney up top.
I do think it is a disgrace that England fans continue to boo Lampard when he comes on, he may have been off form of late but you cant fault him for effort.
All that said, if we are to stick with 4-4-2 I would have to keep Barry and leave out Frank as we dont need the win but cant afford to lose, and this isnt the game to put the Lampard/Gerrard, defence/attack combo to the test.
- Posted by AndyBarry has proved he deserves to be in. It’d be ashame to go back to the “best team on paper” as many MLB teams do here in the USA.
Barry has earned the right to start on Wednesday.
- Posted by PaulI’ve already said it in previous posts, England has talent. Its just whether McClaren wants to remove the blinkers he’s wearing.
- Posted by Five Times[...] Patrick Johnston wrote a fantastic post today on “Should Lampard return for England?”Here’s ONLY a quick extractPHOTO: England’s Gareth Barry (L) fights for the ball with Estonia’s Ragnar Klavan during their Euro 2008 Group E qualifying soccer match at Wembley Stadium in London October 13, 2007. REUTERS/Darren Staples. [...]
- Posted by www.soccersecrets.info » Should Lampard return for England?How Lampard became so unpopular is a bit of a mystery. Wasn’t he England’s Player of the Year a couple of times recently? Dropping him down to the bench may well have been the right decision, but the booing? Seems bizarre, doesn’t it?
- Posted by Kevin FylanMike Collett has now written about the booing here on the blog: http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/2007/10/ 16/lets-be-frank-about-england-booing/
- Posted by Kevin Fylan[...] RuizenaarTom SpavenTony JimenezTrevor HugginsWilliam SchombergZoran Milosavljevic « Should Lampard return for England? Big Sam proves a tough act to follow [...]
- Posted by Let’s be Frank about England booing - Reuters Soccer Blog