Forget last night 3676

Beckham is still a decent player but I have to wonder why so many, who should know better, were impressed by long balls to the wings when playing against a mobile packed defence? Looks great and shows skill and accuracy, but hardly a killing play. The pbutt commits nobody, simply makes it obvious where the threat is coming from.

There is not much wrong with these players but the manager should have been dumped way back. Anyone who can play that idiot Rooney (some player though) wide left is a fool. It's like playing Terry in goal.

Few teams in the WC will have a better choice of talent, but we always have a problem of blend and playing as a team. The manager still has no idea what his best side or system is. He wastes the few friendlies we have by giving too many players 20 mins to prove bugger all instead of giving most of his first team 90 to play together. Suddenly we play with one up front and choose to do it in games that matter.

When Ramsey won the WC with his wingless wonders he had a clear idea of system and style and it was this that got them through. They were far from being the most individualy talented side in the comp but they were a team. He picked them to do the job he wanted and probably left out players many fans would argue were more deserving. He did not hand out places just because players deserved it on form. He picked the best collection to do the job as he saw it. Sven will never do this because he has no clue of how we should be playing or what his best line up is. You have to know the first before you pick the second.

I think you are right. J,Cole, Rooney, Gerard, Owen, SWT and Lampard have enough pace and skill to give any side in the world problems. If only we had a manager who knew how to use them.

LC