Michael Carrick was overlooked on Tuesday night leaving some wondering if his below-par performance by his standards against Belarus cost him dear. If that is the case, it's extraordinary that Sven Goran Eriksson can not see beyond the holding midfield label that hangs on Carrick's head, because his game is much more than that. You want a creative playmaker in the centre of midfield if you have Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney in your side, not a central defender filling the role.
That is only likely to work with four flat across the midfield and the holding player operating as a sweeper, and might be useful later in the tournament. Until then England must play with a much more confident approach otherwise we will see repeats of the first half against Hungary, when not one of them knew what was going on.
Matt Dickinson in The Times wrote, 'With Theo Walcott so raw, the only orthodox forward to play alongside Michael Owen is Peter Crouch. If Eriksson wants to start with Michael Owen as the single prong to his attack, he must work out urgently a way of ensuring that he doesn't become isolated when England are under pressure. The Newcastle United striker is not built to be a lone forward and he cannot be expected to fend off defenders until the cavalry arrives. Eriksson will call it having options but the rest of the country craves more certainty. It is not the head coach's fault that he has to be casting around for replacements for Rooney but one more match against Jamaica gives him precious little time. Given Eriksson's declaration yesterday that the starting line-up (against Hungary) is the one he has in mind to face Paraguay on June 10, Steven Gerrard can be optimistic that, finally, he has been given the licence to rampage. It is an exciting prospect. However, he must also work hard to ensure that Gerrard is not continually taking the ball with his back to goal. He needs to play as an attacking midfield player rather than a makeshift striker.'
This is why Carrick in a four man midfield with Crouch and Owen up front would be the way to go certainly in the group stages. But of course that would require Eriksson to leave out Joe Cole. Is he really too good to have on the bench with Aaron Lennon at the start of the tournament?
‘Joe Cole is a very good player. He has the skills of a Brazilian but he needs to learn when to show the skills and when to play the simple game. The tricks are fine at 3-0 or 4-0 but not at 0-0 or 1-1. Ronaldinho knows when to do the tricks and when to keep it simple. That is why he is so good,' says Pele.
Tony Cascarino also sees it that way. ‘There's been a clamour for Steven Gerrard to be given a more attacking role, but putting Jamie Carragher at the base of midfield instead of Michael Carrick would limit the advantages gained from Gerrard's advanced position. While Carrick can provide the accurate long passes that Gerrard would need, Carragher will just look to play the ball short and safe. Playing him tells me that the England head coach is more interested in providing cover that will allow the full backs to bomb up the wings without being exposed than in helping Gerrard maximise his attacking ability. If so, Frank Lampard won't see much of the ball. Take the game to the opposition from the start, then adapt if you need to. If you believe you can win the World Cup, act like it. Play no-fear football. Go to create, not protect. It's impossible to see how England will hurt a decent side from open play if they pick the same starting XI as they did against Hungary. Michael Owen cannot play as a lone striker — it just doesn't work. Owen needs a foil, someone to create chances for him, someone who will distract the defence before he finishes the move off.'
Incredibly, England's chances could hinge on the performances of Liverpool's Peter Crouch. He told the official website: "I've definitely developed my game. I'm a lot more aggressive and whole hearted in my approach."
He added: "I felt great from the moment I came on the other night. I wanted as much of the ball as I could and was loving every minute. And to score a goal like that just capped it all off for me."
Eriksson said: "Peter scored a great goal. More or less every time he's played for England he's done a good job." (The Sun)
Taking Gerrard off to bring on Crouch against Hungary was a conservative move by Eriksson, showing his true self, whereas a bolder move would have been to keep Gerrard on and take off a full-back. This might also help to explain his thinking in choosing fewer strikers for the World Cup than most people ever imagined.