By Myles Palmer
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GAZZA, Dazza and Macca was innovative.
It shocked me.
I didn’t think you could play those three together.
OK, Bobby Robson had played Barnes, Gazza and Waddle, but Waddle was mostly wide on the right and could hit long balls left-footed so that they curled round the defence into Lineker’s run.
Back in Euro 96, Tel decided to play three dribblers.
Gascoigne could dribble and pass.
My mate Anderton could dribble and pass.
And McManaman could dribble and run.
Playing all three in England’s midfield was radical, alongside Ince and, often, Sheringham.
Tel’s England had five in midfield so they took time to get the ball from one end of the field to the other.
Gary Neville would chug down the right and Shearer would chug down the middle and then Gary would cross it for Alan.
Tel’s England did not have a midfielder who made runs into the box off the ball, like Martin Peters, Bryan Robson, Steve Hodge and David Platt.
SVEN’S TEAM IN LISBON did not have three dribblers.
He had four pass-and-movers.
He had Frank, Becks, Stevie G and Scholesy.
He says they are the best four midfielders in England, so he played them all.
No holding player.
Players make systems. Fair enough.
Use what you have, build on what you have, blend what you have.
Brazil have always had a holding player in the No 5 shirt since Clodoaldo in 1970 and maybe before.
Brazil had four water-carriers in USA 94.
With Mr Perpetual Motion, Bebeto, linking them to Romario.
The French players begged Roger Lemerre to play Makelele AND Vieira in 2002.
Lemerre refused, the world champions lost two games and drew the other 0-0 and Lemerre was sacked.
OF SVEN’S FOUR, only Gerrard can tackle. And he can be rash.
His four are not like Giresse, Platini, Tigana and Fernandez.
And obviously his four are not as skilful as Zico, Falcao, Cerezo and Socrates were in 1982.
In those teams the midfielders made goals for each other.
Zico turned Gentile inside out and played a magical pass for Socrates to amble through and stroke his shot sweetly between Zof and the near post.
Poetry in motion, a tiny puff of smoke-chalk as the ball touched the line as it went in.
We won’t see a goal of that sublime class in Euro 2004, but we have seen some crackers already by Larsson and Van Nistelrooy.
WHAT SHOULD SVEN DO AGAINST SWITZERLAND ?
He might keep Owen and win it 2-0.
But Owen was a passenger against France and he will not improve.
So what to do?
One suggestion,from Philippe Auclair, is to drop Owen and go with a 4-2-3-1.
If Sven did that he would be building round his best player, Rooney, just as Voller tonight built round Ballack, his best player, and Advocaat built round Van Nistelrooy, his best player.
Upfront he could play Rooney, who wants to be involved in every England attack.
He could have Scholes left, Lampard central and Beckham wide right.
With Hargreaves and Gerrard anchoring.
Or he could have Vassell on the left of the three.
So Sven would still have his two quarterbacks, Beckham and Gerrard, able to hit long balls.
Ashley Cole could be released more often down the flank, like Cafu and Carlos are.
Ashley’s fire and athleticism are not used in the right way by Engerland.
And when we play France again in the final, use Ledley King in the Hargreaves role.
THERE IS A HELLUVA lot at stake on Thursday at 5pm.
And I don’t mean Sven’s job.
Obviously, if we lose to Switzerland, Sven must be sacked.
He hasn’t done much wrong this week and I’m sure England will beat Switzerland comfortably.
But if we lose this game the whole Sky Sports-News International-FA-England edifice will be revealed as a total sham, an ingenious and relentless hype, a live-action soap opera staffed by overpaid con-men.
I DON’T THINK THAT WILL HAPPEN.
But, as I say, there is lot at stake.
More than was at stake today when I backed Latvia to lose by one goal, Czech Repub to win, and Germany to draw or win on the Asian Line Handicap.
Three wins out of four bets ain’t bad, but mine were not billion pound bets.
THERE IS A LOT RIDING ON THIS SPIN OF THE ROULETTE WHEEL.
I don’t like to ponder the unthinkable.
Others could suffer angst, not me.
I would hate to see millions of Brits suffer a convulsion of rage and self-loathing.
Football is not life and death, it’s an entertainment.
But I’m not worried about Sven or Tattoo-neck.
I’m worried about my psyche.
I think I’m losing the ability to be disappointed.
June 15th 2004