Eriksson tries out new formation

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="629" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><div class="mxb"><div class="sh"><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ff0000"></font></div><div class="sh"><font color="#ff0000">Oh dear...</font></div><div class="sh"></div><div class="sh">Eriksson tries out new formation </div></div></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="416"><font size="2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="208" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td width="5"></td><td class="sibtbgf"><div class="sihf">WALES v ENGLAND </div><div class="o"> </div><div class="mva"><div class="bull">Kick-off: 1500 BST, Saturday 3rd September</div><div class="bull">Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff</div><div class="bull">Live coverage on BBC Radio Five Live and this website</div></div><div class="miiib"><div class="arry">Pre-match quotes </div><div class="arry">Wales team news </div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Steven Gerrard's return to training has allowed England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson to practise his planned new formation with his first-choice team.

Eriksson is set to employ a 4-5-1 system for the World Cup qualifier against Wales on Saturday. </p>

David Beckham is expected to be in a deep-lying midfield role behind Frank Lampard and Gerrard. </p>

Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips may play wide with Wayne Rooney on his own up front as Michael Owen is suspended. </p>

Jermain Defoe had been expected to take Owen's place in the starting line-up. </p>

But it is understood that the new plan was discussed at a meeting between Eriksson and senior players on Tuesday before using it in training on wednesday without Gerrard. </p>

The Swede was roundly criticised for England's lack of shape in their 4-1 friendly defeat in Denmark in August and has moved to improve the balance of the side. </p>

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="208" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td width="5"></td><td class="sibtbgq"><div class="miiib"><div><div class="mva"> Would Sven play 4-5-1 if Michael Owen was available? <br clear="all" /></div><div class="mva">From M</div></div><div class="arry">Have your say on 606 </div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

Beckham had missed training on Tuesday but was involved a day later as he continued his recovery from a foot injury while Gerrard's calf injury kept him out of action. </p>

But a knee injury to Chelsea defender John Terry is set to put him out for four to six weeks. </p>

Fulham's Zat Knight has been called up as cover for Terry, but the Chelsea man's place is most likely to be taken by Liverpool's Jamie Carragher or Birmingham's Matthew Upson. </p>

Jermaine Jenas, who has completed a £7m move to Tottenham from Newcastle, was training with the England squad, but Owen was in the north-east to seal his transfer to St James' Park. </p>

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Great. Must do wonders for Defoes confidence. I reckon this is player power gone mad. Of course, had Owen been playing it would have been 442.

He needs to leave - soon.

 

4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

I wouldnt want Joe Cole in the team either.

 

RE: 4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

if players are now making the decision on formation, or putting pressure on the manager to change things then it's time he went.

No doubt that he's been good for English football but his time may be coming to an end.

 

RE: 4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

nothing against that formation in principle as it might give us more width. The strange thing is that to my knowledge SGE has never played this formation before. He's had countless friendlies to give this a go yet he waits until an important qualifier.

 

RE: 4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

I would be interested to hear about all the good he has done for English football.
IMHO he was never the right choice for England Manager. His success (such as it was) was gained in the Italian leagues, where if a team scores one goal, the sole purpose thereafter, is to defend their lead. English teams have never been any good at doing that, either before he came to us or since he did.

 

Got Rid of most of Venebles mates from the team.

Started off by picking players on form an not reputation , however familiarity has now led him down this road as well.

 

RE: 4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

According to what was broadcast on the BBC today, it wasn't his idea! Players committee, namely Beckham, Lampard and Gerrard, put this system forward to him and they employed it during training. There is no guarantee that it will be used on Saturday.

 

RE: 4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

Well player power worked in Italia 90 when Mark Wright went to sweeper.

 

RE: Got Rid of most of Venebles mates from the team.

Again, IMHO, Venables was and probably still is, a far better coach than Ericsson will ever be.

 

RE: 4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

Maybe it will this time as well!
If it works, no doubt he will be praised for having the courage to change things.
If it doesn't, he will no doubt point to the players and say "I told them it wouldn't work but they wouldn't listen!"

 

RE: 4-5-1 sounds OK to me , would prefer Rooney as one of the players behind the front

I hope it works but tactically Erikson is light years behind many other managers. The performances against Brazil, France and Portugal once we went ahead were shockingly negative.