Pennant & Bentley...

[patrick42uk]

tonight bentley will probably wish he was born spanish. i said earlier england were playing with arsenal's system with a half striker, but that was very much in principle. the tactics was hitting long to cole. there was little or no passing along the deck especially to bentley which is what his required to get the best out of him and that position. i was amazed by that especially when the contrast was made with the poles who played some slick one touch passes, and england are supposedly the bigger footballing nation. the u-21s are very much like the senior squad, they have the players but the football is very primitive. pennant thrived in some spells in a system where crossing features heavily. his future at arsenal depends on drastically adjusting his game to a more passing based one and i havent seen anything to suggest he will make that adjustment. time will tell. bentley has a future at arsenal. through the medicority of the football england played, he still showed neat touches and it was his clever ball into cole that created the goal. i'm particularly impressed by his dribbling at a slow pace testament to his high level of technique. i feel that could make up for his slight lack of pace. he made some intelligent passes too which cole couldnt begin to make the most of. he only understands the long ball.

 

[Serip]

Yeah shame about Bentley being letdown by the tactics of the team, if Taylor isn't going to use him correctly why put him on the pitch at all. Good assist though.

Pennant had a very good game especially in the second half. I liked the way he won the penalty: a good run in the box, lost his balance but didn't claim for the penalty and looked very surprised when it was awarded. I know it's just a small thing but I like that plus he worked harder than anyone on the pitch. Still not good enough to displace Freddie but he's going about the right way to make it happen.

Hoyte came on when Poland had given up so no comment there.

 

[Adam]

tonight bentley will probably wish he was born spanish. i said earlier england were playing with arsenal's system with a half striker, but that was very much in principle. the tactics was hitting long to cole. there was little or no passing along the deck especially to bentley which is what his required to get the best out of him and that position. i was amazed by that especially when the contrast was made with the poles who played some slick one touch passes, and england are supposedly the bigger footballing nation. the u-21s are very much like the senior squad, they have the players but the football is very primitive. pennant thrived in some spells in a system where crossing features heavily. his future at arsenal depends on drastically adjusting his game to a more passing based one and i havent seen anything to suggest he will make that adjustment. time will tell. bentley has a future at arsenal. through the medicority of the football england played, he still showed neat touches and it was his clever ball into cole that created the goal. i'm particularly impressed by his dribbling at a slow pace testament to his high level of technique. i feel that could make up for his slight lack of pace. he made some intelligent passes too which cole couldnt begin to make the most of. he only understands the long ball.

Thanks for this analysis.

It confirmed my fears about Bentley tonight. What you say about Pennant is also accurate. I want to see that intellligence - not just the pacey work horse.

 

[Canuck]

That's too bad to hear that Bentley didn't get a fair shake in this match. I think the kid's def. got potential and should fit nicely into Arsenal's style of play next year. In terms of Pennant thriving on the crosses, he's still playing like he's at Leeds. The good thing about that is if there is a team (especially in the Champs League) who are exceptionally good at breaking up the passing game (Juve for instance), then we can take players like Pennant who do well with the wing work and crosses as opposed to the approach work on the ground. Wenger's system is good, but it can't beat every team in Europe, and it's always a sound idea to have a plan B. :mrgreen:

 

[kanuuu]

Pennant was sulking through the majority of the match he was getting really frustrated with the crap football they were playing.

 

[phenn]

Any attacking player from Arsenal would get flustered with the style they were playing in that game. From a Mercedes to a bicycle...

 

[Mark]

Any attacking player from Arsenal would get flustered with the style they were playing in that game. From a Mercedes to a bicycle...

Nicely put.

 

[jeromelee]

Damnit England's always playing this old style football. When are they ever going to wise up and realize all this long balls into the box ain't gonna cut it no more in this new age of football.

And it isn't that England lacks any players with flair for dribbling or for running with the ball. Same crap with the seniors as well. When you've got players like joe cole, smith, owen, lampard, gerrard, rooney, becky, scholes etc who can run with the ball, why do they insist on playing the deep crosses or the long balls?

Why doesn't Sven wake up and realize football has evolved to a faster pace of quick one twos, short passes and through balls. Speed is now of essence. So what if you have Heskey that can hold up the ball? So what if becky can put in a decent cross every now and then from the wings. It's about time the English change their game style. This old school **** just don't fly no more.

 

[Sigun]

did anyone else get annoyed with those stupid horns throughout the match?

 

[kronik]

Same crap with the seniors as well. When you've got players like joe cole, smith, owen, lampard, gerrard, rooney, becky, scholes etc who can run with the ball, why do they insist on playing the deep crosses or the long balls?

.

Did you just say Beckham can run with the ball?

 

[AFCG7]

no he said becky ;D

 

[dafish]

smith lampard beckham can't run with the ball no more than i can run with an egg balanced at the top of my head! especially beckham. the guys useless except for running like a headless chicken and giving a good kick or 2 now and then.

becky might though

but don't u think sven knows that england has to change? but with the current crop of players not many are technically gifted as the spanish, portugese or the italians.

the best dribbler of the ball is probably joe cole, dyer and rooney as far as i'm concerned, but we need a rui costa, deco, henry, zidane or bergkamp in the england squad if ur gonna be focusing on playing the short fast passing game and we don't have that. joe cole is showing the shades of a zidane but he's not getting the oppurtunities to develope in chelsea in their over-bloated squad.

talk is easy. come back when u find a real english technical based playmaker

 

[Loylz]

Defoe, Ryan Smith in a few years, Bently, Vassel. Quite a few can dribble.

 

[jeromelee]

Haven't really seen Ryan SMith play so can't comment there.

Maybe I didn't say it right. I don't mean just dribbling the ball like Vassell or Dyer but with the vision to create moves from midfield as well. Like someone mentioned Zidane. Well, no one can replace Zidane, but an English version of Zidane. Maybe Sven should look into letting more youngsters into the squad. I'm sure with more exposure players like Cole, Parker, Lampard etc would be able to help the team tremendously.

Ahh who am I kidding, England would never be able to play attractive football. Maybe they should look into hiring a brazilian coach or something.

 

[Loylz]

That's an idea, but another would be to play to their strengths, which IMO is not defending.

 

[jeromelee]

That's an idea, but another would be to play to their strengths, which IMO is not defending.

But England's best players are their defensive players.

 

[Loylz]

But they have plaenty of good attacking options that they don't take full advantage of.