Brazil 2014: Roy Hodgson And His Midfield Jigsaw

TheHardTackle makes an assessment of the England midfield and looks at the possible combinations which might be used in the friendlies and the world cup.

Everyone in England like to be put their thinking hats on and name their starting eleven for the world cup. With the lackluster 1-0 win against Denmark, where Danish coach Morten Olsen mocked England`s chances, telling they needed all the luck in Brazil, it is imperative for Roy Hodgson needs to get his midfield jigsaw sorted in the friendlies to come, leading to the world cup.

England’s midfield under Sven-GAi??ran Eriksson

England probably played their best football in this millennium under Sven-GAi??ran Eriksson. The Swede had the ai???golden generationai??i?? at his disposal and there were many memorable moments starting with the 5-1 win against Germany at Munich and also the 1-0 win against Argentina in the 2002 World Cup. The heart-ache continued with England failing in the quarter finals in the 2002 world cup and the following world cup in 2006. Despite the memorable wins in his tenure, Eriksson never got his midfield sorted out. There was always the Gerrard-Lampard conundrum and his poor tactics of playing Paul Scholes out of position hampered England`s performance almost all the time.

Ai??Roy Hodgson and his midfield

English supporters would have expected another foreign coach to end their trophy drought after Capello`s exit, but the FA went for the ai???tried and testedai??i?? in Roy Hodgson.Ai?? Truth be told, the England manager, despite the experience of all his managerial years in England and Scandinavia, has found it very hard to conjure up a perfect squad, let alone select a starting eleven for England, despite the wealth of talent at his disposal.

Roy Hodgson has always been the type of manager who has favored the conventional approach. After he took over from Capello, Hodgson has more often than not, started with the 4-4-2 formation, relying on width from his wingers to unlock the opposition defence.Ai?? But what has followed is some lackluster performances with no real understanding among the players in midfield. The games in the Euro 2012 bore testimony to this fact where England played boring football with no real quality whatsoever (except for the set piece delivery by Gerrard which resulted in two headed goals).

The game against Italy was poor, to say the least, in terms of tactics and formations. Hodgson went in with the usual 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 with Rooney playing just off Welbeck. They were supported by Milner and Young in the wings with Gerrard and Parker in midfield. England ended up chasing shadows all night against a superior Italian midfield masterminded by Pirlo, Marchisio , Montolivo and De Rossi.

Ai??Liverpool blue-print: A failed experiment against Denmark

Liverpool have been playing some exhilarating football with the 4-3-3 formation in recent times with Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge upfront. Roy Hodgson selected a team similar to Liverpool but it was devoid of Brendan Rodgers` philosophy. There was no constant pressing by the English players and they took their own time in launching counter attacks. Rooney

focuscalcio.it — Roy Hodgson must get his tactics right after the failed experiment against Denmark

was left frustrated all night with the sideways passing by the midfield and simply couldnai??i??t influence the game. With Gerrard and Wilshere sitting deep and Henderson being the only runner in midfield, it was left to the wide players in Sterling and Sturridge to create opportunities in the attacking front. Ai??England were missing the playmaker to help the front three (like Coutinho at Liverpool) and the front three were frustrated all night. The Liverpool duo played their part with pace and trickery on the flanks but they were too deep at times. Sturridge is a player who likes to play centrally and on the shoulder of the last defender, and he simply didnai??i??t fancy his role of playing on the flanks and covering for the full back when he bombs forward.

Bottom line, England will find it tough to play the counter-attacking formation of Liverpool with Wayne Rooney in the side.

3-4-1-2 : The best bet for England?

Wayne Rooney is central to England`s plans and is the second name on the team sheet after Gerrard. Therefore, it is no surprise that the team has to be picked which suits the Scouse forward. A 4-3-2-1 formation removes Wayne Rooney from his preferred central position behind the striker, as does a 4-3-3, while the 4-4-1-1 which suits Rooney doesnai??i??t help England at all, leaving the side devoid of support from midfield. (like in Euro 2012)

The English fans are no strangers to the 3-5-2 or the 3-4-1-2 formation. Terry Venables used it to a degree of success in Euro 1996, where they reached the semi-finals. It was also the last time England played good football in a major tournament.Ai?? The 3-4-1-2 formation will give you lots of width which England can exploit through their excellent full backs and allow you to outnumber your opponents in the middle of the pitch. We have been seeing it week in, week out with Juventus in the Serie-A and also the Chilean national team, who stifled the Three Lions with the same formation in November last year.

Playing the 3-4-1-2 will help England to unleash both Sturridge and Rooney upfront against opposition defences and both are good enough to forge a partnership with the relatively less time they have before the world cup. England has the right players to make this formation work. They have got excellent full backs who can bomb up and down the flank to support the midfield in the attacking front and also help out while defending.

The left hand side looks secure with Baines more than capable of playing as a left wing back. With Johnson and Walker in indifferent form, Henderson, through his versatility can be utilized on the right hand side. He may not be as effective on the wide areas as in the centre of midfield, but the former Sunderland man can more than make up for it through his energy and running power. The midfield, more or less picks itself with Gerrard playing the role of a deep lying play maker and Wilshere to support him. Adam Lallana, who was impressive in the game against Denmark, can play his usual role of an attacking midfielder and help out Rooney and Sturridge upfront. Ross Barkley is another option in midfield to play alongside Gerrard but it remains to be seen if Roy Hodgson is brave enough to play him in the starting eleven.

The 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 may not work for England, but it is worth trying after all these failed tactics and formations by Roy Hodgson.Ai?? The England manager has three more games to sort out his midfield jigsaw and it will be rather interesting to see the formation he uses against Peru at Wembley in May. Hodgson is in a difficult situation at the moment, stuck between trying to nail down his first eleven or give a chance for his fringe players to prove themselves in the three friendlies to come before the world cup. The expectations are pretty low this time around which plays into England`s hands, as they have the freedom to express themselves in Brazil, with no pressure on their shoulders.

Brazil 2014: Roy Hodgson And His Midfield Jigsaw

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