Penalties
I didn't like that Crouch took that penalty against the Jamaica game. There's a classic story that Beckenbauer tells about chosing who would take the kicks for some penalty shoot-out where of all people, Sepp Meier volunteers. Der Kaiser pushed him away and told him to get back and into the goal calling him an asshole.
That's really what should have gone on with Crouch. Clearly, Lampard is a good penalty taker. His miss was odd, and it was important to get him back on form. He should have taken the pen. But this is England and a player that wouldn't be in the first eight got to do it, "because he was on a hat trick." Typical.
England will likely face pens at some stage, as they did in 90, 96, 98, and 04. Sven should have his five selected now and have them and Robbo and Calamity practicing nothing but pens when we get to the knock-out stage. Who would you five be? Would Crouch figure?
Because those five must all score in any pen shootout situation. If England loses after Rio misses penalty number ten that's one thing, But if they miss two out of the first five AGAIN, I'll kick the telly in.
Don't give me those excuses about not being able to practice in a game atmosphere and pens being a lottery. If they truly were a lottery, then England would occasionally win one and Germany would occasionally lose one.
posted by gooner71 at
6/04/2006 05:32:00 PM
5 Comments:
Well said Steve about the lottery bit though we did win one in Euro 96 against Spain! Shocking I know! Sven reacted angrily to Crouch's miss which I was pleased about as he clearly treats them with importance and I suspect will have England well drilled by the time it comes to them! I hope, anyway.
By
WhatsupWheaton Simon, at 5:54 PM
Just as long as it isn't another case of just letting the least shagged after 120 minutes of play take the kicks.
I'm partial to the steady players taking kicks.
First off the mark should be Lampard. But after that I don't know. Cashley? I don't fancy Becks taking them any more. There really should be a group of 8 guys minimum for whom it's all about rote and muscle memory banging them in without resorting to cheeky chips or lamping them straight down the middle after the keeper's moved.
Remember in the Euros when Portugal were in the Semis and the last kick was taken by the keeper. Remember how he stood over the ball and just swept it in? No run-up, just bang! and into the finals. Other than Lampard, who's that dependable for the English.
By
gooner71, at 6:10 PM
Lampard, Gerrard and Beckham were all already off. I take your point though. It probably should have been Owen in the circumstances
By
TheBusbyBoy, at 6:49 PM
Becks' PK at Euro 2004 is still sailing, isn't it? I was at the shootout v. Spain in '96. Fantastic. Nothing, however, beats Ireland over Romania at Italia 90. David O'Leary (Arsenal) took care of the biz. If England come down to penalties this time around against anyone other than Brazil/Argentina, something is clearly wrong. I see this squad as finalists, hopefully winners. Gooner71 is right: two steps and hammer it. Cutesy-pie crap doesn't work (unless you're Ronaldhino).
By
GAC, at 12:37 PM
So something is "clearly wrong" if England have to rely on penalties to beat the likes of Italy, Holland, Czech Rep, France, Spain or Ukraine?
Sorry, but these are good teams which England would do very well to beat any way they can.
By
TheBusbyBoy, at 10:52 PM
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