Now that Rooney is out, and possibly Owen too lets have your starting 11

How about

Sullivan
Neville Ferdinand Terry A.Cole
Beckham Gerrard Carrick Lampard J.Cole
Owen

Basically Gerrard doing the Rooney role in between midfield and Owen. Possibly King in place of Carrick.

or if Owen out, replace with Andy Johnson (biassed but he's played lone stricker ih the Prem last season) or

Sullivan
Neville Ferdinand Terry A.Cole
Beckham Gerrard Lampard J.Cole
Crouch Defoe

But that is weak upfont OMG how grim!

Over to you :D

Id go with your first one, Johnson as back up, only change I would make though is drop A.Cole for Carragher simply cause Im not convinced or Ashleys fitness and match practice.

Robinson

A Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Neville

Gerrard, Lampard, J Cole, Lennon

Crouch, Harewood

J Lescott On The Bench :norty:

Playing Owen up on his own, and drafting in Carrick, thus allowing Gerrard and Lampard to push forward is the only way we'll cope, I feel.

Crouch, Defoe, Harewood, Bent, Ashton and Johnson don't make the cut at the top level.

Spooky! Good thread, I was going to post this topic up today after talking about it at work and what a dilemma the midfield is.

Cole, Lampard, Gerrard, Wright Phillips, Beckham all need to be playing. Who do you put on the left though? A Cole should be put on the left as a natural winger who goes forward too much to be defending and provide cover for a more defensive left back such as Carragher.

Up front needs to be Owen and Defoe as Crouch just doesn't appeal to me.

My 11:

Robinson

Neville Terry Ferdinand A Cole

Beckham Gerrard Lampard J Cole

Owen Defoe

But I am unhappy with J Cole being on the wing as he needs to be in the middle providing the creativity so who do you leave out? Drop Defoe for Owen up front and have a midfield of:

Beckham Gerrard Lampard J Cole A Cole but then Wright Phillips is still missing as the natural right winger!

Could keep A Cole at left back and put J Cole on the left wing and allow him to come in to the middle but then leave A Cole exposed. This would allow Beckham to be in the middle with Wright Phillips on the right wing.

I've got 6 players for the midfield in Wright Phillips Beckham Gerrard Lampard J Cole A Cole. Who do you leave out? We need to have out and out right and left wingers to fire in to Owen but then you can't leave out Beckham Gerrard or Lampard! (A Cole is more of a/better left winger than a defender and I say that as a Gooner!)

J Lescott On The Bench :norty:

:lol1: :cuckoo: Washing the kit more like

Now that Rooney is out, and possibly Owen too lets have your starting 11

How about

Sullivan
Neville Ferdinand Terry A.Cole
Beckham Gerrard Carrick Lampard J.Cole
Owen


Sullivan
Neville Ferdinand Terry A.Cole
Beckham Gerrard Lampard J.Cole
Crouch Defoe


:confused: Who is the goalkeeper :wonder:

Robinson

Neville Ferdinand Terry A. Cole

Beckham Gerrard Lampard J. Cole

Crouch Defoe

:confused: Who is the goalkeeper :wonder:

Sullivan / Robinson, both look the same to me :cuckoo:

Glad you spotted the, erm, deliberate mistake - too busy thinking about our forwards!

:confused: Who is the goalkeeper :wonder:

I thought it was some sort of private joke. :lol1:

Robinson

Neville Ferdinand Terry A. Cole

Beckham Gerrard Lampard J. Cole

Crouch Defoe

Crouch and Defoe?! You're having a laugh. :freak3:

Am I only the one thinking of the midfield? Doesn't anyone else think we need wingers, of which J Cole and Beckham arn't?

Sullivan / Robinson, both look the same to me :cuckoo:

Glad you spotted the, erm, deliberate mistake - too busy thinking about our forwards!


:D

Crouch and Defoe?! You're having a laugh. :freak3:


Thought Owen wasn't included incase he didn't make it.

If Owen and Rooney dont make it, yes I would go with Crouch and Defoe :( just shows how stuck we are for strikers

Am I only the one thinking of the midfield? Doesn't anyone else think we need wingers, of which J Cole and Beckham arn't?

I think the right side of the pitch is set in stone, Beckham ahead of Neville, they've played together for over a decade. Beckham doesn't need to beat his man aka a classic winger due to the quality of his crosses. Apart from Stuart Downing we just don't have an English left footed winger, well apart from Giggs ;)
I don't think SWP has made the jump and is still a one trick pony, blinkered pony at that. Joe Cole is the man for the job, he has played the left side of a front 3 for Chelsea and to be honest if there was another genuine candidate for left midfield then I think Cole is best suited to fill Rooneys void.

Gerrard and Lampards centre mid partnership of a 4 man midfield has never really worked, both player are too alike and both need a holding man behind them. Carrick or King can do this, this lets Lampard play his natural game and gives Gerrard the free role / Rooney position.

Or put Gerrard on the left and let Cole partner Owen, but every time Gerrard has been on the left he always drifts inside.

This is pretty much the thinking behind my 1st team in the opening post (just forget I chose the Scottish keeper!)

Downing, the Left Winger, is missing from the above teams??

Pete

Shawn Wright Phillips hasnt started a game in god knows how long and just doesnt look as effective anymore. I think he should be a sub and used simply for his pace if we need it. Theres no way we can drop Joe Cole, hes on fire and scores a good few goals for himself, scares defenders sh!tless.

Like I say, still unconvinced with Ashley Cole though so Id be happier with Carragher at left back, good defender who can win a ball in the air on set pieces. Him Rio and Terry all winning the headers on corners we shouldnt conceed one goal this world cup with them defenders in.

Theres no way we can drop Joe Cole, hes on fire and scores a good few goals for himself, scares defenders sh!tless.

Couldn't agree more but I think he is wasted on the left wing as he is not a winger but a play maker. He either comes inside and leaves the left flank exposed or he stays wide and is wasted.

Ideally he needs to be played in the middle but there is no place for him except on the left.

Robinson
Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole
Diamond Midfield, Gerrard at Back, Lampard up front, Beckham Right, Cole/Lennon Left
Owen, Lineker

Are we absolutely sure that Messi, Ronaldinho, Eto'o dont have English grannies? :confused:

Robinson
Neville Terry Carragher Cole.A


Beckham Lampard Carrick Cole.J


Gerrard

Defoe/Owen

Robinson

Neville Terry Carragher Bridge

Gerrard Carrick Lampard A Cole

J Cole

Owen