Comments on: Friendly Review: Moldova

By: AlexLA

AlexLA — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:14:25 +0000

I dread a repeat of wc 06. Our strikers simply don’t score for the NT (except dudu, of course). Do we need to rely on set pieces(are we england, now)?!? playing 4-2-3-1, where to put srna? certainly not as one of the 2 holding players…and if bilic put srna on the right wing, where would he put rakitic? the only way to accomodate all of them would be to put modric alongside n.kovac but give him more freedom to advance, put rakitic as the #10(why instead of modric?because modric can defend, rakitic absolutely cannot), and have kranjcar on the left wing (with a very inviting option of having pranjic replace him in the 2nd half). Anyhow, its too messy.
A much better option(and less radical) is to play a 4-4-1-1, with rakitic playing in the hole.

By: mike

mike — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:21:01 +0000

great midfield with Modric, Kranjcar et all but the attackers aren’t inspiring at the moment

By: Mario

Mario — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:09:38 +0000

Yea it’s an area we’re definitely struggling in. Maybe Bilic will try something similar to what Milan proposed above, playing a single striker (Petric) upfront and thus making room for Rakitic. I agree both Klasnic and Budan don’t inspire much confidence these days. I think he’ll experiment with this against Hungary.

By: wettstern

wettstern — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:15:53 +0000

To be honest I’m a little worried after the Moldova game because it is evident that Eduardo simply cannot be replaced. Sure – Petric, Kranjcar and Srna were missing but the problem is that the strikers are not scoring. Klasnic is far away from his best, Budan is good but I don’t think a tandem Petric/Budan, Olic/Budan would do any good. So we are probably gonna see Olic/Petric and this combination didn’t look powerful in the friendly against Scotland. However, I hope they prove me wrong against Hungary.

By: jero

jero — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:54:31 +0000

Eduardo was the key.Looking back at those chances he put away that won us tight matches, just can’t see who will do that now.So I would also consider one up front,Petric, and maybe Rakitic included.Pranjic definately will be left back I think, more like a wing back anyway like Jarni.the defence scares me the most.No one coming through so we have to convert midfielders now.

By: Milan

Milan — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:25:20 +0000

Looks like we might have to look at a 4-2-3-1 shape with three attacking midfielders. Its going to be hard without Eduardo.