13 October 2007
England 3 - 0 Estonia; Ratings
Player and manager ratings for the England - Estonia match.
Paul Robinson - 6/10
Had practically nothing to do and what little aerial threat he faced he dealt with safely and quietly. The few chances Estonia had to put him under pressure were spurned by poor delivery.
Ashley Cole - 7/10
Had a much better game with some strong running and supported the equally much-improve Joe Cole. Created the third goal with an awkward ball forward and was much closer to the Cole of his Arsenal days. The injury did not look good with his ankle turned at full sprint and that will mean one of two things; ankle ligament damage or a broken metatarsal, neither are likely to see him play in Moscow.
Micah Richards - 6.5/10
Good first half where he combined well with Wright-Phillips again and was barely tested defensively. Played most of the second half in the centre because of Ashley Cole’s injury and Ferdinand’s substitution.
Rio Ferdinand - 7/10
Such was the paucity of attacking threat from Estonia, England only really needed one defender to snuff out what little threat got past Barry and that one defender was almost always Ferdinand. Given Gerrard’s continual inability to perform for England above anything more than the odd goal or assist and Terry’s lack of international quality, this man really ought to be the England captain.
Sol Campbell - 6/10
Looked like Campbell normally does; strong, quick and ill at ease with the ball at his feet. He should never have been dropped from the squad given the value of experience in defence and the number of times he and Ferdinand have played together. In the grander scheme he is still behind Ferdinand, King and probably Terry, but a consummate pro who deserves his place in the squad.
Joe Cole - 8/10
Cole, having played regularly for his club since the last round of internationals showed what we have come to expect from him in recent years; constant, creative threat. Took the responsibility of being that flair player and was a perpetual threat whenever he got the ball. Having a player like this who regularly performs the unexpected without being the show-pony he can revert to is of great value. On-pitch leaders are typically seen as vocal, defensive types who ‘get stuck in’ - Terry, Gerrard et al but Joe Cole’s more common performances (i.e. not his last two) show that leadership and flair are not mutually exclusive.
Shaun Wright-Phillips - 6.5/10
In what is becoming a typical performance, looked a threat in the box and never attempted to go past the fullback. Again partnered well with Richards but again showed a complete lack of ambition for the pacey, skilful winger that most thing he is. Took his goal well but appears to have problems staying on his feet and as I have said before, if Aaron Lennon finds his form Wright-Phillips has to find the bench.
Gareth Barry - 8.5/10 MoTM
The Snuffer did what he does in the White shirt. Probably gave the ball away more than he normally does but invariably won it straight back. More creative than Gerrard and still the most dominant defensive player on the pitch, it is not a case of his ousting Lampard from the team but rather ousting his position meaning that only one of Gerrard or Lampard can be played in the 442.
For a connoisseur of football, watching Barry play is a lesson in positioning, anticipation and intelligence. Also of note is his passing which is often simple and sometimes exceptional. He excels at the medium length ball that falls somewhere between ’simple’ and ‘exquisite’. Often these are the balls that are the prelude to an assist and Barry is the only player who makes them.
Steven Gerrard - 4.5/10
Very poor. Created nothing (that was onside) and gave the ball away again and again and again and even spurned the best chance of the second half. His typical - even good - performances involve losing the ball frequently but of late, even his shooting and passing have deserted him. For all his qualities - which people project from his occasional spectacular performances for his club - I simply do not believe he is good enough for this team. Now that Barry has conclusively proven his (and his position’s) worth, there is only room for once offensive, central midfielder and right now, that should not be Gerrard. Lampard has seldom been given the licence and team position that Gerrard has continually been afforded, it is time that he is. Lampard seldom loses the ball with short passes or is caught in possession, he shoots whenever he can and gets in good positions. With England’s width working so well, the occasional assist or goal from Gerrard simply doesn’t outweigh the negatives he always brings. If people questioned Beckham’s place in the team then how can they not question Gerrrard’s?
Wayne Rooney - 6/10
Scored a good goal but gave the ball away so often. His first touch looked distinctly… English. Linked up reasonably well with Owen but did not create any chances for him. Compare and contrast to Heskey. He may be a great individual however the team plays better with a different type of player and if you are to build the offensive part of the team around one player then surely it has to be the better goalscorer (Owen) rather than the better player. Ergo, Heskey should (and probably will not) get his place back.
Michael Owen - 6/10
Suffered from a distinct lack of Heskey and looked like Owen does without service - anonymous. However even in teams like this who struggle to feed him, cometh the big occasion, cometh the important match, cometh the Owen.
Steve McLaren - 7/10
Picked Barry. Something of a no-brainer but nonetheless made the correct decision. Started his team with tempo and purpose and as a result had a tricky half time team talk with his team having finished the game off. England have real confidence about them and McLaren’s stock amongst the supporters and more importantly the players rises with every match.
Next up is Moscow and I full expect England to win. It looks a daunting task on paper but the game is played on plastic; England are a talented, well-balanced team who would expect nothing less than a win.
Combine that with revenge at home to Croatia and my money is on England to win the group.
I hope that bet wasn’t too big
lol!