But just for a change, the international break seems to have produced a game worthy of taking a pause from the top flight league action that preceded it, as the roller-coaster ride that was England v Argentina brightened up Saturday afternoon. A couple of things about this match were fairly obscure and puzzling – why it was being played in Geneva for one thing, or why Sven thought that right-back was the best position for Steven Gerrard to finish the game in – but in compensation for these it clarified a fair number of other points…
First up, can it now be disputed that Michael Owen, given appropriate service, is deadly? I think not. Despite the fact that I can only seem to remember him touching the ball three times in the entire match, these resulted in two admitted goals and one marginally disallowed. So if you're not looking for a wider contribution than goals, he's definitely the man, and how on earth no-one other than Newcastle cottoned on to the value of this in the summer remains beyond me.
Second, Peter Crouch needs to be loaned to a Championship side for a bit so he can get a few goals and restore some confidence, and then we'll be able to see if he's really got any chance of making it as a top flight striker. Sven's replacement of Ledley King with Crouch turned out to be the move that gave England a come from behind victory, but whether this was down to Crouch himself or to the consequent reversion to 4-4-2 is far from provable. While seeing out Southampton's Premiership sojourn last term, Crouch on form was a pretty effective goal threat, but that form has pretty much deserted him now, and unless he really intended to give Owen a boost, lineout-style, for his Argentine-defeating injury time header, what else had he added to the England effort during his time on the pitch? I just don't see him as this alleged secret weapon to rescue games.
Third, Rio Ferdinand is definitely a secret weapon, but unfortunately one for the opposition – horribly culpable for the first (allowed) Argentine goal, a Crespo tap in after he'd taken a leaf out of Man U team-mate Ronaldo's book and stepped over the cross, he was then carried for the remainder of the game by John Terry. You've really got to feel for Jamie Carragher and Sol Campbell if that sort of performance, confirmed by recent club form, keeps them out of the England manager's thoughts (and while dallying with Crouch, at that!)
No doubt we'll see whether this international form carries over into the league next weekend, of note being the following…
Owen and Newcastle visit Stamford Bridge, remembering that Jose “I'm never wrong” Mourinho has predicted that three straight Chelsea defeats would see him get his P45, of which it's strike two right now. Charlton get a chance to run at Rio, or possibly run rings round Rio the ragged rascal, at the Valley, while probably well-rested and certainly well-positioned Wigan, none of whose players have I think been troubled by international callups this week – even the resiliently impressive Henchoz – will host a much travelled Arsenal side, whose constituent individuals will have played as far apart as Martinique and Paris (Henry), Switzerland and Turkey (Senderos, scorer of a cracking goal in the first leg by the way), Spain and Slovakia (Reyes) and probably a few other places too. With the notable exception of Peter Crouch, whom we've already discussed, Liverpool can harbour great confidence in their strikers ahead of Portsmouth's visit to Anfield, Luis Garcia and Morientes managing four goals between them against Slovakia (plus of course, assuming you've been watching Rome on BBC2, you know it's not a good time for Pompey right now anyway).
First up, can it now be disputed that Michael Owen, given appropriate service, is deadly? I think not. Despite the fact that I can only seem to remember him touching the ball three times in the entire match, these resulted in two admitted goals and one marginally disallowed. So if you're not looking for a wider contribution than goals, he's definitely the man, and how on earth no-one other than Newcastle cottoned on to the value of this in the summer remains beyond me.
Second, Peter Crouch needs to be loaned to a Championship side for a bit so he can get a few goals and restore some confidence, and then we'll be able to see if he's really got any chance of making it as a top flight striker. Sven's replacement of Ledley King with Crouch turned out to be the move that gave England a come from behind victory, but whether this was down to Crouch himself or to the consequent reversion to 4-4-2 is far from provable. While seeing out Southampton's Premiership sojourn last term, Crouch on form was a pretty effective goal threat, but that form has pretty much deserted him now, and unless he really intended to give Owen a boost, lineout-style, for his Argentine-defeating injury time header, what else had he added to the England effort during his time on the pitch? I just don't see him as this alleged secret weapon to rescue games.
Third, Rio Ferdinand is definitely a secret weapon, but unfortunately one for the opposition – horribly culpable for the first (allowed) Argentine goal, a Crespo tap in after he'd taken a leaf out of Man U team-mate Ronaldo's book and stepped over the cross, he was then carried for the remainder of the game by John Terry. You've really got to feel for Jamie Carragher and Sol Campbell if that sort of performance, confirmed by recent club form, keeps them out of the England manager's thoughts (and while dallying with Crouch, at that!)
No doubt we'll see whether this international form carries over into the league next weekend, of note being the following…
Owen and Newcastle visit Stamford Bridge, remembering that Jose “I'm never wrong” Mourinho has predicted that three straight Chelsea defeats would see him get his P45, of which it's strike two right now. Charlton get a chance to run at Rio, or possibly run rings round Rio the ragged rascal, at the Valley, while probably well-rested and certainly well-positioned Wigan, none of whose players have I think been troubled by international callups this week – even the resiliently impressive Henchoz – will host a much travelled Arsenal side, whose constituent individuals will have played as far apart as Martinique and Paris (Henry), Switzerland and Turkey (Senderos, scorer of a cracking goal in the first leg by the way), Spain and Slovakia (Reyes) and probably a few other places too. With the notable exception of Peter Crouch, whom we've already discussed, Liverpool can harbour great confidence in their strikers ahead of Portsmouth's visit to Anfield, Luis Garcia and Morientes managing four goals between them against Slovakia (plus of course, assuming you've been watching Rome on BBC2, you know it's not a good time for Pompey right now anyway).