Lampard/Gerrard/Beckham/Scholes vs. Zidane/Vieira/Malouda/Makelele (2006)
- Thread starter Cassano
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Roughneck
Registered User
England had a pretty strong collection of attacking midfielders, definitely deeper than France's IMO *(though Zidane at the top end is all you'd need since you only need one). But if I'm making a team with these players, you need somebody who can get them the ball. Lampard, Scholes and Gerrard would be walking all over each other.
There's a reason France won and made a World Cup Final over 3 tournaments and England were always underachieving. They couldn't really effectively use all their best players because many played the same position.
Makelele and Vieira would stifle that group pretty quickly, get the ball to Zidane who'd have all the room in the world to work with.
There's a reason France won and made a World Cup Final over 3 tournaments and England were always underachieving. They couldn't really effectively use all their best players because many played the same position.
Makelele and Vieira would stifle that group pretty quickly, get the ball to Zidane who'd have all the room in the world to work with.
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Power Man
Grrrr
I dunno, Lampard's 2005 season was brilliant. At the time I think it was fair to claim he was better than any midfielder in the world besides Dinho...
Savi
Registered User
I agree with Evilo.
I've always found Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham to be vastly overrated. Scholes was pretty good tho
I've always found Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham to be vastly overrated. Scholes was pretty good tho
YNWA14
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Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Lampard/Gerrard/Scholes were all far too similar as players to really click. Not to mention that that England midfield lacked strong defensive options, whereas France had both Vieira and Makelele. Speaking as a Chelsea fan, I'm really not fond of Florent Malouda, who is a clear weak link looking at that France midfield (mind you, I am too young to remember 2006 beyond the final).
In regards to other statements, I think it's easy to forget that in 2005 Lampard and Gerrard were something like 2nd and 3rd in Ballon d'Or voting. Obviously that's not the be all and end all, but those guys were both top top midfielders.
However, take everything I say in regards to this with a grain of salt, as I really started to get into the sport in 2012, and thus am taking a very hindsighted look at this.
In regards to other statements, I think it's easy to forget that in 2005 Lampard and Gerrard were something like 2nd and 3rd in Ballon d'Or voting. Obviously that's not the be all and end all, but those guys were both top top midfielders.
However, take everything I say in regards to this with a grain of salt, as I really started to get into the sport in 2012, and thus am taking a very hindsighted look at this.
Jeffrey
Registered User
Live in the Now
Registered User
Gerrard was the best player on two teams that went to CL Finals when they were most certainly not the most talented team in Europe. In one of those they knocked off a Juve team that featured many players who could be argued were the best players at their position in Europe at that time. Not overrated at all, unless someone is saying he's as good as Zidane, in which case they're a moron.
Also, to answer the question, France.
Also, to answer the question, France.
Jussi
Registered User
Scholes and Beckham did but they would have needed Giggs and Keane to really make it work.
Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Scholes and Beckham did but they would have needed Giggs and Keane to really make it work.
Keane especially. The defensive presence is what's really lacking in that English midfield.
East Coast Bias
Registered User
Scholes retired from International Comp in '04. Mostly because he was played out of position at LM to accommodate for a Lampard/Gerrard CM partnership (that sucked).
Scholes was the only complete MF in that crew.
Scholes was the only complete MF in that crew.
Definitely the French contingent here if you're looking at them as a group. Much greater balance that's missing from the England group. If you ever watched Lampard and Gerrard together it never really worked well.
Were this down to me though I'd take the English players. Then I'd immediately sell them and buy better players.
Not sure what he meant and you can say there's different ways of considering talent, but it is close. Makelele was talented at what he did, but what he did was read the game well and have great positional sense. He wasn't a dribbler, a goalscorer or even that much of a gifted passer. Still great at what he did though and you'd have to be a Madridista (or Madrid President) not to realize that.
And Malouda wasn't that great either. Of course Zidane and Vieira make up for that.
That said I think the English contingent was in general overrated. Lampard in particular seemed to get a lot of praise back in that day.
Were this down to me though I'd take the English players. Then I'd immediately sell them and buy better players.
Talentwise it's very close?
Not sure what he meant and you can say there's different ways of considering talent, but it is close. Makelele was talented at what he did, but what he did was read the game well and have great positional sense. He wasn't a dribbler, a goalscorer or even that much of a gifted passer. Still great at what he did though and you'd have to be a Madridista (or Madrid President) not to realize that.
And Malouda wasn't that great either. Of course Zidane and Vieira make up for that. That said I think the English contingent was in general overrated. Lampard in particular seemed to get a lot of praise back in that day.
Vasilevskiy
The cat will be back
France's better but it's closer than some here make it to be (talent-wise).
As a group is France easily, Vieira and Makelele alone would destroy any team, add there Zidane and uh... that's really good
As a group is France easily, Vieira and Makelele alone would destroy any team, add there Zidane and uh... that's really good
Bubbles
Die Hard for Bedard 2023
One of the major failures of the English manager during that period is that he could never find the right formation to take advantage of those players. He let the personalities take over and let all of the play at once, instead of letting one sit.
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