ran Ramsey’s 1966 Team Compared To Capello’s 2010 One.
I’ve beem comparing these in my mind and feel that I want to put my fourpennyworth to the debate.
Goalkeeper
I think everyone agrees that the long line of good English goalkeepers, whilst it may not have come to an end, has been temporarily halted. Ramsey had the incomparable Gordon Banks and whilst David James is not bad at all and played quite well in South Africa, he is not in Bank’s class. Ramsey 1 – Capello 0
Full Backs
George Cohen and Ray Wilson were not spectacular attacking full-backs who scored goals, but theywere very reliable defenders, who did a solid job and could also overlap with some skill. The pick would probably be Cohen and Cole. Ramsey 1 – Capello 1
Centre Backs
Jack Charlton should probably be compared to Terry, but he was definitely the better player, as he rarely made serious mistakes. Perhaps though today, his robust style might have been a liability, but no more than Terry’s. On the other hand, Bobby Moore, who was probably one of the best centre-backs that have ever played the game was much better than any of Terry’s three partners; King, Carragher or Upson. Ramsey 2 – Capello 0
Midfield
Ramsey’s midfield of Ball, Stiles, Charlton and Peters doesn’t compare directly with Capello’s first choice of Milner, Lampard, Barry and Gerard. Capello lacked a destroyer like Stiles, someone who could pass like Martin Peters and anybody who could run for ninety minutes like Alan Ball. There was also Bobby Charlton, who could score spectacular goals from midfield.So it has to be scored at least Ramsey 3 Capello 1
Strikers
Geoff Hurst and Roger Hunt were probably not that good. I saw Hunt play a lot for Liverpool and he didn’t impress me and as a Spurs supporter, I thought him inferior to Jimmy Greaves. But Greaves didn’t perform in the group matches and was dropped! In some ways Geoff Hurst was one of those guys, who end up in the right place at the right time, as he did to score a hat trick in the final. Both Rooney and Defoe are better than he ever was. Ramsey 1 – Capello 1
So Ramsey gets it by eight to three! Does this give any credence to assertions that the players we have now, aren’t as they were in the past?
We also have to remember that Ramsey had the knack of taking eleven players and then fashioning them into a team. He did that with the Ipswich Town side that won the First Division Championship (The Premier League Now!) in 1961-62. by playing a system with deep-lying wingers, Roy Stephenson and Jimmy Leadbetter, accurately crossing for one of the most deadly goal-scoring partnerships ever seen in the English leagues of Ray Crawford and Ted Phillips. The 1966 World Cup winners played a system without wingers at all, but with athletic players, who ran and ran to fill every gap!
Ramsey was a truly great manager and this illustrates how Capello is a man who doesn’t make the best of what he’s got. Remember too, that Ramsey was not allowed substitues for any reason whatsoever, so he wasn’t allowed the luxury of a Plan B. But then Capello didn’t have one of those at all!
New Zealand Get a Draw
As one of the least-fancied teams in the World Cup this was a bit of a surprise. They’ll be a bit of tension down-under, especially as the Aussies weren’t very good a few days ago.
But good luck to them, although to get out the group they’ll need to beat either Italy or Paraguay.
It was good to see Ipswich’s Tommy Smith giving a mature performance at the back.
Wickham wins it
England won the European U-17 championship yesterday. Connor Wickham scored the winning goal.
The Wembley Pitch
We get rather blase at Ipswich, as our pitch is often voted one of the best in the country.
I would have thought that the pitch at Newcastle would not be of a good standard, as the pitch is surrounded by high stands and Newcastle weather is not as good as that in London or Ipswich.
The Pitch at St. James' Park
This picture was taken around four o’oclock and you can see that it is mainly in shadow. Surely, this isn’t good for grass!
Now I didn’t even walk on the pitch, but from my lofty place in the sky, it looked to be in good condition and the players didn’t seem to slip at all.
So if they can get it right in the more difficult circumstances at Newcastle, why can’t they get it right at Wembley?
St. James’ Park, Newcastle
St. James’ Park is the home of Newcastle United and the reason I went north was to see Ipswich play for the last time this season. I shall actually be away for the last home match.
Note the view from high in the stand over the city. The Sage Gateshead, the Baltic Mill and some of the bridges can be clearly seen.
To me the most interesting thing about the game was Connor Wickham’s performance and his well-taken goal. For the last few matches he’s been playing up-front on his own and he has scored quite a few goals.
I do hope that he both keeps this up and stays at Ipswich.
Ipswich 1 – Doncaster 1
This was a typical end-of-season match with no-one really bothered about the result. We did see a sweet goal from Connor Wickham and a rather dubious penalty, but not much else.
Except for the sun at half-time.
Half-Time at Portman Road in the Sun
Is there any other major ground where you can laze on grass before a match and at half-time? So the grass is plastic, but who cares?
Can anybody explain to me who sponsors Doncaster? The logo on the shirts looked like the sort of squiggle of which a two-year-old would be very pleased.
Connor Wickham
Keep it quiet, but Connor Wickham is getting better and better!
I have just watched the goals he scored made and scored in Ipswich’s three-one win at Derby. Just watch the clip in this page and you’ll see he’s mentioned all the time.
Note his long throw that nearly results in a second goal. If he can throw like that at just seventeen, is he the next Rory Delap? He might be, but he’s certainly got an amazing all round game.
BBC Norwich Get It Wrong
On the evening news the BBC in Norwich said that Ipswich had won 2-0, whereas in fact they had won 3-1!
But then they are just jealous that Ipswich are a league above.
They didn’t give any video clips either.
Water Football
I’m just watching Burnley entertain Manchester City to a game of water football. As it’s at the start of the second half and Burnley are five-nil down, I suspect they hope the rain continues to deluge and we get an abandonment.
I can remember an Ipswich against Manchester City match that was called off in similar circumstances at Maine Road.
Football Therapy
I went to the football at Portman Road yesterday.
I did feel better as Ipswich beat Barnsley, but my face seemed to free up, when I laughed so much at the only goal. Stuart Hall would have said it was straight out of the Theatre of Base Comedy. Ipswich then hung on for 87 minutes.
I don’t what would have happened, if Ipswich had lost.
The Anonymous Widower 