The Pougatch Perspective: Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard playing in their best positions will help us fall in love with England again

Transfer window success for Spurs, but failure for the Gunners...

3 Sep 2010 09:45:00

More On :  Arsenal FC, England, Sunderland, Tottenham, Asamoah Gyan, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney
In his continuing series of weekly columns for Goal.com, BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Mark Pougatch believes Fabio Capello must play Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard in their favoured positions, and looks at Rafael van der Vaart's transfer to Tottenham, Arsenal's inability to sign a goalkeeper, and Gyan Asamoah's arrival at Sunderland.
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Tonight I'm at Wembley covering the match for BBC Radio 5 Live and like every home supporter there I need to fall in love with England again.

England played with no enjoyment passion and privilege at the World Cup and right now Fabio Capello needs to get the country back on his side.

Central to this will be playing his best players in their best positions. England did not play to Wayne Rooney's strengths in the World Cup after he had such a fantastic season playing as lone striker for Manchester United.

Frank Lampard, who is absent tonight with an injury, was forced to play much deeper than he usually does at Chelsea where hs often has two holding midfielders behind him whilst Steven Gerrard was stuck on the left.

Capello doesn't need to make wholesale changes to get this England team firing on all cylinders again. A few tweaks here or there should do it.

Tonight I will be happy to see Wayne Rooney in a lone attacking role with Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson - two genuinely exciting wingers playing on either flank and supporting our main striker.

Behind Rooney, Steven Gerrard is the man to play from a more central position where he can cause the most damage as he showed against Hungary last month.


Positioning | Capello must play Gerrard behind Rooney

Capello must see that those two are his best players and handing the roles they have performed for their clubs to such devastating effect must be his priority.

We are a bit short at the back with Jagielka, Dawson and Upson having limited experience in international football - but now is the time to give them some experience.

We were all very quick to say that the England team needed a disciplinarian and went a long with the Fabio Capello 'Godfather' image. But when things started going wrong in South Africa we were equally quick to say it was because the players are not having fun.

Somewhere in between those two lies the magic formula for Fabio Capello, and there is not greater way to restore the fun factor back into the England team than a real top class performance at Wembley. A convincing win and three points in the bag will have us all falling in love with England again.


Harry picks a bargain but will Wenger's faith in Almunia cost him?

"I am absolutely amazed that Arsene Wenger did not buy a new goalkeeper."
It was another transfer deadline day of twists and turns. The stand out signing of the day was Rafael van der Vaart. What a terrific aquisition for Spurs and a snip at £8 million. Harry Redknapp's got so many midfielders to choose from now and it will be interesting to see how he sets up his team.

I am absolutely amazed that Arsene Wenger did not buy a new goalkeeper. It is truly astonishing.

It may be his move for Mark Schwarzer was scuppered by David Stockdale being injured and Shay Given staying at Manchester City but I don't think there is an Arsenal fan alive who thinks they can win the league with their current crop of keepers.



Gyan to put a smile on the faces of Sunderland supporters

Sunderland's record-signing Asamoah Gyan had a fantastic World Cup and really looked like the sort of player who could thrive in the Premier League.

What I loved about Gyan and the rest of the Ghana team was the incredible enthusiasm they brought to the World Cup and every time I saw him he was always smiling.

The Ghana team had a fantastic togetherness, and played as if they were truly enjoying themselves. He is one new signing I hope does really well and If he can bring that enthusiasm to Wearside he will be a big hit with the supporters and his team-mates.

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Four days to go - Follow the Euro 2012 build-up LIVE!
Join Goal.com as we update you on all the Euro 2012 news and build-up in the first of our daily LIVE! blogs. Join the debate on Twitter and Facebook.

Hosted by George Ankers
14:29 BST
Hummels may be getting praise, but Netherlands hero Marco van Basten thinks that Philipp Lahm is Germany's only reliable defender. The man who conjured one of the European Championship's most seminal moments in 1988 argues that "Joachim Low has a lot of problems in defence". But do you agree? Tweet me!
14:20 BST
Which leads me into some Germany news. Some slight source of worry for Joachim Low's hotly-tipped side is the defence - which it would be, when you lose 5-3 to Switzerland in a pre-tournament match - but Michael Zorc believes that Mats Hummels is the team's best centre-back and should start.

That's the Borussia Dortmund sporting director. Talking about the Dortmund player. I'm onto you, Zorc. I'm onto you.
14:16 BST
Germany are on the move, heading to Gdansk. Don't believe me? Here's proof:

14:09 BST
One of my favourite parts of tournaments like these is seeing someone come out of nowhere to make an impact on the international scene. Juventus' Emanuele Giaccherini is hoping to be one of those having been a surprise, uncapped inclusion in the Italy squad - and good luck to him!
14:06 BST
Our Ukraine team expert, Michael Yokhin, checks in with the latest on the co-hosts' preparations:

"Ukraine are preparing for their last friendly, against Turkey in Ingolstadt tomorrow, with the starting lineup at the Euros very much unclear. Taras Mykhalyk and Yevhen Khacheridi were tried as central defenders against Austria - not a bright idea, and that didn't work well at all..."



Well, no wonder - ol' Taras looks about 12.
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