Gerrard should lead from the front

Posted on 12/06/2010

The Daily Telegraph has signed up Michael Owen as a columnist, not for his racing tips but his knowledge of football. The striker will be watching his former England team-mates on the box and he feels Steven Gerrard is the right man to lead the team in South Africa, but wants to see him play further forward.

Now that Rio is sadly out, there is nobody better to captain England than Stevie. I know him well. We grew up playing for Liverpool together and I know how much representing his country means to him. This is a massive moment for Stevie, the biggest in his career. He's captained England before but it's different in the World Cup. Stevie will rise to the challenge because he has all the qualities. He has this quiet authority that inspires. Stevie won't let England down against the US on Saturday.

I was at Liverpool when Stevie succeeded Sami Hyypia as captain in 2003. Stevie was an obvious choice because he was the first name on the teamsheet and he was Mr Liverpool along with Jamie Carragher. Carra was more vocal on the pitch. Stevie was always reasonably shy, but he wouldn't hide away and not talk.

His character is similar to mine: Stevie wouldn't be loud unless he was really comfortable in his surroundings. In the dressing room, Carra has more of a leader-type influence, getting everybody going. But with all respect to Carra, Stevie is a world-class player, one of the top six in the world, and he leads by example.

We're fortunate with England that we have a lot of club captains in the squad and a lot of players such as Stevie, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney in their prime. They are the backbone of the team. Some of them may make the next World Cup in Brazil but they'll be touching their mid-thirties. Only Wayne will be in his prime. That is why this is a massive competition for them and why I expect them to start strongly today.

Many areas will be important in Rustenburg, but two, in midfield and attack, strike me as key. Stevie's midfield partnership with Frank is something that people have been talking a lot about. I'd find the debate very frustrating if I were one of them. Stevie and Frank are in their prime, are very established in their careers and in their thirties so it's a horrible feeling to be doubted. But it is perfectly reasonable for people to ask: 'How are we going to play in midfield?'

England could play 4-5-1 with a holding midfielder like Michael Carrick deep or they could go 4-4-2. Stevie and Frank are regulars for clubs who play 4-5-1 or 4-3-3, not 4-4-2.

At Chelsea, Frank is given licence to get forward because he knows he has two other lads in midfield with him, one of whom shields the back four. It was Claude Makelele and is now John Obi Mikel, while Michael Ballack also had a spell. That allows Frank to bomb on, knowing he'll not leave the defence exposed. Liverpool have Lucas and Javier Mascherano sitting in midfield, letting Stevie join Fernando Torres.

Stevie and Frank don't have as much defensive responsibility for their clubs. England are different. If they play as a two together, I'm sure they will adapt because they are both intelligent players but 4-4-2 could be a concern.

They can play 4-4-2 but don't do it regularly and I want to see them doing what they do best, getting forward, creating and scoring goals for us.

If we are 4-4-2, it will be interesting to see who takes the lead role and who anchors midfield. Both will instinctively want to attack.

I feel Stevie should be playing further forward, closer to Wayne, but I know Emile Heskey will do a good job if he partners Wayne. I played for many years with Emile for England and Liverpool and know how important he is to the team, how he brings the best out of others.

A renaissance for Carrick
There is other sport going on this week, lots of it in fact, but frankly who cares? It’s all about the World Cup and what team Fabio Capello will send out against USA. The Times’ Oliver Kay feels Michael Carrick might get the nod, which would be a remarkable turnaround for a player who performed so poorly in a recent warm-up.

Fabio Capello will leave it until the very last moment to name his team for England’s opening World Cup match against the United States in group C this evening as he agonises over the identity of his goalkeeper and the balance of his midfield.

The Italian will make a late decision over the fitness of James Milner, who he hopes will have shaken off the effects of a virus to take his place on the left of midfield, before revealing whether he will start the campaign with Robert Green or Joe Hart in goal.

Capello will tell his players the composition of the team only two hours before the kick-off in Rustenburg, with even the squad’s final training session at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium last night leaving them mystified over his exact intentions.

The one certainty is that England will start the match in a 4-4-2 formation because they stayed with that system throughout the 90-minute session and did not experiment with Wayne Rooney as a sole striker in a 4-5-1 formation, as they have done previously.

A second World Cup start for Michael Carrick after his round-of-16 appearance against Ecuador four years ago would represent a remarkable renaissance because he was thought to have missed his chance by performing poorly in England’s friendly international win over Mexico at Wembley Stadium last month and only just made the squad. The Manchester United midfield player’s status as a fringe player is shown by the fact that he started one game during the qualifying campaign, a meaningless match against Ukraine after England had reached the finals, and has won only 22 caps, far fewer than his peers.