The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[peter w]

That's why I was particularly disappointed for Heskey missing the one-on-one. Bar far our best player and it was obvious people would focus on the miss rather than his beautiful cushioned reverse pass the made Gerrard's task very easy.

[Risso]

That's why I was particularly disappointed for Heskey missing the one-on-one. Bar far our best player and it was obvious people would focus on the miss rather than his beautiful cushioned reverse pass the made Gerrard's task very easy.

Last night was his career in a nutshell.  Make things easy for world class attacking players like Gerrard, then make a total hash of his own chances.  I'd start with Crouch next game, as he does a similar job but has a much better scoring record.

[eastie]

I said heskey played well but he's a striker and strikers through on goal should do better than shoot at the keeper- Paul ince has written a good piece today and is right when he says a strikers job first and foremost is to score goals and emile doesn't do this enough.

His build up play was excellent last night.

Milner if he wasn't fit to play should have said so, playing when not fit will do him no favours in the long run.,although capello statedchis booking played a large part in the decision, it certainly wasn't the James milner we know and love.

[Guy M]

I'd be surprised if milner starts another game in the world cup-Barry should be fit on Friday anyway, but james milner was really poor last night, if not fit he should have said so beforehand.

Like Ledley King who told Terry that his groin felt tight just after Gerrard had scored. In the 4th minute.

[eastie]

I'd be surprised if milner starts another game in the world cup-Barry should be fit on Friday anyway, but james milner was really poor last night, if not fit he should have said so beforehand.

Like Ledley King who told Terry that his groin felt tight just after Gerrard had scored. In the 4th minute.

True , but ledley king isn't a villa player so as this threads the milner thread , that's why I commented on him.

[Guy M]

That's why I was particularly disappointed for Heskey missing the one-on-one. Bar far our best player and it was obvious people would focus on the miss rather than his beautiful cushioned reverse pass the made Gerrard's task very easy.

And MOTD did just that. Focused on the miss, completely ignored his part in the goal in the post-highlights analysis and then waxed lyrical about what a great game Gerrard had. No mention of quite how ineffective Lamps or Wazza were.

Strange that they also failed to mention Gerrard's part in the USA's goal. He was tracking Dempsey, was turned too easily and allowed him to get the shot off. If Stevie GBH had done his job properly, Green wouldn't have had a shot to deal with.

Oh and then the "best ball of the match"? A cross that didn't reach his intended target, Rooney. So not actually that good a ball at all then?

Didn't catch ITV's post-highlights analysis as the two programmes overlapped, but the fact they mentioned Heskey, Gerrard and Johnson coming out of the game with some credit means they didn't toe entirely the same line.

[Guy M]

I'd be surprised if milner starts another game in the world cup-Barry should be fit on Friday anyway, but james milner was really poor last night, if not fit he should have said so beforehand.

Like Ledley King who told Terry that his groin felt tight just after Gerrard had scored. In the 4th minute.

True , but ledley king isn't a villa player so as this threads the milner thread , that's why I commented on him.

True. And then I went a made my next post and took it well and truly O/T. Off to the World Cup forum with me!

[Bosco81]

I wonder if Argentina are having same debate about Messi as we are about Heskey after he missed a lot more chances than our Emile, do I win a prize for mentioning the 2 of them in the same breath.

[Chris Smith]

I said heskey played well but he's a striker and strikers through on goal should do better than shoot at the keeper- Paul ince has written a good piece today and is right when he says a strikers job first and foremost is to score goals and emile doesn't do this enough.

His build up play was excellent last night.

Milner if he wasn't fit to play should have said so, playing when not fit will do him no favours in the long run.,although capello statedchis booking played a large part in the decision, it certainly wasn't the James milner we know and love.

He will have been assessed by the medical team and the fitness coaches and I'm sure when the decision was made he and they thought he was ready. Unfortunately as the game went on things didn't appear right, that might have been his fitness, might have been nerves or he might just have been having a bad game but to suggest that he was somehow hoodwinking the manager into thinking he was fit is just not credible.

[Big Dick Edwards]

While Heskey had an impressive game overall, his miss when through on the keeper was every bit as bad as Green's howler the other end.

[Chris Smith]

While Heskey had an impressive game overall, his miss when through on the keeper was every bit as bad as Green's howler the other end.

He should have done better but that's a huge exaggeration.

[peter w]

That's why I was particularly disappointed for Heskey missing the one-on-one. Bar far our best player and it was obvious people would focus on the miss rather than his beautiful cushioned reverse pass the made Gerrard's task very easy.

Last night was his career in a nutshell.  Make things easy for world class attacking players like Gerrard, then make a total hash of his own chances.  I'd start with Crouch next game, as he does a similar job but has a much better scoring record.

Thing is its very easy to criticise Heskey but difficult to praise when its due.

[Legion]

While Heskey had an impressive game overall, his miss when through on the keeper was every bit as bad as Green's howler the other end.

He should have done better but that's a huge exaggeration.

Very much so. Heskey had a great game. Sorry for going OT.

[BannedUserIAT]

Wasn't Milner quite sick or injured a few months back and had a poor(ish) game and MoN revealed that James insisted that he was good to play?

Either way, it was quite obvious from the start that something was wrong. Yes, the ball never seemed to get over that side of the pitch but Milner's not one to hang about for the game to come to him. He wasn't putting himself about, looked very laboured (almost like he'd put on 3 stone instead of losing 1) and was blowing hard.

I hope this doesn't rule him out of games further down the track.

[Chris Smith]

That's why I was particularly disappointed for Heskey missing the one-on-one. Bar far our best player and it was obvious people would focus on the miss rather than his beautiful cushioned reverse pass the made Gerrard's task very easy.

Last night was his career in a nutshell.  Make things easy for world class attacking players like Gerrard, then make a total hash of his own chances.  I'd start with Crouch next game, as he does a similar job but has a much better scoring record.

Thing is its very easy to criticise Heskey but difficult to praise when its due.

Very true and as for Crouch I don't think he does do a similar job to Heskey. He hasn't got his physical strength so although he'll win headers all day he doesn't dominate centre halves in the way that Emile did last night. It's all flicks and knock downs rather than holding the ball up to bring the midfield into play.