Off Topic International Break Thread

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PleaseNotPoll

PleaseNotPoll

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May 31, 2011
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Too much proper football, so we're back to the other stuff.
First up? England v Germany in a friendly at Signal Iduna Park, home of Dortmund.
Formerly know as the Westfalstadion, it's home to the famous Yellow Wall.

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Something to aspire to at our new place, perhaps?

Scotland face Canada at Easter Road in Edinburgh.
Why they're playing at Hibs' ground is anyone's guess, as I can't be bothered to look it up! <laugh>

Friday sees some actual, meaningful football, as Ireland host Wales in a Group D qualifier.
1st face third in a group that also contains Serbia and Austria, so it could end up tight.
Germany and England's U21s also face off in another friendly.

Sunday sees Northern Ireland up against Norway, while England take on Lithuania.
Both are also qualification games.

The Spurs site has helpfully included a full list of players called up and the games they'll be playing.
It even has the youngsters: http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/spurs-international-fixtures-march-2017-210317/
 
It appears that Raheem Sterling has received a phone call from his manager and doesn't fancy playing for his country either.

Shades of Monty Python and "Anyone got anything better they'd rather be doing than MARCHING UP & DOWN THE SQUARE?"

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Tomorrow's headlines "Lalana Learning The Piano - Needs time to Practice". It's going to be Southgate marching on his own with Defoe and the Spurs' boys soon.
 
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Considering the headlines saying that Southgate is considering giving Harry Winks a call-up, at this rate the various Mouser/Merchester players suddenly picking up "injuries" might usher him into the side ahead of schedule.
 
O.Spurcat said:
My three favourite players. Love them all.
Click to expand...

So happy for Defoe! He's handled his England career properly, no retiring or making himself unavailable, just gets his head down and works hard.

Can't forget Jake either. Hope they both get decent run outs.
 
"St George's Park National Football Centre ..."

Three cockerels on the shirt, St Nicholson still gleaming.
Young national talent over PL mercs, keeps the England fans dreaming.
 
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Nike pushing for Tottenham to sign Manchester United star Marcus Rashford
The sports brand want Alli to be their face of football, but it would mean a Man Utd exit.

Manchester United Striker Marcus Rashford has been in fine form recently. The England international has been scoring goals for fun and putting in the type of displays fans at Old Trafford had come to expect from the talented youngster.

But that good form has attracted interest. Tottenham have been linked with his signature in recent weeks in what would be a mega-money move he would surely struggle to reject.

Now it is being reported that his boot and kit manufacturer may push the deal.

Sport.es is reporting that Nike want Rashford to become the face of their brand – but would like him to do so by playing in a Tottenham kit.

The Lilywhites are one of the American sports companies biggest and most iconic brands and in the past, with Harry Kane already playing for the club, they had the dream combination.

Now they have the opportunity to get something similar with Rashford, who they consider integral to their future brand recognition.

With Tottenham Hotspur’s kit duties set to change to Nike soon the hope is Rashford may end up with them instead.

United fans will be hoping that these latest developments have no bearing on Rashford's future. But there may be an underlying fear that he could for some time now.

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littleDinosaurLuke said:
Joey Barton's available.
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Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with a team full of players that are actually trying, as I think he would. For many years the England team has been full of players who cannot (or don't try to) reproduce their club form for the national side. It's not this crap that English players can't play - if they were useless they wouldn't get games for PL teams (PL teams aren't that sentimental!) - and internationally we often don't do well against teams with players who play in the English lower leagues. So it's not the potential of the players.

> But how many times do you give a chance to a player simply because they "should" be the right choice internationally?

> How many times do you play players that play in the same position for their clubs in the same England team when they can't play together?

Pick a team that can fit together as a team. If some players can't play internationally or can't play in the same team then leave them out. Heard so much talk of Barclay and Alli playing together (cue cliches about if they're good enough for the team they can play together, and we must find a system that fits them all in). Have we learned nothing from the last N years! Goodness, if Rooney had played a few more games he'd be playing too! Oh and one more I thought of:

> If it's stupid and it works it isn't stupid. In other words if international teams can't handle Crouch or Carroll or similar "English" players then play them, or have them as an impact sub that is at least different from what has presumably failed up to that point. We seem to want to do impressions of continental teams when we don't have the players for it, or simply can't. When we find something that works but looks wrong we don't do it. I don't like WetSpam I don't like Carroll but I'd have him on the England bench without question. Sterling might be flavour of the month because of who he plays for but he's put in some of the worst England performances in years. So how many chances does he get? And one game he plays well (as he's almost bound to) and suddenly that justifies the next ten games of dross.
 
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vimhawk said:
Heard so much talk of Barclay and Alli playing together
Click to expand...
When everyone's fit:
Hart
Keane Cahill Stones
Walker Dier Henderson Rose
Barkley Alli
Kane​

Ta-da! Job done. I'd actually leave Barkley on the bench and pick Lallana though, I think.
No doubt I've left out someone "undroppable", though.
 
vimhawk said:
Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with a team full of players that are actually trying, as I think he would. For many years the England team has been full of players who cannot (or don't try to) reproduce their club form for the national side. It's not this crap that English players can't play - if they were useless they wouldn't get games for PL teams (PL teams aren't that sentimental!) - and internationally we often don't do well against teams with players who play in the English lower leagues. So it's not the potential of the players.

> But how many times do you give a chance to a player simply because they "should" be the right choice internationally?

> How many times do you play players that play in the same position for their clubs in the same England team when they can't play together?

Pick a team that can fit together as a team. If some players can't play internationally or can't play in the same team then leave them out. Heard so much talk of Barclay and Alli playing together (cue cliches about if they're good enough for the team they can play together, and we must find a system that fits them all in). Have we learned nothing from the last N years! Goodness, if Rooney had played a few more games he'd be playing too! Oh and one more I thought of:

> If it's stupid and it works it isn't stupid. In other words if international teams can't handle Crouch or Carroll or similar "English" players then play them, or have them as an impact sub that is at least different from what has presumably failed up to that point. We seem to want to do impressions of continental teams when we don't have the players for it, or simply can't. When we find something that works but looks wrong we don't do it. I don't like WetSpam I don't like Carroll but I'd have him on the England bench without question. Sterling might be flavour of the month because of who he plays for but he's put in some of the worst England performances in years. So how many chances does he get? And one game he plays well (as he's almost bound to) and suddenly that justifies the next ten games of dross.
Click to expand...
I definitely agree that England should resort to playing an "English style" game in order to compete. Years of being outplayed by technically superior players should have taught any manager that trying to beat the best nations requires something out of the ordinary. Playing like Wimbledon c.1988 might be the way forward. England don't have enough good players to choose from these days. The top clubs recruit foreign stars and play them in key positions. There are few good English players who make it at the top level. In some positions - like creative midfielder/playmaker, for example - it's hard to think of any. Most English players don't make it past the academy or reserve level at top clubs and so don't compete against the best players in the top competitions. They finish up in the Championship or (frequently) below. There is a smaller and smaller pool of PL players for the England manager to choose from. So play to our strengths. Lump it up to the big man.
 
The pool of talent from which to pick is very small. Some possible options, such as Rashford or the young Chelsea players, are denied access to first team football. Yet, these clubs continue to attract players to them, including young players. It makes no sense which goes for so much of English football. It is extremely difficult to see a way out of it at present.

It isn't that we cannot produce talented footballers. At youth levels we perform perfectly well. At senior level things fall apart. Looking at players such as Michae Keane and Kieran Trippier who failed to make the grade at Manchester Uited and City respectively and had t go to Burley to become successes it seems to be that step from expensive Academy Graduate to young pro making the first team that is the cause of our problems. There''s no time for patience with prize money for staying up and making top 4 the be all and end all for clubs.

If I had a son who could make it, I'd be sending them to Southampton or Spurs or ay club that held out a pathway to senior football. Dele Alli's path to the top was a good one. Going to Chelsea seems glamorous but may be detrimental.
 
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That looks like a lot of defensive players, doesn't it? Counter in a Leicester stylee, possibly?
Nice to see Livermore making it back into the side after his problems, though. <applause>
 
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