Is Psycho going a bit, erm, loopy?

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No Kane No Gain

No Kane No Gain

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2011
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For anyone who hasn't seen the England Squad:

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson (Bursaspor), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Robert Green (West Ham United)

Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ashley Young (Manchester United), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)

Forwards: Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Fraizer Campbell (Sunderland), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)
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It's not even worth getting Carson to fly in for a start, he's not going to play and I doubt the 2 training sessions are going to be much use. Stockdale should definitely be in there anyway, if Pearce wanted to see what the youngsters can do like he said.

Cahill? Based on what? Jagielka's back in training, Lecott's having a good season and Dawson's done well since coming back from injury. If you're only going to pick 3 centre backs, don't make one of them a total liability expecially when the other two options still don't have a regular position in their club team.

Now for the midfield. What the ****? No Lennon? Downing and Walcott are having disasterous seasons as Liverpool and Arsenal fans will tell you. There's nothing you can learn about those two in an England squad that you don't already know already know about them. If Pearce was really wanting to give a chance to outsiders for the England squad how about Jarvis, Shotton, Dyer, Sinclair or Chamberlain? Downing and Walcott are clearly in the squad by default rather than merit so give other players a chance to show that we don't have to pick these average players who add nothing.

Stikers appear to have mostly players picked for the sake of it. Upfront we need to be very worried because apparently we're so short of a 5th striker that a player who was nowhere near a place in the England squad 2 years ago, has played his way into contention in just 5 games over the past 2 seasons. Same old story for Defoe, overlooked while Campbell adds himself to the list of embarrassments that get picked ahead of him.
 
Another typical selection.

Cahill has been dire in the games he's been at Chelsea.

How Walcott has got in over Lennon truly amazes me. Downing? Have a laugh, Oxo cube and Johnson are miles better and as YV says Dyer and Sinclair deserve a chance.

Campbell over Defoe? I give up.
 
Spurf said:
Worst looking England squad for a thousand years.
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Agreed.
 
Hard to argue with the keepers, as there's virtually nothing to select from and I don't watch Turkish football.
Stockdale's only a couple of weeks younger than Carson, so age isn't a factor.
A little unlucky to miss out though, I guess.

Excessive on right-backs in the defence and not enough centre-halves.
Lescott's omission is bizarre.

Cleverly and Walcott in the midfield? Really?
Downing's been playing crap too, but there's not many English left wingers around, so I guess that's why he's there.

5 strikers and Walcott is just massively over the top, especially when a number of those selected don't deserve it.
Campbell's barely played for 2 years, Welbeck's form is patchy and Walcott's been poor, too.
Quite similar players, apart from Rooney and the workshy Bent.

Not impressed.
 
PleaseNotPoll said:
Hard to argue with the keepers, as there's virtually nothing to select from and I don't watch Turkish football.
Stockdale's only a couple of weeks younger than Carson, so age isn't a factor.
A little unlucky to miss out though, I guess.

Excessive on right-backs in the defence and not enough centre-halves.
Lescott's omission is bizarre.

Cleverly and Walcott in the midfield? Really?
Downing's been playing crap too, but there's not many English left wingers around, so I guess that's why he's there.

5 strikers and Walcott is just massively over the top, especially when a number of those selected don't deserve it.
Campbell's barely played for 2 years, Welbeck's form is patchy and Walcott's been poor, too.
Quite similar players, apart from Rooney and the workshy Bent.

Not impressed.
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Didn't realise Stockdale was that old! Still young for a 'keeper if I'm grasping for reasons why I'm not wrong :D
 
It is an incompetently drawn squad-list.

Unfortunately, I doubt that we're going to see much divergence with the kind of squad that Harry will pick, perhaps with the obvious exclusion of Bent, in favour of Defoe. He'll believe that he'll be able to get the best of donkeys like Downing and Walnut. Given the time, probably he would, but he won't get that being England manager; and there is only so much that an arm around the shoulder and comforting cockney word can do.

The only saving grace with Psycho's selection is that - thank god! - he hasn't picked Carroll!
 
Spurs or Sex? said:
Another typical selection.

Cahill has been dire in the games he's been at Chelsea.

How Walcott has got in over Lennon truly amazes me. Downing? Have a laugh, Oxo cube and Johnson are miles better and as YV says Dyer and Sinclair deserve a chance.

Campbell over Defoe? I give up.
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completely agree SOS. on the money there mate.
 
Spurs or Sex? said:
Another typical selection.

Cahill has been dire in the games he's been at Chelsea.

How Walcott has got in over Lennon truly amazes me. Downing? Have a laugh, Oxo cube and Johnson are miles better and as YV says Dyer and Sinclair deserve a chance.

Campbell over Defoe? I give up.
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I'm sure Defoe will be back in when Harry takes over. Not so sure about Bent though.
 
Michael Carrick should be there. Been in better form then any of the players in that midfield bar maybe Parker. As for the Fraizer Campbell selection, just <laugh>.
 
The reality is England have no chance. The players are of little
quality compared to our top rivals. Bland and boring.
Defoe and Lennon would do little to improve this team.
Better kept away so we dont get the bad vlbe.
We are paying the price for pace, strength, work rate
over technic.
Our Harry would be better off not going near this bunch.
 
Possible explanations for Frazier Campbell over Defoe, co-leading scorer in qualifying (despite not playing that often) and the last England player in memory to score a crucial goal in a big competition.

1. He meant Frazier Crane, on the excellent grounds that this team will need counseling after getting thrashed.

2. He's a closet Spurs fan, and wants to keep Defoe clear of the wreckage--but this doesn't explain including Walker and Parker.

Downing? The only person who's claimed he's hit a target all year was his girlfriend, and she changed her mind.

This is one frightening team. Clearly its best chance is to park the bus against anyone who's any good. But, given that, why not have Lescott, who was one of the keystones of England's successful park-the-bus performance against Spain?

I'd tend to pair Lescott and Jagielka again, on the grounds they've proved themselves a good partnership against the world's best.
 
it hurt's me to say this but unless harry takes on the England job we'll be stuck with the dross of Walcott &co.but i'm still hoping he'll take the new contract and stay with us
 
Not bothered if our boys dont play in friendlies as our record with injurys playing for England is dire
 
littleDinosaurLuke said:
Pearce said that a number of players had been overlooked because he knew what they could do and he wanted to have a look at some promising younger ones. There is no suggestion that this squad will bear any resemblance to the one to be picked for the euros.
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Defoe hasn't played for England for about 18 months, Lennon even longer.

Anyway we knew this and it doesn't mean you can't criticise the squad, I listed the wingers that I felt were overlooked so we could see what we already know about Downing and Walcott.
 
littleDinosaurLuke said:
It's safe to assume that Campbell has taken Defoe's place in this squad. Why he would want to look at Campbell, I'm not sure, but it doesn't necessarily mean Defoe wouldn't be in any manager's thoughts for the Euros.

England have recently preferred a 4-3-3 with Walcott playing like an inside right. Lennon wouldn't really suit that system whereas Young or Downing might.

The problem is, as always, that we don't know what England's best team and formation is. 4-3-3, 4-4-2? Do we play the old stagers or bring in some new blood? There are so many permutations for the right side or centre midfield or up front, it's untrue.
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I'd agree with most of that and I don't expect the Euros squad to look like this one, least of all because there will hopefully be a new manager in place. I'd expect 442 or 4411 with that squad, in a 433 we'd have Young, Johnson, Walcott, Sturridge, Rooney, Welbeck, Bent and Campbell all competing for 3 place. I wouldn't put it past Pearce though, he used Welbeck and Sturridge in a 433 with the under 21s.

Hart, Richards, Jones, Cahill, Baines, Johnson, Parker, Barry, Young, Gerrard, Rooney would be my punt in the dark for the line up. Not overly adventurous but it'd give a platform to improve on in the second half, providing they don't get battered. Lets face it, it's Holland we're playing and not a great time to experiment.
 
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