This to me is the point, why should we? We are on the Sunderland board saying well done to a Sunderland player for being called up.We did not call him up but he has been, should we be shouting, stupid Pearce, calling up a player after a few games or should we be saying well done to one of our own.
As I said in my post - not and opinion shared by many of the national press over the last 2 and a bit months - but an opinion shared by most of everyone (including Sunderland fans) before that time - if you'd seen him play recently you wouldn't have said that - trust me! Re Oxlade-Chamberlain - Decent player but I watched him twice in the last 2 weeks and Phil Bardsley and Kieran Richardson had him in their pockets for the entire games - he did nothing going forward for Arsenal - (but he was still better than Walcott!!!)
I was going to say interesting article, but it isn't: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/commu...d_man_united_and_arsenal_youngsters_1_4279113 Bit crap really, but anyway. I'm just replying to everyone who said something to me. When it's 5 different people it looks like a gigantic angry rant, but it isn't. And I do take it quite seriously, I suppose. England is my national team. Failed to make the step up? You do realise that Graham has scored 10 goals in 22 apps, right? He's one of the best performing English strikers in the Premier League at the moment. How many teams would like a striker which has a consistent near 1 in 2 record this season? At least SOME Sunderland supporters are a bit puzzled in how a striker gets an England call up after 4 league apps, even if it is their own player. I'd still be baffled even if it was one of ours.
Have you seen his goals? Mishits or bobbles and deflections. I would put one of Fraizer's goals up against all of his.
Doesn't matter how they're scored. The fact is, he's scored 10, with a record of almost 1 in 2. Just look at someone like Bothroyd, who managed 2 goals in 16 apps. The figures alone show that one striker is clearly a hell of a lot more capable of scoring than the other, even if the goals aren't particularly spectacular. Look, if you think 4 apps and 2 goals this season (and 7 apps and 2 goals overall in the past two years) is compelling enough evidence and deserving of an England call-up, then that's fine. I simply disagree that's all, and I suspect a lot of other will too, even fans of other clubs.
When I think you know more than the England manager, who actually knows what the lad is capable of and you decide who is in or out, will be the day I stop watching football.
Do you not see the possibility that Pearce is going from his U21 experience, where he's chosen Frazier 14 times? He hasn't picked him on 4 games Chappaz. I agree it's a funny call up, said it straight away, but that doesn't make him unworthy.
Pearce said in his conference, he is picking players so he and any future incumbent can learn from it. And the players can learn from it and see if they are up to the international job.
Strange/unexpected call up - yes Is it guna stop me from being proud of Frazier or wishing him well and being chuffed for him after what hes been through - no
Bloody brilliant for the lad, chuffed for him (spelling checker tried to change that to chaffed, which would have slightly different meaning ) Cattermole next for a call up? If he keeps up his good form under O'Neil I reckon he would be in with a shot. @Chapped: If the selection was based purely on stats and games played then yes the call up is a bit soon, but Pearce will also make his decisions on player character and feedback from managers and scouts. He also knows the lad from the under 21's, which would have helped Frazier's cause. Oxlade is bloody young to get a call up to the seniors, Pearce knows what happened to Walcott when he got a call up too early so will be cautious doing the same to Oxlade. Not seen Graham play much, so cant comment on him. But Pearce has probably watched both players and made a choice based on what he has seen. At the end of the day I am happy for a sunderland player and I am happy to see Pearce choose a couple of young/future england internationals for the squad as the old guard should be dropped as soon as possible.
I can.t say I wasn't surprised to see Fraizer in the England squad but good luck to him. Although that doesn't mean he will get onto the field during the game. It is after all a friendly a time to give these up and coming players a chance to be training with the rest of the England players and to experience the atmosphere of a full international. It is also a chance for the England manager, if only a temporary manager, to experiment. We won't learn the potential of these players unless they are given a chance to show us,.
Ferdinand tweeted. Well done to Frazier and said all the hard work has paid off! Barton tweeted. Looks like I'm going to have to buy an England shirt like everyone else. hahaha
Connor Wickham has won a call-up to England's under-21 squad for next week's game against Belgium. Wickham, 19, is in a strong squad to face the Belgians at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium next Wednesday (February 29). Former Sunderland man Jordan Henderson is also named in the squad, which will be coached by Brian Eastick with Stuart Pearce in temporary charge of the senior side.
Out of interest, Syd, was saying Cattermole is ****e really deserving of a ban? Not sure which of the 4 mods did it...
