I understand your points here but players like Phil Jones, Chris Smalling are coming through although behind them we maybe dont have enough in reserve to push them on...like saints had for the first half of the season, to a slight extent. I think people like Wellbeck are the future of Man Utd - he is a great player, better than Sturridge IMO who I feel could suffer from a slight attitude, where as Wellbeck is spot on with attutude, has real pace, great skill and scores...
Selecting Frazer Campbell after playing less than 10 games in 2 seasons is not good IMO. We should have looked at the Swansea: Dyer, Sinclair, Graham, Ect... Norwich: Holt, Ruddy, Possibly Surman who has done well recently. Everton: Rodwell, Baines Villa: Agbonlahor, Albrighton (Maybe), Newcastle: Ryan Taylor, Danny Simpson. He said that he was going to experiment with the team. So he should have given the younger players who play for lesser teams, like Swansea, more of a chance. He also should have judged the squad on the form of these players. Some players like Taylor and Simpson have had awesome season for Newcastle and yet are not picked for a friendly, what do they have to do to get a go. I feel that they should have given championship players that chance to step up. I mean the three players who have been nominated for that player of the year award are all english and none make it into the squad. I would not have picked the following: Goalkeepers: Robert Green (West Ham United) Defenders: Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool) Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), , Ashley Young (Manchester United), Theo Walcott (Arsenal) Forwards: Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Fraizer Campbell (Sunderland), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), I feel that as Rooney is banned then we need to see how we can do without him. Walcott hasn't been performing recently, neither has Downing. Cole, Johnson, Barry, Gerrard. All old players. I have left Soctty parker in my squad as he would bring experience on the pitch and off and is a good example.
I agree with Dan, I was really surprised to see Campbell in the squad, I think he is a good player but has he even proved himself in the Premiership yet? I find it amazing that Pearce can say he has not selected Oxlade-Chamberlain because he has not played much and then select Cleverley and Campbell who have spent most of the season injured. I think we are going to be smashed by the Netherlands who are decent and Pearce is really not that tactically astute...
well he is a striker so thats what I'm going to judge him on. Not as if he is RL, holding the ball up winning flick ons he is more of a poacher.
If you judge strikers on goals, then Lambert would be criticised etc when he doesnt score - Strikers are more than goals imo
But, Campbell isn't more than goals? Certainly not enough more to justify a place in the national team!! Either way even if a striker does a hell of a lot other than score, you need them to have at least a decent scoring record - otherwise they're not doing their job. It's in the word "striker". I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing that Meireles, who has played about half an hour in a Liverpool shirt this season, has more assists than Downing. Meireles has one.
Ps Ashley Young is seriously overrated, at least Downing has been playing this season whereas Young seems to have cemented a place in the squad without doing anything much at all in recent months.
That's the trouble with Pearce and his association to the Capello years. He wants to win to look good but is being "safe" and selecting players he knows well. Rather than risking a team of in form strangers. The Campbell selection is a joke and just shows that once your in club England like downing and Carson you get picked from habit
If they don't get a chance, you won't know how they perform and a friendly is a good chance to give him a go
Fair enough. Might as well stick the likes of Ryan Lowe, Matt Tubbs and Jamie Vardy in as well. Hell, get Jamie Slabber in the squad! You won't know how they perform until they're given a chance! Oh wait, that would be stupid. The point is that there are other players more deserving of a chance. I know I'd take Rickie over Campbell any day, and I definitely don't think he should be called up.
This squad should have been about having a look at people. The trouble is, Pearce is caught between this philosophy and actually really wanting the job full time. Because he wants it full time, he's tried to play safe and freshen it up and done neither.
He can't win, there will be people on other boards saying "No Terry? No Ferdinand? No Lampard? Sack Pearce!" Yes there are other players who deserve a chance, maybe some of them will get one at some point, but can we not just accept that Pearce knows Campbell well and sees something that we don't?
