Just a slight bit off track here for a moment. How do you chaps (and chapesses) define 'World Class?' For me, it is a player who can hold his own against the best in the world, anywhere in the world, and i don't mean just playing against a side in Europe. I mean playing anywhere in the world for a period of time. Unfortunately, I am struggling to think of any of the current England players who would fit into that bracket. Rooney certainly hasn't done anything on the world stage, yet he is called world class? why?
Many overused words nowadays particularly in sport and celebrity. How many times do you hear "brilliant goal" "fantastic pass" "great tackle". At best the term good could be used for most passes, shots, saves. But I guess the media like to colour and flower everything. So I would say World Class should be if you were in the top four in your position so that a game could be played between two teams with subs. I saw the Oscars on the news and the over rated bunch of no marks called actors were raving about a B/W French film with no speaking! Jon Voight referred to it as like a Valentines Card! Excuse me? I bet 4 at most will go and watch it here in Redruth. We have a Tory MP but the local cinema didn't show the Iron Lady because they didn't think there would be any interest.
the only time i've ever thought rooney was going to be world class was during euro 2004 in portugal. he was absolutely on fire in the early stages of that tournament and i really thought we had an absolutely brilliant superstar footballer about to break through. never quite been the case although he is still an outstanding player. i don't think england have had many truly world class players since gascoigne and even he was only labelled that for a couple of years. i'd say gerrard was five or six years ago and rio ferdinand was in my opinion but there hasn't been many. the word gets overused!!
Wickham's still a teenager so it's a bit early to be calling him World Class Maestro. I don't think he's off the pace if Martin O'Neill's picking him. Don't judge him on goals because he's not a put the ball in the net kind of forward like Holt. He gets out wide, holds play up, wins knock downs, plays deft touches in behind the defence. I'd rather see him or any other youngster who may have an international future warm the bench, that was my point. As for World Class... that to me is a player who, if there was a 22 man squad of the best players in the world at any time, would stand a chance of being picked. Joe Hart might be in there at some point if he excels in a couple of tournaments. Rooney nowhere near the best four or five forwards in the world, he wouldnt even make a Premier League 22.
he isn't picking him! i don't think he's played more than 20 minutes since o'neill came in. if he has it was due to injury to someone else. i'm not judging him on goals - he's never likely to be a poacher, but his all round game is lacking in every single department whenever i've seen him. all the things you've described wickham does, holt does ten times better at the moment AND he finds the back of the net. if he got on the bench for england at the moment it would be the most crazed decision any manager has ever made - he is nowhere near premier league quality yet, let alone playing for his country. i fully expect he'll be on loan in the championship next season, maybe with you lot. the sunderland fans aren't impressed with him at all but are prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt due to his age.
its just occurred to me that yorkie is genuinely arguing the case that connor wickham should be selected for england ahead of grant holt.
I wasn't going to watch the holland game in some small pathetic protest but I've decided I now will. And everytime Wellbeck blasts wide or sturridge does a "Charlie adam2 and blasts it over the top i'm going to shout at the telly "HOLTY WOULD HAVE HAD THAT, HE WOULD HAVE FACKING BURIED IT!" The whole situation stinks, it's ****ing pathetic. Really does wind me up, the sheer ****ing stupidity of the england setup.
lol the final straw was Joleon Lescott getting called up for Glen Johnson. So Glen "not even a ****ing fullback" Johnson is important to replace but nah lets not pick the form strikers of the premier league Whole thing stinks, when you build your team around young talent predominantly English players then you get shafted by teams full of overpaid foreigners it pisses me off. Then you'll have arsenal and chelski fans complaining that we don't have any english center forwards NEWSFLASH PLASTICS, IT'S YOUR FAULT.
I lost interest in the national team years ago! I support Ipswich Town FFS, haven't I suffered enough!
There's something strange about the sexuality of the Dutch, what with young boys sticking their finger in dykes! COAT!
Give this man a cigar why do we need three right backs anyway when it should be between Walker & Richards not Johnson who is dodgy to say the least. The striker situation is shocking knowing some typically dull England manager like Pearce it wouldn't surprise me if he called Heskey out of retirement.
...and why wasn't lescott in the squad to begin with? he's been excellent this season!! honestly, pearce is hopeless
Well I guess he wants to try out youth for future development eh, all about getting the in-form kids into the setup isn't it OH! WAIT A MINUTE! NO IT'S ****ING NOT! Let me think! were in this "Premier League" do we have a young rightback that plays every game and has been excellent all season IF ONLY WE HAD ONE OF THOSE, I CAN'T POSSIBLY THINK WERE WE'D FIND ONE, POSSIBLY A PLAYER THATS BEEN IN THE ENGLAND YOUTH SETUP HMMMMM LET ME THINK DERRRRRPPPPPP KYLE WHO? NAUGHTON!!! I THINK YOU MEAN WALKER DON'T YOU MARK LAWRENSON TOLD ME, HE'S AWESOME ON FIFA DERRRPPPPP!!! They're all ****ING USELESS at the FA!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Pearce is going to be one of those monotonous mangers who they won't get rid of for years, he'll be like Eriksson start really well then hold on to the post for ages for doing a very mediocre job.
Oh good lord. Stewart Downing. "**** Anthony Pilkington" was literally the first thing that sprung to mind