GK: Hart, Foster, Ruddy RB: Johnson, Richards CB: Terry, Ferdinand, Cahill, Jagielka LB: Cole, Baines, CM: Gerrard (C), Lampard, Parker, Milner LM/RM: Walcott, Young, OX, Walker ST: Rooney, Crouch, Carroll, Defoe Just to add to that I am aware that Walker doesn't play in midfield for Spurs but I'd prefer him there for England. Also I would like England to play 4-3-3 for the games Rooney is suspended. However RH is well known for playing 4-4-2 Anything has got to be better than the Algeria and USA games at the world cup
Yeah that's take both Terry and Rio, the two slow as hell centre backs. That are great friends on and off the pitch..... Wait what did you say? Terry racially abused Rio's younger bro. I'm sure their be fine, it's not like the two have gone down hill over the past years. Terry has been caught for pace a hell of alot of times this season, look at how many times he has faked falling over because he couldn't keep up. Rio is not the player he once was either. Then that's pick Gerrard who has been hit with injury all season, has he even played 5 games in a row?. He can't even run these days, injuries and his age has seen to that. Downing should never be even near the England team he is a joke of a player. Can't believe Liverpool brought him for 17mil was it?.
Don't understand the hatred for Downing. He's not great, certainly not worth £20m, but he's decent, and he is on the fringes of the England team because there aren't a lot of better options.
Couldn't agree more. If the 'Golden generation' couldn't cut it before, they certainly can't now their older and slower. There is little expectations for once, so lets give the youngsters a chance to see where we stand for the next tournament, get them used to each other and playing for England. I wouldn't take any of the old guard at all, not even for one last hurrah, they won't be around for much longer so whats the point.
I hope scholesy goes. On a different note, with Roy Hodgson coming out and saying he will stick with experienced players, I am worried. If he takes Emile Heskey I am going to support Germany.
My 23 man squad GK's: Hart, Foster, Green Fullbacks: Richards, Walker, Cole, Baines CB's: Cahill, Terry, Lescott, Jagielka, Jones CM's: Barry, Parker, Gerrard, Milner Wingers: Young, Walcott, A. Johnson ST's: Rooney, Sturridge, Bent, Crouch My starting XI (After games 1+2) Hart Richards Cahill Terry Cole Gerrard Parker Barry Walcott Rooney Young
Downing hasn't been bad for England IMO. Other international teams value international form as highly as club form, sometimes a player performing poorly for his club is included because of his good international form and vice versa. Rooney and Lampard have both had great seasons for their clubs, but their international record is gash and I'd seriously consider giving someone else a go. The Spain, Holland and Germany squads are pretty much decided by the end of qualifying barring the odd injury. Qualifying is used to build the team, so they have a certain chemistry and they know what works and what doesn't. England on the other hand chop and change far more than is healthy and include a lot of players we know full well won't get picked right up until we decide the squad.
What does that say for players like Grant holt though who work their socks off all season make a massive difference and get nothing, then someone who plays for liverpool but has 0 assists and 0 goals in 36 bpl games gets to go, he's missed 3 penalties as well. (although so does every englishmen bar ricky!)
About as much chance as the Queen stripping down to her footballing kit, with an elephant on her back and a fez on her head being blasted into the universe
Call him up in qualifying, give him a decent chance to impress and crucially keep him in if he does impress. It makes no sense at all to give a less fashionable player a cameo in a friendly/easy qualifier then never to use them again. That's tokenism and it doesn't work. Holt does indeed deserve a a chance. A brief cameo however isn't a chance and only serves to appease the critics in the media who say England don't make use of less fashionable players. When in England shirts, Wayne Rooney, Stuart Downing, Frank Lampard, Grant Holt or whoever are all equals until they prove otherwise. It's very easy to forget that and forget what works because the media bang on about the players in form or the players with reputations. I don't envy Roy Hodgson and the job on his hands.
Couldn't agree more with this! The only way players should be picked for international duty is on current form. UNLESS you have a cohesive international squad, that has played together for many years at club and country level. (Ie. Germany/Spain. Most of their team is made up of players from only one or two clubs.) It means weaker players can be picked over players in form because of their understanding. For example, Fabregas struggled to get into the Spain team for years, despite (arguably) being as good as Iniesta/Xavi. There was also a Germany striker who was struggling for club, but was immense for country. (Think it was Klose?) because the German team have been a unit for many years. This is especially true now they have brought through their immense youngsters. Downing doesn't fit into either of these categories, he has been poor at Liverpool and a bit part average player for England. If I was Roy Hodgson, I would try and play players that have played together the most. For example, Jagielka and Lescott (who has played with Hart and Richards.) Also, Rooney, Welbeck, Young, Scholes, Carrick all play for United so I would play them, and plug the remaining gaps with in form players that have earnt their spot.
Most of the Spain players play for Real or Barca becase they by far and away the best 2 teams in Spain. The Bundesliga is very competitive and the players don't all play together at 1 or 2 clubs.
Not strictly true, most of the current German squad play for Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund. Spain's current squad, on the other hand, includes no Barcelona players! Admittedly they've been left out because of the champions league final, but you get the point
