England squad for Euro 2012: Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Rob Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich) Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton) Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City) Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man United), Danny Welbeck (Man United), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham)
What has Downing, Milner and Welbeck shown to deserve a place in the England squad? Absolute joke. We'll be laughed at. Again.
Yeah I take it the Liverpool lot have only been picked because they play for liverpool. Carroll instead of Crouch, I'd sooner see DJ Campbell ahead of him! Oh well guess we'll see. I think I'll just be getting the beers in for 3 matches again.
I wish he had been braver .. I would heve left John Terry out completely because Rio's omission will be used by some elements of the press as Roy / the FA's 'leaning' in terms of the up coming court case - which it isn't but will provide for more press coverage and controversy which we could really have done without. Given Kyle Walker's fitness I'd have taken Micah Richards in Terry's place - you would then have both Jones and Richards as both full-back and centre-half options Midfield - again I wish he had been braver - Milner, Barry and Downing are singularly uninspiring - Adam Johnson is much more of an attacking threat as would be Cleverley and Mark Davies - and Leon Britton has had an outstanding season playing regularly for Swansea and would have been a more exciting prospect than Barry in a more withdrawn role. Applaud the inclusion of Oxlade-Chamberlain, think he is a bit special ... but do you therefore need both Walcott and Ashley Young? Up front - probably what I would have gone for - but shows the relative state of unhealth in our game in that only one of the four has been a regular starter for their clubs this season! Was he not just a little tempted to include Jordan Rhodes for Defoe?????
I agree with Rodney Marsh who tweeted - "If we get to the semi finals RH should be knighted. It's simple, **** squad!" If Terry is reinstated as captain, I will start looking into those rumours that my great-great-great-great-granduncle once married a French bird start supporting those cheese eating surrender monkeys.
Jordan Rhodes? Are you seriously saying that we are so **** that we need players out of our 3rd tier league? Scotland are - he has a cap for them.
No I wasn't being serious ... (although didn't know he had played for Scotland - shamer on my part) ... point I was trying to make is, if only one of the forwards has been a regular starter for his first team would it have hurt to have made one 'blue sky' choice up front - from a less 'fashionable' team ... Lambert, Holt or someone showing potential like Matt Phillips at Blackpool (please tell me he's English and hasn't been capped by the Jocks or Taffs!) .. Defoe is third or even 4th choice at Spurs now ..
How the hell does people like Carroll and Downing go when people like Rio Ferdinand, Daniel Sturridge, Peter Crouch and Adam Johnson dont Junior Hoilet is eligible for England and he hasnt played for Canada yet. He should of went instead of Downing Jordan Henderson on stanby Cleverley, Rodwell and Carrick should be ahead of him even Becks
Richards > G Johnson Carrick > Barry A Johnson > Downing There's three I'm surprised at and I can't believe those. To be honest, I can see why someone like Milner has gone because you hear him described as a 'good tourist' and is versatile. I do applaud the selection of Oxlade-Chamberlain though. Wouldn't have taken him myself but at least he's done something brave there. Overall, if we look at it, it's probably what we should have expected from Roy - safe.
[video=youtube;N08z5QnR6VI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N08z5QnR6VI&feature=youtu.be[/video] Very interesting video where Hodgson defends his decisions.
Don't see why people are annoyed about Barry's inclusion. He played a key part in a title winning team.
I suppose that, out of the three I listed, I least disagree with the Barry one. I do feel he's had a good season actually but I just think Carrick offers more than him defensively with his reading the game and is better in terms of his passing and creativity. And how Henderson gets picked as the back-up CM (and there is a good chance he'll be required with Parker a doubt) is a joke.
Glen Johnson is very over rated. Good in the opposition box but can't defend, which is not ideal being a defender an' all. He was found out big style in the last World Cup, especially against Germany. Micah Richards should be on the plane. Adam Johnson is one of the most technically gifted players we have who can make something out of nothing and and he takes Downing instead
"On 20 February 2012, Craig Levein called Phillips up to the Scotland squad to face Slovenia in a friendly" Also Carrick 'retired' a couple of months ago.
The FA appointed a puppet manager who would do as he is told, thats why Harry did'nt get the job and Hodgson did. So I think that the FA would have picked the squad making sure it was completely PC. This is a squad picked by a Committee, I am not a Crouch person but he has fantastic stats scoring in 50% of his games but is not even on the standby list. The FA has got thier way with this squad thats why just about everyone in the UK could have done better!!!
People keep banging on about how Alf Ramsey picked "the best team, not the best players" etc. then slag a manager when he seemingly tries to do exactly that. I say judge Hodgson after the Euro's.
Hodgson isnt the most exciting charismatic figure. He does however have a really good track record behind him - with just the one blip at Liverpool. Proven at club and international level. If NP left us and Hodgson replaced him I would be delighted. The England job has always been a poison chalice. The problem that RH will face is that we simply dont have the best players in the world, and are miles behind Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina. We have our one world class attacker missing for the first 2 games. Like any manager, RH needs a couple of years to be judged - not a couple of months. Pretty sure we will be poor in the Euros just like we were at the World Cup. Wont be Hodgsons fault - he cant turn things round in 2 months - needs longer.
I'd go further - he can't turn it around with THAT group of players - he will have done a stirling job IMO if we get out of the group stages ...
That's a bit of a stretch. You really think that's a worse group of players than Sweden's? I can see us surprising everyone like Germany at the WC by having a good team instead of just a good group of players.
