Pearce has announced his list of 18 - http://www.teamgb.com/news/team-gb-men%E2%80%99s-football-squad-selected-london-2012 Noted that two we are potentially interested in, Ramsey and Sinclair, are included. The young Chelsea fullback Ryan Bertrand is one to watch. Noted that no Scottish or Northern Ireland players are included and that may be because Pearce doesn't rate them rather than a 'political' withdrawal. As we know Beckham is also not included but he is on the stand-by list so who knows someone may suffer a 'political' injury.
I can't believe all the moaning about the England team not doing very well in the Euros, and yet those same people are moaning that Team GB should include Beckham because he's a good old boy and will sell a lot of tickets. We should be going for gold! I, for one, am quite looking forward to the Olympics footy, I've never really watched it before.
I've just remembered, Jordan Rhodes is Scottish and not in the squad as expected. Might precipitate his transfer move - wherever that' is.
Fair enough, it does seem strange but I don't care enough/am not an Olympics purist so I look at it as more Football to watch
I must admit I’m not too fussed about the Football at the Olympics… I was expecting the majority of players to be English but not to have any Scottish or N-Irish in the squad is a bit of a joke really… I understand the Scottish FA advised their players not to accept a call up but I feel a bit underwhelmed by it now. I’m not sure the majority would agree with me but I’m quite pleased Beckham isn’t in the squad. Isn’t the Olympics meant to be about ability rather than sentiment? If you were to call up Beckham why not ask Coe to and Christie to run in the Athletics? It shouldn’t be about money and selling tickets (although I know it is) it should be on ability. I have to say I’m with Bandit on his opinion of football in the Olympics…
Lol! I agree about Beckham though, fair play to Pearce for being his own man. I think his hands were tied with respects to the lack of Scottish/Irish players though.
I'm still struggling to get behind Pearce as manager, regardless of his decision regarding Beckham's non-selection. Pearce seems like the ultimate 'company' man- he's done all the FA qualifications and professional advancement courses, and on paper looks like a great candidate- but he's never done much outside of the FA, where he has a network of support. It's like coaching- you could have a player that managed to eventually learn and complete every drill you put them through, they could do the double step over on the training pitch, but in a game they were useless - because everything had been learnt seperately, rather than as part of one encompassing style. I get the sense that Pearce has a stilted management style and a lack of confidence in his ability in that position. He's got to where he is by climbing in the FA, not by taking on a lowly club and building it up. He's not well set to handle intense pressure. Personally I think he is too emotional, in the same way Merson, Adams and Gascoigne are. The manager needs to be a bit detached from the situation, I think Pearce will wear this job, day and night.
I actually think Beckham deserved a call up and here's why. Can you honestly say either Ryan Giggs or Craig Bellamy deserve it over him? Out of the three he is the only one who plays week in week out (I know it's only the MLS) and he did have a major influence in getting London the Olympics. I know including him would have been akin to giving John Wayne the Oscar for True Grit or Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman but surely a career like Beckham's deserves a send off like this one?
Giggs and Bellamy have been playing well at a higher level while Beckham has been in the MLS. Beckham's career deserves a grand sendoff but if he'd hung around in Europe rather than went for the money in the US he'd probably have featured more for England and would probably be a shoe-in for Team GB. He's been a great ambassador for London and he's done a lot for the games, but you don't hear any calls for anyone else involved to have a place in Team GB, do you? Seems daft that that's a viable reason.
Kasami has been selected for the Swiss squad. Senderos however missed out on one of the over-age slots.
I personally think Giggs and Bellamy deserve a place over Beckham… I get a bit sick of the Beckham road show. Yes he was a great player for us in the past – he was truly world class but he wants it all his own way. If he was still playing in the Primer League or an European league I recon he would have got the nod from Pearce but he isn’t. He sold out to be a big fish in an MLS shaped pond rather than continue to play in a top European league but no longer be the star name. With the MLS comes the publicity and salary he wanted but the down side of that is he is playing at the equivalent of the Championship. He isn’t playing at the top level anymore… He was a great ambassador for London 2012 so was Seb Coe and Boris Johnston... Why not give Boris a place on the cycling team… No one can argue anyone has done more for cycling in London than B-J… all those Boris bikes you see around London….
Dreadful news that Daniel Sturridge may have meningitis http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/03/london-2012-daniel-sturridge-team-gb?newsfeed=true Let's hope that the worst doesn't materialise and wish the lad every best wishes for his future health.
