How is clyne not being considered for England!? It's a joke, he's at least as good as luke and all our other right backs are ****
It's of course great for the individuals, but I do worry in part for some of our players away from our style/tactics. We're such a well drilled team 1st and foremost that I think that helps to elevate a lot of our players. Don't get me wrong, they're all talented players and I have no fear for Lallana in any team, but that Chile game was so frustrating for Jay Rod. England were far more disjointed and it was Chile who played more like Southampton would. I do think that if you put some of the much derived England players in a Southampton shirt on a regular basis that they would look a lot better and at least on par with our own.
I still think that Shaw has no chance of going to the World Cup unless Baines or Cole are injured. I would still pick Cole ahead of Baines too, but it is one position we are spoiled for choice in when we used to have no one. The right back role on the other hand has reversed!
From Sansom through to Le Saux and on to Ashley Cole. It was the the left wing after Waddle that we struggled with massiveley
I was merely stating that we have tended to have an abundance of decent right backs and a lot fewer on the left, however this has changed.
I disagree I think Shaw should go to the World Cup in place of Cole with Baines as first choice. Cole can't get a game for his club ATM so why not say "thanks Ashley but we are progressing players for the next tournament"? If those players from the so called Golden generation are not in the 1st 11, then it is time to say thank you and move on. Lets not use up squad places for players who won't be here in two years time. Those places should be going to the younger players give them experience without throwing them into it. That's how to evolve a squad IMO. Undecided on someone like Lampard. His experience in the middle of the park can have an impact on a game but players like Milner, Cole, Barry, Lennon should not be on that plain.
I'm not getting on your case although I feel like I am and awkwardly typing at the moment I think quite the reverse. Pre Gary Neville we tried right back after right back . Gary Neville then masked the fact that there was no competition for his place because he was as good a rightback as there was in the world at the time, similar to Cole has been on the left. Even now we are talking about Johnson and Walker as being the forerunners and they are dire. Micah Richards being the forgotten man has not helped that and if he could get game time then we could see a really good battle for the right back slot.......and I do not count Walker as being in the top 5 English right backs.....not talking form, he will never be good enough as anything other than a backup for a backup player on the International scene.
Barry should be. Has been a class player ever since he was returned to the team when he joined Man City. He should have been playing all the way through from his Villa days.
Yes, but I think we have had very few truly great fullbacks in the Premier League for a long time. At the moment Johnson is our best right back and he is injured and he is not great! Kyle Walker is terrible positionally!
Yeah maybe, I'm contradicting my own thoughts, as I think Lambert should go! He does offer something different and can change a game in an instant. His goal against Scotland shows that so I would put him in the Lampard bracket. Besides unless Carroll suddenly shows great form there isn't anyone challenging for that type of attacking slot. I guess I should put it that where, say three players are vying for a position in the squad/team and one is a younger player, he should go at the expense of one of the other two more experienced players.
But Baines is not that great defensively, as was shown against Chile. He will look good when on the front foot but I am not sure he has the nous when playing more cultured and cunning opposition. Cole has been reliable for a long time and fresh players who wont be burned out at the end of the season will be a plus. As for your age point. I think it is a British thing: youth is always better. Look at the age and experience of Italy in 2006 or Brazil and 2002. Great players many of whom had been around a while (Cafu, Cannavaro, Pirlo). It is only the English (clamouring for Ravel Morrison, Janujaz or whoever is the flavour of the week) who have to blood pace and youth instead of experience and guile. Look at the cricket and Pietersen - a quality player but apparently we need to move on and develop youth - would Australia do that. I am not saying youth is always bad but they have to earn it and Shaw is too naive defensively currently, but he is developing quickly.
Agree with the freshness point but that is a debate in itself with regards to a winter break. I'm not sure that freshness because you can't get into your club side is necessarily a good thing. Only one can start out of Cole and Baines and whoever does is likely to play the whole tournament baring injury. So take Shaw as the back up. I think you need the experience in the team, such as those players you mentioned but the squad should have younger players to supplement them rather than those at the end of their careers. The Pietersen thing kind of reiterates my point. Back track to 2004 when this young raw player was played in the ODI's and scored a few tons. In the summer of 2005 he had been around the international set up and was given the chance ahead of an established player, who was nearing the end of his career. Thorpe being dropped raised a few eyebrows at the time but was 100% correct. The ECB have dropped the likes of Bopara from the test squad as they are not going to move the test team on in the future and favour younger players who may be the answer. Its the right idea but the KP thing is truly idiotic.
Not good enough to play for Chelsea, but good enough to play for England? Yeah right Jose, its a 'no' from me.
