I'd have Lambert ahead of Rodriguez and Carroll and this might be unpopular but I'd also take Welbeck ahead of all 3 of them.
P.s. If you're discounting players on personal grounds we won't be able to field 11 men. On form & ability Terry is our best defender and has to go.
Fair enough. For me, Rodriguez is more talented and more athletic. He's also more dynamic as he can play out wide too. If you're going to have a forward as back-up why have one who's just a worse version of others? That's why I'd take Carroll, gives you something completely different. Welbeck has talent but misses out on mine on the basis that he isn't getting enough club football (and I think Rooney, Sturridge & Rodriguez are better anyway).
I think Carroll is useful if you want to play the West Ham way and feed off his second balls but England aren't going to do that, and Kevin Nolan won't be playing anyway so it wouldn't work. Lambert is a footballer who is also a target man rather than the other way around. His shooting is brilliant and he'd score in a shootout too.
Not from the offset but I guarantee there'll be games where we switch to a more direct approach, Carroll scored a good goal at the Euros I remember. Lambert is a better player with the ball at his feet but as a target man there is no comparison, Carroll is worlds apart. Wins almost everything in the air.
I think it is hard to choose between Carroll and Lambert personally. I'd pick Lambert probably because he just has a more clinical edge.
True he scored against Sweden from a Gerrard cross so yeah maybe we could use him in a less direct way than he plays at club level.
I really hope Smalling goes, in fact I hope he's made captain. And you can forget the debate about who to use between Carroll and Lambert as a target man, Smalling could cover that role as well as right back, centre back and defensive midfielder. I call him Chris 'Total football' Smalling. He's ace. He's my hero.
Ignore Terry's mates in the MOTD studio - I wouldn't take him even if he unretired. I bet Clyne is top of that lot in Woy's list - but Flanagan might be ahead of all of them. Liverpool fans I've spoken to lately are full of praise. Lambert v Carroll is an interesting one - I'm sure it'll be a straight choice. I'm inclined to go for Carroll but wouldn't mind taking Lambert, who is technically excellent (but really slow). Welbeck over Rodriguez any day of the week.
If we were picking players on form alone, then Terry and Cahill would be our centre back pairing, but I don't think Woy is even considering Terry, even if he does declare himself available. Cleverley is the one that will annoy me most, he's been utter ****e recently and he'll probably still go.
Bit strange this but, I'd play Rooney in midfield and give Shaw a go at right back. Seems daft to only use one of 2 great full backs when we're crying out for a RB. Surely it's worth a try England team for me, Hart Shaw Cahill Jagielka Baines Gerrard Wilshere Lallana Rooney Sterling Sturridge/Lambert
Is it just me to think Walker is over-hyped? Gets forward in a flash but then very poor after that. If he is the best we have then I would worry.
Was thinking this yesterday. I'd also say Rosenior is better defensively as well, though quite limited going forward.
Perfect example would be Lahm, he can play either side. Just think defensively Shaw is better than Johnson and he's too good to bench.
Shaw is a real prospect at LB and it's tempting to take him ahead of Cole and Gibbs to back up Baines - but you just don't chuck a kid into a World Cup on his wrong side, in a position he never plays for his club.
Suggestions for England 'outsiders' are being discussed on the BBC football site now - Jon Flanagan, Jack Cork, Ryan Shawcross, Steven Caulker, Michael Dawson and James Tomkins have all been mentioned. 0 Hull City players have been mentioned.
Difference being that Shaw has never played RB in his career. And that Lahm is the best fullback in the World and is so much better than Shaw.
