The happiest of Mondays to everyone. To get your minds off all of this tedious talk of titles, trophies etc, I have a little distraction for you. With Dannys Welbeck and Sturridge both scoring on their returns from injury yesterday, we were reminded of the small matter of the Euros taking place at the end of the season, and that many players will see the next 3-4 months as their opportunity to make an impression on Roy and his team. At the last Euros we took 3 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 7 midfielders, and 5 forwards. So who would you take this time, who deserves it already, who are you hoping will step up over the next few months? Which Spurs players will make it and which will miss out? Also how do you think England will do this year? Any chance of breaking the perpetual mediocrity that has defined our national team for the last 25 years? I personally will be supporting Wales as my first team this year which will be a nice change!
My squad: Hart Butland Forster Cahill Jagielka Stones Smalling Walker Simpson Rose Gibbs Dier Milner Henderson Drinkwater Alli Barkley Sterling Oxlade Kane Rooney Vardy Welbeck
Most of those we'd all agree on. Personally wouldn't have Oxlade, Gibbs or Wellbeck (not because of their team, but cause they've not played enough), but Walcott, Baines and Lallana instead. Maybe Clyne - was a good player but have been scouserised, not sure. Sturridge would go if he plays the rest of the season.
As a squad I'd take: Hart, Butland, Forster Stones, Smalling, Cahill, Jagielka, Rose, Shaw (Gibbs if Shaw isn't ready), Walker, Clyne Dier, Alli, Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Milner, Sterling, Townsend Kane, Rooney, Vardy, Sturridge (if he somehow makes it through the rest of the season uninjured, if not then Welbeck, although someone like Deeney or Defoe if his goals keep Sunderland up, could be an outside shout) I'd want to start: Hart Clyne Stones Smalling Shaw Dier Alli Barkley Rooney (c) Kane Vardy Let the fullbacks get forwards and provide the width with Dier playing as he does at Spurs to allow that. Kane and Rooney can both drop off and add a man in midfield if they have to, and Vardy has the pace to stretch the defence pulling out wide or running the channels. Alli and Barkley have great energy, both can produce individual magic out of nothing, and they can pick a pass too. The big challenge in my opinion is how to fit Rooney (who will play as he is captain) into the team with Kane and Vardy who are both surely starting after their respective seasons, especially as Kane and Rooney have reasonably similar playing styles and will want to operate in similar spaces on the pitch. I'd play the diamond Roy has used before with Rooney at the tip, give him a bit more responsibility to really dictate things because as much as I lament his performances at times you get the best out of Rooney when he feels responsible for the team in my view. The really ballsy thing to do would be to take Rooney but not play him from the start, but Roy won't dare. Now watch Roy start Henderson, Milner, Jagielka, Cahill and Welbeck. Phil Jones and Sturridge will be in his squad too I bet.
Absolute no to the Ox. What exactly does he do apart from run around? Prefer Walcott who can score a goal. If both are fit I'd take Sturridge instead of Wellbeck. Worryingly, I can't think of anyone instead of Milner, Henderson or Jagielka. Surely to God, there must be someone? Let's hope they don't make the team!
I'd stick Sturridge in if he's fit, too. A risk, but I think he's better than the similar alternatives. The EA Sports PPI thingy would pick these players, based purely on stats and two per position, if you know what I mean: GK: Butland, Hart, Ruddy. DF: Johnson, Francis, Dann, Dier, Smalling, Cook, Cresswell, Daniels. MF: Barkley, Alli, Drinkwater, Albrighton, Barry, Milner, Noble, Puncheon. ST: Vardy, Kane, Rooney, Deeney. Not what I'd go with, but it throws up a couple of interesting suggestions. Cresswell's probably done well enough to get a shot, in my opinion.
Yeah Cresswell is a shout for LB. I'm interested nobody has questioned my Townsend pick, would have thought that would raise an eyebrow or two. And actually if Walcott and Ox are in with a shout then surely Lennon has to be too, he's been in better form at Everton than either of those two really IMO..
Dann is a good shout instead of Jagielka, he's impressed me a lot this season. Oxlade just edges it over Walcott for me as I think he offers more energy and the team has goalscorers already. I don't watch them that much, but my Arsenal 'friends' have a lot of time for Oxlade and zero for Walcott. Plus Walcott would no doubt sulk about not playing number 9. Only reason I went for Welbeck over Sturridge is I made the assumption that Sturridge would be injured before, or get injured at some point during the tournament so it would be a waste to take him!
Lennon's been fantastic of late.The booing when he was taken off on Saturday was really loud on MOTD. Him or Townsend for 20-30 mins to try and turn a game is fine by me. I cannot see AOC doing anything like the same job. He's not developed at all as a player. He's a triumph of effort over anything else for me but I don't make a habit of watching the Goooners either.
Agree with what some have said, while Rooney's England form has been good in qualifiers he's had a terrible domestic season, and has proven time and again that he doesn't perform in major tournaments. By all means bring him and let him retain the squad captaincy if you must, but I think it would be hugely unfair on the in-form players if he was just given an automatic starting position.
One thing's for sure it's nice to finally say we've seen the back of the old guard of under-achievers. I think this new squad has a lot of potential and if the Leicester and Spurs players can bring through their team mentality we could see something different from England this time.
Rooney should have left United 2 years ago. He's declined at the same rate as United and I doubt the new manager is going to want to pay him £300k a week and be captain. If he valued the game above money he could reinvent himself for a new role at a new club but he'll be off to China to top up the bank account.
Rooney has only managed to hit 20 league goals in 2 of his 12 seasons at United. No other player would be able to retain the myth of "World Class" ability with those statistics.
I'd go with: Hart, Butland, Forster Walker, Trippier, Stones, Dann, Shawcross, Cahill, Rose, Cresswell Dier, Alli, Henderson, Drinkwater, Barkley, Sterling, Milner, Townsend Kane, Vardy, Defoe, Welbeck For what it's worth, despite playing **** all until Sunday due to injury, Welbeck only gets the nod purely because he has the work rate and versatility to not just play as a 9 but can play as an inside left should Woy require. Usually I don't like players being selected if they've not played enough but his versatility is something we don't really have up top, maybe Vardy too? I really like Sturridge but his injury record is now too great a risk to take him in my opinion. We all know Rooney will get selected above JD but if it were my decision I'd **** him off. Notable mentions to Simpson (only missed out my selection because I'm biased & we have the best defence in the Prem), Noble, Shelvey, Lennon and Deeney.
The real question is what is the team Hodgson is likely to take. The "dream pairing" of Rooney and Sturridge is hard to look past, regardless of the fact Kane and Vardy have outscored the pair of them without even trying.
In fairness it don't really matter who goes, with a manager like Hodgson in charge we're just not going to progress as far as we'd like, he's a dinosaur in the game and the game's evolved beyond his capabilities in my opinion, he showed he's not good enough to be managing a side with big ambitions anyway when he took charge of Liverpool. Fulham and West Brom were his level with all due respect, him leading the charge for a whole nation just doesn't feel me with much confidence, in a 40 year managerial career his highest honour is a runner up medal in the UEFA Cup with Inter and also one when it became Europa League with Fulham (league titles in Sweden make it look a bit respectable but it's Sweden for **** sake). I think it's about time The FA went down a different option anyway and give the job to a younger manager, who can grow with his players, the likes of Eddie Howe, Sean Dyche and despite his recent sacking even Garry Monk would get my vote, experience has got us **** all so far and it'd be good to have a a bit of a shake up. For what it's worth, I know I've really ****ted all over Hodgson here but he does seem a nice bloke and a real gentleman so I'll still wish him all the best and hope he proves me wrong and wins the damn thing.
I don't think Hodgson should have got the job in the first place and also that he should have lost it by now. Certainly a nice guy but irrelevant to this question. Will no doubt pick his favourites and no doubt we'll do as well as usual. Rooney will of course play and fail again. Though if you keep on picking him he might almost by random chance have a great game and score a few, which will be used to justify the dross he's churned out in previous tournaments. Fact is one great game does not justify what he's cost us previously. I genuinely believe that if Crouch was picked as many times as Rooney he'd have scored at least a many. Mind you I believe that there are certain players that may be better internationals than they are at club level, Wellbeck probably being one and Townsend perhaps another. It's about picking those people that really put a shift in internationally and in good form domestically, and having the guts to drop the "names" when they are not performing.
My Squad and Roys would be very different! I would take GK; Hart, Butland and Forster ( and I expect Roy will too) Def; Walker, Clyne, Stones, Smalling, Dann, Shawcross, Bertrand & Rose (I think that Roy will pick Jagielka, Cahill, Jones and Baines instead of Walker, Dann, Shawcross and Rose) Mid; Dier, Henderson, Alli, Barkley, Milner, Drinkwater, Sterling & Walcott (Roy will take Lallana, Wilshire, Delph & Oxlade Chamberlain instead of Dier, Drinkwater, Alli & Vardy, Walcott being his 4th forward) For; Kane, Vardy, Rooney & Welbeck (see above)
Has Stones done enough to justify his selection? Everton seem to concede more with him in the side. He's clearly got a lot of potential, but his performances are leaving a little to be desired this season, in my opinion.
