I have just been reading an article in one of the papers from a few days ago that Woy Hodgson is leaving the door open for Andy Carroll to go to the world cup with England in the hope he can find some form towards the end of the season. After reading the reports and watching the highlights of the game with Wet Spam the other night, i think he might have this the wrong way round. Carroll never got a look in against either Curtis Davies or James Chester all night. Davies is the best centre half outside the top four clubs by a country mile, his displays this season have been nothing short of outstanding in 99% of the games he has played. Carroll on the other hand has been injured for most of the season and has hardly set the premier league alight since his return to the Wet Spam team. So Woy needs to explain why he would choose a player injured for most of the season, against someone who has proved his fitness and ability all season ala Curtis Davies. Before you jump and say they don't play the same position etc, i understand that but why would you come out and say you will wait and see if someone's form improves before making a decision on a player and completely ignore someone who is producing displays that regularly receive plaudits from all and sundry including other managers of premier league clubs, which is the reason he has been talked about in relation to spurs in the last few days. Adam Johnson has a point too, i know his form has dipped lately but unless your playing for a top six club you will be overlooked by your country no matter how well your playing week in and week out. CTWD
completely agree it's an utter ****ing joke, davies and chester absolutely nullified the lanky haired ****e all match... england considering andy carroll and i get the piss taken for supporting scotland adam johnson had it all... england are a ****ing joke
The joke is that Hodgson apparently believes that the likes of Smalling, Cleverley, Caulker, and Jones (all crap) should be under consideration for Brazil and Davies can't even get called up for a Friendly. As for Bambi Carroll he hardly got a shot off against us at West Ham. Ludicrous. Hodgson must be senile.
Think I've mentioned this before and it's probably my own conspiracy theory...... But I reckon Hodgson still holds a grudge against us for the Ayala injury bullshit when he was Liverpool manager a few years back.
Where to start! Surely there are few better options than Carrol to throw on in the final 5-10 mins of a game we might be chasing. He is a beast in the air and can cause chaos in the penalty area. He didn't have a good game against you the other night but we were so poor on the night and he had no service and was completely isolated up front. The Swansea game where he set up two goals for Nolan, shows how good he can be when on form. He is slowly regaining match fitness after being out for six months. If he can get into top gear over the last 7 games then he just has to be on the plane. "Davies is the best centre half outside the top four clubs by a country mile" - This made me laugh! A decent defender yes, but nothing more. Your argument is a bit strange. Comparing two players who play in completely different positions makes no sense.
Now why did this make you laugh m8. All the stats show that our Curtis is without doubt better than the defenders that England have picked so far by a country mile. The OP was not comparing players he was asking the question why the door has been left open for one player who quite frankly was a ghost on Wednesday and is totally ignoring what the stats clearly show is the best centre half in the league
The point is, if you have a world class player out of form you can take a chance on them not being fully fit or in top form. No way is Carrol world class, Hodgson is picking the squad on past performances, he said when he took the job players would be picked on form not reputation. Davies has proved he is England material, everyone has seen this not just us City supporters. Johnson is on the same situation. Caulker??? Dont get that at all. I can understand Huddlestone not being picked, he doesn't do enough without the ball, no doubting his technical ability thats always been England standard.
Johnson hasn't played consistently well all season he had a brief good spell which now seems to have ended, certainly not an injustice that he isn't in the squad. Caulker your right, part of the worst defense in the league and an average performer at best. I was surprised how good James Tomkins stats are this season, almost identical to Davies, so there's a good chance he'd get the call before Davies playing for the mighty West Ham and all that.
The modern football fan and stats eh? Reminds me of the southampton fans who were happy after we beat them 3-1 because they had 64% possession and more shots on target. Statistically, Davies comes out ahead of Kompany - who is the better defender? England have at least 5 central defenders equal to or better than Davies. But up front we are short on quality when it comes to target men. When it comes to something different - a plan B if you like, Carrol would be a good pick.
Davies should go because he is without doubt one of the top performing England central defenders this season. What's more, at no point has his form dipped. He has kept some of the best strikers in the league quiet. He has the correct temperament. I could go on. Huddlestone, probably not. If he'd have maintained the form he was showing at Christmas than definitely, but he hasn't. I could have seen him playing in the first game against Italy, given that its going to be played at walking pace and half of each team are probably going to die but other than that I can see better English choices in midfield. Carroll has always been mediocre. When Newcastle were in the Championship he was 'a right handful' in an inferior Billy Whitehurst sort of way. The first half of the next season, he caught some Premiership defences out because they didn't adjust to his uncompromising style, they hadn't worked him out. Liverpool were foolish to pay that money for him as they well know. His injury record is awful. The time he spends on the field means his overall contribution is limited. Yes he is worth bringing on when chasing a game because he offers something different and that might suit Woys mentality, but for me its a defeatest way to plan for a tournament. Not that we'll get through the group stages anyway.
I wouldn't be against Davies being in the England squad. Just saying there is no reason why he should be ahead of other, equally able defenders. It's a fans bias. You all think Davies should be in the squad because he plays for your club. Same as we all think Mark Noble should be because he plays for us. Stats mean little. Carlton Cole has a better goals per minute ratio than Danny Welbeck. Doesn't mean he should be playing for England. (Although Welbeck is absolute pony)
Carroll should go, he's not the best striker but he's a specialist, a monumental beast in the air. You need players like that who offer something different and can change your style of play when it's not working. If you're struggling to play through and get balls in behind its futile bringing off sturridge and bringing on Defoe. I think we were a year too late for Davies. He's without doubt one of the most consistent and best performing English central defenders, but the centre halves need to have a repartee and I can understand Roy not wanting to drop a player into the World Cup finals alongside players he's never worked with before, it could be disastrous. If that's the reasoning of course, which considering just how good Davies has been all season there really can't be any other. I think Caulker got the nod on account of being viewed as the future, so to build up some experience of being around the England camp. Also stats are pretty irrelevant, Davies is bound to make more challenges and interceptions than others like Cahill, Jagielka etc. as he plays for us who are under the cosh and defending on the back foot more often than not. What needs to be looked at is how often they get it right or wrong at those vital times, and percentages. Like I said Davies will rack up a higher total of tackles, headers won, interceptions but work out the percentage of those they all win. That would paint a far clearer picture.
I think in this case it's more than fan bias - he's simply had the best individual season of any Hull City player in any of the 35 years I can talk about. With Huddlestone you'll see divided opinion among our fans over his England claims (and rightly so - he does some things brilliantly and others not so well, and has great days and awful ones). But when it comes to Davies, the unanimity of fan opinion should tell you something about his quality and consistency.
The stats help back it up too! http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/25...erStatistics/England-Premier-League-2013-2014 http://www.squawka.com/football-pla...03/2014#season#1#all-matches#total#desc#total Both show that he should be in the England squad on form (not necessarily start though)
Form wise Davies is head and shoulders above most of the other English Centre halves this season, certainly those available for selection, however I honestly believe Woy, has issues with City, and has done since being the Liverpool manager when we upset him over a loan player, I have the firm belief that no matter how good the lads play they will not be included because of the man`s ignorance and his utter dislike for our club, the sooner his antiquated ways and methods are given the UB40 the better for me, and for the National team.
Never mind stats; the difference here is that there's hardly a pundit, expert, journalist or player (ex- or current) who seems to be disagreeing with the assertion that Curtis Davies' form has been outstanding this season and worthy of a call-up. Chris Smalling? For ****'s sake, even Man United fans think he's ****. Now piss off you facking maaag; go and jelly some eels
Curtis Davies should be in the England squad, end of argument. I'm not saying that he should actually partner Cahill at the back, but his form has warranted him a place in the squad at least.
