Lambert deserves to start though man, over Rooney and Sturridge. My gripe with this tourney is that we are using the same old tired tactics that will get us nowhere, if you're gonna do that at least give a chance to the young lads and the likes of Lambert and make us unpredictable and raw. The likes of Ravel Morrison are only taken on by the muppet clubs, with **** coaches. He should go sign for Derby County and get his career back on track, McLaren would have him playing out of his skin in a couple of seasons. The sooner Gary Neville takes charge of England the better, right big ****ing hoof up the FA's ring piece is what he'll deliver.
I know there's not an awful lot of love outside of Manchester for Smalling or Jones but seriously... Glen Johnson at RB? Has anybody seen him lately? Can I not get a single high five from somebody for suggesting to drop this sack of useless, redundant ****?
Going to go off the tracks here a bit. ---------------Hart (GK/Captain)-------- -----------Jones (sweeper)------------- -------Cahill (CD)-------Jagielka (CD) Johnson (RWB)--------------------Baines (LWB) -----------------Henderson (deep PM)--------- ----------Barkley (MF/AM/)-------Wiltshire(MF/AM) ----------------Lambert (FW/Target man)---------- ---------------------------Rooney (ST)----------- Jones is great on the ball or at least when I have seen him as a DM he was, so make him a sweeper and he can bring it out of defence. They can also pass it about in triangles and frustrate the opposition forwards. Gerard would probabky be a better option than Henderson as a deep lying playmaker but as you have the 3 defenders behind him I just think having a younger man there would maybe be better, and bring Gerard on if we need him. Johnson and Baines are better going forward so having the 3 defenders behind them is good insurance and they can get forward and overlap with the 2 midfiekders . 2 midfielders IMHO are the best we have ATM for keeping the ball and playing short passes into the front 2. Lambert/Rooney I am seeing as a Quinn/Phillips partnership for us. Play it to Lambert either on the deck or in the air and he will find Rooney, as long as Rooney can find the space, he should score a few. I realise there is no wingers, but wingers have never really helped us in the past, either lack of pace, or if they have pace they can't cross, and we have the 2 attacking wing backs to overlap and cross anyway. This won't be the formation, and most will hate it anyway but it might be what I would try against Italy.
Nicely thought out that Steve, but we would get torn to shreds by any side with a ball playing midfielder, say a Pirlo. The narrowness of the midfield would pull the full backs forward, and we'd get murdered in behind.
But the full backs can't defend anyway and Cahill/Jag can cover those areas if its going down there with the other coming in to help Jones in central defence. Its not the English way though, its the AC Milan way (sort of) of the 90's and it didn't do them any harm.
Fair comment, but teams did tend to play 4 rather than 5 in midfield in those days, which meant advanced wing backs didn't leave you so open as it can now.
Hart Jones Cahill Jagielka Baines Wilshere Gerrard Sterling Barkley Rooney Sturridge Those 3 in behind the striker aren't a number 10 and 2 wide men, all 3 would play within the width of the 18 yard box for me. We have more than enough width with our full backs who seem to want to get forward at every opportunity. I don't mind switching Lallana in for any of the 3, or Henderson/Lampard in for Wilshere, my only 3 stipulations are: a) Glen Johnson cannot play. He doesn't deserve it. b) For Welbeck, see above. c) Barkley HAS to start.
Reading through the rest of this thread, howay man Terry Sturridge and Sterling don't deserve to start? Take off the specs mate, if you think there should only be 2 Liverpool players in our starting line up then that's clearly a heavily biased viewpoint on your behalf.
Argh there's 7 attacking mids/strikers I'd ideally life to play, but I'd probably go with something like this: -----------------Hart-------------------- --Johnson--Cahill--Jagielka--Baines--- ------------Milner--Gerrard (Ox if fit)-- -----Sterling--Barkley--Rooney/Lallana ---------------Sturridge------------------
For **** sake the OP asks for "Your England XI" so I answered with the team I would start. I don't have any specs on, Sterling and Sturridge had great seasons for Liverpool, but as individuals I don't want their style in my England XI. If the OP says who would I think will start then they'd both be in, so too would Glen Johnson. I'm not jumping on the Sterling n Sturridge bandwagon, especially after the former got sent off last time out for a pathetic lunge and the latter has spent the last two friendlies practicing 'sitter missing'.
I'm not saying it's not your opinion, I'm just saying your opinion is clearly affected by your loyalties
If I can just explain without alienating anybody. All the world cup or euros are to me is a bit like methadone would be to a smack head. A shot of something that'll tide me over until my real love comes around again. Does that make any sense at all? I love my SAFC even if they have pissed me of for years. Apart from them & Rangers I couldn't really give a ****. At one time I'd watch a stream of any game on. Now half the time I can't even be arsed with the champions league. I think I'm falling out of love with football.
I find that amazing mate. What, in your opinion, qualifies you for a starting place for England then? What do you have to do?
Well I havnt got any wingers so that leaves sterling out. And I think Rooney up top with Barkley, Wiltshire and Lambert behind is a better player/finisher than Sturridge. Rooney is out top goal scorer in qualifiers, he is only 5 behind the all time scorer for England he has 39 Charlton 44 I believe, and I just think its His world cup to take by the scruff of the neck and prove all his doubters wrong, He has also got 1 or 2 25+ goals a season for Man U behind him when he was played as a striker, so he can do it.
Well a certain starter is, you pay to shag a granny & have your lasses pubes & armpit hair stuck on your bald patch. Another good tip to anyone wishing to be in the squad is to punch people in nightclubs & coming from Liverpool helps a lot.
Seriously pal, I'm not remotely interested in what you think about my opinion. If you think it's based on loyalties great, well done for your expert analysis which failed to take note that I've included probably one of the most hated scousers from a Manc point of view in my starting 11.
