A lot of first caps being handed out in the latest pointless friendly, while I don't want out guys risked I think Rickie and Lallana deserve call ups over the likes of sterling, shelvey and Zaha. The Zaha thing is really really annoying me, he's being billed as a striker. You want a striker who can do the business in the championship? For gods sakes roy open your eyes.
Don't think Rickie will ever get his chance, purely because of his age, unless he scores 25 goals this season he's not going to get a look in.
Sterling and Shelvey are looking Liverpool's two best players at the moment, and Zaha is having an incredible season. I'm happy with those choices. Lallana and Lambert will be more likely to get a call if we start winning games, but I'd have been very surprised if either got the call this time.
Lallana & Lambo will have to up there game massively if they are to get another sniff of an England chance. Aside of Manchester and Villa games Lambert hasn't looked as interested to be honest. As for Lallana, i rate him highly, but cut the diving out and man up a bit. He is brushed aside far too easy. His earlier antics cost us a pen when he was fouled by Monk in my opinion.
Just prior to the Monk incident, Lallana was knocked over but scrambled up and came away with the ball. Didn't look much of a diver to me. As they said on MOTD, the yellow card was unwarranted in the first incident since he had no choice but to go down. The argument against that as a penalty was that the ball was going away from him. I'm hoping that refs are seeing these incidents and the penalty that wasn't given in the WBA game and rethink their ideas about Adam. Then we might get an undeserved but completely welcome penalty.
Just a point of order - friendlies don't count for the purposes of fixing a player's national eligibility. So even if Sterling, Jenkinson et al play in the Sweden game, they can still play for any of the countries for which they are currently eligible.
I don't understand why people say this is a factor. It wouldn't be a factor anywhere else on the pitch. The only time losing control of the ball should be considered is in deciding whether to give a red card for denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
I'm very relieved that no Saints players have been called up, because there is the small matter of QPR v Saints on Saturday, that we need everyone fit for.
