England team - what would you do?

If you were manager, which players for a best starting XI would you choose and why?

For me, it would be this:

-----------------Hart----------------
Richards --- Terry --- Jones --- Baines
Downing --- Milner --- Wilshere --- Young
----------Rooney --- Sturridge -----------


Hart - Our best goalkeeper by a mile, the rest of them suck to be honest.

Richards - Big, strong young lad with a lot of talent

Terry - We need at least SOME experience and a big presence at the back to command

Jones - Cracking young player

Baines - Don't rate Cole much now. Baines also offers a lot more attacking threat

Downing - Great winger

Milner - A great CM, although if Gerrard was fit and back to his best I'd have him

Wilshere - Probably the best young CM talent England has

Young - Another cracking winger

Rooney - On form, the best player England has

Sturridge - Great goalscoring record this season. If he can replicate that in the England squad he'd be superb



Whilst I can think of some great young players, we do need some experience in there in players like Terry. Either way though, I think that XI pisses all over anything Capello puts out. And just look at what it leaves us as possible back-up for the bench:

Defenders: Smalling, Jagielka, Cole, Walker, Lescott
Midfielders: Lampard, Walcott, Parker, Johnson, Rodwell, Cleverley
Strikers: Bent, Welbeck, Defoe

Those other players allow so many possible combinations and tactics against every team, with a very, very strong bench no matter which combination you use. As for the formation, just stick to the 4-4-2 which seems to be engrained in every English player from birth. Let's stop trying to be Spain.

PS: This is assuming that you can only choose one XI for the whole Euro tournament. No 'test' XI's or any stupid **** like Capello does.

 

----------------------Hart--------------------
Richards----Lescott----Jones----Cole
----------Milner----------Parker----------
------------------Johnson------------------
----Rooney----Sturridge-----Young---

 

Hart

Walker Jagielka Lescott Cole

Lampard Parker Wilshere

Walcott Carroll Milner​

Hart - No other options.

Walker - Brilliant young player, looks a real talent.

Jagielka - A class CB, has been brilliant for years.

Lescott - plays well with Jagielka, on such good form recently.

Cole - Still one of the worlds best, experienced head.

Lampard - Our biggest goal threat. Works well in a midfield 3.

Parker - Best DM in the country by far.

Wilshere - best box to box midfielder in the country.

Walcott - pure pace and always looks to get the ball down.

Carroll - good young player, good in the air, holds it up well, good on the floor.

Milner - Good delivery, works harder than anyone and is always reliable.


Others in squad:

Keepers: Carson, Stockdale?

Defenders: Richards, Taylor, Terry, Baines

Midfield: Rodwell, Downing, Lennon, Johnson

Strikers: Bent, Agbonlahor

 

Hart
Richards - Taylor - Jones - Baines

Lampard...Wilshere....Milner

Young...Rooney...Sturridge

 

Doesnt Rooney miss the first 2/3 games ?

 

I hope he never plays for England again.

 

It's a hypothetical situation of the best XI, ignoring **** like suspensions.

 

Hart

Walker
Terry
Jones
Cole/Baines

Parker
Wilshere

Johnson/Downing
Gerrard/Lampard
Young

Bent

4231 formation.

That's while Rooney's banned.

 

Hart

Richards Cahill Lescott Cole

A.Johnson Rodwell Huddlestone Wilshere Young

Rooney

I have gone for this formation because I think it is the way to go now. 4-4-2 with the big man little man really doesn't work against superior sides.

Hart - Best goalkeeper at the moment

Richards - 50/50 with Walker or Richards but Richards has improved a lot but I would have no problem with Walker

Cahill - Ferdinand is looking a shadow of his former self and I think he is more comfortable on the ball than Jagielka

Lescott - He was very good against Spain and was very composed with his passing and when he came out of defence. Terry was terrible with simple passes that he hit straight at Sweden players last night

Cole - He is definitely the stand out left back

A.Johnson - He is a very good player and has always done the business when he was played for England. Walcott never really does anything and I don't think Downing does enough either

Rodwell - He impressed versus Spain and was good again against Sweden. With Huddlestone in the team I think his mobility and workrate would help

Huddlestone - I have always wanted him to be an England regular because of his passing. He is the closest thing to Xabi Alonso we have

Wilshere - He is good creative player and is most like the Spanish players out of the whole England squad but he can tackle etc too

A.Young - He has been very good and scored a few goals in his recent appearances and there isn't really any other options on the left

Rooney - He can play upfront by himself and does it well. Bent is the only other option but he is always on the shoulder of the last defender and doesn't really do anything else. Rooney is more of a team player and create as well as score goals

Subs - Green, Walker, Jagielka, Gerrard, Parker, Walcott, Defoe

 

So no one would pick a toon player

 

To be fair think they need to prove themselves more until they will be seen as good choices... For me Steven Taylor looks the most likely, if he plays the way he is playing now until the end of the season he will definitley have a very good shout.

 

I agree with this. Ryan Taylor and Danny Simpson are playing well but they are definitely not international class players and they would be shown up. I doubt Taylor will get called up anyway. Capello doesn't even bother to come and watch matches in the North East so he isn't going to pick any players from Newcastle any time soon.

 

---------------Hart
Richards--Jones--Lescott--Cole
--------Rodwell--Wilshire
Wallcott---Gerrard---Young
-----------Rooney

Hart - No other option really

Richards - Been great for City this season, was immense against Manure. Better than Smalling or Johnson

Jones - needs time at CB for Utd but is going to be quality, can pick a pass as well as doing the simple stuff at CB which why Crapello has been playing him in midfield

Lescott - again been great for City, seems to lost the errors out of his game and is comfortable on either foot (left footed CB always a good thing)

Cole - in my opinion still best LB in the world

Rodwell - gets better everytime I see him, playing regular for Everton now and will only continue to get better, though won't be at Everton come next Summer.

Wilshire - the lad will be the next England superstar, has it all, just needs to stay fit.

Walcott - not everyone's choice but pace scares the bejeesus out of defenders and his distribution, decision making & crossing have improved

Gerrard - in my book still the best English player, needs to get fit but behind Rooney in a freeish role he is awesome

Young - just keeps getting better, has stepped up in class since move to Manure

Rooney - best striker we have no matter how much people dislike him


Others in squad:

Keepers: Carson, Elliot

Defenders: Smalling, Cahill, Terry, Baines

Midfield: Parker, Milner, Lennon, Johnson

Strikers: Bent, Agbonlahor

 

Hart
Walker
Cole
Jagielka
Cahill
Lescott
Parker
Wiltshire
Gerrard
Young
Johnson
Walcott
Rooney
2 GK's
Johnson (only to provide a different option to Walker or it would be Richards)
Baines
Jones
Smalling
Milner
Lennon
Rodwell
Sturridge
Welbeck
Carroll
Downing

one to be cut, do you have to pick 3 goalkeepers? if you do cut lennon, never fit anyway. Someone like Raheem Sterling or Ross Barkley could be so good and develop so quickly, they could do a Rooney/Owen and force their way in but unlikely.

 

Hart
Walker - Terry - Jones - Cole
Wilshere - Barry - Gerrard
Johnson - Rooney - Young

 

Hart
Walker - Terry - Cahill - Cole
Parker - Jones
Young - Wilshire - Downing
Rooney

With Bent playing when Rooney is out and the obvious Gerrad, Lamps, Walcott, Richards, Jones, Carroll (I know I know but he's something completley different that some teams won't be able to handle) etc on the bench to change things up.

 

-------------------------------Hart----------------------------------

Walker---------Terry--------------------Lescott---------------Cole

--------------------Parker------Wilshere/Lampard-----------------

Walcott/Milner--------------Young-------------------------Johnson

----------------------------Sturridge---------------------------------

 

Wow.

It's amazing how many of you have put Downing in your squad. The guy has played 30+ times for England and has 0 goals and 2 assists. His ball retention, skill, range of passing, dribbling, crosses, corners, free kicks and technique are as bad as I've seen at international level. I thought this back in his Middlesbrough and Villa days, it has nothing to do with him being a bindipper.

Also, Ashley Cole played another blinder against Spain. He's the best left back in the world and that's hard for me to say considering how much I don't like the guy and how highly I rate Evra. Like the commentator said last night, getting the LB jersey is harder than getting the GK jersey nowadays. Plus bear in mind he was the only good thing to come out of the world cup for England last year, his performances were world class on an individual level.

Hart/Carson/Green

Cole/Baines
Lescott/Terry
Jones/Jagielka
Smalling/Richards

Johnson/Beckham
Wilshere/Cleverley
Lampard/Barry
Young/Gerrard

Rooney/Bent
Defoe (gets goals for England)/Welbeck

If Fabio goes with Terry-Rio at the back, Lampard-Gerrard in the middle then he's just proving that he hasn't got the bottle to drop them and we won't make it past the groups.

Beckham is in there as I feel we will need at least one person who can cross a ball with pin-point perfection, at least until Adam Johnson learns that a winger's job, first and foremost is to cross the ball.

 

Hart
Walker Terry Lescott Cole
Wilshire Parker Milner
Johnson Rooney Young

 

I think Downing is starting to show that direct attacking threat that we need. Someone who will get the ball in the box instead of fannying around the outside of the box (Walcott). I'm only basing this on his last few games though as unlike most England Managers, I'd pick my team on form at the time rather than reputations.