I think the only reason they play well for their Clubs is because they're surrounded by foreigners. Throw all the British/Irish players on the same team and there's very little technical ability.
No problem at all Nuts, and your analysis is good. But, as I think I said on the Moldova match thread, I have simply fallen out of love with the English national team, which is my problem, not theirs! Our fundamental issue, in addition to the absence of inspirational talent ( but I agree we have some potentially good players ) is the total lack of a top class English coach. Hasn't been one since Venables. Trap is a legendary manager (I used to chant insulting songs about him when he managed Inter and I was an AC Milan season ticket holder, more than 20 years ago). Hodgson is a decent bloke, but top class? And please no one come back with Redknapp. If Capello could not get this team working properly (his pathetic English at least partly to blame) only the non English names you mention or Mourinho could. Something strange happens to them when they put on the shirt, especially at Wembley. If we don't get to Brazil, at least we will be spared the agony of moaning about the heat for our tedious trip to the last 16. Come to think of it, I really enjoyed USA 94, no pressure, just cheering on Ireland from a bar on Rhodes, as far as I can remember.....
I think there are still some very gifted players in Britain, and there seem to be some good young ones coming through. For me the main problem is that they always seem to play without any freedom or relaxation when they play in the national team - the English one anyway. Managers seem to force them into playing rigidly in some system - yet every now and then when up against it, players show what thet really can do. The English tream in the Euros is a good example - Hodgson played it so defensive, but when they needed goals against Sweden, the atacking football from Walcott, when Hodgson let him come on, Welbeck, Caroll and others was among the best we saw whole tournament.
We ain't got the "footballers" like they've got in South America and the Continent. We don't breed them. Its as pure and simple as that.
Very much agree nuts. Woy is playing Gerrard far too deep and in fact, Gerrard has been played out of position for most of his England career. Where do the opposition want to see Gerrard? On the edge of their box running at them or in the centre circle spraying "hollywood" passes about? I thought England played reasonably well against a good Ukraine team and, if they had taken all their chances they would have won by 2 or 3 imo. Cleverly isn't good enough to play behind the striker, but to be fair there were a lot of injuries. They at least tried to keep the ball better, but badly missed Rooney linking the play. However, I would have played Carrick along side Lampard allowing Gerrard to play behind Defoe. I believe we should have abandoned the next World Cup and picked players for the future.....aiming for the next Euros. (We'd probably have qualified anyway!) With everyone fit and playing as they did before they were injured, I would play this side and stick with it, bringing Wilshire and Bertrand in as Gerrard and Cole end their international careers: ------------------------Hart----------------------- Walker------------Cahill-----Jones-------Cole/Bertrand --------------Cleverly------Parker/?---------------- Gerrard/Wilshire--------Rooney---------Ox-Chamberline -------------------Wellbeck-------------------------- Admittedly I am struggling to field young holding midfielders.......Rodwell?
Hart Lescott(better than we have) Baines(better than we have) Gerrard Oxlade-Chamberline Defoe Wellbeck Sturridge Bertrand
The way I see it is that we arent going to win with the old guard now so we might as well cut them adrift and start (I dont want to sound like Graeme Rix here) grooming the young guys who will be playing for the next decade+
Don't know where you got that from? Never told anyone I was leaving for good and certainly not because of you. Have had a short sabbatical, as things were getting a bit silly on here (IMO).
Out of that lot I would only be excited by Lescott. It would have been Hart as well but not now we have Ceser.
Wotcha Col! Straight back in with a formation, excellent! These may be better players than we have, but I wouldn't be really excited by any of them. Now, Granero, that's exciting..... Warming up for Saturday afternoon?
Yeah...fair enough. I suppose I didn't really concentrate on the "exciting" bit. I'd still take all the players I listed though........obviously instead of some we have now, not as well as. All rather hypothetical eh? Really looking forward to Saturday. Hopefully M'bia and Grenero will both play.
Hope so too, but got my doubts about M'bia, just back from Africa, has even even trained with the squad yet? Yep, and the point I was trying to make was to explain my personal diffidence towards England at the moment, rather than anything to do with the Rs. Probably not very clearly!
Yeah....you're probably right. Should be interesting to see what side MH picks and who is left on the bench as a result.
