Blimey Beef – I hope you’re acting dumb just to wind me up and you aren’t actually misunderstanding everything I say and putting up straw-man after straw-man without realising it!! First, the squad I picked isn’t actually intended to be a Euro one if I was actually England manager (though I clearly should be), is was just a bit of fun explore San Diego’s point that developing the younger players might be a good idea rather than taking the usual suspects. Second, the fact that we’ve failed in the past doesn’t mean that the bulk of the squad weren’t on form before the tournament. Third, I’ve said (as have others like weighty) that I’d have no problems if Holt was called up and have tried to hint that my Holt related comments are generally mere japery and I actually quite like him. Forth, I still maintain that Holt is: 1. too ugly to play for England and 2. we can get by quite nicely without a big, bustling type up front., especially given the caveman tendencies our players revert to when there’s that type of player in the formation. Even players like Gerrard are guilty of this: if the likes of Crouch are up front, then the rest of the team have a tendency to stoop to hopeful punts in his general direction. All this ever does is gift possession back to the opposition which is fatal, especially these days. England have to learn to keep possession and be patient: no more short pass-short pass- HOOF (lose possession) stuff. Using a non-big man up front would at least go some way to training our cretin players to learn to keep the ball. And the “thousand lifetimes” thing – you do know we’ve had good keepers in the past and won a few things, don’t you!
They’ve played strikers if that’s what you mean! Genius stuff!!! You are a master of observation Beef!! Owen was an “out and out striker”. So is Defoe and countless other examples. All are happy (or at least should be if they’ve been brought through correctly) operating as lone strikers. The tactical approach just needs to exploit their talents rather than that of the traditional big target man. And these days even having one striker is questionable. I know you don’t like the Barca example as they’re so exceptional, but if you go back to the first Man U Champions League final they operated for most of the match with no striker at all. Eto’o started up front with Messi on the right and Henry on the left; within 10 minutes Eto’o moved out onto the right, Messi dropped into midfield and Henry stayed where he was. Ferdinand and Vidic were left marking thin air, Man U were swamped in midfield and it didn’t distract from Barca’s attacking threat at all. It can be done. You don’t need a big man, and any international team that actually RELIES on one is not going to have a happy time of it (E.G., England for the last few decades). I’m not saying there is no place for one in your squad, or that the Barca/Spain way is inevitably the way things are going; I merely point out that if England are to be successful, they must at least be able to operate comfortably without a big “number 9” type of player.
on this evidence I'm not sure I'd take any Liverpool players... bizarrely look half a yard short of fitness all over the pitch.
Ben Foster won't go - he's retired from internationals. I cannot see a manager taking both Terry and Ferdinand - it would create hassle behind the scenes. Adam Johnson surely cannot go he's hardly played. Crouch and Welbeck ? not for me. Welbeck wouldn't look out of place at Hull City. I'd take - Hart two other gks no clue who ! Cole Richards Lescott Cahill Terry Walker Smalling Gerrard Lampard Barry Milner Joe Cole ( different to most and playing class at Lille ) Parker Oxalade Chamberlain Ashley " diving cheating scumbag " Young Lennon Rooney Bent ( IF FIT ) Holt ( hate to say it but he scored again today v Arsenal and for me he deserves a chance ) Sturridge We ALWAYS take the same usual rubbish. I have no interest in Andy Carroll going - I WOULD when properly fit. If he played like he did today v Chelsea for 90 he'd be the main man Defoe CANNOT play as a 1. He hasn't done enough. Carrick is a complete donkey. Ledley + Holt may surprise people, but I rate both. Grant Holt in particular - yes he plays for " that lot " and yes I remember him being a diving idiot last season when he scored a hat-trick. However, he's scored 14 prem goals this season, is a physical presence and offers a lot. Unlike Crouch who has NEVER learn't how not to give away 20 free kicks each game due to how stupid he is, Holt doesn't do so. He makes very very clever runs and despite his size is certainly no slouch. He offers an awful lot to Norwich, and frankly I believe at times we're rather JEALOUS. £400,000 for a player whose belted goals in for the last three seasons, wish we'd signed him frankly !
haha ! Sorry just had to pick a random club my point is Wellbeck is very overated. That I didn't know - I guess Joe Cole would be my man to miss out then !
There’s Ledley King, but he was using surnames, so you’d expect him to turn up with the defenders as “King”. He has been known to play as a defensive midfielder, so maybe that’s it. Or there’s Joe Ledley who is a midfielder, but he’s Welsh. I wondered if there was another Ledley that’s emerged somewhere without me noticing.
I meant Joe Allen of Swansea. Cracking player, keeps the ball very well. A lot of English central midfielders lose the ball for fun. Joe Cole, definitely worth a mention. Had a great season for Lille, played quite often too, and hasn't had the injury issues. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVbiFxl1IKo some highlights. He's certainly still got it.
" There was so much wrong in there IMHO that I didn't really know where to start... " Well start and see where you get to...... Coming from the person who picked a player who has retired from international football haha !
