"Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is targeting Euro 2012 glory in what he believes will be his last international tournament." (Source: The Daily Mirror) If there is any justice in the world, Gerrard will not make the squad, let alone start any of the Euro games. What the hell has he done this season, or last season even, to justify a place in the squad? Surely, Capello has better options than Gerrard, players who have actually showed some form? If Gerrard goes to the Finals, I'll lose all respect for Capello as a manager.
Only Gerrard? You'd think the rest of the England clique - Rooney, Terry, Lampard, Barry - already had their towels on the sunloungers by the hotel pool...
Average temperature in Krakow: 69 (source: http://www.krakow-info.com/weather.htm) Average temperature in England: 64 (source: Met Office) Sounds warmer, no?
Erm...precisely how much respect do you have for Capello currently? Shall we measure it in grams or in millimetres?
When was the last time that Gerrard even had a consistent run in the side at Liverpool? The only position that I'd consider him for is playing behind the lone striker and I think that Lampard's better at it. Would Gerrard be content with a place on the bench?
The Euros presents us with an opportunity. Nobody is really expecting that much of us. We have some decent youngsters coming through why not leave the "Golden" underachievers at home and try something different?
Because the manager's going to be gone after this tournament, so he won't give a **** about development?
Alt + Print Screen Yes, I am preserving the moment Ensil said somebody else was being belligerent and arguing for the sake of arguing, and making it my desktop wallpaper. Hopefully the irony won't cause my computer to melt...
Gerrard has already booked his seat on the Euro 2012 plane! ------------------------------------------------------------ Don't worry...its a Disabled seat.
I don't know why we moan, its the same every tournament, doesn't matter who's in charge, its the same old faces. Italians, particularly his generation believe experience wins the day...oblivious to the fact our only experience is failure.
There's this fool belief that the best English players "must" play at the best English teams, which just simply isn't the case and never has been. Sven was particularly bad for it, so on one hand we should give Capello some credit for experimenting - before reverting to type when announcing the squad for the actual tournament.
I certainly don't accept that! He may well have been ONE of the best English midfielders we had, 4 or 5 seasons ago, but even in his prime he never quite managed to fit into any number of England squads. Now that he's (a) lost a yard of pace, and (b) has lost any semblance of form he might have had through injury, he would be about as useful as a chocolate spanner. Worse, in fact, because at least a chocolate spanner would taste nice.
I'd probably keep Rooney, but would drop him for Euro 2012 as punishment for his ill-discipline and as an example to the England youngsters who think it's cool or hip to let their team-mates and their country down. I'd also make him know that he'll only get picked to play again for his country when if he can prove that he's the best option in an England shirt (bearing in mind that, in an England shirt, he's not exactly proved himself to be our best option up front, or as an attacking midfielder).
I agree Gerrard isn't the player he was 4-5 years ago but realistically who else have we got that can play in his position as well as him?
But that's the thing - what position? Do we know what position is his best for England? He's never excelled as a DM, and both Scott Parker and Barry are better in that position than him. He's never excelled as an AM (which Paul Scholes made his own), and I'd much prefer Lampard in that role, or Rooney, even. He's never excelled on either wing, and England has a plethora of talented wingers to call on, probably more so than any other position. Gerard has been a great servant for 'Pool, but even for them he simply is not performing. There is no way that Capello has the balls or the foresight to drop Gerrard (or any of the other "big" names), so he'll be going to Euro 2012 regardless of his form, but I really cannot agree that he should be going.
