According to Sky Hodgson has hinted that he will stick with experienced players for the Euros and give second chances to those who have not met expectations at international level before. Doesn't look good for either Holt or Ruddy then. http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12016/7757228/Hodgson-drops-squad-hint
Saw that earlier. He does allude to staying with experience but it may just be taken out of context. No point in second guessing, only have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully he will bring in a good mix of players hungry to do well for their country. Although I doubt it will happen
But do Carson and Butler have a lot of experience. Also, Carroll really hasn't got much in terms of England games.
does this mean heskey gets in? when you actually think about it the players like terry, barry, gerrard, lampard etc. are going to HAVE to go. we don't have great youngsters coming through, no matter what anyone says. to go with a team full of youngsters that aren't even good enough to get into their club sides would be bonkers, even if it would please some by grooming the 'next generation'. problem is, if the next generation isn't anywhere near good enough, why waste a tournament blooding them? as said above, i wouldn't read too much into it as its no doubt taken out of context. i just hope he doesn't pick players like carson and gives a few players you wouldn't expect a chance. just to add, i hate it when people suggest following the german route. we can't! have you seen how good those youngsters were???!!! we don't have that kind of quality coming through.
this is the safe card for a new manager with no preparation time isn't it? not unexpected. think ruddy will go but holty won't
Agreed about Barry, Lampard and co. We just need players like Jones, Cleverly and Oxlade-Chamberlain to improve.
these players have promise but thats all it is - they're not showing signs of being exceptional (well, the ox maybe). jones has had an indifferent season after a good start, cleverley has been injured all year, sturridge has been terrible since christmas, welbeck is another who shows promise but nothing more. even carroll could be thrown into that list. then who else is there? you're back to your lampard's and co or, as we'd all like to see, some players who have actually had good seasons but are untried like holt and graham.
Ray Clemence was supposedly at the game on Sunday watching Ruddy keep a clean sheet and produce another absolutely faultless performance so if he still doesn't make the squad then you have to ask yourself what on earth is the point of sending scouts to games? Also, something that massively ****ed me off was when on Sunday night I read the BBC text feed from that day Andy Carroll was described on at least two occasions as "England striker". It is as if there is suddenly some big nationwide campaign to get him on the plane on the basis of about 100 minutes of decent football and completely ignoring the fact his show of petulance could and possibly should have got him sent off before half-time.
The swollen headed fourth estate cronies including Winter and co were on Sky last night and dismissed Ruddy's chances in fact one even sneared at the remark. But wanted to take Butland for the experience because the experience would be good! In the end they thought of Hart, Green and Carson because one admitted he hadn't seen Butland play! No wonder, he hasn't made a first team appearance. These hacks do not watch every game rather restricting themselves to the top six. Yet they influence millions by their opinions in newsprint "cos if its in the Sun, then it has to be true." Holt of course wasn't even mentioned. Carroll was first choice with them because of "a good cameo of 30 minutes in the Cup Final". Give me stength!
i think ruddy will get the call, finally! but i think holt will miss out simply down to prejudice from the media more than anything. now i realise the media don't pick the squad but that doesn't mean the squad isn't influenced by them
If Holt doesn't get in it won't matter in the end. This team won't get out of the first round anyway.....
I had a rather heated Holt debate in the office with a couple of (surprise, surprise) Arsenal fans yesterday and they honestly thought I was trying to wind them up by suggesting he should go the Euro's and dismissed the very notion out of hand simply because "He's not good enough". That was the only argument they provided with no actual evidence to back it up other than the fact they "know what they're talking about and he's NOWHERE NEAR good enough". Even the cold hard FACTS that he has scored a wide range of quality goals against nearly all the top six despite playing in an argubaly (arguably ) inferior team than the one he could line up with in an England held no sway. He's just not good enough and that's it apparently. End of. ****ers.
That's what you get with supports with a big club mentality unfortunately. Unable to think for themselves and come up with good arguments.
its not just the fans of big clubs who don't get it. even our neighbours fought long and hard to think of a reason, any reason, why holt shouldn't be included. they eventually came up with 'he might give away too many fouls'. i'd wager that had holt began his career at man united or arsenal etc, he'd be a hell of a lot more respected in the media and by fans than he is for coming up from the likes of barrow. strangely, thats the exact reason he deserves more respect.
I've even got the "giving away fouls" argument covered when it is thrown at him, just quote the very impressive international scoring records of Crouch (22 goals/42 caps), Koeller (55/91) and Zigic (20/57). All far more gangly, clumsy and cumbersome and therefore prone to giving away fouls than Holty - and he wins a hell of a lot more free-kicks than they do But apparently that argument is hilarious as well because when I trotted it out to my Arsenal mates they simply laughed out loud. I think there might be something wrong with them, I think they might be ****s
Holty won't go because he plays for a little club, or is that a big club?, no I'm sure lots of Norwich fans agree he won't go because he plays for "Little old Norwich". If Hodgson thinks he's good enough , he'll go no matter who he plays for. I did say that if ever Grant Holt played for England I would bare my arse in the centre circle at Carrow Road, so please lads stop the campaign now.
