joe hart should be england captain in my opinion. we should be building the future around our best player. i think holt is a better footballer than graham but surely graham deserves a chance if holt doesn't? it stinks of big club bias as usual and thats one of the reasons why i'm losing interest in the international scene - and there are plenty of other reasons to lose interest as well!
The point is, JWM, Holt does deserve a chance as the only Englishman to score more Premier League goals is out of the squad due to illness. The problem is, you don't always get what you deserve, proved by our game yesterday.
Carrick has talent, no doubt, but how many times goes he get lost if things aren't going for his team? When Man Utd get stifled, as they sometimes do, Carrick goes AWOL. If Utd are in full flow then it seems to me that Carrick is suddenly noticable. Surely playing for your country SHOULD be the pinnacle of a player's career, no matter how many times they play. If they can't produce the goods for their team, then would they do it for their country? Just my humble opinions.
another reason for giving guys like holt a chance is the publicity it would receive. it would give every player a big lift, no matter what level of the game they are at, no matter what age they are. if you perform to the very top of your game every week its never too late to reach the top. he's a cracking character off the pitch too and would be a massive influence in the squad - he's a leader, nobody can dispute that, and he's not short on quality either, unlike davies or bothroyd! he's scoring goals against the big boys, not just the teams at the bottom. he's scoring against top defenders - he deserves a chance.
If the same grant holt played for anyone in the top 4 he would be straight in that squad FACT!!! If i remember correctly, we played spain all be it in a friendly and bullied them into a victory for us! Now, there is no one in this country who can bully opposition defenders much better than good ol holty does + score goals and that is also FACT!!! I would say the deluded fans are those of southampton who believe ricky lambert should get called up for the game
lets get one thing straight - i do not believe that grant holt is international class. however, i do think he is a better player than campbell and welbeck at the moment, better than crouch too. therefore, he should be selected.
I remember we made the same arguements when Marcus Stewart was the highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League. The fact is that they play for unfashionable clubs and the England management dont want to take a chance based on just 1 good season. If Holt was in his early 20's that would in all probability tip the balance in his favour but why take a chance with a player that is over 30. I'm not saying its right but that would be their arguements for not picking him!
so why no danny graham? he's mid-20s why does campbell get in on 3 games? you are totally right about the fashionable clubs thing though. sunderland are fashionable cos of o'neill. mind you, swansea are pretty fashionable too, even though we've doubled them at the end of the day, the fact stewart downing can get in an international squad says exactly what a farce it all is!
Did someone mention Birmingham City? Unfortunately the age side will go against Holt it winds me up seeing how badly some of the other English forwards have performed. Pearce just strikes me as typical dull FA employee a yes man. It's hilarious ready peoples opinions about his team selections in media so off the wall and unique picking Frazier Campbell what a radical Pearce is!
All I know is that my dad repeatedly told me that most people were aghast that Jimmy Greaves couldn't get a game in the England team as he was by far and away the best striker we had at the time of the World cup yet Sir Alf picked the best team to go and win each match and that meant playing Roger Hunt, who most agreed was a pale shadow of Greaves... however this is a team game we are playing and until people recognise this fact over the one that it is about picking your best XI players we will always struggle internationally. Perhaps the press should be to blame as much as anybody for heaping so much pressure on the manager to field those players at the expense of the team ethic! One bad result as England manager will turn your life upside down. Sad but true.
