Leon britton

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ivoralljack

Well-Known Member
Apr 22, 2011
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Swansea
Took a look at a link for the Hawksbee and Jacobs show on Talk Sport. There's a recording of Leon's agent bemoaning the fact that he wasn't even considered for England - echoing a point I made (also naming Dyer) in an earlier post.

H & J actually agreed that given Leon's passing stats, which were the best in Europe, he was unlucky to miss out. The two prime reasons put forward was the fact that Swansea City is an unfashionable club and that Leon was too old at age 29.

Personally, I believe that he could have done a job at least as well, and probably better, than some of those selected ahead of him. And he could well have given England the fluency they were so badly missing in the middle of the park. What do you guys think?
 
Wouldn't work I don't think, ivor because the players around Leon are attuned to playing a certain way. England players aren't.
 
He probably would have been a square peg in a round hole - few of the other England players would have known how to play with him, and as he showed at Sheff Utd, he doesn't do too well in traditional styles of play.

He would have done well playing for Wales (e.g. Against Mexico) just because with Ramsay and Allen it would have been a much better fit, and Wales would have been a better team for it. Shame he has no Welsh blood in him.
 
Ivor absolutely agree, I heard the show this avo and it was good to hear, what we know to be a valid viewpoint, put out on a national radio show. Hopefully with another good year in front of a World wide Television Audience our team will get the rewards they richly deserve especially Leon, who I would love to see in an England shirt!
 
I said a little while ago I would have liked to see Dyer and Britton in the team. We need to look at less "fashionable" clubs and players. Replace, assumed talent with heart, passion and enthusiasm. Grant Holt?! I guarantee Dyer would have been better than Young. He tore us to pieces every time we played you!!;)
 
I see what you are saying, guys, but I've always believed that is room in any team for someone who can pass the ball as well as he does. I'm not suggesting that England can change their style but many pundits reckon it was a shame that Carrick was unavailable. I am suggesting that, if it was felt that he could have done a job for England, then Leon certainly could have.
 
Ivor the England team is a closed shop to proper footballers, unless you are in OK magazine on a weekly basis modelling the latest fashion or boy toy you have had it for selection. OK is the only magazine that hodgson reads i beleive

<laugh>
 
Knackeredjack said:
Wouldn't work I don't think, ivor because the players around Leon are attuned to playing a certain way. England players aren't.
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MabonJack said:
Ivor the England team is a closed shop to proper footballers, unless you are in OK magazine on a weekly basis modelling the latest fashion or boy toy you have had it for selection.
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Two good reasons there. And when the ball just got lumped up to Caroll against Italy the midfield was bypassed completely anyway.
 
Agree with the last few posts really. I'd say Britton's exclusion says more about the footballing ethos England have. If they were interested in playing a certain type of football they'd recruit accordingly, but I think they must just pick what they think are the best players in certain positions based off a 4-4-2. Sad, really.
 
Yankee_Jack said:
He would have done well playing for Wales (e.g. Against Mexico) just because with Ramsay and Allen it would have been a much better fit, and Wales would have been a better team for it. Shame he has no Welsh blood in him.
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Maybe a stupid question, but would he not qualify for Wales under the same residency rules that say Rangel could qualify? Just a thought
 
Given the ball retention and passing skills of the England team in this tournament he should have been on the plane. Parker was woeful at passing last game and Gerrard was a non-entity. But then so should have Adam Johnson, Grant Holt, Peter Crouch and a host of others in my opinion. problem is they're not Liverpool players.
 
SA9JACK said:
Maybe a stupid question, but would he not qualify for Wales under the same residency rules that say Rangel could qualify? Just a thought
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No fella.

Rangel is a Spanish citizen who has been living in the UK long enough to qualify for dual citizenship. He can therefore pick any of the UK teams.

Britton has always been a UK citizen, his residency has always been in the UK. Therefore, like all natural born UK citizens, which UK team he qualifies for depends on the rules agreed between the 4 football associations (This is the anomaly that irks FIFA).

Britton only qualifies for England because he was born in England. If his parents or grandparents could be proved to have been born in Wales he could qualify, if this was the case we would have asked him already.

This is why Giggs never did have the choice to play for England, believe me he would have chose England given the opportunity.
Giggs was born in Cardiff, as was his mum and dad. Maternal grandparents were both Welsh, paternal grandparents were from North East Africa.
 
ivoralljack said:
Took a look at a link for the Hawksbee and Jacobs show on Talk Sport. There's a recording of Leon's agent bemoaning the fact that he wasn't even considered for England - echoing a point I made (also naming Dyer) in an earlier post.

H & J actually agreed that given Leon's passing stats, which were the best in Europe, he was unlucky to miss out. The two prime reasons put forward was the fact that Swansea City is an unfashionable club and that Leon was too old at age 29.

Personally, I believe that he could have done a job at least as well, and probably better, than some of those selected ahead of him. And he could well have given England the fluency they were so badly missing in the middle of the park. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

I agree he should have gone, he deserved it on merit. The site of Jordan Henderson coming on for Scott Parker in that Italy game must have really stuck in Britton's craw.
Understand the thinking behind a lot of posts stating that his inclusion would have required a different formation/ethos etc. but for me football is a simple game and Britton scurrying around in front of the England back 4 intercepting, nicking things with a toe in, retaining possession and always making himself available...would have drastically improved that football team. At least deserved to be on the bench.

Of the other Swans;

Graham : Good season but doesn't have a speciality, 1 stand out attribute (apart from his work-rate, which 'ain't enough), to put him ahead of the competition.

Sinclair : For me he is not anywhere near the England team at the moment. Not writing him off, could improve

Dyer : So close, definitely better than Milner, but to be honest there's a lot of high quality competition in his position (Walcott, Oxlade Chamberlain, Sturridge, A. Johnson). Should have been given some minutes in a friendly though, otherwise what are they for?

Caulker : Like Britton he plays in a position where England aren't blessed (for me England fall down because the defenders and the centre-midfield fail to control possession....Caulker and Britton play in the only Premier League team that are excellent at this part of the game).
Caulker should have gone, no doubt about it for me. Even if it was only as 4th choice centre-back. He has all the attributes and thanks to us is more comfortable on the ball than any of the other England defenders.
Let's hope the new Spurs manager doesn't realise what he's got, Brendan needs to spend the money on other positions, and we somehow sign him.
 
aswan_dam said:
North East Africa? So Ryan Giggs could play for Egypt or Sudan or whatever?
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His father's parents (or maybe it was just his grandfather...I forget) was from Somalia, I think....may have been Sudan. Incidentally John Charles had a touch of North East Africa in him as well.


By the way, is everyone aware that John Charles' grandson could end up playing for Wales as well?
He's not long turned 16 and was playing for Wales U-17s in May last year, at 15.
He's coming through the Huddersfield youth system and is a tall, well built, left footed midfielder. It is suspected that he still has some growing to do and will be a 6ft3 striker by the time he's finished. Like his Grandfather.
 
I think England have missed an opportunity to put one of the best midfielders in this country in leon into their side. he is better than anything england has at the moment and why he is not chosen is baffling. ok with dyer you can make an argument that there are better at crosses than him also on sinclair you can say the same thing, but what has leon to do to get a call up for england i dont know......he should be one of the first names on roy's team sheet imo....
 
In fairness to Hodgson, he came in at the last moment and really could only play the hand he was dealt - nobody that didn't fit into the current mold was going to get a call up regardless of how good they are. Going forward he will be judged on his own merits and will have ample opportunity to shape the squad and style of football to his own liking. This does not mean Britton will be considered, but at least the style of football can evolve towards the more progressive end of the Stoke to Barca spectrum.
 
If you're expecting a Hodgson side to play a free flowing, passing game then you'll have a long wait imo.
 
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