Recent history would say looks likely to struggle in the group stage and go out at the first knock-out stage ......... I'm not meaning to be negative but we are two years away and if all of Terry, Lampard, Rio, Barry, Rooney and Gerrard are still 'key' then we cannot conceivably do better than we have at the last two tournaments ... Rooney and Gerrrad perhaps .. but time for the others to retire ...... I also wouldn't take Ashley Young .. the Ox, Theo, Adam Johnson all better options ..
I would "retire" John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard now And then after the next World cup then do the same with Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker
I'm with you apart from Cole ... not someone I lke as an individual but is likely to still be able at the next world cup .. would also add Barry to that list ....
Yeah forget about Barry I know Ashley Cole is the best left back in the world but we need to start building now. Leighton Baines is also a very good left back and i think he deserves a chance. I would maybe let Cole stick around a little bit to earn his 100 cap as he is on 98 but we need to start building now
I always think its tough to pick teams for the future - just take a look at this http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2641675.stm You don't know who is coming through and who will be around at the time. Who, two years ago, would have thought Chamberlain would make the squad. Anyhow, I'll give it a go: Hart Walker - Smalling - Cahill - Cole Wilshere - McEachran/Cleverley Johnson - Rooney - Chamberlain Welbeck I mentioned earlier in the thread that there these more technical players coming through and I feel they should be given the chance. I still think the likes of Gerrard could go as cover provided they're still cutting it at club level.
Martin Taylor, David Dunn, Chris Kirkland, Anton Ferdinand, Neil Mellor and Michael Tonge What sort of idiot predicted that team
Its such a good prediction 4 of them play in the championship and the other has retired from a league 1 club
You can't set up like we did all tournament to play defensively then be surprised that the a good opposition team dominates possession and passes the ball around a lot, often nearer the halfway line that our goal. Every time Pirlo received that ball, the commentators we going crazy that he was unmarked, but he was miles from goal and usually moved the ball sideways. Technically, the bigger nations will always be better than use as they play the game differently. Chile and Ecuador will always be a better technical side than us, but we'll probably beat those sides 9 times out of 10. Italy simply didn't have what it took to break us down. But at the same time, we weren't good enough on the break. I think there are big questions over Rooney's fitness and Andy Carroll is obviously great at winning the ball in the air, but then just gives it away immediately. We did little after he came on. If Leicester had gone to Old Trafford and got a 0-0 playing as England did, everyone would be saying our great and resolute we were and what a fantastic result it was. You could argue that you expect more from England with the quality of players we have, but Hodgson was obviously trying a different approach to the usual kick and rush which as never paid off in the past. Let's also remember how little time he has had and that the team need time to adapt to playing this way, but draws against France and Italy is a good start, and encouraging for the future. We just need to look at some of the personnel, because Ashley Young - damn!
Couple of points England as a whole didn't look anywhere near fit enough. After 45 mins against Italy, we looked dead on our feet and that wasn't the only game where we ran out of steam. Why in comparison can Spain pass, move and press for 90 mins? That's nothing to do with technical ability, just basic fitness. At International level everyone knows that possession is king yet why did Hart hoof every goal kick up field giving us a 50/50 chance of losing the ball again? Pub football! It's clear that our premier league superstars have no confidence or ability to play it out from defence. Why do we play 4-4-2 and then act surprised when we are out numbered and out classed in midfield? We were at least spared the National humiliation of being outclassed by the Germans, so not all bad news.
agreed.....we are just not fit enough.........would rooney be playing for italy or the germans? no chance.......
Gangsta - some good points - but would just say that under MON we used to go to Old Trafford to win! .. Cottee and Heskey were very dangerous in the system we played ... Roy needs to engineer that attacking dynamic ... perhaps we were more succesful because neither Cottee or Bruno were fat nor sporting dead ferret coiffure....
Just a thought here. People saying we aren't fit enough, what do people think of a winter break? Sven and Capello were both big advocates of this and I think it might just help us.
^ i was always against it, but our best players where the 'Glen Johnson's' who missed a lot of football- i think it could help.
Thanks Craig ... but let's not forget you are "in Nottingham" for very good reasons ... it's like an exclusion order from the nice parts of the East Midlands ...
I see myself as more of a missionary trying to educate the natives. When my job is done here I might go down the River Soar and try to civilise some of the savages in that God-forsaken place.
