The performance against Ukraine in the group stage may have some bearing on the initial post Eur 2012 selections. Ukraine visit Wembley on 11th September in the World Cup qualifiers!
Ooh, look at everyone jumping on the League Two/Powell bandwagon! Seriously though, he is a quality young player. My gut feeling was that he won't be a top, top player, but it is so hard to tell - he's clearly very good technically and has improved huge amounts since I first saw him play. I'd imagine he'll play for England if he does go to United/Arsenal/Chelsea irrespective of how well he develops, though! My England team after the Euros would be: ---------------------Hart------------------------- ---Walker------Smalling---Cahill-----------Cole---- ---------------Wilshere---Rodwell----------------- --Chamberlain--------Rooney-------------Young--- ------------------Welbeck------------------------ Hart picks himself. I feel Micah Richards is overrated. Still miles better than Glen Johnson, but not the messiah everyone seems to be making him out to be. Walker is better IMO and definitely has more potential. I don't rate Phil Jones, and I think Caulker is certainly a good shout for a future centre half to partner Smalling, as I don't think Cahill is England starting quality. Cole at LB is likely to remain - he'll be good still in two years' time and is streets ahead of any other English LB right now. Gibbs is better than Bertrand if he stays fit, but both are slightly behind Baines (although he's another I feel is slightly overrated). Wilshere has to start in the middle - he has the potential to be world class (along with Hart) and England only really have Cole and Rooney who are presently world class. Rodwell is probably the best partner in that deep position. Chamberlain and Young are England's two future wingers - Walcott is not the same for England as Arsenal, and whilst he may presently be better than Chamberlain, he possesses less natural ability. Rooney has to start, and would be effective in the trequartista role he often drops into for United. He also has the connection with Welbeck and Young, which is a bonus. Welbeck is the best striker (bar Rooney) and his pace and work rate make his inclusion pretty simple.
You asked about the long term? Hart Walker-Jones-Smalling-Bertrand Rodwell-Wilshere Walcott-OC-Young Welbeck Aiming at 2016.
He's younger than I thought, 26, will be 30. In which case, the team looks even better with Rooney replacing Welbeck
The more I look at the team of the future, the more I want to stick with the old guard until they're 40.
Danny Graham or Scott Sinclair? Did a significant amount of damage with Swansea, and if they had a team of England's (potential) quality around them, they could be world beaters. Sinclair definitely over Walcott for me. Graham as more of a 4th choice behind Welbeck, Rooney and Sturridge.
Graham is **** but Sinclair isn't a bad shout to be honest, probably someone that gets hugely overlooked due to the club he plays for. Another one that I can imagine pushing for an England start sometime in the future is Jonny Howson who recently went to Norwich from Leeds. Complete quality, quite young, pacey and determined, shows good workrate. Scores a few as well Theres a lot of people saying Lescott but I think he's quite clumsy and reckless, not a great defender IMO and would prefer Cahill. England don't exactly have many good CBs though and I think that'll be the area that we'll struggle in in the future
Wholesale changes would be disastrous, when has that ever worked? Slowly blend players in with Terry, Lampard and Gerrard all approaching retirement age: --------------Hart------------- --Walker--Lescott--Cahill--Cole-- ---------Parker--Wilshere------- --AOC------Rooney----Young--- -----------Welbeck------------- Subs: Ruddy, Foster, Richards, Smalling, Caulker, Baines, N. Dyer, Carrick, Cleverley, Lennon, Walcott, Carroll Looks a good blend to me.
------------------Hart---------------- Richards ----Jones--Smalling----Baines -----------------Rodwell------------- -----Chamberlain-------Wilshere------- Sturridge-------Rooney----------Young Subs Ruddy,Walker, Caulker, Cleverly, Spearing, Sinclair, Welbeck
The article's asking for the team to qualify for 2014. 31 and 30 are hardly crippling ages. As for Spearing, even Liverpool fans don't rate him and they love a local lad.
How is 30 and 31 too old for the 2014 qualifying campaign or tournament? People are including the likes of Lescott, Jagielka and Baines who aren't that much younger than Parker or Carrick. You don't become past it once you hit 30.
That's a lot of pressure to place on a whole team of youngsters. Look at France's rebuild, they look to have got the balance spot on because they've pushed through their youth (M'Vila, Cabaye, Debuchy, Rami etc...) but have kept a few senior players to help them bed in to the squad (Mexes, Evra, Malouda etc...) You want to include average players like Spearing, Rodwell, Henderson and P. Jones just because they are young, not because they are of a better standard. And we will fail if that's the approach, play your best players if they can still do a job. Carrick and Parker can still do a job.
over the decades we have done what your suggesting but hanging on to the oldies too long has cost us in the past yes maybe a little and i mean a little bit of experience kept could help