If all you had to do to play for England was to play in the English football league, could you imagine what our team could be? Who would be in your team?
When I was a kid, I genuinely thought that was how it worked . We would have a decent side but Spain would run away with it as always and China, within 10 years, would have a cracking team (if this new trend continues)
This is just a new way of asking for your PL 11 really innit. There's probably two players who I'd put in there that are English, Dele Alli just because I think he's gonna be awesome and Luke Shaw because earlier this season before his injury he looked a different level to anything I've seen in this league since Ashley Cole was at his peak.
suppose it is really, but how would our prem 11 match up with the Germans, Spanish, Portuguese, French etc. I wouldn't have a clue who to pick to be honest, but cant think of too many English players being in the team.
It depends, essentially it would be Barcelona from Spain, but with Ramos and possibly Kroos in the team. Ronaldo wouldn't get in it, with Barca's forward 3 blended so well. Bayern would dominate the German team with a sprinkling of Dortmund and Wolfsburg. Then England's team could have Leicester, Arsenal, United, City, Chelsea, Everton, Spurs, maybe more? For that reason it'd be too disjointed to compete with Spain or Germany's XI.
----------------------- De Gea ----------------------- Zabaleta - Kompany - Koscielny - Azpilicueta ----------------- Yaya ---- Fabregas ---------------- De Bruyne ---------- Ozil --------------- Martial ----------------------- Aguero ------------------------- For a leagues best, that's pretty desperate, tbh. Subs Courtois Coleman Terry Matic Alli Silva Kane
I was thinking this today, Spain and Germany have club level partnerships throughout the squad we simply don't which is why we play like strangers in the bigger games
It's been our problem for ages mate, without sounding arrogant, the England team should have been built around United's English players, Neville(s), Scholes, Butt, Beckham, Cole... not because individually they were the best (apart from Scholes who was, obviously, thee best) but because they had an understanding on the pitch. I firmly believe if Shearer had signed for us we could have got England a trophy. What happened instead is the team was built around Shearer, and later Gerrard and Lampard for some really strange reason. We had a tiny showing of what building a team around a club can do when we thrashed Germany 5-1 when the team was basically Liverpool's attack, with Gerrard, Owen, Heskey and Barmby, they were having a fantastic season on the pitch together (the year they done the 'poor man's' treble iirc) and that translated into the national team.
I've always thought that if giggs had been English we would of won at least Euro 96. It's right what you say about that eras midfield it should have been the backbone of the squad
The sad thing now is, there's not really many teams that you can take a bunch of English players from to form the skeleton of our national side. We look like bringing through a wave of promising young kids again, but that will depend on LVG and him wanting to spend money on expensive imports again. I'd much rather we dropped most of our foreigners if we are gonna play **** football and let our young lads have a go now that we're not at risk of being relegated, what's there to lose?
Don't know how old you are wij, but that was how it worked till about 1960. Joe Baker of Hibernian was the first to be picked who didn't play in the English league.
Millions of pounds for every place in the table that you drop. I know we are talking about Man Utd, so the hit will be minimal. I agree with you in principle though, 100%. We would probably be looking at Spurs and Everton at the moment, for young players and building partnerships. Stones - Jagielka - Baines Barkley - Barry Walker Dier - Alli - Kane
You are meaning two different things. Wij thought that anybody playing in English football could play for our national team, regardless of their nationality. You are showing that everybody who played for England, was always selected from the English league, until 1960.
Walker and Baines should never be anywhere near an England squad again. Especially Walker who's robbing a living and keeping a far better RB out of the Spurs side. Spurs though, Dier Alli and Kane, for now plus there's a couple of others behind the scenes ready to emerge I believe. They could be our best bet. I've a feeling we're gonna go after Kane in the summer, and pay whatever it takes, probably break the world record if necessary.
I think he's absolutely brilliant, not better than Ronaldo, Suarez, but you gotta pay what it takes, United have always needed an out and out striker and other than Lewandowski nobody fits the bill for us like Kane. We need to get back to our style, the 'Matt Busby way', forget all this foreign crap and bring through some kids and buy some English talent. It's all we know.
Fair point, '83, but I missed that out because I can't think of a non-British player playing in England at that time who was anywhere near England international standard, A couple of Scots (Parker and Johnstone) a couple of Northern Irish (Bingham and Danny Blanchflower) and a couple of Welsh (Ford, John Charles and Ivor Allchurch) might have, but the only real foreigner who might have got picked on merit was Bert Trautmann, Manchester City's German goalie..There were very few of them to pick from.
Mostly agree, although I'd make a few changes, highlighted above - haven't bothered with subs. How can you leave Sanchez out though man!?
I'd play Martial over Sanchez, mate. Sanchez has flattered to deceive since coming to the premier league and Martial is going to go on and be one of the very best in the world. So on current form and potential, Martial wins it for me...
We'll agree to disagree on this one mate, I think he's one of the best in the world personally! Martial has potential to be better in a few years but not atm in my opinion
