England Thread.

Tummy · 30 Mar 2009 at 15:50

Alright, bit bored. Should be doing something far more constructive with my time, but I've being listening to the 606 podcast's this morning and am well fed up of the morons that phone into the show and talk about England.

I don't see why we are playing old players, they're not going to get into the next World Cup in my opinion, and many of them aren't up to international standard /rant.

what would you're England squad be for the qualifiers / World Cup ?

GK. Foster
LB. Cashley Cole
CB. Rio Ferdinand * Captain
CB. John Terry
RB. Glen J

DM. Hargreaves / Barry
MC. Carrick
MC. Gerrard

AML. Downing / Joe Cole
AMR. Lennon / Shaun W

FWD. Rooney

I'd also like to see Gerrard playing more as a second striker, ie, just behind Rooney, which would mean playing two in the middle of the park, meaning more work for the full backs, but they're both very capable.

Lampard is a good player, but he's not as good as Steven Gerrard, and they both occupy the same space, Beckham is a average player, I can't believe people think he should be in the England team on his passing / crossing, go away people who think this, the four wide players can all cross a ball, are all able to beat players, something Beckham has never being able to do. Hesk should be nowhere near the first 11, international football isn't forgiving, having a forward who doesn't score goals is pointless.

/rant.

roid · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:04

You don't want people like Beckham playing but you'd like Barry and Downing?

Interesting..

Tummy · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:06

What does Beckham have over Downing ?

Downing can run, dribble, cross a ball, pass...
Beckham can not beat players, something he has never done, he can cross / take freekicks to a good standard but this isn't American football, we don't need a token free kick taker.

Barry is the best of the worst, I don't think he should be near the England squad, but at the same time I don't see many other English midfielders who can play that role, the defensive midfield role.

Beckham, can not play in the middle of the park.
Downing, while not what I'd describe as anywhere near England standard is one of the better left sided players.
Downing and Barry won't be 34/35 by the time of the next World Cup either

a1ex2001 · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:08

Rio Ferdinand should never ever captain England, he waved that right when he climbed out the toilet window to escape the drugs testers.

Also your team would create very little as Lennon has no end product and baring the one good game Downing is garbage in an England Shirt. Your also lacking an out and out centre forward meaning your restricting rooney to playing right upfront stopping him drfting wide and deep in search of the ball.

One or two 34-35 year old players will be a benefit to us at the next world cup not a hinderance.

Pigeon_Killer · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:09

----------------James----------------

Johnson---Terry (C)--Ferdinand---Cole

------------Carrick---Barry------------

Lennon---------Gerrard---------Young

---------------No Idea----------------

No idea about the striker but I wouldn't play Gerrard behind Rooney because they'd get in each others way. We need an out and out striker which is what we've been lacking for years.

Disclaimer: This is my own personal choice so any one who wishes to disagree kindly **** off

Tummy · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:12

oooh ! I completely forgot Ashley Young, how he isn't starting these current games is beyond me.

I think Rooney could play as a striker, he's just needs it drilling into this skull what his position is.

David James makes too many mistakes.

Hargreaves over Barry every time, Barry's just not being injured as much as Hargreaves.

a1ex2001 · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:12

Pigeon_Killer said:
----------------James----------------

Johnson---Terry (C)--Ferdinand---Cole

------------Carrick---Barry------------

Lennon---------Gerrard---------Young

---------------No Idea----------------

No idea about the striker but I wouldn't play Gerrard behind Rooney because they'd get in each others way. We need an out and out striker which is what we've been lacking for years.

Disclaimer: This is my own personal choice so any one who wishes to disagree kindly **** off

Carrick and Barry plus one up front, maybe against Brazil but it's far to negative for 90% of the games we play where we are expected to break down the oposition and win.

a1ex2001 · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:15

Tummy said:
I think Rooney could play as a striker, he's just needs it drilling into this skull what his position is.

In the same way Zidane could have played as a left winger if someone forced him too. Shame it would have negated his imense talent and restricted his impact on the game, England are not in a position to be limiting our best players if we want to win anything we need our best players playing there best football in there best positions.

G|mp · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:16

Tummy said:
What does Beckham have over Downing ?

Downing can run, dribble, cross a ball, pass...
Beckham can not beat players, something he has never done, he can cross / take freekicks to a good standard but this isn't American football, we don't need a token free kick taker.

When he does cross its pin point, this means he doesn't have to beat players.

Downing can't do any of those things, he can run that's about it.

Di the Rooney goal not tell you something the other day, Beckham is the only wide player we have that can cross a ball, I'm not particulary a Beckham fan nowadays but I would have him over Downing and Lennon any day of the week.

Someone said it the other day, you might as well have Dwaine Chambers on the right wing for England, he might be able to cross more than 1 in 5

roid · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:16

Tummy said:
Barry is the best of the worst, I don't think he should be near the England squad

Downing, while not what I'd describe as anywhere near England standard

You have pretty much said yourself they should be nowhere near our England side, for sure Downing should be left at home for Young!

Tummy · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:17

O.o

I'm sorry, whats wrong with putting Rooney up front and asking him to score goals ?
Please don't say " oh he does more for the team, but doesn't score as many " at international level you can't afford strikers that don't score. Rooney scores.

Tummy · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:20

roid said:
You have pretty much said yourself they should be nowhere near our England side, for sure Downing should be left at home for Young!

Yeah they shouldn't be near our England squad, but who else do we play ? If Young gets an injury are you going to force a right footed player to play wide left ?

You need back ups for most positions, some more then others. Young is better then Downing, but is probably one of the better left sided back ups.

Beckham can cross a ball, but thats not going to be worth a first 11 place, Beckham was allowed a bit of space to get the cross in ? Against a better level of opposition he wouldn't be allowed that space, despite Lennon "not having an end product" he can get past players and into the box, thats creating a chance.

a1ex2001 · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:24

Tummy said:
O.o

I'm sorry, whats wrong with putting Rooney up front and asking him to score goals ?
Please don't say " oh he does more for the team, but doesn't score as many " at international level you can't afford strikers that don't score. Rooney scores.

Nothing, but what you expecting him to do is play upfront on his own as a central striker, which removes his linkup play and creativity as he has to lead the line. Rooney could do what you ask but he's a much better player doing all the other stuff he can do and leaving the donkey work to an out and out box player, it's difficult to say who that should be in the absence of Michael Owen personally I'd probably go for Crouch as he's got a very good scoring record in International football and adss a bit of height what otherwise is a very small side in the attacking third.

Tummy said:
despite Lennon "not having an end product" he can get past players and into the box, thats creating a chance.

It's not creating a chance as he will invariably either square the ball to nobody or blast it into the crowd, tricks impress the crowd sticking the ball on Rooneys head nine times out of ten wins games. I'm not a beckham fan but I think he's still got something to offer and so do AC Milan.

Tummy · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:30

a1ex2001 said:
It's not creating a chance as he will invariably either square the ball to nobody or blast it into the crowd, tricks impress the crowd sticking the ball on Rooneys head nine times out of ten wins games. I'm not a beckham fan but I think he's still got something to offer and so do AC Milan.

Sorry, I don't see why / how Beckham gets near the first 11, and he will just get worse as time progresses, so by the time the World Cup ticks round... bahh.

Lennon will improve, the only thing he needs to work on is crossing, the ability to beat a full back and attack the box is a great thing to have.
A quick, pressing full back will eat Beckham up in my opinion at such a high level, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Holland, Argentina, ect ect won't allow Beckham time and space to cross a ball, You need to make space, Lennon can do this, Beckham can not

EasyG · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:34

Tummy said:
Sorry, I don't see why / how Beckham gets near the first 11, and he will just get worse as time progresses, so by the time the World Cup ticks round... bahh.

Lennon will improve, the only thing he needs to work on is crossing, the ability to beat a full back and attack the box is a great thing to have.
A quick, pressing full back will eat Beckham up in my opinion at such a high level, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Holland, Argentina, ect ect won't allow Beckham time and space to cross a ball, You need to make space, Lennon can do this, Beckham can not

mexico?

cheets64 · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:35

Upfront worries me, at the World Cup we wont be able to break down the top teams.

Everything we have upfront if average, we cant rely on Rooney upfront getting us goals.

Defence and Midfield is sorted but Upfront we have nothing, look at the EPL and how many clubs have English strikers, its a postion we are lacking in.

Tummy · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:35

EasyG said:
mexico?

Was just thinking of half decent football teams !

Pigeon_Killer · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:39

cheets64 said:
Defence and Midfield is sorted but Upfront we have nothing, look at the EPL and how many clubs have English strikers, its a postion we are lacking in.

We've been lacking for years. Other than Owen, Shearer and Lineker most of our top strikers over the last few decades have failed at International level.

nicktay2605 · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:45

I can't stand Downing. I'd rather have Young or Lennon playing on the left wing than him. Personally I'm pretty happy with the England team at the moment though, we have played well generally since Capello took over and I think people ought to stop over-analysing the situation. We're only going to find out how good we are when it comes to playing in the World Cup.

I think generally we would have a very good chance against most of the big teams, but Argentina and Spain in particular would be very scary teams to play!

roid · 30 Mar 2009 at 16:46

cheets64 said:
Defence and Midfield is sorted but Upfront we have nothing, look at the EPL and how many clubs have English strikers, its a postion we are lacking in.

I think the Midfield is far from sorted. There are different options open to us and at the moment i'm pretty sure Capello hasn't got a clue who his best 11 are because they've never all been fit together!

I'd prefer Bridge left wing as opposed to Downing also.

Lol'd at Mexico