Provisional World Cup Squad

Naan_H said:
England are gonna have some serious pace in the team, should be exciting to see our counter attacks.
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The only problem with this theory is that:

-Owen will be lying on the side of the pitch with a pulled hamstring
-Walcott will be fast asleep as the evening kickoffs are past his bedtime
-Beckham will still be in the changing rooms doing his hair
-Jenas will be busy educating the home supporters in the correct pronounciation of his surname
-Nobody will pass to Downing because the rest of the team isn't used to any one actually being glued to the left touchline
-Hargreaves is incapable of passing a ball more than 5 yards and hence launches our 'counter-attack' by giving it to Gerrard
-Gerrard goes for one of his infamous 'back-passes' to our keeper AKA throughballs for the opposition
-Rio is too dozy to notice the danger
-Sol is too slow to react to the danger
-Neville has his hands full putting the finishing touches to his 'tache
-James is racking up a new highscore on SuperMarioLand, suddenly notices a white, round thing blazing towards him at head height and quickly ducks out of the way.

Oh Dear.
 
HangTime said:
James is racking up a new highscore on SuperMarioLand, suddenly notices a white, round thing blazing towards him at head height and quickly ducks out of the way.
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I think you'll find its tomb raider :D
 
HangTime said:
The only problem with this theory is that:

-Owen will be lying on the side of the pitch with a pulled hamstring
-Walcott will be fast asleep as the evening kickoffs are past his bedtime
-Beckham will still be in the changing rooms doing his hair
-Jenas will be busy educating the home supporters in the correct pronounciation of his surname
-Nobody will pass to Downing because the rest of the team isn't used to any one actually being glued to the left touchline
-Hargreaves is incapable of passing a ball more than 5 yards and hence launches our 'counter-attack' by giving it to Gerrard
-Gerrard goes for one of his infamous 'back-passes' to our keeper AKA throughballs for the opposition
-Rio is too dozy to notice the danger
-Sol is too slow to react to the danger
-Neville has his hands full putting the finishing touches to his 'tache
-James is racking up a new highscore on SuperMarioLand, suddenly notices a white, round thing blazing towards him at head height and quickly ducks out of the way.

Oh Dear.
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woah.. someone seriously lacks any sort of optimism.

go and eat a banana and have a glass of water... you may feel fresher


edit: funny though
 
The way England will do well against the top teams in the world is to play fast, flowing football (i.e. exactly what teams like Brazil do). It dismays me when it looks like we'll be relying on someone like Peter Crouch up front.

Apparently he's quite good at holding the ball up. That's right - he's good at letting defenders get back in numbers while we try to work the ball down the wings. That only works when you have strikers that are good in the air, and it's fair to say that Crouch is not as good as he should be for a man of his height. I have nothing against the man, I think he's good in a specific role. I just don't think that role should exist in the England team. I worry that we'll play good football in defence and midfield, but when the ball gets into the final third there's going to be a lack of options. So we'll revert to playing long balls and crosses (like usual), with no-one to get on the end of them.

Looking at the squad, there are only a few players in there that I disagree with. Crouch is one of them. I haven't seen enough of Hargreaves or Beckham this season to know whether they're playing well, though from what I hear Hargreaves is as average as usual. Not sure Campbell is up to the job either -- he's been out for a while, and his head might not be there. I'd have gone for Brown instead.

But it's not all bad. Our defence on paper looks *very* strong, among the strongest out there. So does the midfield - if Gerrard and Joe Cole are given the freedom to roam, they should prove very dangerous. It's just the attack that's worrying - I hope Owen is fit enough to play, as he's good at getting in behind defenders.


BTW, I hope that Crouch proves me wrong. I really do.
 
Like someone said earlier, club football aside, SWP has done nothing but impress when in an England shirt. Looked much more dangerous than Beckham and I was hoping he would have been one of the 3 key players in this World Cup alongside Lampard and Rooney.

As soon as it became probable that Rooney would miss out on possibly all the games I thought it would give Gerrard the chance to play in a position that might work for him for England. He hasn't worked alongside Lamps but it's possible he could in front of him. I hoped King would play as the defensive midfielder too but looks like he might still be injured anyway. Oh well...

Feeling a bit deflated.....Personally I think this is Sven sticking 2 fingers up at the England fans.
 
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Echoing some of the above posts I'm surprised at the lack of SWP. Despite his lack of first team football for Chelsea he's the sort of player who can come on and make a difference running at defenders and going past people down the flank. Beckham might be good at crossing but he's never been able to dribble and run at defenders.
 
Im just worried by svens love for beckham; i think lampard and gerrard should never be subbed as they are too much of an attacking threat to take off; that leaves the wing positions where subs will be made. But with sven and beckham being in bed together that means gerrard or lamps will have to come off which is a bad idea, as well as whoever will be playing on the left wing.

I think sven should be bold and give terry/gerrard the captaincy; these two have proved they are great captains, beckham has not.
 
Bloody hell, how the hell is Walcott going. :confused:

How gutted must Defoe feel when a "nobody" gets his place.

They could have dropped a midfielder and take an extra striker instead.
 
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Scream said:
Bloody hell, how the hell is Walcott going. :confused:

How gutted must Defoe feel when a "nobody" gets his place.

They could have dropped a midfielder and take an extra striker instead.
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....and Darren Bent - the top English striker in the premier this season.

There's no doubt that Walcott has potential but if he can't get a game for Arsenal (ever) then why should he play for England??????
 
Good point, poor Darren Bent excluded.

It's a huge gamble but Sven is in a situation to risk anything.

Very Stupid callup.
 
Gooner14 said:
Sven-Goran Eriksson says he has not seen striker Theo Walcott play a competitive game

:eek: What a tool
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Be fair,he did send Tord Grip to watch him in a reserve game this morning........
On reflection i concur,what a tool :)
 
I always thought that getting in to the England Squad should be based on current/season form and if that was the case nearly half of Ericssons squad would be out!! :eek:

David James (Usual mistakes during the season)
Robert Green (Done nothing special)
Sol Campbell (Been injured mentally and physically)
Wayne Bridge (Been injured and form has been poor)
Hargreaves (Been injured and form poor for Bayern)
Jenas (Few injuries, not been consistant for Spurs or England)

Some of the following should be in the proper squad - Wes Brown, Darren Bent, Anton Ferdinand (who has been playing better than Rio), Luke Young, Nigel Reo-Coker and Kevin Nolan.

I actually agree with Theo Walcott, hopefully his pace and rawness will give us a surprise option.
 
Robinson (Tottenham)

Cole (Arsenal) - Ferdinand (Manchester United) - Terry (Chelsea) - G Neville (Man U)

J Cole (Chelsea) - Lampard (Chelsea) - Gerrard (Liverpool) - Beckham (Real Madrid)

Owen (Newcastle)/Walcott (Arsenal) - Crouch (Liverpool)

TBH your all slaging off the selection but thats going to be the team, and its not half bad. The prem in the best league in the world (with spain giving it a run for its money) and I think that team would have proably one this year, so thats a good start.

And if you add Rooney in there or Walcott sets the world alight or Owen has a stormer then I think we are in with a real chance.

Defoe was left out, big deal you all say he is proven..... you are right proven to score a "few" gaols thats not going to win the world cup with the likes of Brazil in the mix. I'm not saying I agree with the choise, I think SWP should have been in there as hes good for a match winner, but I think Walcott is a good bet. We need a chance, and I for one would rarther fail badly or win rarther than getting to another qurter final and loosing. And that the sort of squad Sven has picked.
 
Nogimmix said:
I actually agree with Theo Walcott, hopefully his pace and rawness will give us a surprise option.
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Boris Johnson would have given us a surprise option also! ;)

When you're already lacking players up front, you want to take your best, most reliable options - not an unknown package (not matter how promising).
 
To be fair the likes of Defoe & Bent are both good yes dont get me wrong but FAR from world class!! You know what your gonna get with them. An average performance.
Thats why the gamble with Walcott could be a good one. He could set the stage alite OR be thrown in far to early!

TBH your all slaging off the selection but thats going to be the team, and its not half bad. The prem in the best league in the world (with spain giving it a run for its money) and I think that team would have proably one this year, so thats a good start.
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Agree with you there! ;)
 
I'm very very annoyed at the squad but we still have an excellent chance of winning it. We are not the England manager, so im gonna wait to see what happens.

Theo waltcot is an amazing choice by sven, and he could be our star of the world cup !!

No SWP is what has ****** me off, as he is still stunning at running at defenders down the far right and putting in a cheeky cross that i think 'lampost' could even get something on :p

BUT HARGREAVES. He is the biggest pile of ****, and all sven does it put him on at 65 mins, and we have to watch him run up and down the left with the ball for a few seconds, then giving it away. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH. SWP we miss you :(

Campbel WTF :confused: He is a liability, and the best player with the chance of losing us the tournament. He WILL give away a penalty, and is a silly, old, unfit ***** who should stay at how with his werthers originals !

Crouch has the skill of a lampost. End of. No skills with the ball and couldnt head a football that was dropped directly onto his head :(

OK, ranting over. Rooney will be fit for some games, and if not, put him on and dose him up on red bull. Even if he is on crutches, he will score :p
 
its an exciting callup...

he is either going to be good or bad.. we dont know.

but i suppose i would have chosen bent for this world cup considering his great season.

i mean what do you have to do to get the callup??

walcott could or been tried in the european championship in 08.. rather our great chance of winning the world cup this year.

but hopefully he will silence the critics and bang in a few goals through the tournament
 
dobbsy said:
Lets remember owen 98' raw, brought on as sub, destroyed the argies...
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You cannot compare the 2, Owen had played a years premiership football and bagged a fair few goals (played 36 games and scored 18). Walcott hasn't had anything like the season Owen had that year.

I'm not doubting the boy has electric pace and may well set the world alight but there is a nagging feeling saying he won't. I'm not normally a pessimist but hey ho!
 
I really wish somebody would explain to me exactly what Owen Hargreaves brings to the England Team?


people say he's flexible.. a jack of all trades...but he's been utter bonk in EVERY game I have ever seen him play for England..he cant shoot, he cant beat a man and he loses possession with alarming regularity

just how does he get his place?
 
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