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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 11:47:31 GMT 1
You've been appointed England manager and are about to pick your squad for England's first game after the World Cup.
Which members of the World Cup squad would you select for your first game?
Who would you choose to replace the players you'd leave out?
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Post by Maximo Mark on Jun 28, 2010 12:16:42 GMT 1
Hart Robinson Foster
G. Johnson P. Neville (I'm quite happy to be ridiculed but he's a good player, a better right back than G.Neville is now, Brown, Richards and Carragher and he's more versitle than any other players we have) A. Cole Baines Terry Ferdinand Cahill Dawson
Milner A. Young A. Johnson J. Cole Lennon Barry Lampard Gerrard Parker
Rooney Defoe Crouch Agbonlahor
I'd be quite happy if Carragher, Heskey and Wright-Phillips were never named in another England squad. We need to be looking to the future, also be looking at players like Huddlestone, Shawcross, Gibbs, Wilshire, Bent and Rodwell.
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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 12:23:56 GMT 1
Right-back is a huge problem.
Glen Johnson simply is not good enough to be an international full back. Phil Neville is a very good midfielder but he's never been a great full back.
I think it's time for Lampard to step aside. He was OK yesterday but that was his first decent game in the tournament and there have been to many games in recent years where he's been nothing more than a passenger.
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Post by Maximo Mark on Jun 28, 2010 12:27:10 GMT 1
Give it four years and I think one of the two Kyle's at Spurs might be playing right-back for us....
I wouldn't be too bothered if Lampard did retire, at Chelsea he thrives when he has a proper holding player behind him (Makelele, Essien, Mikel). With England he's never really had that and has never lived up to his club form.
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Post by Maximo Mark on Jun 28, 2010 12:28:33 GMT 1
He might be one of my most hated people to be involved in football but is it just me that thinks Alan Green is talking sense here...
"I hope the players are embarrassed and slink away in misery. And in economy class. But I fear they'll just jet off to Barbados, and it will all be a vague memory to them in a few weeks - unless the English public remind them. They should be booed onto the pitch at the friendly against Hungary in August."
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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 12:36:35 GMT 1
He might be one of my most hated people to be involved in football but is it just me that thinks Alan Green is talking sense here... "I hope the players are embarrassed and slink away in misery. And in economy class. But I fear they'll just jet off to Barbados, and it will all be a vague memory to them in a few weeks - unless the English public remind them. They should be booed onto the pitch at the friendly against Hungary in August." He is talking sense, as he sometimes does. What annoys me about Alan Green is the amount of time he spends whingeing about football given he gets paid to watch it (at the public's expense) and there are millions of people of who'd love to have his job.
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Post by o on Jun 28, 2010 12:55:46 GMT 1
I agree with his sentiments, but they have the disallowed goal as their get out clause, we needed to lose 4-1 with no excuses other than we're crap for people to sit up and take notice. Thing is, once the Prem season starts, everyone will be back lapping it up and praising, Rooney, Terry, Gerrard, Lampard et al... I picked 10 players off the list, right back was also a problem for me, you dont realise what a great job G Neville did til he's gone By any chance does anyone have the ages of the more senior players, and who is likely to start being removed from the team? The wings are also a problem, Milner looked good down the right, but we need a left winger, is that where Johnson plays? Centre half is also looking dodgy, I picked Rio and Terry, but think Rio has been very unreliable at United recently, but I dont see any other options, at the moment. Then you add in the goalie situation, Joe Hart looks great, but if he makes a mistake is his career over?
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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 13:04:38 GMT 1
I agree with his sentiments, but they have the disallowed goal as their get out clause, we needed to lose 4-1 with no excuses other than we're crap for people to sit up and take notice. Thing is, once the Prem season starts, everyone will be back lapping it up and praising, Rooney, Terry, Gerrard, Lampard et al... I picked 10 players off the list, right back was also a problem for me, you dont realise what a great job G Neville did til he's gone By any chance does anyone have the ages of the more senior players, and who is likely to start being removed from the team? The wings are also a problem, Milner looked good down the right, but we need a left winger, is that where Johnson plays? Centre half is also looking dodgy, I picked Rio and Terry, but think Rio has been very unreliable at United recently, but I dont see any other options, at the moment. Then you add in the goalie situation, Joe Hart looks great, but if he makes a mistake is his career over? Adam Johnson's a natural left winger but has played mostly on the right for City. I agreed with the decision to play James in goal in the World Cup and he did his job but now is the time to play Hart. Play him in the friendly against Hungary, play him in the Euro qualifiers and let him establish himself as the #1. Ages of the England squad: 39 - James 32 - Carragher, Lampard, Heskey 31 - Upson, Ferdinand 30 - Green, Gerrard 29 - A Cole, Terry, King, Barry, Crouch 28 - Warnock, J Cole, Wright-Phillips, Carrick 27 - Defoe 26 - Dawson 25 - Johnson 24 - Milner, Rooney 23 - Hart, Lennon
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Post by Shireblogger on Jun 28, 2010 13:13:48 GMT 1
I selected 16 of the list above.
The European Nations should always be used as a competition to groom players and back room staff for the World Cup. Therefore, now is the time to say goodbye to some players who definitely won't be around for 2014, and to start developing our future talent, even if that means the next match doesn't involve absolutely best team available.
Bye bye forever to:-
David James - with a big pat on the back for making England look less dreadful than they really were.
John Terry - whose obnoxious personality I hope never graces our nationality consciousness again.
Jamie Carragher - who should never have been coaxed out of his self-imposted egotistical exile.
Emile Heskey, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, and a few younger players who just aren't up to the mark, and have had ample opportunity to shine. Thanks for your efforts guys, but we need fresh blood now.
The one "aged" exception is Steven Gerrard. Injuries permitting, I would built the future England team around him and Rooney, with both playing in their ideal positions. Gerrard's commitment and ability to read a game mean he has a pivotal role to play in England's future, perhaps dropping deeper into midfield as he gets older.
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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 13:18:35 GMT 1
This was the England Under 21 squad that reached the European Championship final last year, losing to Germany: Joe Hart (Man City) Martin Cranie (Portsmouth, now Coventry) Andrew Taylor (Middlesbrough) Lee Cattermole (Wigan, now Sunderland) Richard Stearman (Wolves) Nedum Onhuoa (Man City) James Milner (Aston Villa) Craig Gardner (Aston Villa, now Birmingham) Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) Mark Noble (West Ham) Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough, now Man City) Fabrice Muamba (Bolton) Joe Lewis (Peterborough) Theo Walcott (Arsenal) Jack Rodwell (Everton) James Tomkins (West Ham) Micah Richards (Man City) Michael Mancienne (Chelsea) Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal) Andrew Driver (Hearts, has now pledged his international future to Scotland) Fraizer Campbell (Man U, now Sunderland) Scott Loach (Watford) Danny Rose (Tottenham)
Last month, England won the European U17 Championship, beating Spain in the final. This was the squad: Sam Johnstone (Man U) Bruno Pilatos (Middlesbrough) Luke Garbutt (Everton) Connor Coady (Liverpool) Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea) Andre Wisdom (Liverpool) William Keane (Man U) George Thorne (West Brom) Benik Afobe (Arsenal) Saido Berahino (West Brom) Robert Hall (West Ham) Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough) Jack Butland (Birmingham) Tom Thorpe (Man U) Josh McEachran (Chelsea) Ross Barkley (Everton) Connor Wickham (Ipswich) Luke Williams (Middlesbrough)
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Jun 28, 2010 14:39:27 GMT 1
I'd start planning for 2014 now. So any player over 30 would be out. They've had their chance and blown it. Terry would be gone for being a cancerous influence. King is too injury prone, if Warnock hasn't made it now I doubt he ever will. Start again with the youngsters. Keep Gerrard on to be captain.
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Post by Maximo Mark on Jun 28, 2010 14:39:47 GMT 1
Joe Hart Kyle Walker Kieran Gibbs Michael Dawson Gary Cahill Aaron Lennon Adam Johnson Tom Huddlestone Steven Gerrard Jack Wilshire Wayne Rooney
WC 2014 team anyone?
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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 14:51:08 GMT 1
Joe Hart Kyle Walker Kieran Gibbs Michael Dawson Gary Cahill Aaron Lennon Adam Johnson Tom Huddlestone Steven Gerrard Jack Wilshire Wayne Rooney WC 2014 team anyone? Not sure about Kyle Walker yet (or Naughton). Take out Lennon and replace him with someone who can actually cross a ball and you have a pretty good team.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 28, 2010 14:57:09 GMT 1
Scott Loach is a good goalkeeper but behind Joe Hart. Played on loan for Bradford City in the 2nd half of the 2007-2008 season - the half in which they rose from near the bottom of the table to 10th.
We need to keep some experience in the team! Even the "young" German team has a few older experienced players like Klose still playing for them.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Jun 28, 2010 15:03:16 GMT 1
Why Cahill over Johnson/Dann?
Goals conceded by Birmingham City last season: 47 - five of which came in one match against a reserve goalkeeper
Goals conceded by Bolton Wanderers: 67
Only thing is, Blues were the team whose wage bill was the second lowest in the Prem and who were odds-on to go down.
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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 15:15:36 GMT 1
Goals conceded by Birmingham City last season: 47 - five of which came in one match against a reserve goalkeeper Which suggests Hart was a bigger reason for their success than the defence in front of him. I like Johnson. I definitely think he could be a future England international but anyone can have one good season in the top flight (anyone remember Nicky Shorey?). If they can do it again next season, they'll be worth serious consideration. Cahill and Dawson have been producing the goods consistently for a few years now.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jun 28, 2010 15:17:24 GMT 1
i watched the u21 championships and we have some decent young lads coming through, joe hart and james milner have already made it into the full squad and should stay there. in 4 years time i think if some of these lads develop their game they have the potential to be knocking on the door mixed with a few older pros Joe Hart Joe Lewis Paul Robinson Ashley Cole Cary Cahill Steven Taylor Michael Dawson Ryan Shawcross Micah Richards Richard Stearman Nedum Onhuoa Michael Mancienne Jack Rodwell Lee Cattermole Adam Johnson Theo Walcott (make or break year, huge question marks over wether he is either awsome or worst player i have ever seen) Jack Wilshire James Milner Steven Gerrard Ashley Young Owen Hargreaves Gabriel Agbonlahor Wayne Rooney Darren Bent we are light on strikers and you never know who might pop up or come good in the next four years but this is a young, solid, hungry, quick team. the one thing that got me was after the usa got beat all the players were gutted, laid on the ground in tears and nobody could console them, it was like the end of the world for them, each and everyone of them had a pit in their stomach and they all felt they had let people down including themself. where as after the england game lampard was laughing and smiling swapping shirts with the germand like they lost a mid table premiership game but still had a 10 point lead at the top. i can't comment on the rest of the team cos i turned it off in disgust
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Post by Panda on Jun 28, 2010 15:20:11 GMT 1
The Guardian's Kevin McCarra and Richard Williams have come up with their own 2014 XIs:
McCarra's XI: (4-1-3-1-1) Hart G Johnson Dawson Terry Gibbs Rodwell Lennon Milner A Johnson Rooney Wickham
Williams's XI: (4-2-3-1) Hart G Johnson Dawson Richards A Cole Rodwell M Johnson Walcott Wilshire (sic) McEachran Rooney
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Post by Maximo Mark on Jun 28, 2010 16:13:12 GMT 1
For McEachran to break into the team it would mean Chelsea have to play a youth player....
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Post by suedehead on Jun 28, 2010 19:46:25 GMT 1
For McEachran to break into the team it would mean Chelsea have to play a youth player.... Or for him to go on loan somewhere. He was one of the English players who impressed me most in the U-17 championships.
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