[Archived] Uefa Under21 Championship

[Fife Rover]

...it's quite possibly too tempting.

What is?

Edit: Oh right! I've got it now; why did you not say that in the first place?

[brfc fan]

I feel really angry at the way both of them have just been used! Doing it to Bents was bad enough but now Derbs is suffering.

I only hope it doesn't put them off England forever.

I'm sure it won't though.

[Eddie]

It's not being used! He's picked his squad and it is then up to him to decide who plays.

[blue phil]

No , no Eddie ....it's a conspiracy

[grizfoot]

I reckon they'll lose tommorrow against Serbia and crash out.

Notice the commentators saying a lot of the England players look tired after long-hard season.

[grizfoot]

It wouldn't surprise me if Pearce it taking out his frustration with Rovers/Hughsie/Bentley by not picking fellow Rovers player Derbs.

It doesn't matter really, I'm sure he'll get plenty of chances in the future when the England set up is less of a joke.

Just as a comparision: Of the strikers in the squad, can any stattos do a goals per game ratio from last season? I'm sure Derbs must be up there (or higher) than the others.

Goals per game ratios (all competitions)

Lita - 14 goals in 38 games = 0.368 goals per game

Nugent - 18 goals in 55 games = 0.327 goals per game

Derbyshire - 9 goals in 30 games = 0.3 goals per game

Vaughan - 4 goals in 15 games = 0.266 goals per game

Young - 6 goals in 26 games = 0.23 goals per game

Derbs comes third out of that. Although Nugent is only playing at Championship level and quite a lot of Derbyshire's appearances were from the bench.

[Guest shoppybrfc]

Lita's true quality was shown with those misses against Italy, If Lita is the future of English strikers then god help us, Derbyshire would have never have missed those chances.

[philipl]

Totally agree shoppy. Lita might have the muscle but 4 sitters asnd a pen are his tatistics in addition to the one he did slot. Derbs would have had at least three goals playing the same role in the same team.

But then Pearce has an aversion to scoring goals- just look at Man City last season. Watching the Italy game, one team was organised (Italy), one was not (Pearce's rabble).

[LeChuck]

If Lita is the future of English strikers then god help us,

Who said Lita was the future of English strikers?

Derbyshire may not have missed those two chances, but then he made not have been able to get in those positions in the first place.

[Guest shoppybrfc]

The U21's are generally seen as the future of English football.. well I thought they were, they ,maybe they arent in your world. Lita was suggested in a few tabloids as a potential additional the full squad when there was a striker injury crisis recently as well.

[LeChuck]

I never read that about Lita, I'll take your word for it though.

Regarding the 'future of English football' thing, the number of players that progress from U21 level to the full squad is low. I'd be very surprised if any of the current strikers ever appear regularly in England squads given the age of Owen, Rooney, Crouch, Defoe, Johnson and Ashton. Vaughan seems to have the most potential to me, it just depends how he develops over the next few years.

Maccarrone was the star of one of these U21 tournaments a few years ago and Italy haven't turned out too badly, have they?

[blue phil]

Watching the Italy game, one team was organised (Italy), one was not (Pearce's rabble).

Remind me of the score again ...?

This vilification of Pearce is becoming more hysterical every time I log on ....

[Eddie]

It is odd, almost as if people actually care who wins this tournament.

[gumboots]

Andy Townsend did say that Bentley was the only U21 player he could see really breaking through into the first team. Whether he gets a chance to do so now remains to be seen.

[tcj_jones]

Anybody good enough to play regularly for England these days will have broken into the full squad by the time they are 17/18/19. The under 21's are pretty meaningless as a result.

Out of the entire under 21 squad, the only players I could see ever playing in the full England squad on a regular basis are Scott Carson and Steven taylor. The likes of Vaughan, Young, Nugent and Noble have a lot to prove and could become very good players, but I still can't see any of them featuring on a regular basis.

[Cocker]

Did anyone see that Nani bloke tonight? WOW Man U have a real gem there - shame he was strechered off though

[modes98]

shame he was strechered off though

My heart bleeds! :ph34r:

But from what i've seen he looks like a quality buy and he's only young.

[Roar of the Rover]

My heart bleeds! :ph34r:

But from what i've seen he looks like a quality buy and he's only young.

Yeah he is quality, hope he settles in well and early in England so we can see the best of him striaght away unlike Ronaldo.

[USABlue]

Anyone know how I can pick up the England U-21 in the states. Spanish ESPN has it but I don't get that channel (duh!)

[Jimmy Jupiter]

Anybody good enough to play regularly for England these days will have broken into the full squad by the time they are 17/18/19. The under 21's are pretty meaningless as a result.

With that do you not believe Bentley to be good enough for England?

[Eddie]

At the moment that would depend on who you are, but if he proves beyond doubt that he is then he will be selected, I have no doubt about that either.

[ewoodblue]

At the moment that would depend on who you are, but if he proves beyond doubt that he is then he will be selected, I have no doubt about that either.

If he snubs the England set up then he won't play for England,it's not a case if he's good enough to play.

I'm more concerned about Matt Derbyshire being overlooked, Bentleys had his chance and blown it.

I remember Sutton doing exactly the same thing when he turned England B down.

The one question that sums it up with Bentley was if it had been the senior side in a mayor tournament would he off shyed off with the fatigue excuse...I think no,and I don't think any player should be bigger than the 3 lions no matter what level the team are.

I'll support Bentley as a Rovers player , but I won't condone him turning his back on England.

Like I say, I'm more interested in Matt Derbyshire getting his big break,and some of the players that are being picked over him, I think it stinks of Pearce sulking and taking it out on matty..

Come on England ,today, but please get another manager ,because that mans an idiot.

[tcj_jones]

With that do you not believe Bentley to be good enough for England?

Obviously, there will be the odd exception to the rule. I think Bentley should definitely be in the squad on a regular basis, but is vying for a position where we have a huge wealth of talent. With Beckham, Gerrard, Lennon, Wright-Phillips and Bentley all vying for one spot in the team, or two to be in the squad, it was always going to be difficult.

[ewoodblue]

It is odd, almost as if people actually care who wins this tournament.

I think we should care,I mean look at the Italians who have done so well in this competition, because they take every game serious ,no matter what level,and I'm sure most of the England squad do as well.All this talk about who gives a monkeys about it because it's only u-21's is daft talk.I 've enjoyed the competion so far,afterall these players are Englands next generation and every fan should get behind them.

If England win this it sends a message to the B team and senior squad and gives everybody confidence in Englands future as a whole.

This competition is very important..I'm behind them anyway.

[ewoodblue]

Obviously, there will be the odd exception to the rule. I think Bentley should definitely be in the squad on a regular basis, but is vying for a position where we have a huge wealth of talent. With Beckham, Gerrard, Lennon, Wright-Phillips and Bentley all vying for one spot in the team, or two to be in the squad, it was always going to be difficult.

So you really believe a player who turns down the u-21's should be in the senior squad on a regular basis.

You've lost me.