[Archived] England Squad

[Hughesy]

One of our main problems is the lack of internation class strikers - A commentator made a good point last night about Rooney - nobody knows his best position.

No centre midfielder should be out on the left wing - Lampard, Gerrard or Barry and neither should be Rooney. We have Joe Cole (Possibly our best international player), Young, Downing who are all left sided players and therefore they should be the 1st pick of players for that position.

Terry shouldnt of been made captain either - he isnt good enough at international level - much rather see Stevie G given it.

[thenodrog]

To many billy big times. It's about hunger and determination.

Lampard and Terry would not get within a million miles of my squad cos of their attitudes, in their minds it's obvious that the England team is not a big enough stage for those two high rollers now. Gerard might just make it to the bench unless he has the discipline to convert to deep central midfield and become a getter and giver.

Wayne Bridge could be a ball boy, Warnock could play instead of Cole not cos he is better but cos he is hungrier. If Cole reacts positively then he can be back in if not then he can cfku off.

Becks and Owen put out to pasture.

Job sorted BUT God only knows what I'd do for GK! British citizenship for Brad would be about the best option.

An introduction of lesser squad, B team and U21 players would instill some desire and motivation into a team that currently have none. Capello came as a hard taskmaster but I cannot imagine a starker contrast to his image. It seems he is perfectly happy to losre his reputation and play his part in the corporate appeasement game. He is a wuss at best and a commercial rent-boy at worst. Two important decisions and he's spewed em both.... Terry for Captain and Beckhams recall.

[Head Rover Heels]

One of our main problems is the lack of internation class strikers - A commentator made a good point last night about Rooney - nobody knows his best position.

I'd disagree with that - Our problem is how we deal with the lack of international strikers.

We pay however many million a year for Capello and his predecessors to get round this, and how do they do it? By shoving in too many top quality midfielders. Rather than thinking the striker problem can be solved by ramming Gerrard Lampard and Rooney all into the same position, we should be trying out "lesser" strikers.

The examples are there in even our history - There was a time when we only had Dickov to play up front, Rigters did a job of "Pressing the opposition defensive line", admitted by his coach. Not every player in the side has to be international class, they just have to do their job.

No we don't have a Torres or a Drogba, but we have plenty of options Defoe, Bent, Ashton, Agbonlahor (i could go on but i won't) Ok, they aren't of the same standard, but we have excellent midfielders and defenders - Rely on them to provide continual support and service and we would see an improvement. Gerrard and Lampard both score goals from scraps for their clubs, but without playing in the right position behind strikers who are being fed, there are no scraps to feed off.

Edit - Good post Theno, completely agree.

[Majiball]

Well what do you say really, that was a team that flopped at the euro's and we struggled, bodes well for the qualifiers.

Capello's rein has had an odd start, I fully expected to see a new team, new ideas but Alas it would seem even some of the best club managers are bemused over what to do with england. These friendlies should have been used better, some young blood bedded in with a core of the so called Golden Generation.

Downing, Bentley, Young, Richards, Gabbie, Walcott, Johnson should all have been blooded in with the chosen mainstays. Enthusiasm, desire, pride, determination are all words that I no longer associate with England. Instead they seem expectant, comfortable, relaxed, its not good nothing has changed, Qualifications now fill me with dread.

Gerrard and Lampard cannot play together, Gerrard is not left footed, Beckham (I'm glad he got 100) is a squad man at best, Rooney in the hole, We have no ariel threat, we have no pace, Richards with the U21's????? The next games matter, experiment time is over, and we are still in the same position that we started in.

[thenodrog]

Beckham (I'm glad he got 100) is a squad man at best,

Not as glad that he got 100 caps as Nike or whoever it is that sponsors goldenballs and wants to milk the old cash cow one last time.

Anyway how often do we hear of players wanting to leave clubs because they are not in the 1st XI at their clubs and therefore are frightened of losing their international place through not playing weekly at the top level? So bearing that in mind can anybody remind me when was the last time Beckham played a top level competetive match?

[Billy Castell]

Can someone tell me why Rooney is considered world class? Didn't see the game but I noticed he didn't score again. I'd say he couldn't score in a brothel but..........................

[Majiball]

Can someone tell me why Rooney is considered world class? Didn't see the game but I noticed he didn't score again. I'd say he couldn't score in a brothel but..........................

I wouldn't say he was, that's a term that gets banded round to often nowadays. It should be reserved for the select few.

Not as glad that he got 100 caps as Nike or whoever it is that sponsors goldenballs and wants to milk the old cash cow one last time.

Anyway how often do we hear of players wanting to leave clubs because they are not in the 1st XI at their clubs and therefore are frightened of losing their international place through not playing weekly at the top level? So bearing that in mind can anybody remind me when was the last time Beckham played a top level competetive match?

What a surprise, you don't think he earned that honour then?

Beckham would be on my bench, he is still the best set-piece taker we have he's worth 20 min at the end if we are chasing the game, or are looking to seal a result.

[JAL]

Can someone tell me why Rooney is considered world class? Didn't see the game but I noticed he didn't score again. I'd say he couldn't score in a brothel but..........................

Totally agree, i think world class is an old assumption made about Rooney when he first entered the International arena as a fresh, raw, extremely hungry young footaballer, everybody thought he would progress on to even better things. So far hes not progressed but gown backwards ever so slightly.

[gazsimm]

that was a load of rubbish last night. Lampard was very poor and should not be in the side. We need a left winger why not play Downing who can offer the england team more balance instead of keeping the big stars happy. My team for the next game would be.

James

Brown Terry Rio Bridge

Carrick Barry

Gerrard Rooney Downing

Heskey

[Majiball]

Its Andorra up next so we can afford to change it. Rooney needs to go back to the brothel to remember what its like, so drop him, Lampard as well, Becks can warm the bench too. Bring back Richards, Ashton, Bentley, Downing, and give some of them a rocket.

----------------Robbo---------------

Richards--Terry--Rio-------Warnock

-------------Hargreaves------------

Bentley------Gerrard-------Downing

----------Ashton----Gabbie----------

England really annoy me this so called golden generation have all had how many oppurtunities?? I do not believe they are Golden as we all believed but maybe another type, fool's gold. We need a team, not eleven individuals, and please Capello don't tell us they did well for 60 mins.

Time to give chances to those who have not really had them, and who show good form at there clubs. If any of the players last night played like that for there clubs they would be dropped, why should the national team be different?

[LeChuck]

Well, I'm bored so I'll throw in what I'd go with. The key for me is pace, we're so damn slow in everything we do. So, with that in mind...

-------------Robinson-----------

Richards Terry Ferdinand Cole

------Hargreaves Gerrard------

--Walcott---Rooney---Young---

--------------Ashton-------------

Hargreaves and Gerrard have terrific engines and determination, they can protect the back four from there. Gerrard can also play his long through balls to the three ahead, and if the situation calls he can move forward a bit more leaving Hargreaves back. The front three would be very fluid, they can all interchange and dart around Ashton. Putting Rooney further back makes us defensively stronger as well, because he'll always chase back and try to win the ball.

[roversWASmylife]

Well, what a complete waste of time my visit to Wembley was. I was looking forward to it, last game before the 'important' games start. The New Wembley, which is impressive, doesn't look as big from the outside but was pretty impressive inside.

Whatever you do don't buy food/ drink in there, I didn't the prices were a joke.

The team looked flat, cack and not interested at all, especially a few. The defence was ok, Ashley Cole should not be in the side, he didn't look interested and looked as if he'd rather be elsewhere. The midfield were nowhere to be seen. Beckham never stayed out on the right, hence look at where he was for Czech's first goal, out wide left and left Wes Brown exposed.

Lampard wasn't driving forward into the box and Gerrard,no fault of his own was being played out on the left. Barry was pretty average, as for the forwards. Rooney worked ok, did as best as he good, dropping short most of the time as hardly anybody was moving about. Defoe was useless, at times I don't know what was going through Terry and Rio's minds ,hoofing it up in the air thinking he'd win it.

Their free kick was a good goal but we hardly created anything from open play. The two goals were from set pieces.

I don't know, but we're certainly lacking it. How Ashley Young never made the squad is beyond me.

Personally I'd go with him and Walcott on the wings, Gerrard behind Rooney, with Hargreaves and Barry holding. Cole and Richards can overlap from full back. It'd lack a bit of experience but pose a much bigger (and more exciting) threat, and with Young in the side we wouldn't be lacking quality from set pieces either.

Well said. There are too many players in that England side who expect to play and know they will. We need new players, new ideas I thought the idea of friendly games was to do this?

There's no width and no pace on the side at all, everything is down the middle and Czech Republic read us from start to finish.

Why isn't Agbonlahor in?

Only God Knows. He's got pace and is scoring goals, all be it in the early stages of the season. But he would have offered more of a threat than Defoe did all night.

Worrying times. Since the McClaren era to Capello's, we've learnt the square root of f*** all. We may have the best league in the world and some fantastic players in our country, but far too many of them are individuals and team players. To represent your country is an hour, the likes of Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard made it look like a chore.

Beckham has had his day I'm afraid, he struggled to keep up with the pace and half the time wasn't in his position. Time for changes again before it's too late I think.

[thenodrog]

What a surprise, you don't think he earned that honour then?

Beckham would be on my bench, he is still the best set-piece taker we have he's worth 20 min at the end if we are chasing the game, or are looking to seal a result.

Whats a suprise?

As for earning an honour it's supposed to be an honour to wear the shirt. Selecting a has-been is unfairly denying someone else the honour. I'd happily see Beckham win 200 caps if he was good enough and deserving of a place in the team but he's not, he's history and has been for a couple of years now. The 100 cap thing was a complete farce dreamed up in a boardroom somewhere to make a few extra quid.

[1864roverite]

I watched the game in Prague, England were useless at best.

I cannot say anything positive about the team such was the dire performance of these multi million pound superstars.

I am one of the 20000 fans not renewing my England membership because I aint spending any more money watching that dross.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Surprised to see people still picking Gerrard in their England team. The guy has failed at international level and can't repeat his club form, so why are we persisting with him?

[incecticide]

Gerrard suffers from having Lampard around. When Lampard misses games he has the freedom to play his own game and does much better. Playing him in a holding role would be a waste, and would be another example of fitting the star players in where they don't play. My team:

----------Robinson (Rovers bias)----------

----Richards---Terry---Rio---Warnock----

-----------------Hargreaves-----------------

--Bentley---------Gerrard---------Young--

--------------------Rooney------------------

And Rooney only gets a game if we have a manager with the balls to tell him to play his position. If Fergie told him to play as an out-and-out striker you can bet he'd do it.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Gerrard suffers from having Lampard around. When Lampard misses games he has the freedom to play his own game and does much better.

I've seen Gerrard play without Lampard several times and i haven't seen much difference in Gerrard's performances. The guy simply cannot repeat his club performances at international level.

[thenodrog]

Surprised to see people still picking Gerrard in their England team. The guy has failed at international level and can't repeat his club form, so why are we persisting with him?

Something I have said for years now. I can only put it down to media indoctrination of the great unwashed. Say something often enough and people will believe you.

The only adage worth following in football is the 'a player is only as good as his last game'. And if that advice had been followed by Capello last Wednesdays team would have been much different.

[almuncle]

Something I have said for years now. I can only put it down to media indoctrination of the great unwashed. Say something often enough and people will believe you.

The only adage worth following in football is the 'a player is only as good as his last game'. And if that advice had been followed by Capello last Wednesdays team would have been much different.

Sadly,in football bull sh1t baffles brains time and time again

[RoyRover]

Thats because Chris Waddle is, unfortunatly, a moron.

Chris Waddle is a good pundit. He is one of the few pundits who has consistently recognised England's obvious weaknesses for a long time. Other people in the media are only now starting to face up to these facts. They can no longer delude themselves, their readers, their viewers or their listeners that England are anything but an average side. I watched a replay of the game today on Setanta and England were so bad it beggared belief. If anything, they are getting worse. They are like Newcastle. There is a deep rooted problem that Capello has yet to sort out. I feel so sorry for the loyal fans who spend fortunes to watch these over-paid and over-hyped players.

I remember watching the Czechs during the European Championships and during it Alan Green had the cheek and arrogance to ask how many of their team would get on for England? If by that he meant, how many of these guys have massive egos and reputations, get hyped up to be world beaters, only to fail at the highest level of football and whose celebrity lifestyle overshadows their footballing ability, then not many would make the England team. But if he meant how many of these guys can pass and move with intelligence and confidence, knowing exactly what they are to do and how to do it, who are in complete control of the ball at all times and know what it takes to play football at the highest level, then six or seven at least would be good enough. In all honesty, people should be asking how many of the England team would get into the Czech side and other such teams. Moreover, this is a team that is nowhere near the same level of the side that should have won Euro 2004.

The Andorra game should be a formality for England, but it won't bring them on as a team. If they play anything like they did the other night in Zagreb, then the likes of Modric, Rakitic, Pranjic, Srna, Klasnic and Olic will tear them to pieces. Qualifying for South Africa is not guaranteed considering the current state of things.

[DeadlyDirk]

England squad to play Andorra and Croatia:

Robinson (Blackburn), James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham); Lescott (Everton), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Brown (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Upson (West Ham); Barry (Aston Villa), J Cole (Chelsea), Lampard (Chelsea), Bullard (Fulham), Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Downing (Middlesbrough), Bentley (Tottenham), Jenas (Tottenham); Walcott (Arsenal), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth), Heskey (Wigan).

No Warnock, Young, Agbonlahor, Owen, Crouch to name a few, Gerrard due to injury.

Good to see Robinson in there because it will hopefully help his confidence, shame about Warnock although he hasn't been fantastic so far, who knows maybe Dunny could push his way into the reckoning if he stays fit and on form.

No major surprise inclusions other than Bullard really.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Great to see Bullard in there!

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Would have liked to have seen Wright-Phillips in the squad, especially for the game against Andorra. He would have run them ragged.

[all you need is duff]

For years there has only been one player that England can rely on to consistently perform in the big games; Michael Owen. Best hope against Croatia is now a 0-0 draw. With Owen included there was always the chance of an Itallian style 1-0 with Owen nicking a winner in a defensive performance.

[Rover down South]

----------Defoe--------------

------------------Walcott-----

Cole,J---Lampard---Barry---Beckham

Cole, A--Terry----Ferdinand--Johnson

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

Leave Rooney on the bench, Defoe & Walcott both deserve a chance, Walcott's pace is amazing.