[Archived] England Decline Must End

[somersetrover]

Terry, Lescott, Hooper, and Agbonlahor are out there suggestions..

I can't stand John Terry as a man but he is quite easily the best centre half in the country. Lescott I've always liked as a player and how an experienced manager like Pellegrini picks Demichelis over him is beyond me, but I would have him as back up along with Jones to Cahill and Terry. Hooper is a good finisher who works hard and in a better team than Norwich with some service in midfield would score plenty of goals and he is a better option on the bench than Welbeck,Lambert or Caroll as he is a natural finisher. And Agbonlahor I agree is well out there but whenever I see Villa play he is a real handful with his pace on the counter attack and I think that he would offer England something that no other striker they have offers (with Walcott out) as he could come on and use his pace when the oppositions defence is tiring.

[speeeeeeedie]

The world cup is for specialist players playing in the positions that the managers tactics dictate. Rasmsey taught us that surely? Utility players in general wont do. They are invaluable to a club NOT to an international team where we can take 2 specialists for every position. If we take one it's Jones cos he can do a job in defence AND deep midfield. Smalling as far as I see is fairly weak and at best a nearly man.

I don't disagree with you, however Jones isn't likely to make the 1st 11 so why not have him as a utility player. Jones is better thann Smalling too.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Our first game is in unimaginable heat. Surely we need impact players? It is up and out there that James Milner is loved by Woy. Agree with Gordon that utility players are a burden sometimes. Milner is jack of all trades........

He needs young fit players, with a bit of nouse (like Stevie G, rhymes with Scouse), impressed with the guys from Southampton, impressed by Townsend on his debut, but gone off the boil for Spurs. Why not throw caution to the wind, as the Denmark performance was pants, and go for it.........Germany style!

[somersetrover]

Our first game is in unimaginable heat. Surely we need impact players? It is up and out there that James Milner is loved by Woy. Agree with Gordon that utility players are a burden sometimes. Milner is jack of all trades........

He needs young fit players, with a bit of nouse (like Stevie G, rhymes with Scouse), impressed with the guys from Southampton, impressed by Townsend on his debut, but gone off the boil for Spurs. Why not throw caution to the wind, as the Denmark performance was pants, and go for it.........Germany style!

Germany took youngster to the 2010 world cup because they were better than what they had (I don't believe that is the case with our youngster compared to senior player) as they showed winning the 2009 under 21 Euros.

[Eddie]

I just hope that everyone on here who has said that they don't give a toss or don't support the team will stay away from pubs/celebrations if England do reasonably well this summer.

As I said before, this thread is reflective of the general mood of French supporters. They spend 11 months of the year insulting their national teams, but if they do well for a minute they are all back on board. In 2006 the team was too old, the coach was an idiot and the players didn't care - a few weeks later they were in a final and everyone had red, white and blue painted on their faces. Same happened in the rugby world cup a couple of years ago and even as recently as this year's six nations after they beat England in the opening match.

Footballers are probably overpaid (although no more overpaid than other athletes, authors, painters, musicians, actors, etc...) and are often not that likeable, but you aren't supporting them, you're supporting your country or your club.

[roverandout]

as long as james milner doesn't go, im happy!!!

[speeeeeeedie]

The Guardian has a go at picking England's starting 11; http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/apr/02/england-world-cup-roy-hodgson?CMP=ema_1385.

Plenty of the people commenting have praise for Lallana. I've not seen much of him. Is he good? I also think Carroll deserves a spot. He is unplayable in the air.

[roverandout]

lallana is class from what I have seen of him, I would have a midfield of lallana, sterling, gerrard and Wilshire with barkley coming off the bench, that midfield would frighten the life out of most teams

[Audax]

Sam's talking up Andy Carrol. Carrol or Rickie Lambert with Southampton would be good choices.

The Guardian has a go at picking England's starting 11; http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/apr/02/england-world-cup-roy-hodgson?CMP=ema_1385.

Plenty of the people commenting have praise for Lallana. I've not seen much of him. Is he good? I also think Carroll deserves a spot. He is unplayable in the air.

[thenodrog]

Sam's talking up Andy Carrol. Carrol or Rickie Lambert with Southampton would be good choices.

I agree. We need an alternative if we are losing and we need to go more direct in the last 20/30 mins.If we'd had that option in 2002 v a 10 man Brazil whose back four didn't leave the edge of their area from the sending off to the final whistle. Owen was chasing balls down channels that simply didn't exist. A Carroll / Crouch bombed from deep would have been able to knock down every ball into the danger area against South American defenders.

[K-Hod]

Andy Carroll gets a bad press because of his failed transfer to Liverpool.

He's the best option aerially that we have, and as touched upon above, is a great option from the bench at the very least!

[Guest Norbert]

Can't be worse than Welbeck, who should just train for the 200 metres sprint.

[gumboots]

I just hope that everyone on here who has said that they don't give a toss or don't support the team will stay away from pubs/celebrations if England do reasonably well this summer.

As I said before, this thread is reflective of the general mood of French supporters. They spend 11 months of the year insulting their national teams, but if they do well for a minute they are all back on board. In 2006 the team was too old, the coach was an idiot and the players didn't care - a few weeks later they were in a final and everyone had red, white and blue painted on their faces. Same happened in the rugby world cup a couple of years ago and even as recently as this year's six nations after they beat England in the opening match.

Footballers are probably overpaid (although no more overpaid than other athletes, authors, painters, musicians, actors, etc...) and are often not that likeable, but you aren't supporting them, you're supporting your country or your club.

I don't care at all about the England football team and if they win the World Cup or even one of their group matches, which it's a distinct possibility they won't, I won't be celebrating. I'm as patriotic as the next person and perhaps more so, when it comes to supporting the rugby team, the cricket team, the athletics squad, the Olympic people, anything that isn't the football team. It wasn't always like this. Back in the days when we did win the WC the England team were supported and liked regardless of which club they played for etc. what I can't find it in me to support is the media darling team, selected because their media pals have somehow conned a nation hungry for success into thinking they are actually good. Most of our "star players" are in the England team because there isn't anyone else as so few English players are good enough to get into premiership teams and the ones that do look good because of the foreigners they play with. And yet they act as though they are the worlds best and are talked about as footballing heroes. I can't be bothered with them and will probably not watch.

[roverandout]

we do have some exciting young talent, Wilshire, chamberlain, barkley, walker, jones, sterling, lallana, sturridge, shaw, and some good experience like gerrard, cole, rooney etc, I am more excited about this team since these youngsters have come through than I was a year ago, if these guys go to the world cup then we have a chance of the quarter finals, most teams don't have a chance of winning the world cup, theres only probably 3 or 4 who can win it (brazil, Germany, spain maybe argentina) the rest are there to make up the numbers, theres always one surprise team that can make it to a semi final, why not us?

[ABBEY]

I don't care at all about the England football team and if they win the World Cup or even one of their group matches, which it's a distinct possibility they won't, I won't be celebrating. I'm as patriotic as the next person and perhaps more so, when it comes to supporting the rugby team, the cricket team, the athletics squad, the Olympic people, anything that isn't the football team. It wasn't always like this. Back in the days when we did win the WC the England team were supported and liked regardless of which club they played for etc. what I can't find it in me to support is the media darling team, selected because their media pals have somehow conned a nation hungry for success into thinking they are actually good. Most of our "star players" are in the England team because there isn't anyone else as so few English players are good enough to get into premiership teams and the ones that do look good because of the foreigners they play with. And yet they act as though they are the worlds best and are talked about as footballing heroes. I can't be bothered with them and will probably not watch.

I for one can't wait for the World Cup !

Love it.

[thenodrog]

we do have some exciting young talent, Wilshire, chamberlain, barkley, walker, jones, sterling, lallana, sturridge, shaw, and some good experience like gerrard, cole, rooney etc, I am more excited about this team since these youngsters have come through than I was a year ago,

Exactly so. I've been of this opinion for some time now. We should treat this WC as Joachim Lowe and the Germans treat the last one, an opportunity to blood the next generation with the euro's in 2 years and the next WC in mind. Ditch the tired old has been guard with the exception of Gerrard in his new role of deep midfield, and Rooney subject to him not going on holiday and staying here on a strict fitness regime (if he objects then @#/? him off too!) chuck in the kids and enjoy the experience. Whether the tarry fingered FA and the massed ranks of interfering sponsors and press dogs will allow him to do that I seriously doubt.

Just a point but the last time we had a manager with the balls to stand up to the experts etc and play his way we won it!

[gumboots]

I for one can't wait for the World Cup !

Love it.

And you're perfectly entitled to. I don't expect anyone else to agree with me necessarily. I just lost interest in watching England play a long time ago and haven't been persuaded by anything I've seen in the years since to enjoy it again. It'll be on in my house - my son and husband will be watching, and I'll cast an odd glance as I walk through the room or if I can't be bothered to go and do something else, but it's more likely to be minnows versus some more minnows I watch than an England game.

[Majiball]

Exactly so. I've been of this opinion for some time now. We should treat this WC as Joachim Lowe and the Germans treat the last one, an opportunity to blood the next generation with the euro's in 2 years and the next WC in mind. Ditch the tired old has been guard with the exception of Gerrard in his new role of deep midfield, and Rooney subject to him not going on holiday and staying here on a strict fitness regime (if he objects then @#/? him off too!) chuck in the kids and enjoy the experience. Whether the tarry fingered FA and the massed ranks of interfering sponsors and press dogs will allow him to do that I seriously doubt.

Just a point but the last time we had a manager with the balls to stand up to the experts etc and play his way we won it!

You're dead right on that shout Theno, that's the best thing England could do at the world cup this summer.

[K-Hod]

How did Scotland get on in qualifying?

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Bad. We had Craig Levein as manager who was awful then eventually hired Strachan who was really good but it was too late.

Germany played their youngsters because they were all outstanding players. England should pick the squad that has the best chance of winning it. If Greece can win the Euro's then England can win the World Cup, it's incredibly defeatist to essentially just give up on it now.

[K-Hod]

I think in all honesty, we should try the youngsters-Lallana and Barkley especially.

We don't help ourselves at times though-Wilshere and Townsend over-hyped after a couple of good games, the latter especially tailing off significantly since. The defence and 'keeper seem mostly settled, and pick themselves, midfield and strikers will be the contentious ones.

[dave birch]

Got to go with the young up and comers, those with flair and a bit of form.

If you're going to go down, do it with a bit of style, be remembered.

[Majiball]

How did Scotland get on in qualifying?

We didn't want to qualify no scot could survive in the brazilian sun and heat we'd have to drop out as all our players would be sun burnt and suffering heat stroke.

[Majiball]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26967553

Well England maybe on the decline, but the Scots are on the rise!!

Euro 2016 here we come!!!!

[Stuart]

We'll see about the future of Scotland tomorrow, Maj. You going?