[Archived] English Squad - Summer 2016

[frosty]

France have got some superb talent but might miss Benzema, and they should have taken Lacazette too instead of Gignac.

Not sure about Germany; their form has been patchy since they won the WC. Few defeats v Ireland, Poland and obviously the collapse against England, and only narrow wins against teams like Scotland and Georgia. That said you still wouldn't be surprised if they produced when it mattered most.

[joey_big_nose]

It's hard to look past France. They are the home country and have bags of talent available.

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Benoit Costil

Defenders: Raphael Varane, Laurent Koscielny, Eliaquim Mangala, Jeremy Mathieu, Patrice Evra, Bacary Sagna, Christophe Jallet, Lucas Digne

Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi, Lassana Diarra, N'Golo Kante, Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko

Strikers: Antoine Griezmann, Dimitri Payet, Anthony Martial, Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud, Andre-Pierre Gignac

I don't think that the Germans will win it. They have a good side but aren't as strong as 2 years ago.

A lot of their team are in form and have had very good seasons (Greizman, Payet, Kante, Lloris) but I can't say I'm totally convinced. A lot like England - good players who have done well but not that many who have really proved themselves as the absolute best.

Home advantage is a fair point.

[rigger]

The thing with the Germans is, that usually there players have had experience of winning tournaments. If they have good young players, they don't always push them up to the first team. They let them play at there own level and gain experience at how to win tournaments. It would seem to be a good practice.

[joey_big_nose]

Apparently team tomorrow is likely to be

--------------------Hart

Walker----Stones----Cahill----Rose

--------------------Dier

---------------Alli------Wilshire

------------------Barkley

-------------Vardy----Kane

Quite excited by that. Lots of pace at full back, a lot of goals up front, and good technical quality in midfield. Defence looks very dodgy, but we will just have to learn to live with that until we start producing decent defenders again.

[Blue Cabbage]

That's the team I'd play in the summer

[Paul]

Well a first for me tomorrow as I'm taking my lad to watch England v Turkey at the Etihad. Only other international I've been to was Scotland v Holland at Villa Park in '96.

Back at the Etihad on Wednesday to see Springsteen - think j can guess who's more likely to get the stadium rocking!! 😀

[ABBEY]

I wanted to go .. Pah bloody family do's

[roverandout]

To put things in perspective Spain have just announced their squad.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36312769

Their starting team could be

-------------------De Gea

JuanFran---Ramos---Pique---Alba

-------------Busquets--Koke

------Silva-----Fabregas---Inesta

-------------------Moreta

They are so awash with talent they can leave Costa and Torres at home, despite the latter making the Champions League final.

They have two fantastic goal keepers, an excellent defence, a total embarrassment of riches in midfield, only up front do they look anything less than exceptional. Maybe they will have a meltdown like in 2014, but when you look at the English, French, Italian or even Belgian squads against that lineup it is a poor comparison. Germany and Spain should walk the rest of the competition imo.

We have two fantastic goalkeepers in hart and Forster, Casillas is finished as a top keeper, I would take Forster over him any day and hart is as good as de gea

[patrickvalery]

Good to see our first choice centre half perform so well against palace. If I was Hodgson I'd be bricking it looking at our back four.

[Ribble Rover]

Good to see our first choice centre half perform so well against palace. If I was Hodgson I'd be bricking it looking at our back four.

You beat me to it.

We might as well admit that as soon as we come up against a good quality forward line, as usual, we'll get beat

[A cup of beans]

Good to see our first choice centre half perform so well against palace. If I was Hodgson I'd be bricking it looking at our back four.

Exactly right. Smalling and Cahill are rank rotten, but the issue is there are no quality young defenders coming through to challenge any time soon.

Is it too simplistic for me to say: because the Premier TV deals are so ludicrously lucrative, managers aren't prepared to risk youngsters, as results are the be all and end all.

Even Southampton have resisted playing their young English talents recently.

John Stones has been ruined by Martinez. He was our only next gen defensive star.

Poor Phil Jones. We could do with him fully fit.

[joey_big_nose]

Exactly right. Smalling and Cahill are rank rotten, but the issue is there are no quality young defenders coming through to challenge any time soon.

Is it too simplistic for me to say: because the Premier TV deals are so ludicrously lucrative, managers aren't prepared to risk youngsters, as results are the be all and end all.

Even Southampton have resisted playing their young English talents recently.

John Stones has been ruined by Martinez. He was our only next gen defensive star.

Poor Phil Jones. We could do with him fully fit.

Personally I think Cahill is okay. Its the others that worry me more.

We used to ha5be quality centrebacks coming out of our ears. Whats happened?

[frosty]

Personally I think Cahill is okay. Its the others that worry me more.

We used to ha5be quality centrebacks coming out of our ears. Whats happened?

Aye. Only 10 years ago we had Terry, Ferdinand, Campbell and Carragher all going to the World Cup, then going back further the likes of Tony Adams....god knows what's happened since, but we could certainly do with some top defenders.

[roverandout]

Not to mention woodgate, king, I still think theres a good generation of centre backs coming through, Gómez at Liverpool, the west ham lad and I think stones will go on to become a superstar. Cahill is still a very good defender

[Mr. E]

Shocking line up by Hodgson today. Its like he hasn't watched a single game all season and just cares who plays for Man City. Sterling is garbage, can't pass, can't shoot, nothing. Dier, Rose, Walker are all second class players, nothing exciting whatsoever. Delph, Townsend on the bench? Are you sxitting me? Where are Sturridge, Defoe, Walcott,Henderson, Barclay ?

Hodgson is an idiot.

[ABBEY]

1-0 2 mins oopps

[islander200]

Shocking line up by Hodgson today. Its like he hasn't watched a single game all season and just cares who plays for Man City. Sterling is garbage, can't pass, can't shoot, nothing. Dier, Rose, Walker are all second class players, nothing exciting whatsoever. Delph, Townsend on the bench? Are you sxitting me? Where are Sturridge, Defoe, Walcott,Henderson, Barclay ?

Hodgson is an idiot.

what a load of rubbish.You reckon Walcott should be in?Dier has had a much better season than Henderson and besides Henderson is only back from injury.Rose has been one of the better left backs in the premier league this season.You don't really have a clue do you?

[frosty]

Dunno what Hart was doing there....should only have come out if he was sure he was gonna get it. Just made it easy for them in the end.

[RevidgeBlue]

1-1.

Hart, who I don't rate at all, came flying out of his goal when he didn't need to for me. If you come out like that you have to make certain you get there.

Edit: Oops great minds.

[Husky]

Sterling and Wiltshire? That's bad enough, but as we can see the defence is a massive problem.

I wonder who the last team to do well in a major tournament that were so dodgy at the back were.

[matt83]

First time turkey scored against England in their history. Surprising stat. Even San Marino took the lead against us after 8 seconds in 93/94 ish.

[davulsukur]

Vardy seems to be ridiculously poor at crossing.

Dunno if that's just today or always.

[J*B]

Vardy seems to be ridiculously poor at crossing.

Dunno if that's just today or always.

In his defence he's a finisher playing left wing here.

[K-Hod]

1-1.

Hart, who I don't rate at all, came flying out of his goal when he didn't need to for me. If you come out like that you have to make certain you get there.

Edit: Oops great minds.

Hart is like so many 'keepers these days, brilliant shot stopper but he's got a mistake in him. That fear trickles down to the defence and makes them lose confidence in him...

[Husky]

Dunno what Hart was doing there....should only have come out if he was sure he was gonna get it. Just made it easy for them in the end.

England's "only World class player" . . . . .

Get the mistakes out of the way now.