England Squad post WC 2014

[BaronsCourtQuaker]

It also appears to me that the Press are lining up his successor, Glen Hoddle!

Which is rather ironic in the way that they hounded him out originally.

You can't lie that there is an apathy to the England team, but then im not sure if it isn't always like this after a tournament and the long road of qualifiers start. However the media just seem to be fueling the apathy rather than helping the team. You could easily have spun the 40,000 crowd as a good turn out of the faithful fans the week kids went back to school, against a poor side, in a friendly with the serious game a few days later, but no they just look to mock.

The media have a lot to answer for when it comes to England, they scream for youth then mourn the loss of Gerrard, Lampard and Cole as an example. I must have read listened to so many articles where the journalist claim to be huge England fans then go and stick the knife in.

Roy seems to be looking frustrated with it all, and really there does not seem to be many other options out there if he did go.

England are not great at the moment but the looks on the players faces when they are asked to face the press suggest a lot. Really how much fun can it be playing for them at the moment.

[Spyman]

Yep, a huge amount made of the 40,000 attendance versus Norway, but on the same night, Argentina and Germany played in front of 50,000 - a repeat of the World Cup final only got 10,000 more than a weakened England team playing Norway.

[The Big Dawg]

Yep, a huge amount made of the 40,000 attendance versus Norway, but on the same night, Argentina and Germany played in front of 50,000 - a repeat of the World Cup final only got 10,000 more than a weakened England team playing Norway.

The Germany game was played in dusselldorf though, where the capacity is only a bit more than 50k, so near as dammit a full stadium once you take corporate no shows and unused comp tickets out the equation.

The England national team, their fans, and the football association deserve the grief and scorn being poured upon them, and have done for some time. They're a hideous joke, a bunch of technically inferior players coached by behind the times staff and employed by an inept shower of s*** of a governing body. How anyone who isn't a bulldog tattoo'd, Stella drinking, knuckle dragging spastic can actively support or defend them is beyond me.

[BaronsCourtQuaker]

Yep, a huge amount made of the 40,000 attendance versus Norway, but on the same night, Argentina and Germany played in front of 50,000 - a repeat of the World Cup final only got 10,000 more than a weakened England team playing Norway.

The Germany game was played in dusselldorf though, where the capacity is only a bit more than 50k, so near as dammit a full stadium once you take corporate no shows and unused comp tickets out the equation.

The England national team, their fans, and the football association deserve the grief and scorn being poured upon them, and have done for some time. They're a hideous joke, a bunch of technically inferior players coached by behind the times staff and employed by an inept shower of s*** of a governing body. How anyone who isn't a bulldog tattoo'd, Stella drinking, knuckle dragging spastic can actively support or defend them is beyond me.

HA HA, what a strange response to the England team.

I'll give you an inept governing body. We should have been playing this game elsewhere from Wembley, where we more than likely would have had a 'near as dammit full stadium'.

I could argue that they are technically more gifted than the vast majority of what other countries have to offer, but for the sake of avoiding an argument I won't

However I still support them. They represent the best my country has to offer on the national stage. If there is no one better than them its not their fault. Which includes you Big Dawg (your as entitled as the current crop are to play).

By the way I have no bulldog tattoo's, actually no tattoos at all and you will rarely find me drinking stella.

[DarloOnTheUp]

Well I'm part English, part Welsh so at least I have another decent side to sup... fuck.

[The Big Dawg]

HA HA, what a strange response to the England team.

Not really, I think the vast majority of people who have the intellect to separate blind jingoism from what is essentially a deeply untalented, unlikeable and unrepresentative team would agree.

I could argue that they are technically more gifted than the vast majority of what other countries have to offer, but for the sake of avoiding an argument I won't

'I could prove you wrong but I wont'

I should hope they are more talented than the vast majority of other countries, given the vast majority of other countries don't have a multi billion pound premier league, full of multi million pound clubs, paying tens of millions to purchase, develop and train these lads.

Unfortunately for your glowing plaudits, the vast majority of countries aren't really what a national team of England's ambitions should be comparing themselves against. Amongst their actual peers (countries with long running, well developed leagues) England have fallen laughably behind.

However I still support them. They represent the best my country has to offer on the national stage. If there is no one better than them its not their fault. Which includes you Big Dawg (your as entitled as the current crop are to play).

What a s*** mess of a paragraph.

I didn't say it was their fault they are useless - just that they are useless. The fact you still blindly support and defend them for no other reason than the pot luck chance you were born in the same country shows you up for a mug and a sheep.

You seem to be insinuating that we can't criticise them as we aren't better players ourselves too, which really sets the tone for your post.

[BaronsCourtQuaker]

Ha Ha.

I cant be bothered to conversate with you Big Dawg. You can think I’m a 'mug and a sheep' I frankly don't much care. I support Darlo due to the pot luck chance I was born there; I support England for the same reason.

Which takes me to the game last night. It was actually not a bad watch, better than I was expecting and we fully deserved the win.

Hart : I thought was excellent some very smart saves and had an air of confidence about him again, he is probably a more natural captain for me that Rooney and I actually think he would enjoy the responsibility.

Stones : Had me worried most of the evening. Kept getting caught out of position which the Swiss did not manage to take advantage of and having the game will do him no harm i guess.

Cahill : I guess he is the senior defender these days, I’m still not convinced by him but he had an excellent game last night the clearance off the line arguably got us the 3 points, had that gone in I could have seen a bit of an onslaught from the Swiss.

Jones : Again he doesn't fill me with confidence, he has a habit of being rather English in his defending last ditch tackles and throwing himself in when it hurts but I’m not sure about his positional sense at times and just seems to go wandering a little.

Baines : Not a bad game and I so want him to do well but I’m not sure he has it for England. His tendency to go forward is a weapon but with our shaky defence it can leave us vulnerable. Will be interesting to see how Shaw progresses.

Wilshire : Granted played a little out of his natural position and the media seem to really rate him I just don't see it. He has the ability with the ball at his feet in tight situations yet i never see him win the ball back or really create anything (that goes a little for Arsenal too). Flatters to deceive for me.

Henderson : Had a good game I thought, he seemed a little restricted due to the tactics however he played his role very well with a lot of good energy. Also played in Sterling with a great pick out and Sterling should have done better.

Delph : He was keen in the first 15 minutes, but kind of nice to see, he clearly wanted to make an impression and I don't think he let himself down.Much like Henderson brought a bit of energy into the midfield.

Sterling : Came into the game as it wore on. His pace frightens teams and his directness is a good thing. Certainly offer a threat and a great cross for the first goal.

Rooney : Not his best game, but he worked hard and again did a role for the team, he takes a lot of stick about wanting to be the main man, but he often gives me the impression he will play anywhere for England. He can though cause the problem in that do we play the players or the system.

Wellbeck : I would imagine the Arsenal fans enjoyed that. Full of running and chasing lost causes, two tidy finishes and again like Sterling his pace is a real threat, he should have done better with the ball into Sterling or Rooney but a very good performance I thought.

Milner : Came on to shore things up and did it well arguably looked more comfortable than Wilshire.

Jags : He came on at a tough part of the game, the Swiss were trying to build the pressure but he did all he had to.

Lambert : Possibly may end up with more caps than minutes on the pitch. Was very calm for the second goal, it looked for the life of me that the ball had got away from him.

I'm not sure we answered many of the issues in the squad. We still look very vulnerable at the back and that will for a long time be our big issue. When we loose possession there seems to be a panic throughout the team.

Overall considering we were missing a few of the more recognised players we got a very good result.

[Spyman]

Agree with a lot of that, although I can't agree that Cahill was excellent. Other than his last ditch block he looked equally as exposed as Jones. Stones was playing out of position so I'll cut him some slack.

I don't see Wilshere as a holding midfielder - much better running at people and playing those little one-two's around the edge of the box.

Wellbeck, Rooney and Sterling were very good - they linked up well and caused the Swiss defence problems all night. In that three you have a bit of everything and I'd be tempted to stick with it - Sturridge has never really ht the heights he has for Liverpool when playing for England but Wellbeck looks a constant thorn in the side for defenders, Rooney works so hard and links up the midfield, and Sterling is a menace.

Good performance, good result, and great to see the media get typically carried away afterwards - new dawn and all that rubbish. I'm a bit concerned that the defence won't really be tested between now and 2016 (assuming we qualify), and the obvious frailties will still be there. Hodgson needs to identify a holding midfielder who can protect the central defenders because I think the lack of one is making them look worse than they really are.

[lo36789]

We still have Walcott, Oxlade and Sturridge to come back in which is decent. I would want to push Wilshere into the role Delph was playing in the future alongside Henderson.

I would be tempted to try Tom Huddlestone in that DM role, Carrick is the more obvious choice though. Outside of that I am not sure, Gareth Barry could probably still do a job, he does a pretty identical role very effectively for Everton but I assume he has retired from internationals?

[BaronsCourtQuaker]

Your probably right on Cahill Spy, I think my excellent was getting a little carried away. I just perhaps thought that Baines, Stones & Jones all looked a little suspect so to come away with a clean sheet someone must have played well. Perhaps more deserving to Hart.

Wilshere is a tricky one. Technically good in tight spaces but I just can’t see him bossing that holding role particularly when he comes up against better players.Yet Roy wants to get him in the team. Still he didn’t have a terrible game, just a little non eye catching.

If Roy wants to play the formation he needs to be true to it and find the best players to suite the role rather than shoehorning a player in there. I’m just not sure who the solution will be. Rodwell perhaps (although I think Poyet wants to get him more forward), Huddleston or even Britton (who is getting on a bit) who has never been looked at. Or will we default back to Carrick?

Your right on the front 3 and I thought Rooney had a solid game, yet when Sturridge comes back there is a feeling he would go up top, then do you drop Wellbeck, and shift Rooney out there, or drop Rooney as Wellbeck seems the more natural fit. It’s a nice issue to have and against San Marino we should be able to try what we want. There is also Walcott to come back. As you say though it’s a nice mix between those 3 that played last night.

Perhaps not being to challenged will work in our favor, give the likes of Stones, Chambers, Sterling, Henderson , Shaw and others a little time to ease themselves into the squad and feel at home. Likewise if we go untested we get battered in game 1 in the Euro’s, still nothing we can do about the competition.

Good performance, pretty entertaining game, at 1-0 it always felt there were more goal in it and plenty to work on for the next month 2 games. San Marino at home should be 3 points and I not sure what to expect from Estonia, they nearly beat the Dutch in the last world cup qualifying campaign and no one on paper battered them. It would be nice to get some early points on the board though.

[Spyman]

I think the likes of Walcott just give us another option of things aren't working - if you need to add a bit of pace/width to get in behind a team.

I don't think Sturridge should walk back in to the team - the three up top played well last night and have earned the right to keep those places. If Sturridge had been prolific for England over the last 12 months, fair enough - but he hasn't. Wellbeck has as good as scoring record for England and I think just offers more to the team as a whole, and Rooney's goal scoring record is better than both.

Carrick is the obvious option for the holding role - plays it well and has done for years - but obviously he's not a long term solution so it'll be interesting to see who ends up filling that position.

[BaronsCourtQuaker]

That's the nice thing there is a little bit of quality missing too. They won't turn us into world beaters but there are options. I agree regards Sturridge, particularity our next game we can do without so sit him out and create a push for places. I keep seeing the stat we have never scored 2 or more goal with Sturridge in the team, perhaps there is something in that.

I just don't know if Wilshere has the energy or fitness to play that wide role in the diamond, technically very good, i'm just not sure about his tactical awareness, I hope he proves me wrong. With Arsenal when they are playing their tippy tappy football he fits, but never seen him really dominate a game.

Huddleston feels like the more youthful choice away from Carrick / Barry and I am also hearing Cattermole's name be thrown in, surely he doesn't have the passing range?

[TSQuaker]

Cattermole shouldn't be anywhere near the England squad. Delph, Carrick and Huddlestone are all better options.

I'd start with Welbeck given his two goals on Monday night.

[DarloOnTheUp]

Lee Cattermole or Nathaniel Chalobah? Cattermole would at least give the defense more protection, but Chalobah really needs to prove himself at Burnley first. He is young though so hopefully he'll come good. Huddlestone is a decent option too.

Other than that, I'm struggling to think of anyone although Carrick is apparently near to full fitness. I think Man Utd need him just as much as England at the minute.

[TSQuaker]

I played seven-a-side the other night against a pretty good group of lads. We won 3-0, keeping their first clean sheet in about ten games. I didn't move from the centre of the park so I feel pretty responsible

I'm not as fit as I was ten years ago, but I reckon I could boss it against San Marino

[Darlogramps]

Cattermole shouldn't be anywhere near the England squad. Delph, Carrick and Huddlestone are all better options.

I'd start with Welbeck given his two goals on Monday night.

I'd agree. It wasn't just his goals though - I think he just worked better as a combination with Rooney and Sterling than Sturridge does.

[TSQuaker]

I've always been impressed with Welbeck. The move to Arsenal could really help him push on and become a top striker. For the first time in his career, he'll be expected to be a regular goalscorer so it will be interesting to see how he copes with that pressure.