Defoe in England squad: right decision or ridiculous?

[dontcallme]

So the joint second top England scorer in the Premier league playing for the bottom club is in the England squad.

Said like that it seems a no brainer.

But most English football fans I've spoken to think it is a ridiculous decision. "He'll never play at the world cup so what's the point?" seems a much used phrase about the 35 year olds surprise inclusion.

Rather than the previous tournament's squad of 5 strikers Southgate has gone for just three. Considering we play one up front this seems sensible.

With Rooney not playing, Kane, Carroll and Sturridge injured it seemed a pretty straight-forward decision to me.

I've always felt the England squad should be treated as the top honour for English players. Getting in the squad should be a big deal and players only get in on merit. Not through reputation or part of their development but because they are the best we have.

The young players can develop at their clubs and get England caps once peaked is how I see.

But it seems others want young players constantly involved. Nothing wrong with that if they are outperforming the older guard.

So where do we stand. Is picking a 35 year old striker a ridiculous decision or has Defoe simply outperformed the other strikers?

In my view if the other strikers want to be in the squad they should be performing better.

 

[danielneeds]

Klose played at a major championship at 36, so why not, if there is nobody better. Zlatan could too, if he hadn't retired.

 

[WalkerboyUK]

Defoe is a poacher - something we don't actually have in the squad normally.
Nothing wrong with it in my opinion, but I don't think he'll be around the squad for the WC next summer

 

[sebo_sek]

Whether he'll play at the WC FINALS is one thing, but if he helps England get there, he'll be just as important as someone scoring the winner in the final.
Just like Podolski who played a whopping 0 minutes in the last WC finals but scored in the qualifiers which made him a valueable team member and fully entitled to celebrating with the rest of the squad - the world cup doesn't start with the finals, it ends with them.
Good call IMO.

 

[Gb160]

i imagine its Southgates contingency plan...if a month before the WC we suffer a batch of injuries to strikers at least JD won't be a complete stranger to most of the squad.

He's only been picked because of injuries to Kane and Rooney, i suppose it makes sense.
TBH he's been a hell of a lot more productive than Rooney over the last couple of seasons, so i wouldn't mind if he took Rooneys place altogether....nice option to have on the bench if you're one down with 15 mins to go.

 

[Gassin's finest]

He's in form, he always scores goals... feel like he never got a fair crack at it imo.

 

[gilzeantheking]

He deserves the call up, he is the second highest English PL scorer behind Kane.

 

[aliyid]

The only possible reason in my eyes that Southgate was given the role is on the basis that he had coached the Under 21's and would be able ensure a smooth transition of the next generation into the England squad.

He's picked a squad to play a friendly game and a WC qualifier at home against a team ranked 107th in the FIFA rankings (Lithuania). Do you blood some young talent that has impressed you proving that you have an eye on the future or do you give a 34yr old striker a game to show that anybody can get a call up if they're on form (if you can say that scoring in one game out of last seven is "on form")

I guess it shows our lack of depth that he hasn't got faith in any of the upcoming generation (unless of course they're all injured)

 

[Sandros Shiny Head]

I'd have him in there if only as an apology for the way he's been treated by England over the last 6 or so years

 

[Shadydan]

Don't see it as such a big deal myself, Kane, Sturridge and Rooney are all injured and he's deserved it going by what he's done this season, it's not as if he's taking up someone's place in the squad is it?

There seems to be a lot of faux outrage and things like this nowadays, like when the England squad was announced people took to twitter because they were utterley DISMAYED because their favourite players didn't make the team, it's really fucking stupid the lengths that people go to to moan at such little things these days.

 

[DJS]

I think it goes to show how poor our player pool is these days that we're having to rely on a 34 year old who whilst is a decent poacher doesn't tend to bring much all round game to the party.

 

[Gb160]

I think it goes to show how poor our player pool is these days that we're having to rely on a 34 year old who whilst is a decent poacher doesn't tend to bring much all round game to the party.

Same could be said of Klose.

 

[Gbspurs]

I think it goes to show how poor our player pool is these days that we're having to rely on a 34 year old who whilst is a decent poacher doesn't tend to bring much all round game to the party.

Jermain doesn't get the credit he deserves. He isn't just any random 34 year old he is a proven goal scorer at the highest level who is as dangerous now as he was 10 years ago. Right to be there imo, england have tried pickling "fashionable" players before and it doesn't work so I'm fine with them picking form players.

 

[SUIYHA]

If he has another season like this one next year then he will be going to Russia, simple as. If Kane, Vardy, Sturridge, Rashford and Carroll are all on top form at the end of next season then of course there's no place for Defoe, but I guarantee that at least three of them won't be.

 

[archiewasking]

Delighted for him. Let him go, let him go.

Daft remarks about leaving Sunderland if they go down to give him a better chance of making the final squad. Biting the hand that feeds and all that...

 

[easley91]

Happy for him. He's always done well when called up and used for England.

 

[paulcumpstone]

To argue against his inclusion for me you'd to need to provide a name of somebody who should be there instead and I cant think of anyone obvious.maybe says more about state of the England team.

 

[SpaggyBoy]

Yep, he deserves to be there. Not that it matters of course, England will always be utter shit, so the inclusion of Defoe for a pointless friendly will not matter long-term in the slightest.

 

[dude573]

I'd love to see him go to one last major tournament. On evidence from the last two years, I think he deserves to play for England upfront over players like Sturridge and Rooney.

 

[BoringOldFan]

Definitely deserves the call. Almost single-handed lay kept Sunderland in the PL last season. I can't help thinking if we'd kept him we would have saved the £40 million plus we spent on Soldado and Janssen. And got a few more goals into the bargain.