England Squad vs Holland

[talkshowhost86]

He had the chance to make a real statement by NOT picking players. Personally I would not have selected:
Robert Green (West Ham United)
Gareth Barry (Manchester City)
Stewart Downing (Liverpool),
Adam Johnson (Manchester City),
James Milner (Manchester City)
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Darren Bent (Aston Villa)

Either because they are off form or because they do not play enough first team football to be selected I would drop them. Perhaps if he had the balls to do that a few of the players would stop looking for an easy ride and the cash and look at themselves a little harder.

I don't agree about Johnson, Milner and Barry who I think have all done well both for City and England, but who would you replace them with? Also who do you pick instead of Green, Downing and Bent (assuming Oxlade Chamberlain comes in for Walcott)?

 

[Spurrific]

I'd pick Redmond, Dyer, Lennon, Sinclair, Joe Cole all over Downing

 

[talkshowhost86]

I'd pick Redmond, Dyer, Lennon, Sinclair, Joe Cole all over Downing

Are any of them particularly left sided? I'm just playing devil's advocate here because I don't particularly think Downing should be in the squad, but do any of them really offer a left sided option?

For what it's worth, with everyone fit my squad would be:

GK: Hart, Carson, Green (who else is there?)
RB: Richards, Walker
LB: Cole, Baines
CB: Jones, Smalling, Cahill, Jagielka
CM: Wilshere, Cleverley, Parker, Gerrard, Carrick
AM: Johnson, Lennon, Young, Milner, Oxlade Chamberlain
ST: Rooney, Wellbeck, Sturridge, +1 striker who is on form (Campbell, Defoe, Agbonlahor etc)

 

[Shanks]

I'd take Lescott or Dawson over Jagielka & Cahill.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

No he's picked the Frasier Campbell who's come back from injury and played pretty well. Certainly much better than when he was at Spurs.

That's a bit like saying has he picked the same Chris Smalling who was playing non-league football 4 years ago...not really a fair criticism.

Yes it is. Campbell is bollox now and always has been. He came here as a last second makeweight for Berbatov's move to United.

I watched him a couple of times, when at Spurs, and granted we weren't that good at that time, but he was still shocking. He had an annoying habit of falling over the ball when no one was close to him.

Maybe Pearce fancies partnering him with Bent, as they were a major success here.

Don't see the relevance of the Smalling comparrison.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I'd take Lescott or Dawson over Jagielka & Cahill.

I'd go with Jagielka and Cahill as they are more likely to play first team games than the other two. The fact that 3 of the 4 aren't guaranteed starters for their clubs is a bit of an indictment of English centre backs.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Yes it is. Campbell is bollox now and always has been. He came here as a last second makeweight for Berbatov's move to United.

I watched him a couple of times, when at Spurs, and granted we weren't that good at that time, but he was still shocking. He had an annoying habit of falling over the ball when no one was close to him.

Maybe Pearce fancies partnering him with Bent, as they were a major success here.

Don't see the relevance of the Smalling comparrison.

No I've gathered.

My point is that you are saying that Campbell shouldn't be in the team based on how bad he was for us which was back in 2008/2009.

At the back end of 2008, Smalling was playing for Maidstone so should he be discounted as well?

Basing decisions on how players played 3 years ago is daft is basically my point.

 

[nightgoat]

Joe Cole did better playing left midfield for England (admittedly back when Sven was in charge) than Downing ever has... I've not watched any of the French league so I don't know how he's played for Lille this season...

If Adam Johnson isn't left footed then he's still got a pretty decent left foot. As much as I think he's a better player than Downing, it's hard to justify when cumulatively he's played less than 10 games worth of league football this season. I'd probably rather play James 'Square Peg' Milner on the left than Downing.

 

[nidge]

No I've gathered.

My point is that you are saying that Campbell shouldn't be in the team based on how bad he was for us which was back in 2008/2009.

At the back end of 2008, Smalling was playing for Maidstone so should he be discounted as well?

Basing decisions on how players played 3 years ago is daft is basically my point.

While it would be unfair on the Campbell to base an opinion on him from his time with us. He has literally just come back from a long term injury and has started 3 games and came on as a sub in 2 other games so it makes no sense why you pick him ahead of Danny Graham or Grant Holt both of who are well deserving a call up considering their performances in the league this season

 

[mil1lion]

Man for man that's a better squad than Spains.

Sorry not Spain, Staines.

 

[gp13tot]

Brave to call up Carson the day after he died.

it's the way you tell em TSH

 

[kishman]

What a crap squad!

 

[donny1013]

The Dutch squad:

Tim Krul (Newcastle), Maarten Stekelenburg (Roma), Michel Vorm (Swansea); Vurnon Anita (Ajax),
Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Jeffrey Bruma (Hamburg), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Malaga), Erik Pieters (PSV), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord); Mark van Bommel (AC Milan), Urby Emanuelson (AC Milan), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Adam Maher (AZ), Stijn Schaars (Sporting Lisbon), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Kevin Strootman (PSV), Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV);
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke), Ola John (FC Twente), Luuk de Jong (FC Twente), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Jeremain Lens (PSV), Luciano Narsingh (Heerenveen), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich).

 

[Wellspurs]

Remember it was Pearce who picked 12 players for a game for City till his missus pointed out he could only play 11.
What happens if the new manager has a completely different set of players in mind? Must be the most pointless Friendly ever.... lets hope Lennon pisses all over Walnut Sunday.

 

[Luka Van der Bale]

I'd go with Jagielka and Cahill as they are more likely to play first team games than the other two. The fact that 3 of the 4 aren't guaranteed starters for their clubs is a bit of an indictment of English centre backs.

I'm sorry, but Lescott is a guaranteed starter for City. And Cahill has a good 2 months ahead of him with Terry out injured.

 

[teddy_sheringham_125]

My god, if that's the best England have to offer then Redknapp would be a mad man to take the job. TBH, I fell out of love with English football a fair few years ago now, as we really haven't produced enough players that are exciting to watch. It's always boring when England play.

 

[Gbspurs]

I don't think Englands team is a bad as people think, it just lacks any worldwide superstars. We are the 4/5th best team in the world and our squad probably reflects our position. Position by position I think we can put in a decent show at the euros. Joe Hart is as good as any keeper out there. Our RB choices are strong with Richards the stand out but Johnson/walker would do well. CB is going through big changes but we have seen how experienced (read injury prone!) defenders can play a part so Jones/Rio/Terry are still out best 3 for now but this needs changing and I guess it will happen. Cole still a good LB. Parker/wilshere should both go straight on the starting line up. This is where it starts getting interesting though as apart from Rooney noone else jumps out. That's what I would be using these games for. I would be trying wellbeck/bent/Sturridge front three. Having said all that we will probably just be as flat as ever!!

 

[ethanedwards]

I don't think Englands team is a bad as people think, it just lacks any worldwide superstars. We are the 4/5th best team in the world and our squad probably reflects our position. Position by position I think we can put in a decent show at the euros. Joe Hart is as good as any keeper out there. Our RB choices are strong with Richards the stand out but Johnson/walker would do well. CB is going through big changes but we have seen how experienced (read injury prone!) defenders can play a part so Jones/Rio/Terry are still out best 3 for now but this needs changing and I guess it will happen. Cole still a good LB. Parker/wilshere should both go straight on the starting line up. This is where it starts getting interesting though as apart from Rooney noone else jumps out. That's what I would be using these games for. I would be trying wellbeck/bent/Sturridge front three. Having said all that we will probably just be as flat as ever!!

A little optimistic perhaps.

 

[DogsOfWar]

The problem with England at the moment is that we have the old skool style players at 30+ with lots of up and coming potential at 21 or less but not a great deal in between.

I've always believed in playing 'effective' International players for England who are still showing Premiership form rather than the ones who are most effective in the Premiership or off form.
As a result my starting eleven for the Euros would be:

------------Hart
Richards Lescott Jagielka A Cole
Lennon Carrick Parker Gerrard J Cole
-----------Crouch

J Cole would play tighter with A Cole overlapping whilst Richards would almost play as a 3rd RB unless we needed him to push up.

The rest of the squad would be made up of the youngsters, Walker, Smalling, Gibbs, Wilshere, Chamberlain, Sturridge, Carroll, Frimpong!, Cleverley, Wellbeck, Rodwell, Jones, Henderson etc

I see no point in including players such as Bent, Downing, or even Defoe who are never going to be able to play effectively at that level. Get the youngsters into a tournament for the experience and if there are any injuries make like for like replacements using the kids.

Use this tournament as a send off for the old guard (who won't win the competition) rather than putting the pressure on a team of kids (who still wouldn't win the competition) and then concentrate on the kids for the next 2 years running up to the World Cup.

 

[Shanks]

I'm sorry, but Lescott is a guaranteed starter for City. And Cahill has a good 2 months ahead of him with Terry out injured.

THis, Lescott has been very, very good this season, playing for one of the best defensive teams in the country.

He should be in before most of the others tbh.