England team for Euros

GreiginFife said:
Skybet have your lot at 10/1 to "go all the way"... 10's eh... Seems the bookies have this one in the bag.
Click to expand...

Don't know what they're on over at Skybet, but it has certainly made them go very mad! England at 10's ahead of France (11/1), Italy (14/1) and Portugal (20/1)? I would put our odds at best alongide the Coats and Ukrainian's at 40s.
 
PieMan said:
Don't know what they're on over at Skybet, but it has certainly made them go very mad! England at 10's ahead of France (11/1), Italy (14/1) and Portugal (20/1)? I would put our odds at best alongide the Coats and Ukrainian's at 40s.
Click to expand...

Looks like it's what all the bookies are on. Mediocre squad announced, prices cut.
Anyway, I'm Scottish, I'm with Dodger on this...:whoo:
 
Snelly said:
Personally, I don't care much about the England team any more. I don't mind if we fail. We are poor and in addition, I don't have much in common with the particular brand of Englishness that our footballers represent.
Click to expand...

BOSH!!! Therein lies the problem for me. England have been dismal in the tournaments of the last few years. None of the players (except Beckham) have shown any fighting spirit and the managers never seemed to have a plan b.

What would I like to see in this tournament?

Roy, as has been said, is on a hiding to nothing. So, if I was him, I'd be of the mind set that it doesn't really matter how we perform. So, with that in mind, I'd pick a squad with no player older than 25. Do what the Aussies did with their cricket team where they stripped out the old guard and blooded youngsters. That way we're building a team for the future rather a team with one eye on the past.
I'd also instruct the players that even if we're 5-0 down that they all give 110% otherwise they'd never wear an England shirt again. I'm a Palace fan and I'm used to seeing my team lose. As long as they've tried and it's evident that they've tried then I won't complain. You can't win them all.

I wouldn't take Rooney. Why? Because he's banned for being a thug. If we take him then we're condoning thuggery on the pitch. If we are then Barton should be on the plane!

I'd take Beckham in an advisory capacity as his love for England is obvious and his experience invaluable.
 
Imagine not caring whether your country does well or not........cannot get my head around that..deserve to have 'nowhere' next to place of birth with attitudes like that.

We may be utter garbage but by Christ I tell you I support my country fervently in everything it competes in.....nearly as fervently as I'll support A.B.E. this summer!!:smirk:
 
Dodger said:
Imagine not caring whether your country does well or not........cannot get my head around that..deserve to have 'nowhere' next to place of birth with attitudes like that.

We may be utter garbage but by Christ I tell you I support my country fervently in everything it competes in.....nearly as fervently as I'll support A.B.E. this summer!!:smirk:
Click to expand...

What's the point in caring if those representing don't care?

Do Lampard, Terry, Gerrard et al really care about playing for England? They may say all the right things in press interviews but their demeanour on the pitch tells another story. No. For these guys the Champions League is far more important than England. End of. After the CL it's the PL. By the time an International tournament rolls around they can't be bothered. And if anyone disagrees then I suggest they watch England v Germany in the World Cup finals 2010. With an England shirt on I'd have tried harder then anyone on that pitch.
What's worrying for me is that Moyes at Everton has told his players that it's club first, country second. That's fine as that's his look out for his club but where does that leave his players? Also, if he's said it then you can bet that other PL managers have said the same.
I grew up watching England teams that weren't blessed technically but by God they tried and they made me proud. I'm told on a daily basis that the current England crop are blessed with everything and yet they've won sod all. Now, I can live with that if I see them trying on the pitch. They don't and I haven't.

My proposal for the England team is that only players from the Championship can be selected. Why? As I say, it's clear that in the eyes of managers and players it's CL, PL and then England. That, in my eyes, isn't good enough. I want to see players representing England who are hungry for success. Back in the day, playing for England represented a step up in earnings for a player, very much like cricket players today. Rooney doesn't need any more money so, from a mercenaries point of view, where's the incentive? If you're in the Championship then that's extra motivation.

The FA need to take a long, hard look at the England team and, in my opinion, make some very harsh decisions.

They won't though.
 
Dodger said:
I'll support A.B.E. this summer!!:smirk:
Click to expand...

It's tight, but I think you might just have picked a winner there. :clap:

It was pretty much the squad he had to pick except for omitting Richards, and taking Downing.

He's got the experienced backbone,

One of the best goalkeepers in the tournament, 3/4 of the defence that beat Barcelona. Two defensive midfielders in front of them, creating a solid foundation for the creativity going forward to flow.

I hope he doesn't play Walcott from the start - I think he will be great coming on with half an hour to go to run at a tired team. I'm only hoping Downing stubs his toe and can't go, so we can take Sturridge instead


If we play 4-3-3 or 4-2-1-2-1 or something similar we have got a chance of playing some creative attacking football.

If we play 4-4-2 with that squad we'll all sleep well during the England games, I fear.

Good stuff?

The Ox, Carroll and Welbeck all offer something different to the norm.

I think Welbeck should start the first two games, with the option of bringing on Carroll if we need a bit of muscle, or Defoe if we need that speed off the mark to gain that extra yard on a defender.

Young is a much improved player and might well prove to be genuine international class.

Bad stuff?

I can see us starting the first game with something like

--------------------Hart---------------
Johnson--Terry---------Cahill--Cole
Milner--Gerrard-----Barry--Downing
-------Carroll-----------Defoe--------

Where we should be thinking something like

------------------Hart---------------
Johnson---Terry---Cahill-----Cole
---------Parker---------Barry-------
---------------Gerrard---------------
The Ox-----------------------Young
--------------Welbeck---------------

It's a solid team, with just a smidge of creativity, plenty of pace down the flanks, goals in it, and with plenty of variation available to come on as the game progresses.

Oh, and Young might take a dive for a penalty or two.

:thup:
 
Woy would not have been my first choice as manager... But he's there now so I am prepared to cut him some slack... A few of his picks I would not of bothered with and he's omitted a few I'd sooner of seen in...

I am sufficiently old enough to remember '66 and how proud all of that squad was to wear the three lions... Just wish we had a few of that ilk still available...

Forgetting all the politics I'll still be supporting my national team as I have in past and intend to in the future...
 
What an utter disappointment and shambles. I really did think Hodgson would look beyond the usual let downs. Wrong. Any respect and support I had of the man flew out of the window the moment Stewart Downing was selected. What he expects of him given his performances this season, God only knows. Adam Johnson was a real menace every time I saw him play this season and he's performed well for England. Why is he not in the 23?! Not sure about Carroll either...glimpses of form at the very end but not a proven quantity like Crouchy. I have lost pretty much any interest I had in the national team. No matter who is in charge, the same team seems to get picked, irrespective of form.
 
As I said this morning Woy is on a hiding to nothing. He has to take a side that can compete and to be honest the finals of a tournament in any sport isn't the place to blood new players wholesale. One or two maybe but not half a team or more.

I think once we go out in the group stages it will be different. He'll have seen who can and can't do it anymore and who looked like they wanted to be there. With a couple of friendlies before the WC campaign I think we'll get a proper idea of how he wants to blend the team going forward. If we get a crop of the youngsters and the old card start to drift to the bench and periphery then good on him. If we get the old guard back in again then he's no better than Cappello, Sven or MclLaren
 
I realise that you guys don't rate Scottish football but you need to take the blinkers off and pick the best team...

There's an English guy scoring for fun at Celtic at the moment - Gary Hooper - I'd say he's worth a punt. Mind you, England wouldn't pick Mark Hately when he was at his peak at Rangers despite being clearly the form English striker at the time.
 
FairwayDodger said:
I realise that you guys don't rate Scottish football but you need to take the blinkers off and pick the best team...

There's an English guy scoring for fun at Celtic at the moment - Gary Hooper - I'd say he's worth a punt. Mind you, England wouldn't pick Mark Hately when he was at his peak at Rangers despite being clearly the form English striker at the time.
Click to expand...

It runs deeper than that, I'm afraid. Some time ago James Beattie was banging them in for fun. He got an England call up. Did he play? No. He sat on the bench. The commentator then pointed out that James Beattie had scored more goals on his own than the other England strikers combined!

It's a closed shop. Unless you play for Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea you simply won't get a look in.

When Andy Johnson was playing for the Palace he was England's highest goal scorer. Only Thierry Henry scored more then him. AJ eventually got called up for England. Where was he played? On the wing. You couldn't make it up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top