*Official* England Squad Thread

[Furball]

Have you ever actually followed World Cups in the past?

Notice how many have simply been ground out by a decent to good side with a strong team and work ethic?

Not many games are won on paper.

I think England will go 4-5-1 in the knock-out stages and will be tough to beat if they do that. Personally their squad number implied 4-4-2 is very attacking and would be a bit too open given their central defence isn't that strong - one mistake and teams will be through as happened a few times in the friendlies.

4-4-2 with the ball, 4-5-1 without it. Gerrard tucks centrally and Rooney drops back to left midfield.

Gerrard dropping centrally also frees the wing for Ashley Cole.

 

[Ikki]

One element of winning a tournament like the World Cup is luck, you need your best players to stay injury free for a month. On the back of a tough, long European season, it is so easy to pick up a little niggle that keeps you out for 2-3 weeks - in the context of a regular club season, that's nothing. In an international tournament? That's you out for almost half of it, with the struggle to gel in with the rest of the side once you recover. Wipe out Xabi Alonso, Cesc, Xavi and Andres Iniesta from Spain's midfield - the most important part of your side - and Spain still have the luxury of players like Marcos Senna, Sergio Busquets and Mikel Arteta. Goalkeeping crisis? Spain's 3rd choice keeper, who has never been capped, happens to be the first choice keeper for the best side in the world, and is one of the best keepers in Europe. England have 2 keepers who play for bottom of the table sides, (they're not good enough for the top sides) and a keeper who has played 1 season of regular first team football.

You also need to be able to resort to a plan B when plan A isn't working. Looking at England's squad, Capello will be limited to throwing on SWP or Emile Heskey as a plan B - not great. El Diego on the other hand is likely to be able to look at his bench and take his pick from Diego Milito, Carlos Tevez, or Kun Aguero.

You need matchwinners - your goalkeepers and strikers. Wayne Rooney excepted, England's options here are utterly pathetic.

Yes, IF they get injuries in positions with a lack of cover, then England will have problems. IF.

England have probably already had as many injuries as they'll have for this tournament. Furthermore, you can't compare England to Spain only. The same thing you can say about England you can say about France, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Portugal, etc.

You're forgetting England have Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole, Lennon and many others that can step up. Naming guys like Milito who didn't even play in the qualifiers, or Tevez who didn't do much, is just another case of "the grass is greener on the other side". You fail to see what you have that's good and overemphasise the "other".

For the first and probably last time, I'm with Scaly. You don't need a world-beater in every position. You need a core of world-class players with some good support players who are organised and can play together. There simply is not that much difference between the squads and on merit England are one of the favourites.

And stop making me defend England, I feel dirty.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Has Lampard improved on being the chance-squandering wastrel of 2006? If so, has he converted it to international friendlies?

 

[Uppercut]

As far as chance of winning the tournament goes, I'd say there's Spain and Brazil, daylight, and then about six or seven teams that are capable of coming through and winning it, and England are among them. Italy, Germany, France, Argentina, England, Portugal, Netherlands. There's not really a lot to choose between them. Some have a lot of experience of success in recent tournaments but a relatively weak squad, others a phenomenal amount of talent but a prank-manager. It's all much of a muchness.

The bookies have Argentina as third favourites followed by England. I'd probably go with Italy, then England. If Ballack was fit I'd have Germany above England too.

 

[Pothas]

Italy's squad looks pretty more in my opinion, little seems to have come through in the last four years.

 

[Furball]

Backing any side with good attacking talent to cut England's defence to ribbons based on what I saw today.

 

[GIMH]

I propose we get Uppercut and GF their own England thread for this tournament. To avoid confusion, we can call it the "Bitter Colonials' Anti-England Thread".

 

[Nate]

*Un-English

 

[Uppercut]

I propose we get Uppercut and GF their own England thread for this tournament. To avoid confusion, we can call it the "Bitter Colonials' Anti-England Thread".

If you realised how England winning the World Cup would be the WORST THING EVER, then you too would be biased. Well, more biased, and in the other direction.

 

[Steulen]

If you realised how England winning the World Cup would be the WORST THING EVER, then you too would be biased. Well, more biased, and in the other direction.

Damn you, Uppercut, for adding that last sentence. A post describing GIMH as "would be biased if..." would have made my day like only a certain event in my teens could.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Well whatever happens:

World Cups won by England this year: 1
World Cups won by virtually every other country this year: 0

 

[BoyBrumby]

Have to say that, in terms of depth, it's one of the worst squads we've sent for a while. When you look at the players we took in 1998, say, the difference is enough to make you weep. Wiki:

Keepers: Seaman, Martyn, Flower
Right back: Neville
Left back: Le Saux
Centre-Halves: Adams, Campbell, Southgate, Keown, R Ferdinand
Midfield: Ince, Batty, Lee, Beckham, Scholes, Anderton, Merson, Scholes, McManaman
Strikers: Shearer, Owen, Sheringham, L Ferdinand.

Aside from at least one too many centre-halves it looks a much better squad. How many of the current mob would make it? Cashley, Terry, Gerrard, Fat Frank, Rooney & maybe Lennon at a stretch.

 

[Furball]

Have to say that, in terms of depth, it's one of the worst squads we've sent for a while. When you look at the players we took in 1998, say, the difference is enough to make you weep. Wiki:

Keepers: Seaman, Martyn, Flower
Right back: Neville
Left back: Le Saux
Centre-Halves: Adams, Campbell, Southgate, Keown, R Ferdinand
Midfield: Ince, Batty, Lee, Beckham, Scholes, Anderton, Merson, Scholes, McManaman
Strikers: Shearer, Owen, Sheringham, L Ferdinand.

Aside from at least one too many centre-halves it looks a much better squad. How many of the current mob would make it? Cashley, Terry, Gerrard, Fat Frank, Rooney & maybe Lennon at a stretch.

No way Lennon would get into the 1998 squad. Beckham and McManaman were far superior players.

 

[Furball]

I propose we get Uppercut and GF their own England thread for this tournament. To avoid confusion, we can call it the "Bitter Colonials' Anti-England Thread".

Nah, Furball and Uppercut's "Told You So" thread would be much more accurate.

 

[wpdavid]

Have to say that, in terms of depth, it's one of the worst squads we've sent for a while. When you look at the players we took in 1998, say, the difference is enough to make you weep. Wiki:

Keepers: Seaman, Martyn, Flower
Right back: Neville
Left back: Le Saux
Centre-Halves: Adams, Campbell, Southgate, Keown, R Ferdinand
Midfield: Ince, Batty, Lee, Beckham, Scholes, Anderton, Merson, Scholes, McManaman
Strikers: Shearer, Owen, Sheringham, L Ferdinand.

Aside from at least one too many centre-halves it looks a much better squad. How many of the current mob would make it? Cashley, Terry, Gerrard, Fat Frank, Rooney & maybe Lennon at a stretch.

Perhaps the 1982 squad was weaker than this one. They were certainly lucky to qualify, anyway. Prior to that, maybe the 1958 squad which had been weakened by the Munich disaster.

 

[GIMH]

Have to say that, in terms of depth, it's one of the worst squads we've sent for a while. When you look at the players we took in 1998, say, the difference is enough to make you weep. Wiki:

Keepers: Seaman, Martyn, Flower
Right back: Neville
Left back: Le Saux
Centre-Halves: Adams, Campbell, Southgate, Keown, R Ferdinand
Midfield: Ince, Batty, Lee, Beckham, Scholes, Anderton, Merson, Scholes, McManaman
Strikers: Shearer, Owen, Sheringham, L Ferdinand.

Aside from at least one too many centre-halves it looks a much better squad. How many of the current mob would make it? Cashley, Terry, Gerrard, Fat Frank, Rooney & maybe Lennon at a stretch.

Not convinced that 1998 Ferdinand was better than either King or Carragher

Barry over Batty, Joe Cole over Anderton, Merson & Lee
Potentially Crouch over ferdinand of the L variety as well for, well, variation

 

[BoyBrumby]

Not convinced that 1998 Ferdinand was better than either King or Carragher

Barry over Batty, Joe Cole over Anderton, Merson & Lee
Potentially Crouch over ferdinand of the L variety as well for, well, variation

Naaaah. God bless you for trying to put a positive spin on it tho. Sir Les was a proper goal scoring target man we'd kill for now.

Wouldn't have Barry or Joe Cole in their current states of repair ahead of Batty or Merse or Anderton either. Lennon ahead of Lee, maybe.

 

[grecian]

Macmanaman was ****e, would rather have SWP, even though he's crap

'tis a very poor squad this year, though, I agree.

 

[Furball]

Macmanaman was ****e, would rather have SWP, even though he's crap

'tis a very poor squad this year, though, I agree.

Lol.

McManaman was criminally underused by England in the 1990s.

 

[grecian]

Lol.

McManaman was criminally underused by England in the 1990s.

lol

no he wasn't.....