Group D Discussion - Ukraine, Sweden, France, England

[social]

I'm hoping the old guard being picked is a one shot deal for this tournament and he plans on a bit of a shake-up for the WC quals as he doesn't have much time to impose himself for this tournament. For example while I personally feel Gerrard should have been made captain as soon as Beckham stepped down but I wouldn't retain him in the role once the Euros are done. Give it to Hart or even Wilshire after that and start actually building a team.

Of course that goes out the window if we do well so it will be interesting.

The appointment of Gerrard as captain is truly lolworthy as he has been horrible in that role with his club for some time and it virtually ensures that a better player (Lampard on recent form) wont get much time

Weakens the team on 2 fronts IMO

 

[Furball]

Dead set piss take of a squad IMO, an almost embarrassing amount of dross. Terry's inclusion over Rio is joke enough but the omissions of Carrick, Richards and Jagielka, and the inclusion in of Downing, beggar belief. I've not always been Carrick's strongest advocate but he was the best English midfielder in the Premier League this season, and by some distance in my opinion. I reckon Sturridge can count himself pretty unlucky as well.

The thing is it's not as if he's leaving world beaters at home. I think there's better alternatives for a few of the positions but it's not as if not playing Carrick is going to make or break England's tournament to be fair.

 

[The Sean]

The thing is it's not as if he's leaving world beaters at home. I think there's better alternatives for a few of the positions but it's not as if not playing Carrick is going to make or break England's tournament to be fair.

That's a fair point, I could have worded that better - as much as I despair of the selections you're right that the well is pretty dry. I was chatting to a mate last night about the striker situation - we're all wondering about who of Welbeck or Carroll will start for England, when it wasn't that long ago you had blokes of the quality of Robbie Fowler or Les Ferdinand struggling to get a game.

 

[Jarquis]

In short, it's a bad squad.

Longer answer would be it's ****ing dreadful

 

[BoyBrumby]

One redeeming feature is The Ox, IMHO.

Doesn't mean it's a good squad selection, but it would've been very easy to leave him out.

 

[Scaly piscine]

No problems with Walcott going. Obviously not a fantastic player, but has some spark about him, and I'd be interested to see how many other English players managed more goals/assists than he did last season. In any case, he's genuinely quick, and the team hardly has any other players who have any pace whatsoever.

Adam Johnson has a much better ratio of goals/assists per minute played.

I don't expect Marc to recognise class being a Warwickshire and Coventry supporter. But Adam Johnson is light years ahead of Milner (complete plodder, great work rate and trains really hard but he has no quality). Johnson always looks like he belongs whenever he plays and whoever he plays for. I hope he moves to a club that doesn't **** him about so he can get in a full season.

Generally speaking I agree with most that the squad is ****e.

 

[GIMH]

The appointment of Gerrard as captain is truly lolworthy as he has been horrible in that role with his club for some time and it virtually ensures that a better player (Lampard on recent form) wont get much time

Weakens the team on 2 fronts IMO

A club with more major trophies than any other English club regard him as their best ever captain. Whatever doubts there are around his form and fitness - which there undoubtedly are - there is no way he has been lolworthy in his role as captain.

I actually agree with Grecian who has said a few time that it's a role which there shouldn't be much emphasis on in football but for me Gerrard is the obvious captain in that squad and has been since Beckham stepped down.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Adam Johnson has a much better ratio of goals/assists per minute played.

I don't expect Marc to recognise class being a Warwickshire and Coventry supporter. But Adam Johnson is light years ahead of Milner (complete plodder, great work rate and trains really hard but he has no quality). Johnson always looks like he belongs whenever he plays and whoever he plays for. I hope he moves to a club that doesn't **** him about so he can get in a full season.

Generally speaking I agree with most that the squad is ****e.

I'm a huge Johnson fan, but when your own manager criticises you in public there's obviously some attitude issues to address.

 

[GIMH]

Bottom line is if you're not getting a gig for your club I don't think you an expect a tournament slot. Though Defoe hasn't been a regular this season has he?

 

[GIMH]

Btw is it just me who doesn't get why the media are making such a big deal about Rio's omission? I haven't been expecting him to go at any point tbh.

 

[grecian]

Btw is it just me who doesn't get why the media are making such a big deal about Rio's omission? I haven't been expecting him to go at any point tbh.

It's all about the underlying story with cap'n racist I think, the press always looking for dirt.

It's an unnecessary sideshow IMO, cost Capello his job, and is going to be a story that won't go away. All for a clapped out, slow as hell thug.

 

[GIMH]

I believe Roy actually said to the press today to stfu about Rio albeit more politely.

And I'd rather neither Terry nor Ferdinand had gone. Terry is trouble and Ferdinand would worry me.

Could actually see the back four being three quarters of Chelsea's couldn't we, with the RB being ex Chavs as well.

 

[GIMH]

Completely random thought I just had, but Terry got his main international break due to Rio's drugs ban and now ends Rio's international career by racially abusing his brother (or for footballing reasons)

 

[Ikki]

Can't really fathom, at all, how Downing got into the squad. Johnson should have been in regardless of what he contributed to City because he is no doubt talented and performed well when he has played for England. One of few England players who can create something out of nothing. Glad Ox is there because he is quality and this tournament will serve to help his development as a player. He could have a Muller-like tournament if trusted.

IMO the other notable omission was Carrick. Without him, England really lack a midfielder with his passing range and ability to dictate play. I wish Scholes would have given it one last hurrah. Can't really complain much about the rest IMO. It is what it is.

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's all about the underlying story with cap'n racist I think, the press always looking for dirt.

It's an unnecessary sideshow IMO, cost Capello his job, and is going to be a story that won't go away. All for a clapped out, slow as hell thug.

That's pretty much it. If Terry hadn't have been picked there'd be no story. Just two aging, disagreeable and past it centre-halves whose time was over.

Incidentally, I hadn't realised until I read it in today's Independent that Rio has never made a Euro squad: not picked in 2000, banned in 2004, we didn't make it at all in 2008 and not picked again this time around.

 

[Uppercut]

Rio would definitely have been a better shout than Terry for all kinds of reasons but taking neither is fine with me.

Leaving Carrick out isn't a terrible decision- Parker, Barry, Gerrard and Lampard all have perfectly reasonable cases- but Henderson as the backup instead of Carrick, while not a make-or-break decision, really makes me wonder about Hodgson. Either he's made a comically huge balls-up or there's something we're not privy to.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Leaving Carrick out isn't a terrible decision- Parker, Barry, Gerrard and Lampard all have perfectly reasonable cases

 

[Cevno]

A club with more major trophies than any other English club regard him as their best ever captain. Whatever doubts there are around his form and fitness - which there undoubtedly are - there is no way he has been lolworthy in his role as captain.

I actually agree with Grecian who has said a few time that it's a role which there shouldn't be much emphasis on in football but for me Gerrard is the obvious captain in that squad and has been since Beckham stepped down.

I agree on Gerrard probably being the next logical choice after Terry, but he has only played about 33 minutes for England in a long time. And he dropped Rio in his own words apparently because he had played 1 game for england in the same duration.

 

[marc71178]

Leaving Carrick out isn't a terrible decision- Parker, Barry, Gerrard and Lampard all have perfectly reasonable cases- but Henderson as the backup instead of Carrick, while not a make-or-break decision, really makes me wonder about Hodgson.

Seems like Carrick rejected that option though, not Hodgson not leaving him out.

 

[roseboy64]

Yep wanted to be sure he'd have a decent role within the setup so wouldn't have wanted to be standby. Told the FA that months ago that he's semi-retired because he was tired of straddling the bench and getting dropped when he'd done well for the Gerrard-Lampard horror show. (The part after and my reading of it not what he's reportedly told the FA/Hodgson)