*Official* English Football Season 2007-08

[Matteh]

Markos Feher of Benfica (i think) died on the pitch in about May time. He got a yellow card, was laughing, hunched over and then collasped.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Mikos Feher of Benfica died like 3 years ago...

 

[Matteh]

So he did. Either way, deserved a mention.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Fair enough, apologies to him & any others who've slipped under my radar too.

Hope we see no more & that it is nothing more sinister than tragic coincidences.

 

[aussie]

Damn England terror period of Euro Qaulification is almost here. I see McClaren will pick a 23-man squad 2moro, as we all know still a good set a players will miss out. But i hope he picks a good squad. My 23 would be:

GOAL-KEEPES:

1. David James - I guess he will have to start now
2. Paul Robinson
3. Scott Carson/Robert Green

DEFENDERS:

4. John Terry
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. Jonathan Woodgate - once he doesn't get injured in the next week, but in case he does either Taylor/Dawson to replace.
7. Sol Campbell
8. Ashley Cole
9. Micah Richards
10. Luke Young
11. Leighton Baines/Nicky Shorey - i would have Baines now that he is fit again but given that Shorey has done fairly ok in his two games he might retain his place.

MID-FIELDERS:

12. Steven Gerrard
13. Owen Hargreaves
14. David Beckham/Jermaine Pennant - if Sir David is not fit Pennant to be incuded very suprising IMO opinion that he didn't get a call up before Bentley was very good for Liverpool last season.
15. Frank Lampard
16. Joe Cole
17. Michael Carrick
18. Shaun Wright-Phillips
19. Gareth Barry - more solid pick than Downing for such important matches IMO

STRIKERS:

20. Michael Owen
21. Peter Crouch
22. Andy Johnson
23 Dean Ashton - he's a better pick than the two Tottenham wonderboys for me..

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Fair enough, apologies to him & any others who've slipped under my radar too.

Hope we see no more & that it is nothing more sinister than tragic coincidences.

There was a documentary about it on Danish TV about it recently (a couple of Danish footballers at lower levels have suffered the same thing; Ståle Solbakken, who now coaches Copenhagen, was just lucky that his club had a heart starter). Apparently, in all four cases they had looked into, the guys had been taking quite significant doses of painkillers to play.

 

[TT Boy]

Damn England terror period of Euro Qaulification is almost here. I see McClaren will pick a 23-man squad 2moro, as we all know still a good set a players will miss out. But i hope he picks a good squad. My 23 would be:

GOAL-KEEPES:

1. David James - I guess he will have to start now
2. Paul Robinson
3. Scott Carson/Robert Green

DEFENDERS:

4. John Terry
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. Jonathan Woodgate - once he doesn't get injured in the next week, but in case he does either Taylor/Dawson to replace.
7. Sol Campbell
8. Ashley Cole
9. Micah Richards
10. Luke Young
11. Leighton Baines/Nicky Shorey - i would have Baines now that he is fit again but given that Shorey has done fairly ok in his two games he might retain his place.

MID-FIELDERS:

12. Steven Gerrard
13. Owen Hargreaves
14. David Beckham/Jermaine Pennant - if Sir David is not fit Pennant to be incuded very suprising IMO opinion that he didn't get a call up before Bentley was very good for Liverpool last season.
15. Frank Lampard
16. Joe Cole
17. Michael Carrick
18. Shaun Wright-Phillips
19. Gareth Barry - more solid pick than Downing for such important matches IMO

STRIKERS:

20. Michael Owen
21. Peter Crouch
22. Andy Johnson
23 Dean Ashton - he's a better pick than the two Tottenham wonderboys for me..

I believe Crouch is suspended for the Israel game, David Beckham has been ruled out of the September qualifiers, Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson are likely not to be fit and the selection of Luke Young is just random.

Also David Bentley may not be an international class player yet but his in a different division to Pennant, whose got lots of superficial style but no substance.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Haha, Jermaine Pennant. I'd pick Leon Osman before I turned to him. Can't dribble at all, turns back inside whenever a defender appears and inevitably gives it away. Shockingly bad - I can't believe Liverpool even hung onto him over the summer.

 

[grecian]

Haha, Jermaine Pennant. I'd pick Leon Osman before I turned to him. Can't dribble at all, turns back inside whenever a defender appears and inevitably gives it away. Shockingly bad - I can't believe Liverpool even hung onto him over the summer.

Agreed, quickly replacing Dyer as the most over-hyped player in English football.

He hardly produced one telling ball or cross in the CL final despite having masses of possession. This apparently qualifies him as world-classy, to many pundits.

No wonder we haven't won anything in over 40 years

 

[Pup Clarke]

Agreed, quickly replacing Dyer as the most over-hyped player in English football.

No, Dyer is actually a pretty good player when he's fit (which is hardly ever sadly), look at what he did at the back end of last season, Dyer >>>>>>>> Pennant imo.

 

[grecian]

No, Dyer is actually a pretty good player when he's fit (which is hardly ever sadly), look at what he did at the back end of last season, Dyer >>>>>>>> Pennant imo.

Well, the "if he's fit", is so infrequent, it's hardly worth bothering with, like Woodgate. In an England shirt he's always looked ordinary for mine, and 30 odd caps, no goals, doesn't really inspire.

 

[Scaly piscine]

11. Leighton Baines/Nicky Shorey - i would have Baines now that he is fit again but given that Shorey has done fairly ok in his two games he might retain his place.

It's about time England judged on performance (a novel concept I know). Shorey did well, he's on the bench at the very least. I don't know what's happened with injuries etc. with Ashley Cole, unless he's fully fit and been playing week in week out for a while then Shorey should start. It's only because Ashley Cole has done well for England in the past that he should automatically come back, if he was a non-performer like Gerrard, Beckham, Rooney etc. he should be on the bench/not playing without a doubt.

 

[aussie]

Ha McLaren is problems he just picks these big squads these trash player. Urghhh Phil Nevillve again?????. Is Woodgate really unfit he played last weekend along with Young geez. Surely Steve Taylor would have been a better pick or damn even Matt Upson...

Brown my god he's an average to ok at United these days a total shadow of the man who was touted for such big things in his early days & is clearly not International quality, Luke Young any day over him as back-up full back to Richards. Then Alan Smith bumbaclathhhhh is all i can say.

Ashley Youg hmm, not a bad player but an odd pick i'd say, could turn out to be a good choice

 

[aussie]

Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson are likely not to be fit and the selection of Luke Young is just random.

Also David Bentley may not be an international class player yet but his in a different division to Pennant, whose got lots of superficial style but no substance.

Woodgate & Young were playing last weekend in the Tynnes derby and yea i remember watching the highlights & Southgate saying they weren't 100% but put in a great effort but that was last week. The qualifiers are in another week, lets say they play this weekend why shouldn't they be in the squad. Plus no way Young is randon as i just said he's a better pick as back-up right back to Richards than Brown.

On Pennant to me last season especially the second half of it he was the best performing right-winger in England. Pennant was creating alot of chances i remember him & supplying Crouch & Kuyt with a lot of good crosses & in that CL Final he got a few crosses out & found some good space againts a Milan defense that was very miserly that night.

Thats why i'm going him because England have been so dire going through the centre until Beckham came back we had Gerrard/Lennon/SWP on the right wing, well Stevie G was cutting it out their while Lennon & SWP would do a few stricks go past the defender and not deliver the final ball, then you had Cole doing that on the left which is ok for him to do since at least he we know he would be good enough to find the net or send in good crosses. But when Becks returned we say how important his crosses from the right still are, the attack down the right for England is still our main attacking option & for me last season Pennant was doing it best, if Becks wasn't going superbly at Madrid Pennant should have been called up for me.

I really can't be critical or commend Bentley cause i probably didn't pay too keen attention to his performances at Blackburn just saw him in Under 21 colurs mainly.

 

[aussie]

It's about time England judged on performance (a novel concept I know). Shorey did well, he's on the bench at the very least. I don't know what's happened with injuries etc. with Ashley Cole, unless he's fully fit and been playing week in week out for a while then Shorey should start. It's only because Ashley Cole has done well for England in the past that he should automatically come back, if he was a non-performer like Gerrard, Beckham, Rooney etc. he should be on the bench/not playing without a doubt.

Kind of a harsh way to judge things. Yes we all know Englands big players who are superb for their clubs have not replicated that form for England consistently enough. But club competition is just as tough as Internationals, some clubs are stronger than some international sides & England have the players than shine in these battles. Obviously something is wrong within the set-up in that these players seem so off the mark when they play for their country but they are the best in the land & we have to pick back them.

No way can you say Crouch would be a more dangerous threat than Rooney when at his best or Shorey a more solid left-back than Cole damn he has had Christiano Ronaldo's number in both international & club clashes since the first met in Euro 2004..

 

[Scaly piscine]

Kind of a harsh way to judge things. Yes we all know Englands big players who are superb for their clubs have not replicated that form for England consistently enough. But club competition is just as tough as Internationals, some clubs are stronger than some international sides & England have the players than shine in these battles. Obviously something is wrong within the set-up in that these players seem so off the mark when they play for their country but they are the best in the land & we have to pick back them.

No way can you say Crouch would be a more dangerous threat than Rooney when at his best or Shorey a more solid left-back than Cole damn he has had Christiano Ronaldo's number in both international & club clashes since the first met in Euro 2004..

Who gives a toss what they're like for their club if they're useless for England? Someone like Gerrard is massively over-rated anyway. As far I've seen Gerrard is just as mediocre for Liverpool as he is for England.

I can't believe how different cricket and football are when it comes to selection. England's selections in cricket are by no means perfect but they're leagues ahead of the football side. Going by your 'football' way of doing things: Ramprakash would have played well over 100 Tests, still averaging under 30. Collingwood would have never got close to international cricket. Jon Lewis and Kirtley would have led England's bowling attack to England's umpteenth consecutive Test series defeat since drawing at home to Bangladesh. That would be the reality of football's rubbish way of selecting teams translated to cricket.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Who gives a toss what they're like for their club if they're useless for England? Someone like Gerrard is massively over-rated anyway. As far I've seen Gerrard is just as mediocre for Liverpool as he is for England.

Finally someone who agrees with me. I've been telling people that Gerrard isn't actually as good as people make him out to be, but do they listen?.....

 

[roseboy64]

No because you're wrong.

 

[grecian]

No because you're wrong.

Ditto

 

[Scaly piscine]

No because we can't think for ourselves and the media tell us what to think.

Corrected.