England National football team thread

[War]

After last night's relatively small crowd at Wembley I wonder if the public have simply lost interest in the England team. I wrote about it here. I personally think the England team should tour the country instead of being confined to Wembley all the time. It would give more people the chance to go.

Ye i guess technically they should, when ENG toured everywhere from 2000-2007 when the Old Wembley was destroyed it was cool. But i got a soft spot for Wembley, ever since i first went their during EURO 96.

Wembley is sort of unique of world football, Pele & many football greats referred to the "Old" Wembley as the cathedral of football. Plus I've heard many old times say those in EURO used to marvel & the stadium, especially during FA Cup which was once viewed as the biggest football tournament outside of the world cup.

So i don't mind us having it. But the problem i guess is the FA owning it & thus having so much depth to pay back since reconstruction that the team can't even go around the country for the odd occasion. Because for these dour EURO 2016 qualifiers, it would be perfect for ENG to play San Marino, Estonia in a small stadium somewhere.

Many major nations like Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France, Holland, Germany for eg have major stadium they used regularly in their capitals (except Brazil technically): Maracana, Monumental, Stadio Olympico, Stade de France, Amsterdam Arena, Olympic Stadium. But none of those countries FA's own those grounds, either a local club or some city municipality does.

 

[War]

Paul Scholes column: I'd play Wayne Rooney in midfield against Switzerland - he's our best passer - News & Comment - Football - The Independent

Well i'm glad Scholes the mid-field legend has said this. There is still a strong suspicion that for both club & country, his best days might be if he drops back into & becomes deep-lying playmaker. He may be ENG best scorer, but he has lost the pace of his youth.

Brendan Rodgers should be the next manager of England once his work at Liverpool is done - Telegraph

He should be & should have been after Capello resigned. If the FA didn't have dull bad blood with Redknapp, Harry would have had Rodgers as his # 2 & he would have been developing ENG now instead of pool

So ENG have pretty much missed the Rodgers boat, once all goes well, he is all set to become Liverpool's Ferguson. Only hope is if the FA can convince him to coach ENG part-time.

 

[War]

England Under 21 boss Southgate won't select senior stars at Euro 2015 | Mail Online

Ha i have found myself saying this in the last few under-21 tournaments, but once again ENG could have a very good squad for next years tournament, even if certain young stars in the senior team aren't picked. And, even they could play a 3-5-2

Butland

Chambers Dier Blackett

Flanagan Chalobah Shelvey Shaw

Ward-Prowse

Wickham Behrahino​

Johnstone, M Keane/Wisdom, Jenkinson, Robinson, Morrison, Hughes, Carroll, Ince, Redmond, Zaha, Kane

Pretty much every player here has good premier league experience or has starred in the championship...

 

[SpitfiresKent]

I'd take a point against the Swiss tomorrow, will be a tough game.

Does anyone know how many qualify from each group? Is it top 2 or just 1st place?

 

[Skater]

I'd take a point against the Swiss tomorrow, will be a tough game.

Does anyone know how many qualify from each group? Is it top 2 or just 1st place?

The top 2 from every group qualifies. Then the best 3rd place team qualifies. Then the rest of the third places go into a two-legged play-off.

UEFA. Making football complicated since 1842.

 

[joejoe018]

Butland
Chambers Dier Blackett
Flanagan Chalobah Shelvey Shaw
Ward-Prowse
Wickham Behrahino

Ward-Prowse playing CAM? I think more likely CM/CDM

 

[War]

I'd take a point against the Swiss tomorrow, will be a tough game.

Does anyone know how many qualify from each group? Is it top 2 or just 1st place?

If the draw is similar dour irritating performance WCQs draws in Ukraine, Poland & Montenegro - then it will unacceptable & Hodgson will be under further pressure, especially if he goes with questionable tactics like playing Rooney on the left again.

This game is essentially ENG only serious competitive game in this group, until we face them again in September 2015.

Also even if Henderson is unfortunately ruled out, ENG still have players who could play the 4-4-2 diamond, we need bodies in mid-field...[DOUBLEPOST=1410147023][/DOUBLEPOST]

Ward-Prowse playing CAM? I think more likely CM/CDM

Well yes in the proposed under-21 3-4-1-2, JWP could crop back to a CM and maybe Morrison or Ince could play as the "1".

 

[SpitfiresKent]

@War Well it looks like Roy Hodgson has been reading you posts on here because England are playing the 4-4-2 diamond formation tonight.

Delph is an interesting choice but a good one nevertheless.

Lol The itv lot just got soaked by the sprinkler pitch side

 

[Lee1981]

Welbeck is still shite.!

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Toughest game in the group safely negotiated; that's a good start but as the guys said, once again it was the usual mixed bag from England. Be interesting to see if Welbeck is more successful at Arsenal as he'll surely be played as a Centre Forward instead of a wide man as he was so often at Utd.

 

[War]

@War Well it looks like Roy Hodgson has been reading you posts on here because England are playing the 4-4-2 diamond formation tonight.

Delph is an interesting choice but a good one nevertheless.

Lol The itv lot just got soaked by the sprinkler pitch side

Ha ye....Uncle Roy is about 10 games too late. He should have been using the diamond as been discussed to the death on this forums since the last WCQ vs Poland. If only we had used the diamond vs Italy & Uruguay in the W-Cup, we might have at least gotten draws in those games.

Well at least he is learning & if he is going to stay as coach that's all we as fans can ask for.

It looks very possible that Welbeck could do a Sturridge at Arsenal, once given the central attacking role. I'm a critic but when you study his career, even last season for United, when he got a chance up front when RVP was injured - he scored 6 goals in 6 games or something.

Few strikers in world football has his work-rate off the ball & defensively, which is why coaches love him. So once he adds goals, serious player.

ENG at no point today were outnumbered in mid-field, Delph energy was impressive could be a useful squad player going forward. But geez our defensive issues are still a MAJOR problem. Like we saw in W-Cup, top teams would pick us off easily - this is why i stilll feel alongside bodies in mid-field - we need to have 3 at the back. Only Cahill is reliable - Stones, Jones, Dier, Chambers, Richards, Caulkner are talented but still too green to form a potent enough central defense partnership as yet

In my previous thoughts on the 3-5-2, I left Sterling out - but ha nah can't leave him out - next level talent. Would probably use Henderson's energy on the right, in a similar way to how Van Gaal used Dirk Kuyt for the dutch in the world cup:

Hart

Stones Cahill Davies

Henderson Barkley Wilshere Baines

Sterling

Sturridge Rooney​

 

[War]

Sam Wallace: England should take strongest possible squad – including Jack Wilshere and Raheem Sterling – to the Under-21 Euros next summer - International - Football - The Independent

This topic always pops up, who is in favour of seniors still eligible such Sterling, Wilshere, the OX, Jones, Shaw going to the Under 21 finals next year similar to what Germany & Spain has done with their youngsters?


Next England manager: Why Steve Bruce looks a better bet than Gary Neville or David Beckham - Dave Kidd - Mirror Online

 

[Lee1981]

Watch my boy from last week, what you think?

 

[War]

Football Association's communication with clubs shows it is good to talk about England – at every level - Telegraph[DOUBLEPOST=1410396323][/DOUBLEPOST]

Watch my boy from last week, what you think?

I hope you at least compliment him if he ever plays for ENG, compared to your usual tirades on the national team ha...

 

[War]

Fabian Delph's breakthrough into England team shows how Football League is serving the national cause - Telegraph