England National football team thread

[puddleduck]

Will be interesting to see what squad Pearce picks indeed.

I think Pearce should be bold by starting with himself in the problematic libero role. I think he's got the class to pull it off, and he still looks in excellent shape.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Disappointed but not surprised that Carrick isn't in the side. Only him and Lescott being excluded I can disagree with. Otherwise, a decent squad.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Stuart Pearce looks set to bring in his young ones for England's clash with Holland - Telegraph

Bring on the kids: England old guard given a shock as Pearce opts for youth against Dutch | Mail Online

Will be interesting to see what squad Pearce picks indeed.

Good. We have nothing to lose by taking this approach for this game - and we might gain a lot, you never know.

 

[harrisb]

Picking kids are we Stuart Pearce? Then where the hell is Oxlade-Chamberlain...

By not picking him against Holland, he's effectively ruling out of going to the Euros

 

[War]

Decent squad.

Not sure if i would have picked Campbell though, Carroll still ahead of him despite his patchy form at pool.

I just hope when the senior players are picked in the upcoming friendlies before the euro's - joe cole is considered.

 

[War]

Steven Gerrard could retire from international football after Euro 2012 | Mail Online

Nah England need Stevie G until the 2014 world cup.

 

[Themer]

He doesn't need England though.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Picking kids are we Stuart Pearce? Then where the hell is Oxlade-Chamberlain...

By not picking him against Holland, he's effectively ruling out of going to the Euros

Good point - Oxlade Chamberlain is looking like one hell of a player.

 

[War]

He doesn't need England though.

Am i'm not sure what your point is here my friend..

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JESUS CHRIST!!...Injuries injuries the story of every England campaign going into a major tournament since the 2002 world cup. Losing Bent for euro's is a killer blow given Rooney is absent for the opening two games.

Damn who really would want to manage this team with this quandary.

People love to say that injuries are part of the football and England shouldn't use that as excuse for their consistent tournament failures. But i dont know of any other european or major country outside of Europe that has had so much injury problems to key players going into big tournaments in the last decade.

The amount of football played in England has to be reduced and for the millionth time the Carling Cup has to be scrapped.

Possible starting xi for the holland game:

hart

richards smalling jones a cole

parker barry

gerrard

sturridge/walcott welbeck young

 

[MasterBlaster76]

That is the truth. First Bryan Robson, then David Beckham, then Wayne Rooney and various others including Michael Owen. In the run up to nearly every major tournament, one of our best players, if not the best, is racing to be fit - and the Sun will mount some sort of spoof campaign to get the nation make them better through the sheer force of our willpower.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Bent being unavailable is a blessing in disguise. He's such a limited player that you're basically playing with 10 players for most of the game. His movement is awful, his link up play is non-existent, he'll just occasionally pop up for a goal. Given the hard-working team players coming through the side now, Bent isn't what England need.

 

[6ry4nj]

the Sun will mount some sort of spoof campaign to get the nation make them better through the sheer force of our willpower.

So - wert it thou that marred their efforts by thine unbelief!!!?

 

[War]

Bent being unavailable is a blessing in disguise. He's such a limited player that you're basically playing with 10 players for most of the game. His movement is awful, his link up play is non-existent, he'll just occasionally pop up for a goal. Given the hard-working team players coming through the side now, Bent isn't what England need.

Would have to disagree.

No doubt Bent has his faults as you highlighted but i would say you are exaggerating it greatly. Crouch and Zamora are striker who fit your descriptions more aptly and Capello froze them out of the team correctly.

But they way he has played with England in the last year, especially with the former Villa links with Young and Downing - he is big loss in England new found 4-3-3 formation given that Rooney is out for the first two games.

 

[6ry4nj]

Even if there are no alternatives available who are better than Bent, I'm sure there's at least one or two who are so close behind as makes no difference.

In situations like this, having a glass-half-empty mindset is of absolutely no benefit.

 

[War]

Get Theo Walcott playing like he's Michael Owen: Martin Samuel | Mail Online

Damn Samuels wrote just what i was thinking recently. I do believe for both club and country Walcott should be played more centrally instead of wide right.