England National football team thread

[War]

Scott Parker battling Achilles injury ahead of Euros | Football News | ESPN.co.uk

JESUS CHRIST MANNN!!..Not another injury woe, this curse keeps coming around every tournament

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England appoint Roy Hodgson | Zonal Marking

Article on point like a laser beam.

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Football 365's Guide to Criticising Roy Hodgeson's Squad Selection

Haa some of those suggestions in certain scenario's could be valid to be be fair. But overall yea, this is good representation of some of dumb critiques the eventually ENG squad, Hodgson will pick, could/would get from the overly critical English football press who are often full of themselves.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Well that goes without saying. To anyone saying that England haven't had a ton of bad luck, as well as all the near misses I mentioned, you've got this injury curse that crops up before every single tournament, usually affecting one of our very best players.

England are a very unlucky team.

 

[Themer]

England are a very poor team.

Fixed.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

We're not the best in the world, far from it. But we are definitely one of the unluckiest teams. Poor team? At the moment - because the players for some reason just cannot play together as a cohesive unit.

 

[War]

Yea its fine to critique England rightfully based on performances to be a poor, overated etc team.

But it would be nice if people could also acknowledge, instead frivolously writing it off - the clear fact - that since EURO 2000, England going into every major tournament since then has been terribly unlucky with injuries to key players.

No other major European nation has this problem so repeatedly in the last decade or so going into major tournaments.

 

[Themer]

No other major European nation ever has this problem.

True. No other team has ever had anyone injured other than England. Ever.

 

[puddleduck]

Or maybe every other nation/team come up with systems and setups derived from a team mentality, whilst England assume that player X is the difference between getting knocked out in the quarters or winning the entire thing!

When someone tries to pick an excuse to cover 12 years worth of football, then I'd suggest they go get a nice iced cocktail to make all those clutched straws worthwhile.

 

[barmyarmy]

We've prob got worse tbh. At least we only used to lose on penalties...

 

[Auwais]

No other major European nation ever has this problem.

What does every other major European league have in common, that the Premiership doesn't?

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Indeed. Although England have had rotten luck over the years, we don't do ourselves any favours with the way the Premiership is run.

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True. No other team has ever had anyone injured other than England. Ever.

OK, name one other team that has had either the best player, or a key player injured in the run up to every recent tournament.

 

[Themer]

Spain are going to be without Puyol and Villa for the Euros just off the top of my head.

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Zidane was injured World Cup 2002

 

[barmyarmy]

So is Smalling our best player or just a key player?
Rooney being suspended is hardly "bad luck" either...

 

[Themer]

Totti was rushed back unfit for the World Cup 2006. Still managed to play a blinder mind.

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Buffon missed Euro 2000

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Pirlo missed the first two matches at the World Cup 2010 due to injury.

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Ballack missed the first match of the 2006 World Cup due to a calf strain

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Ballack missed all over the 2010 World Cup due to an ankle injury

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In fact there were five Germans who missed the 2010 World Cup due to injury Ballack, Adler, Traesch, Westermann and Rolfes.

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Christian Vieri missed Euro 2000.

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So after just a quick search on ole google the Italians have had major players injured or returning from injury in Euro 2000, World Cup 2006 and World Cup 2010.

Zidane missed 2002 and the Germans never have anyone fit.

 

[Auwais]

Canizares dropped a bottle of perfume on his foot and missed the 2002 World Cup, it doesn't get any unluckier than that.

Torres injured his knee in April before the last World Cup and was clearly unfit during the tournament, as well as Senna missing most of the season through injury and subsequently missing out on the squad.

Villa broke his leg in December and hasn't played since. Don't expect him to pull up any trees if he is called up to Spain's squad.

 

[War]

What does every other major European league have in common, that the Premiership doesn't?

No useless competition like the Carling Cup.

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Or maybe every other nation/team come up with systems and setups derived from a team mentality, whilst England assume that player X is the difference between getting knocked out in the quarters or winning the entire thing!

When someone tries to pick an excuse to cover 12 years worth of football, then I'd suggest they go get a nice iced cocktail to make all those clutched straws worthwhile.

Well firstly I'm suggesting that we should blame injury on all of England's tournament performances since Euro 2000. I'm just highlighting the fact that since EURO 2000 compared to most major EURO teams, ENG has the most awful luck with Key players to injury - heading into tournaments, which is not ideal.

Most teams have won world cups or EUROs since 2000 have had their full strength teams. ENG haven't had that luxury since EURO 96/W Cup 98 time.

Yes you can certainly be critical of England maybe placing too much emphasis on "X" player going into a tournament i.e Becks & Owen W Cup 2002, Rooney & Barry 2010, Rooney 2006.

But maybe that in some area's highlights that compared to other teams in key area's we don't have the debt to cover for certain players, which is the case with most teams in world football.

This is highlight most significantly right now with Rooney's absence for the first two games @ the EURO's. ENG clearly don't have a another top-class striker to cover him.

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Spain are going to be without Puyol and Villa for the Euros just off the top of my head.

Villa hasn't been officially ruled out yet. Del Bosque last i checked is still giving him time to be fit.