English Football Thread 2012/2013

[War]

BBC Sport - Football - Capello calls up Wilshere, Gibbs and Zamora for England

England squad to face Hungary:

Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (Birmingham), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Paul Robinson (Blackburn)

Defenders: Wes Brown (Manchester United), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), John Terry (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Aston Villa), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Bobby Zamora (Fulham)


Hmm i guess this England squad pretty much shows what most already knew - the depth in talent is really lacking, especially in defense.

The likes of Cahill, Jaigelka & Brown are slow just like Upson. Without Ferdinand & King the defense looks really pedestrian. I seriously worry we may never see the best of Ferdinand for club or country again - his back injury seems to have killed his pace as well.

Hopefully the likes of Micah Richards & Steven Taylor step up in the premiership this season.

Bent & C Cole aren't international quality. I would have still stuck with Defoe & probably called up Agbonlahor. Michael Owen still can be useful @ EURO 2012.

I hate how J Cole is being treated, a big season for Liverpool is all he needs, since i cant envison ENG @ EURO 2012 without him.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

In my opinion the most lacking areas are the flanks. England do not have any brilliant wide players. Joe Cole is the only player that comes close to that role, and even he is not primarily a wide player. Considering that the England way is 4-4-2, it's quite amazing that no brilliant wide players are being produced.

Also there are no genuine holding midfielders, or destroyers in that squad. I think that Gerrard could play the ball winning, box to box player if he played alongside two other central midfielders. Carrick would be one of those midfielders. The problem is, the only other midfielder I can think of to play the third role is Paul Scholes. Nobody else has the positional discipline to play in that role. Maybe Wilkshere can play that role as he matures.

Three of the four forwards are not International quality. I can't understand why Defoe was dropped. He plays the same role as Darren Bent, only he's a better player. Zamora is probably a better target man than Heskey though, and is a more consistent performer.

Quite clearly, England are severely lacking in genuine quality all over the pitch. Anyone who thinks England can genuinely compete with other top nations to win the major competitions is seriously deluded.

 

[War]

In my opinion the most lacking areas are the flanks. England do not have any brilliant wide players. Joe Cole is the only player that comes close to that role, and even he is not primarily a wide player. Considering that the England way is 4-4-2, it's quite amazing that no brilliant wide players are being produced.

Also there are no genuine holding midfielders, or destroyers in that squad. I think that Gerrard could play the ball winning, box to box player if he played alongside two other central midfielders. Carrick would be one of those midfielders. The problem is, the only other midfielder I can think of to play the third role is Paul Scholes. Nobody else has the positional discipline to play in that role. Maybe Wilkshere can play that role as he matures.

Three of the four forwards are not International quality. I can't understand why Defoe was dropped. He plays the same role as Darren Bent, only he's a better player. Zamora is probably a better target man than Heskey though, and is a more consistent performer.

Quite clearly, England are severely lacking in genuine quality all over the pitch. Anyone who thinks England can genuinely compete with other top nations to win the major competitions is seriously deluded.

Yep & its disappointing. But i was thinking the other day if England had taken a full fit squad & Scholes had been convinced to come out of retirement. Our Best WC XI could have been very strong:

---------------------------------James------------------------------------

Hargreaves----------------Ferdinand----------Terry------------------A Cole

---------------------------Scholes---------Barry--------------------------

Walcott/Lennon-------------------Gerrard----------------------------J Cole

---------------------------------Rooney----------------------------------

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Hargreaves right back?

Personally I think this would've been the best possible XI:

---------------------------------James------------------------------------

Brown---------------------Ferdinand----------Terry------------------A Cole

---------------------------Scholes------Hargreaves------------------------

Walcott---------------------------Gerrard--------------------J Cole--------

---------------------------------Rooney----------------------------------

Brown being a supporting right back on the side that has width with Walcott, and effectively make a back three when in attack to stop counters. And Cole overlapping as Cole drifts inside. Gerrard would be in a free role. Scholes would sit deep and play his immense sideways balls and Hargreaves would be the more natural destroyer.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

So, that's the Community Shield done and dusted and it's first blood to Man Utd. Yes, it's only a glorified friendly, but it's a good psychological blow to land - it wasn't just a defeat, it was fairly comprehensive and if Hernandes had his finishing boots on, could've been at least one more. The team looks very good, Hernandes looks like one hell of a good bit of business (and has to be on the list the award for strangest debut goal of all time), lovely goal by Berbatov and Rooney looked lively as well. Shame Chelsea can recover easily with their first game - a home banker to WBA - but it's still nice to beat them.

Also, Sir Alex seems to be taking an interest in Ozil - that one signing would be enough to massively improve the squad. I'd certainly take him over any of City's signings.

Bring on the season proper!

 

[Ollie_H]

Aren't Chelsea now going into the start of the premiership season having lost all of their last 4/5 games?

Ollie_H added 1 Minutes and 10 Seconds later...

Yep, Chelsea have now lost their last 4 games. Not a great way to start the season!

Chelsea Fixtures | Chelsea Game Results | Chelsea FC | 2010

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Aren't Chelsea now going into the start of the premiership season having lost all of their last 4/5 games?

Ollie_H added 1 Minutes and 10 Seconds later...

Yep, Chelsea have now lost their last 4 games. Not a great way to start the season!

Chelsea Fixtures | Chelsea Game Results | Chelsea FC | 2010

Yes, but I fully expect them to win at least their first four of the season proper. Of course, if they maintain this form into the start of the season, then that would be nice as well.

 

[Auwais]

Carrick and Scholesy were excellent today. England's best playmakers yet neither are in the squad, for differing reasons.

Even the next in line, Huddlestone, isn't in the squad. In an area of the pitch England have long relied on powerhouses rather than intricateness as the leading footballing nations do, to much disaster.

 

[Haarithan]

Paul Robinson has retired from international football for england

 

[Dr. Pepper]

An excellent performance and a great start to the season. Scholes was phenomenal. He was given way too much space by Chelsea (who played Mikel as shield in front of the defence, when no one was really penetrating that area). Scholes and Carrick were sitting deep. Park came central and took away markers. And that left Scholes with plenty of time and space to be brilliant. Owen was interesting because he was dropping deep and going wide. Valencia is becoming an excellent penetrating winger. Berbatov was great when he came on and got a goal that he deserved. Carrick also played well, but like Scholes he was given too much space.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Carrick and Scholesy were excellent today. England's best playmakers yet neither are in the squad, for differing reasons.

Even the next in line, Huddlestone, isn't in the squad. In an area of the pitch England have long relied on powerhouses rather than intricateness as the leading footballing nations do, to much disaster.

Correct. In fact, most nations have at least one intricate playmaker and maybe one tough tackling powerhouse. Right now, England have neither! There was no steel in the midfield and no creativity either.

Paul Robinson has retired from international football for england

A great shame. Apart from a run of bad form, he's been the best England keeper since Seaman. His stats don't lie: something like a 60%+ win ratio and a 50%+ clean sheet ratio for England. And the sad thing is the event which caused his downfall wasn't his fault - it was a bobble. You can't do anything about them. Also, G. Neville should never have passed the ball directly back to the goal - schoolboys are taught to pass it back wide of the goal, to avoid exactly this type of incident!

An excellent performance and a great start to the season. Scholes was phenomenal. He was given way too much space by Chelsea (who played Mikel as shield in front of the defence, when no one was really penetrating that area). Scholes and Carrick were sitting deep. Park came central and took away markers. And that left Scholes with plenty of time and space to be brilliant. Owen was interesting because he was dropping deep and going wide. Valencia is becoming an excellent penetrating winger. Berbatov was great when he came on and got a goal that he deserved. Carrick also played well, but like Scholes he was given too much space.

Well summed up. Owen looked quite good - maybe he can yet be a good player for Utd.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

O'Neill has quit Aston Villa! Apparently, he's annoyed he isn't permitted to reinvest the money the club will get for the imminent Milner deal (SSN).

 

[Dr. Pepper]

He did all he could do for the club, if he can't reinvest it all into new players. If they keep selling their best players and acting solely as a business, then O'Neill has achieved all he possibly can. He's done magnificently at Villa and if he gets a new job I hope he does well. The problem is, where can he go? Maybe if a prem league manager gets the sack at some point this season, which I'm not really hoping for.

 

[shravi]

O'Neill has quit Aston Villa! Apparently, he's annoyed he isn't permitted to reinvest the money the club will get for the imminent Milner deal (SSN).

Who could blame him? Aston Villa is stagnant. Barry has left and Milner is following and I don't think it will be long before clubs line up to sign Ashley Young either.

 

[mattfb]

Bit of a dick move to leave it this late. If he just left when he was uhming and ahing about it he may of got a good job eg Liverpool.