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The England Thread


Pilko

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Why can't Roy Keane f*** off and commentate on Ireland's games?  Whatever we do, the c*** always seems to slag us off regardless.

 

Quite like Keane's punditry personally. Seems to steer clear of the arse licking most pundits tend to give England/the top Prem sides when they're playing on shI-TV.

He's hilarious. Glad he's not my boss or something. Can see why he's a crap manager. Bad for morale.

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can't remember the last time i saw an england line up, when we are putting out the best we can muster, that had so many players who were squad players for their clubs.

 

Agreed. Half the side.

 

IMO this is the biggest problem. Made worse that they get the nod over players playing regularly for smaller clubs.

 

Milner, Cleverley are proper rotation players which is okay. Welbeck gets the nod for big games so even that's not the worst. But Smalling and Lescott are at best 4th choice. They shouldn't play.

 

 

Look at the side that beat Germany 5-1. Mostly young but also regulars at that age.

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Are you guys in anger or something? Or you just dont care?

 

The latter. I'd prefer Newcastle to win a throw in than England to win the World Cup

 

Yes. The last conversation we had about this is coming back to my mind!  ;D

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http://c2.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/N5b146511/14785329_e0p8B.jpeg

Discovering Brazil again in 2014

 

"Stay calm, lads! Seems that some winds coming from Azerbaijan just started to blow and this old piece of crap is moving again!"

 

;D ;D ;D

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It was just panic by individuals last night. The amount of times we just hoofed it out of play or up the pitch without thinking was criminal. When we're under a bit of pressure we just don't think to relieve it by keeping possession.

 

Yeah, I agree. When Montenegro changed their formation in the second half, that should have given us an extra man in the midfield, but if you bang the ball over the heads then the advantage is lost.

 

It reminded me of how we (ie NUFC) sometimes play (though not as often as before). The British disease is a lack of confidence in passing and retaining the ball under pressure. Although we do produce players with just as much skill as the continentals, our technical ability is often confined to half the team. If we're to achieve real fluency, all the players need to show some level of technical competence. It's not just a matter of confidence in your own ability, but in your team-mates as well.

 

I lost count of the number of passes that went slightly behind a team-mate, because the passer wasn't confident about playing the ball into their stride. You see it so often.

 

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It was just panic by individuals last night. The amount of times we just hoofed it out of play or up the pitch without thinking was criminal. When we're under a bit of pressure we just don't think to relieve it by keeping possession.

 

Yeah, I agree. When Montenegro changed their formation in the second half, that should have given us an extra man in the midfield, but if you bang the ball over the heads then the advantage is lost.

 

It reminded me of how we (ie NUFC) sometimes play (though not as often as before). The British disease is a lack of confidence in passing and retaining the ball under pressure. Although we do produce players with just as much skill as the continentals, our technical ability is often confined to half the team. If we're to achieve real fluency, all the players need to show some level of technical competence. It's not just a matter of confidence in your own ability, but in your team-mates as well.

 

I lost count of the number of passes that went slightly behind a team-mate, because the passer wasn't confident about playing the ball into their stride. You see it so often.

 

Lots of pressure?

 

I think that in these qualifiers the players main objective is not to get hurt.

 

Playing football like that is the first step to lose.

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A lot of the abject mediocrity is down to Capello not bombing out all of the same old faces after 2010 , and Hodgson for carrying on with the same policy. If the likes of Lampard, Gerrard , Cole , Ferdinand and even Terry  weren't good enough to bring success to England in their prime, why would they be now all are past their best ? Capello should've started from scratch after that WC and now we may have been seeing some positive performances.

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A lot of the abject mediocrity is down to Capello not bombing out all of the same old faces after 2010 , and Hodgson for carrying on with the same policy. If the likes of Lampard, Gerrard , Cole , Ferdinand and even Terry  weren't good enough to bring success to England in their prime, why would they be now all are past their best ? Capello should've started from scratch after that WC and now we may have been seeing some positive performances.

 

 

So barring those players, what's the strongest squad for England?

 

                          Hart                           

              Lescott        Cahill

Johnson                              Baines

              Wilshere    Carrick

Walcott                                Young

                      Rooney

                      Welbeck

 

 

:dontknow:

 

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I'd have put youngsters in. Id have picked Rooney purely as a centre forward, and I would probably have made him captain. Don't want him dropping deep . Id have the likes of Caulker, Sterling, Ox, Clyne and Shaw all starting now. Let's build for 2018. We will do fuck all in 2014 even if we qualify.

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                        Hart                           

            Smalling    Caulker

Clyne                                    Shaw

              Wilshere    Cleverley

                      Lallana

Sterling                                  Ox

                      Rooney

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That first team Deuce posted is probably there or thereabouts. CB is an issue, and I'd probably have Oxlade-Chamberlain instead of Walcott because (a) I really like him (b) he's got a bit more power and presence if you need to defend. Ashley Young has blown hot and cold too.

 

We have a fair few players who are about the same level who could comfortably slot in. Walcott, Caulker, Cleverly, Walker - you wouldn't be too unhappy at giving them a game too. The problem is that you need at least four or five classy players to convince at this level, plus you need a coherent unit around them. We rarely have the same team together, and don't seem to have a consistent way of playing either. We really should have the players to keep the ball, yet they are so often injured (Wilshere, Cleverly) or fighting a losing battle because the team hasn't knitted together.

 

Unfortunately I only got to watch the San Marino game this week, and you can't take much away from that. I'd be very interested to see how much our team differs game-to-game compared with other international sides. Not pre-empting that at all, but if we actually play the same players regularly (compared to, say, the Netherlands) then there is no excuse for Hodgson. If we make more changes than most, then that might be a major issue.

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I'd have put youngsters in. Id have picked Rooney purely as a centre forward, and I would probably have made him captain. Don't want him dropping deep . Id have the likes of Caulker, Sterling, Ox, Clyne and Shaw all starting now. Let's build for 2018. We will do f*** all in 2014 even if we qualify.

 

I broadly agree, but Sterling has been really poor for a while. Maybe too young, and just needs a break.

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I'd like to see Lallana given an opportunity. As Lampard/Gerrard are phased out, England won't have many attacking midfielders. Unless you want to play Rooney in that role, which I'm not sure is ideal. Lallana has been quality for Southampton.

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Sterling and Ox have done very little to be starting for England IMO.

 

It's obviously a difficult balance like, but I don't think you can treat the current England team as just a youth side for 2018. If these players do amazing at their clubs they will come in when they're ready.

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Sterling had done fuck all, Clyne is very weak defensively and Shaw is about as raw as you can get. All 3 should be nowhere near the England team right now, all 3 need to first of all establish themselves as premiership players.

 

Caulker is ready, Ox is dangerous, they should be starting.

 

I'd have Rooney upfront with Walcott, Ox on the right, Wilshere in the middle with a senior player Carrick/Gerrard, the rest whatever is available. Glen Johnson is easily the best RB available, Cole is still the best LB, Hart is the best GK, with the absolute lack of talent on the left I'd probably put Baines there for tough games and try Cleverly there for easier ties.

 

Just leaves the best fit partner for Caulker, probably Terry but England have fucked that up.

 

 

                Hart

 

Johnson Caulker Terry Cole

 

        Carrick  Wilshere

 

Ox.                        Baines

 

      Walcott    Rooney

 

 

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Interesting question - would we rather have 'top 4' bit-part players or those who are starting regularly for bottom clubs?

 

Neither. The Big 4 doesn't exist anymore. Rightfully, only key Arsenal and Liverpool players start. Milner lacks quality but he's a real option for City. Lescott is on the fringes and shouldn't play for England.

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