England

[Ronaldo]

Rooney shouldn't even be in the squad

 

Name 4 strikers better or 4 attacking midfielders better. No? Exactly.

Rooney is a striker who has Kane, Vardy, Sturridge at the very least ahead of him. They won't take four attacking midfielders but he surely would be behind Alli and Barkley. On this season's form, he should be nowhere near the England squad, and nor should he on tournament history.

 

You still can't name 4 strikers who should go ahead of him. It's worth mentioning that Rooney's generally been good for England since the WC and scored plenty of goals. He's been poor for Man U with the shackles on, granted.

Rewriting history again Ron, as is your wont. I remember you giving it a couple of years before informing us that Rooney had had a good Euro 2012.

 

He's been average despite knocking in a few goals, and we look far better without him. FWIW, I'd take Welbeck ahead of him too.

 

11 goals in 15 games since the World Cup. That's a fact, by the way, not a rewriting of history.

 

And what I actually said was he was good in the 2 games he played in Euro '12, which he was.

[Beren]

I wouldn't bring Rooney like. Would rather have Kane, Vardy, Sturridge, Welbeck, Sterling, Lallana, Barkley and Alli for the attacking positions.

 

Plus it's not Rooney's fault but the circus you'll see if/when he's not picked to start is at best incredibly annoying for people like us and at worst a distraction to the team. I'd sack him off, he's yesterday's man.

 

Agree completely.

[joeyt]

http://i63.tinypic.com/i5qeip.png

 

 

[Minhosa]

Of course it is, he's a fucking jock .

[SMTW]

Rooney's best performance at a finals is still his breakthrough euros (2004?). That's even more reason to sack him off and gamble on Kane.

[Ronaldo]

Rooney's best performance at a finals is still his breakthrough euros (2004?). That's even more reason to sack him off and gamble on Kane.

 

Kane isn't a gamble, and nobody has advocated leaving him out anyway. Kane has to start, no question.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Was gonna say, Kane has been the best CF in the league this year not just English either.

 

In no way shape or form is he a gamble.

[nemtizz]

http://i63.tinypic.com/i5qeip.png

 

 

 

So many questions.

 

Not surprising from a Pardew lover, though.

[SMTW]

Rooney's best performance at a finals is still his breakthrough euros (2004?). That's even more reason to sack him off and gamble on Kane.

 

Kane isn't a gamble, and nobody has advocated leaving him out anyway. Kane has to start, no question.

 

Aye. Gamble was definitely the wrong word. I think I meant to say Roy should have the conviction to leave Rooney out of any starting line up.

[Mattoon]

Never-say-die attitude, determination and tenacity, not what you'd usually equate to an England team but that's what won us the game tonight, the old guard would have rolled over at 2-0 down, it's clear that the changes are there to be made and there's no room in this starting 11 for players like Rooney. That was the best England performance I've seen since Euro 96 and yes it was just a friendly but those young stars out there today showed up last generations should have beens for what they were, a bunch of individuals. That was a real team performance played at a high tempo with purpose and aggression.

 

Looking forward to these Euros if Hodgson sticks with that team selection and has the balls to drop the big names of yesterday.

[Kanj]

Genuinely love watching Kane for England. My lord does he have a brilliant strike on him. Massively intelligent as well.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Kane's goal was the best IMO, 90% of players would just have passed that ball back out of the box. Such great confidence to make a turn, ride a challenge and finish like that.

 

Same as Alli really, just a great example of how picking the form players and the confidence players is the way too go.

[Ronaldo]

Rooney's best performance at a finals is still his breakthrough euros (2004?). That's even more reason to sack him off and gamble on Kane.

 

Kane isn't a gamble, and nobody has advocated leaving him out anyway. Kane has to start, no question.

 

Aye. Gamble was definitely the wrong word. I think I meant to say Roy should have the conviction to leave Rooney out of any starting line up.

 

Thing is, Roy knows that if we fail at the Euros he won't be in charge come the next World Cup. He'll pick his best team.

[KaKa]

Well done England. Looking promising for this summer. Hope the whole Rooney will he or won't he doesn't spoil things.

 

Liked what Roy did when he brought on Vardy. Switched to more of a 4-3-1-2 with Barkley in behind Kane and Vardy, with Hendo, Dier and Alli in central midfield, and the fullbacks supplying the width.

 

Good stuff. Good that he experimented with both up there, and didn't leave it too late to do so.

[The College Dropout]

'Picking players in form' - Kane has been the best striker in the league over the last 18 months.  He's more proven now than when Costa went to Chelsea initially.  I wouldn't even call it form.  He's just the business. It's at the point where it's not a purple patch.  He's a very good player in his stride. 

 

Overall I think some are over reacting. The Germans didn't turn up at all the Alli chance epitomised their attitude. They didn't care. You press a team that isn't taking it seriously and they'll concede.  However, I do like the approach of pressing highly.  We have the legs and players for it. 

 

Think you also have to start Alli at 10 and Kane at 9.  I don't know if Rooney can start. 

 

As Spurs have thrown in the towel on Europe I'm very interested to see how their lads cope in the summer as they deserve to start.  If fit I think Roy has Welbeck.  I hope Lallana isn't first choice for RAM but there's only Sterling as a naturalish in that role. Walcott has been awful.  Vardy and Rooney shoe horned.  Would love to see Vardh and Kand up

 

[Incognito]

Rooney shouldn't even be in the squad

 

Name 4 strikers better or 4 attacking midfielders better. No? Exactly.

Rooney is a striker who has Kane, Vardy, Sturridge at the very least ahead of him. They won't take four attacking midfielders but he surely would be behind Alli and Barkley. On this season's form, he should be nowhere near the England squad, and nor should he on tournament history.

 

You still can't name 4 strikers who should go ahead of him. It's worth mentioning that Rooney's generally been good for England since the WC and scored plenty of goals. He's been poor for Man U with the shackles on, granted.

Rewriting history again Ron, as is your wont. I remember you giving it a couple of years before informing us that Rooney had had a good Euro 2012.

 

He's been average despite knocking in a few goals, and we look far better without him. FWIW, I'd take Welbeck ahead of him too.

 

11 goals in 15 games since the World Cup. That's a fact, by the way, not a rewriting of history.

 

And what I actually said was he was good in the 2 games he played in Euro '12, which he was.

He really wasn't [emoji13]

[Cronky]

I've always been a big fan of Rooney, but I have to admit to having my doubts now. Man United seem to be playing better without him as well.

 

Injuries and being over-used have played their part in depriving him of that pace that he had in the early days, and now the competition for places is really hotting up with these good young players coming through.

 

On ability, I'd have him in the squad, but it may be a problem for him and for others if you have a big name captain like him around, but he's not getting picked.

 

I wouldn't write him off just yet though.

[Cronky]

'Picking players in form' - Kane has been the best striker in the league over the last 18 months.  He's more proven now than when Costa went to Chelsea initially.  I wouldn't even call it form.  He's just the business. It's at the point where it's not a purple patch.  He's a very good player in his stride. 

 

Overall I think some are over reacting. The Germans didn't turn up at all the Alli chance epitomised their attitude. They didn't care. You press a team that isn't taking it seriously and they'll concede.  However, I do like the approach of pressing highly.  We have the legs and players for it. 

 

Think you also have to start Alli at 10 and Kane at 9.  I don't know if Rooney can start. 

 

As Spurs have thrown in the towel on Europe I'm very interested to see how their lads cope in the summer as they deserve to start.  If fit I think Roy has Welbeck.  I hope Lallana isn't first choice for RAM but there's only Sterling as a naturalish in that role. Walcott has been awful.  Vardy and Rooney shoe horned.  Would love to see Vardh and Kand up

 

 

Kane looks like a traditional English centre forward, but he does produce these unpredictable moments, off his own bat, that can throw a defence. He created his goal out of a nothing situation where all you could see coming was a prod back to a midfield player.

 

The one criticism you could make is that at times he has his head down and he's trying to do too much on his own. Last night, he tried a shot from a ridiculous distance and insisted on taking a free kick on the edge of the area, when I think it should have been left to someone else. But I guess that's the flipside of the confidence that he has, which is a big strength of his. In time, that side of his game will iron out.

 

What impressed me last night was the creative passing combinations that our midfield produced, and it showed the value of picking players with technical ability. In the past we've relied too much on athleticism. Lallana plays a big part in knitting moves together, whereas Sterling tends to play as an individual.

[HawK]

Kane is the best striker to pull on an England shirt since Shearer. Rooney is a bit like Owen, relied on pace and cunning in his youth and through age wasn't able to re-invent his game enough. I've seen enough of Kane to see that the kid is smart, and when the pace goes, I think he's only going to change his game but still be as deadly. Shearer-esque.

 

Alli, wow. I've never seen an England player with such quick feet, movement and ability all together in my lifetime. This kid made the world champions look about as good at the back as Newcastle

 

Every time I've been watching England it has been like watching Newcastle of the past 8-10 years, no plan, strangers on the pitch. Being an England and Newcastle supporter has been absolutely terrible. The movement and understanding and the confidence, combined with players who can actually take a pass and move it on quickly seems so alien to me. We looked more like Germany last night than the Germans.

 

I can't help but get carried away, I hope we do well in the summer.

[toon25]

Unlike Owen, Rooney has the physique to change his game in a similar way to Shearer. Why he hasn't done so, I don't know. Being shoe horned into central midfield on a number of occasions didn't help.

[Foluwashola]

Kane is a one season wonder though, you've got to bear that in mind.

[La Parka]

We turned down Ali

[54]

[Foluwashola]

Love that gypsy. Him and Kane. Likeable England players, it's weird.

[Greg]

We turned down Ali

 

I thought he turned us down?