England World Cup Suad

[BoozleBear]

Theo Walcott gets selected - no premiership experience, not a single England cap.

 

Bent doesn't get a mention, but Andy Johnson is on stand-by (I guess to fill the Rooney gap).

 

Owen Hargreaves gets to go. Not too impressed about that to be honest.

 

Glad Aaron Lennon and also Browning got a look in.

 

I feel sorry for Sean Wright Phillips Tho.

 

Goalies: Robinson, James, Green

Defence: Terry, Carragher, R Ferdinand, A Cole, Bridge, Sol Campbell, G Neville

Midfield: Lennon, Gerrard, J Cole, Lampard, Hargreaves, Beckham, Jenas, Carrick, Downing

Strikers: Rooney, Owen, Crouch, Walcott

 

Stand Bys

Carlson, Reo Coker, Luke Young, Defoe, Andy Johnson

Edited May 8, 2006 by BoozleBear

[Norfolkdan]

I couldn't believe it when I saw it.

 

No way should Theo Walcott or Owen Hargreaves be going.

[Paul_D]

I just cannot believe that Bent isn't going along. Oh well....guess I may as well take my england flag car window thingy down even before the whingers start moaning about 'em!!

[*Ant*]

 

Defoe should deffinately go cosidering the question marks over rooney and owen.

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

Just a quick point. One of the biggest restricting factors in our national side is the sadly misplaced belief that all the best players in England are housed in the premiership.

 

It is a misconception, and one which very few England managers (maybe with the exception of Bobby Robsonin my lifetime - I was only 10 so cannot remember) don't seem to be able to understand. OF COURSE the real reason why only a quality player can play in the premiership (or serie A, or the Bundeslegia (sp)) is because of Sponsorship, and as some people noted last week, there were rumours that Maclaren got the job over Allardyce because of their attitudes to the team selection process.

 

Lets face it - the left footed crises we had for ten years would have been resolvable by looking a little lower down the pecking order. A good 1st division left footed player would almost certainly have played better than an out of position right footed player!

 

Other teams - Ireland and Wales, have both used players from lower divisions and the ROI especially have had better runs than we have at times during the nineties!

 

If anything by the way, a 1st division player can play REAL football.

 

How many premiership defenders do you see pull up a challenge a bit weakly, or attackers not going into hard challenges - most of who are more scared about paychecks and appearing on FHM than they are about putting the ball in (or keeping it out) of the net!

Edited May 8, 2006 by UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk

[jedibond]

 

Defoe should deffinately go cosidering the question marks over rooney and owen.

 

I agree Ant, although we're both a bit biased

 

I mean seriously though, how can you throw in a player who hasn't even played a first team game for his own club ? I don't care how good anyone thinks he is, you cannot go into a major competition with a completely untried/tested player !

[*Ant*]

I agree Ant, although we're both a bit biased

 

What me......biased??????

[ayjay]

What sort of striking line-up is that meant to be?

 

Two crocks, a beanpole, and a boy.

 

Hargreaves has shown very little talent for England so far and Sean W-P has never really been given a proper chance by Sven.

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

Sorry Jedi but I think everyone gives premiership footballers and international competition rather too much credit.

 

Untried/untested - everyone has to start that way.

 

Secondly the team at the top of division one (or the top three) can probably hammer the bottom six of the premiership (so probably not too shabby). Next it is fully possible the B team at say United could be the A team of most other clubs on their day. Players should be picked for talent, and by picking them the experience will come. The problem is it can get like the cricket team, where that many players are picked 'for experience' that they rest on their laurels a bit and under-perform because they are nigh on untouchables - make everyone play for their place every match - that is how a national side ought to be run.

 

Finally this is a game of football, made up from a team which plays together about ten times a year - and under Sven - is usually not the same team twice. Given it's a team sport, the reality of it is it is slightly new to them all every time they don a shirt - they are all certainly more used to playing with their regular club sides. At least inexperienced players have something to prove and it is that kind of mentality which wins competitions IMHO.

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

I think the choice of team is madness...........I doubt they've caught a decent fish between the lot of em!