England squad announcement ...

[jaiguruKun]

Thankful for small mercies.

No Scott Parker !

Don't you mean Scotty Parker?

 

[BlueHammer85]

The fact Adam Johnson hasn't been picked after he's played so well and Cleverley has been picked after playing so shit tells you all you need to know about Hodgson.

Except they play totally different positions ... Continue the outrage

I am perfectly aware they play in different positions... The point is he doesn't pick his squads on merit.

It's irrelevant, everyone has there own ideas what the squad should be. So any manager picking a squad has no chance of winning the fans over

 

[jaiguruKun]

Thankful for small mercies.

No Scott Parker !

Thought it was " Scotty" Parker !

Oh shit, you beat me to it!<br /><br />-- Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:08 pm --<br /><br />Maybe he trusts Zidane Cleverly to be a good boy whilst he sits on the bench whereas the likes of Barry will kick off if they don't get game time. A valid consideration when picking the World Cup squad according to Woy's interview on Sky the other night.

 

[stony]

Thankful for small mercies.

No Scott Parker !

Don't you mean Scotty Parker?

Don't you mean Brave Scotty Parker and his lovely hair?

 

[Como Cat]

Yes and there is a Euro's coming up in 24 months. Smalling is not going to be in the first team for the world cup, but he might be for the Euro's. Players from the big teams have the advantage for many reasons, but the most important one is too often ignored. International managers know how they will react on the big occasion. At least players from the big teams won't freeze at the big moments.

Yeah right, you're kidding yourself, but not me. Smalling isn't good enough, and more to the point, doesn't even show any glimpses of being good enough in the future. You're falling into the Hodgson trap - if he plays for the Rags, surely to God he must be good?

I never said if they play for a big team they are good, but at least they have been tested in the fire. It's one thing having the quality and it's another thing being able to keep your head. When a player has played CL football and title deciding games at least you have an idea how they will react on the big stage.

You have seen nothing to suggest Smalling will ever be decent and that's your opinion. I have seen enough to suggest he has is a better option than Dawson and an aging Lescott.

I understand the theory behind having been 'tested in the fire', however, I'm struggling to think of it actually working in practice. Off the top of my head I can think of a few players that have come in for England and made a difference in tournaments (and we are going back in history) and none of those played for the biggest sides at the time: David Platt, Beardsley and Gascoigne (Schillaci for Italy, the whole Greek team in 2004?). Maybe times are different now but I wonder. Apart from Rooney in 2004 have many of our players from the CL sides demonstrated the ability that you refer to?

 

[supercrystal7]

Yeah right, you're kidding yourself, but not me. Smalling isn't good enough, and more to the point, doesn't even show any glimpses of being good enough in the future. You're falling into the Hodgson trap - if he plays for the Rags, surely to God he must be good?

I never said if they play for a big team they are good, but at least they have been tested in the fire. It's one thing having the quality and it's another thing being able to keep your head. When a player has played CL football and title deciding games at least you have an idea how they will react on the big stage.

You have seen nothing to suggest Smalling will ever be decent and that's your opinion. I have seen enough to suggest he has is a better option than Dawson and an aging Lescott.

I understand the theory behind having been 'tested in the fire', however, I'm struggling to think of it actually working in practice. Off the top of my head I can think of a few players that have come in for England and made a difference in tournaments (and we are going back in history) and none of those played for the biggest sides at the time: David Platt, Beardsley and Gascoigne (Schillaci for Italy, the whole Greek team in 2004?). Maybe times are different now but I wonder. Apart from Rooney in 2004 have many of our players from the CL sides demonstrated the ability that you refer to?

We tend to do quite well in tournaments and get to quarter finals so they are doing fine. Owen is an example in 98, Butt came in 02 and Hargreaves was very good in 06. Though, 2010 was just a terrible tournament.

It's not just the players coming in and making a big impact, but not choking and throwing matches away. The prime example of this is Scott Carson in recent years and that proved very costly.

 

[without a dream]

Except they play totally different positions ... Continue the outrage

I am perfectly aware they play in different positions... The point is he doesn't pick his squads on merit.

It's irrelevant, everyone has there own ideas what the squad should be. So any manager picking a squad has no chance of winning the fans over

That's not true.

 

[Groke]

The FA would be better withdrawing from this world cup and saving the millions it's going to cost sending that talentless collection (plus the multiple freeloaders) out to Brazil for 2 weeks. The money can then be spent on some decent youth coaches - then maybe we can get up to the technical ability level of the likes of Macedonia and Slovenia.

 

[supercity88]

Not too worried by the Cleverley inclusion. Johnson is competing with lots of other players out wide and I think Hodgson would prefer pace out wide than trickery. Will be a 23 man squad with 3 keepers, 8 defenders, 8 midfielders and 4 strikers. Baines, Shaw, Jagielka, Cahill, Johnson, Walker all certain in my opinion. Cole will miss out. Centre back cover will be Caulker and unfortunately Smalling possibly as he can play right back too...

Midfielders will be Gerrard, Henderson, Wilshere, Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Barkley, Lallana, Sterling, Townsend.

Strikers, Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge, Lambert.

 

[jaiguruKun]

Not too worried by the Cleverley inclusion. Johnson is competing with lots of other players out wide and I think Hodgson would prefer pace out wide than trickery. Will be a 23 man squad with 3 keepers, 8 defenders, 8 midfielders and 4 strikers. Baines, Shaw, Jagielka, Cahill, Johnson, Walker all certain in my opinion. Cole will miss out. Centre back cover will be Caulker and unfortunately Smalling possibly as he can play right back too...

Midfielders will be Gerrard, Henderson, Wilshere, Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Barkley, Lallana, Sterling, Townsend.

Strikers, Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge, Lambert.

No Jimmy Milner?