England Team

[Nuggets]

Actual like the look of it, only 2 older players in the team.

 

England squad:

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City).

 

 

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United).

 

 

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

 

 

Attackers: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

 

 

Standby: John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).

[SlickDT]

I personally would of had Flanagan and Barry in for wilshire and Smalling but apart from that decent squad.

[ex-montrosesaintee]

I always look at the England squads and wonder how on earth such a good league can spawn such an appalling national team. There are so many decent squad filler players that do a good job down there, but if you look at all the other national teams, they have one or two big name, game changing players. England have Wayne Rooney

Can't see them getting past the group stages, and I think that is very sad.

[jhq]

I always look at the England squads and wonder how on earth such a good league can spawn such an appalling national team. There are so many decent squad filler players that do a good job down there, but if you look at all the other national teams, they have one or two big name, game changing players. England have Wayne Rooney

Can't see them getting past the group stages, and I think that is very sad.

I think it's great 

[Edstar101]

I always look at the England squads and wonder how on earth such a good league can spawn such an appalling national team. There are so many decent squad filler players that do a good job down there, but if you look at all the other national teams, they have one or two big name, game changing players. England have Wayne Rooney

Can't see them getting past the group stages, and I think that is very sad.

 

It is a very poor squad when you see it written down.

 

Wayne Rooney has never performed well on the big stage....which makes that strikeforce even more laughable. If they are to do anything, they will need Sturridge to be hitting the net......will he do it without Saurez though?

[candalan]

According to Roy they are going to win it, sadly deluded soul! Suppose he has to say things like that. Good squad of players though, but useless as a team.

[ex-montrosesaintee]

I think it's great 

Ha ha, it is pretty funny, but when Donkeycaster and Regan talk about Armageddon without The The, you really wonder if they look longingly at the English game and all its money and sponsorship.  The English Premiership may be a spectacle at times, but the national squad really makes me wonder what good all the money does.

 

Armageddon in Scotland has resulted in a crop of very talented young players getting more and more first team action, more competition, and looking at Stevie May and some of Utd's youngsters, a reason not to jump ship at the first opportunity.  It might not make them uber rich in 5 minutes, but I'm quite excited about Scotland's prospects for Euro 2016 and the WC in 2018.  England's prospects will be the same, if not worse, than they are this time around.

Armageddon they say?  Maybe money doesn't make the football world go round after all.

[uphallsaint]

Spot on Montrose, as this forum has shown over the past few weeks fitba needs heart as well. From the players, supporters, managers and directors.

[blueheaven]

I always look at the England squads and wonder how on earth such a good league can spawn such an appalling national team. 

 

Is it really so appalling? England consistently reach the major tournaments and normally make it out of the group stage - they've also been fairly regular quarter-finalists. I'd say that's pretty decent and is about right for the ability of their players. There's always a national clamour in England for them to win the thing, but on the whole that generally seems to come from tabloid papers and people who don't follow much football the rest of the time. Others seem to have fairly reasonable expectations.

[MrBored]

Central defence and up front look to me to be the real problem areas. As mentioned above, if Sturridge doesn't hit the net then who will...Welbeck?

 

If they come against a reasonably decent team like the Germans in the last tourney they will be ripped apart...still at least they are there....

[Edstar101]

Central defence and up front look to me to be the real problem areas. As mentioned above, if Sturridge doesn't hit the net then who will...Welbeck?

 

If they come against a reasonably decent team like the Germans in the last tourney they will be ripped apart...still at least they are there....

 

I think the defence as a whole is a bomb scare....Johnson barely scrapes 'decent' and if Phil Jones gets a game, get yer money on a red card being shown

[rik2304]

Are Ingerlund in this World Cup? Has the squad been announced?

 

You would have thought it might have been in the papers or on the telly/wireless.

[Barty1884]

Not a bad squad considering. Although the defence leaves a lot to be desired.

 

I personally would of had Flanagan and Barry in for wilshire and Smalling but apart from that decent squad.

 

Definitely agree on Barry, given the season he's had at Everton he probably should've been given the nod over a Wilshere who'll likely struggle for fitness. 

 

Not sure if it's too early for Flanagan, but he can play both fullback roles pretty consistently, so might've been worth taking along as backup. 

As much as I don't like the hype and calls for WC inclusion when a player has a good half-season, I would argue Stones might've been a more confident & consistent bet over Jones & Smalling - Jagielka & Cahill will be the first-choice pairing, and rightly so, but an injury to either leaves Jones or Smalling 

 

The last change I would make, and it's likely to be ridiculed, would be to take Rob Green opposed to Ben Foster - Green has been #1 for a team doing well in their league, has been involved in many more England squads and brings IMHO better experience to the table. Foster on the other hand has been scrampling at the wrong end of the table all season - and to top if off (as much as he claims it was over 'niggling' injuries) Foster did essentially throw the toys out of the pram retiring from international football a couple of years back. 

[jhq]

Actual like the look of it, only 2 older players in the team.

 

England squad:

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City).

 

 

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United).

 

 

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

 

 

Attackers: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

 

 

Standby: John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).

I think there's more than 2 older players in there.  Johnson, Baines, Jagielka, Cahill, Lampard, Gerrard, Milner, Lambert and Rooney all late-20s or older.

[beagriestache]

Is it really so appalling? England consistently reach the major tournaments and normally make it out of the group stage - they've also been fairly regular quarter-finalists. I'd say that's pretty decent and is about right for the ability of their players. There's always a national clamour in England for them to win the thing, but on the whole that generally seems to come from tabloid papers and people who don't follow much football the rest of the time. Others seem to have fairly reasonable expectations.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much bang on. Especially about the tabloid/media guff. Most of us 'genuine' fans are very realistic about the relative dearth of genuine world class English players and the chances of our national team at these tournaments. I'd suggest that the only truly world class player England has had in the last ten years has just announced his retirement from the international scene - Ashley Cole.

 

You probably want to believe that we're all deluded types who think we're going to win every tournament we enter. No doubt it makes it easier to 'hate' us or laugh at us when we don't, but the reality is the opposite. Very few people really think that, despite the odd southern idiot (and it's nearly always a gobby Londoner!) saying we're going to win the thing that the TV crews have dug up after desperately hunting around for!

 

My feeling is we won't get out of the group. I went to the England v Chile game back in November and we got an absolute footballing lesson. The British Isles are light years behind the majority of the rest of the world and will remain so until we sort our coaching out from age 5 onwards. 

[jhq]

Yeah, that's pretty much bang on. Especially about the tabloid/media guff. Most of us 'genuine' fans are very realistic about the relative dearth of genuine world class English players and the chances of our national team at these tournaments. I'd suggest that the only truly world class player England has had in the last ten years has just announced his retirement from the international scene - Ashley Cole.

 

You probably want to believe that we're all deluded types who think we're going to win every tournament we enter. No doubt it makes it easier to 'hate' us or laugh at us when we don't, but the reality is the opposite. Very few people really think that, despite the odd southern idiot (and it's nearly always a gobby Londoner!) saying we're going to win the thing that the TV crews have dug up after desperately hunting around for!

 

My feeling is we won't get out of the group. I went to the England v Chile game back in November and we got an absolute footballing lesson. The British Isles are light years behind the majority of the rest of the world and will remain so until we sort our coaching out from age 5 onwards. 

Nah mate, it's the media who are deluded and get up our noses.  I have lots of English friends and relatives, so I'm aware that your average Joe is usually realistic.  Your media though are really pathetic.  Heard another classic example on Talksport the other day.  The guy on the Alan Brazil show (Brian Moore?) saying that Forster shouldn't be in the squad because he doesn't play in a "proper" league!  It's actually bordering on racism sometimes.

[ex-montrosesaintee]

Nope, it's 100% the English media and television pundits that irritate me.  Most English friends I know have a pretty realistic attitude towards the world cup and the game in general.  

[chips]

Nope, it's 100% the English media and television pundits that irritate me.  Most English friends I know have a pretty realistic attitude towards the world cup and the game in general.  

 

Agree 100%  Personally i used to watch England games but the media really started to piss me off,it got so bad if i was watching with a crowd we would have bets on how long it would be until "66" was mentioned. Apart from that ,the media have them lifting the world/european cups before they have even played a game

[uphallsaint]

I used to watch their games with the sound down. Mrs Uphall thought I was daft.

[ex-montrosesaintee]

1966 bingo is fun though.  

[garydavidson]

Makes for a dangerous drinking game.

[Oldermoresensiblepack]

Agree 100%  Personally i used to watch England games but the media really started to piss me off,it got so bad if i was watching with a crowd we would have bets on how long it would be until "66" was mentioned. Apart from that ,the media have them lifting the world/european cups before they have even played a game

Cannae mind what game exactly but.............Italian world cup  14 times in one game ( sure it was in the knock out stage. )

Also Mexico world cup 7-8 times and they wernae even playing in the game.

I thought the hype we had in '78 was bad but the english media dae it every time.

[blueheaven]

It's when the James Cordens and Keith Allens of this world come out of the woodwork at tournament time that I always find myself willing for England to lose. 

 

I do really like Roy Hodgson though, and there is part of me that would like to see him succeed purely to get it right up all of those who have unfairly criticised him.

[chips]

Makes for a dangerous drinking game.

 

 

Cannae mind what game exactly but.............Italian world cup  14 times in one game ( sure it was in the knock out stage. )

Also Mexico world cup 7-8 times and they wernae even playing in the game.

I thought the hype we had in '78 was bad but the english media dae it every time.

 

An England v Germany game many moons ago certainly stood out,we lined up a pint and nip for every time it was mentioned.All i remember is that Germany won and put England out and i had to phone a sickie the next day at work

[candalan]

During the Europa league final last night, they could not contain themselves that this was the city ( Turin) where gazza cried at full time during italia 90. No relevance whatsoever, but they cannae help themselves as everything is england, england, england.