I was thinking about the England side and how everyone is moaning about it.
There are many decisions i didn't agree with (Downing being the main one and not picking Richards, Rio and Carrick)
But at the end of the day that is the squad and i will support my country. I don't think we will do that well, but i didn't think we would anyway!
Then i thought there are so many different options we could actually have had a totally different 23 players go to the tournament. Now obviously the likes of Rooney, Cole and Hart wouldnt be in that so it would be weaker, but as a squad, how much worse would this be. I have included the players that are now out because of injury etc or that Hodgson overlooked, and maybe 1 or 2 he could have persuaded back.
GK: Ben Foster, Scott Carson, John Ruddy
DF: Micah Richards, Kyle Walker, Chris Smalling, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Cahill, Keiran Gibbs, Ryan Bertrand
MF: Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Lennon, Adam Johnson, David Beckham, Joe Cole
ST: Peter Crouch, Daniel Sturridge, Grant Holt, Darrent Bent
Not much worse IMO!!!
Alternative England squad.
posted on 4/6/12
Fully agree Fisher
I not that sure if that team is actually worse than what England already have tbh! Rooney, Hart, Cole etc included and that is a great team.
Cahill injured, so bring in Kelly?
posted on 4/6/12
what you mean is an england squad bar liverpool players
Carrick and richards mugged themselves off by throwing their toys out and this has cost them their place yet you choose to blame the manager.
Forget your club bias and get behind the team u mug
posted on 4/6/12
Prankster
I am behind the team, as i said in the article. I just believe every tournament we go into we make really bad choices with personell, tactics, captains etc. And we never learn. OK weve got a bit more of a youthful look which is good, but there are so many good players missing!
posted on 4/6/12
And as for Liverpool players, i genuinely believe only Johnson has been good enough to be picked with Walker out injured. Gerrard hasnt been great but i would still pick him too.
posted on 4/6/12
gerrard has been injured on and off most of the season, he has just recently started getting match fit again
I would think only Gerrard and Johnson will start anyways, Carroll could be an option but i would prefer some pace in the front 2/3 with wellbeck, young, walcott.
posted on 4/6/12
Carrick hasn't cost himself anything, there is NO WAY he'd play regardless of the current injuries.
If Parker, Jones and Milner were all to get injured then Carrick would get some pitch time, other than that he would simply sit out the whole competition on the bench just like he did at the last world cup (where an injured Barry was preferred to him v Germany).
None of these coaches think he's much use apart from SAF (Wilshere, Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Parker, Jones, Henderson and Milner have all been preferred to Carrick in midfield)