My brothers a spurs fan and i'm a gooner and we were having a good debate about the England squad on the weekend and i wanted to recreate one here.
A lot has been put in the newspapers about the Ox after a good performance, part of me is excited about the lad, the other is annoyed at our press and their pressure with regards to the national team, obviously there is the JT nonsense as well to consider, and other recent news about injuries.
Beginning with JT. I wouldn't take him at all, for me he is a distraction and splitting influence in the dressing room, his club form hasn't been good enough to insist that he must go either so the bad out weigh any good.
My 23 is as follows and for reasons listed.
GK Hart - best English keeper and mentally strong.
GK Stockdale - has no previous history with England which gives him a chance unlike alternatives who bring with them negativity and the press on their back.
RB Richards - best prem rb this season
RB Walker - sec best prem right back this season
LB Cole - despite form we still have no one better
LB Baines - the only other LB at this level
CB Jagielka - essential squad player and 3rd choice GK
CB Lescott - solid season at City
CB Cahill - has done well in England shirt
CB Smalling - improves in each game
CB Jones - can cover in several positions
(Worth noting spurs fans that i'm not against taking Dawson if he can stay fit for the rest of the year, probably instead of Smalling - King is a no go, we've learnt that lesson already)
CM Parker - he would also be captain for me
CM Wilshere - provided he can get a few games in for Arsenal first
CM Milner - versatile and an engine
CM Gerrard - as long as he stays fit, but not a definate starter
CM (open - maybe Carrick, Cleverly, or whoever can impress in the second half of the season)
Attacking Midfield/ Wide
AM Sturridge - strong, goal threat, cover for ST
AM Walcott - frustrating yes, but dangerous and can have a tactical impact, unlike in 2010 when we had no options.
AM Johnson - technically good, clever and different.
AM Young - versatile and creative
AM Ox - wildcard yes, and if he loses current form i wouldn't take him, but he looks like a match winner to me.
ST Rooney - out for 1st 2 games but is still top striker
ST Wellbeck - good movement and better all round play than Bent or Defoe.
This squad for me would be untainted and refreshing, direct, fast, attacking, good plan for leading to 2014. Most of these players are playing at the top.
5 from Man City
6 from Man Utd (possibly 5)
2 from Spurs (possibly 3)
3 from Chelsea
3 from Arsenal
1 from Liverpool
2 from Everton
1 from Ipswich (Fulham)
Interested in opinions, but don't just say someone is cack, make a footballing statement, advise a replacement and add it into a tactical context. There is no point in taking too many players who are identical, for example at the last world cup, what was wright-phillips going to do that Lennon couldn't, therefore why take him etc.
England Squad
posted on 6/2/12
I think Englands best partnership is Jags and Lescott. The stats prove it.
There last season together Everton had more clean sheets than any other team. Then they kept a clean sheet against Spain. No other combo compares.
posted on 6/2/12
i wouldn't be against that either edinspur, plus maybe they could pair with baines too, and richards knows lescott well from city as too does hart. generally a solid back 4 which will communicate.
imagine terry and ferdinand!!
terry to cole: ' tell rio to mark iniesta'
cole to rio: 'terry says mark iniesta'
rio to cole: 'you can tell terry i'm marking silva'
cole to terry: 'rio says he's marking silva'
terry to cole: 'well tell rio..............etc'
posted on 6/2/12
That would be brilliant.
'And Rio ferdiniand picks up a yellow for dangerously tackling Terry when he is on the ball'
posted on 6/2/12
or a zidane style headbutt
posted on 6/2/12
Cheese - Defoe would be a useful sub to have if anything, and he does have that experience at international level that Sturridge and Welbeck don't. At Spurs he's actually more preferred to Adebayor at the moment IMO.
posted on 6/2/12
Danny Guthrie should be in the squad
posted on 6/2/12
spurtle, my personal idea, would be that if we play with 1 striker, and need to make a substitute to get a goal, then a creative player and a striker need to come on. The creative player would be someone like johnson or oxlade chamberlain to beat players or get in a decent ball, and the striker would be wellbeck. Defoe probably is the safer bet, but i think safe bets have let us down in the past for england. - i'd hardly be unhappy about defoe in the squad mind you, just doesn't figure in mine
posted on 6/2/12
I'm trying my best to get the appeal of Welbeck. While I think he's a good player I don't see how the hype is justified yet. I would personally back Defoe to come on for England and get a last minute goal from a one on one with the keeper over Welbeck.
posted on 6/2/12
GK: Hart, Stockdale
RB: Richards, Johnson
CB: Smalling, Ferdinand, Cahill, Lescott
LB: A. Cole, Baines
DM: Parker, Carrick
CM: Wilshere, Cleverley, Gerrard, Jones
LM/RM: Milner
WF: A. Johnson, A. Young, Oxlade-Chamberlain
SS: Rooney
CF: Welbeck, Bent
posted on 6/2/12
Starting:
Hart
Richards Smalling Ferdinand A. Cole
A. Johnson Carrick Wilshere A. Young
Rooney
Welbeck
or Cleverley instead of Welbeck making 4-1-2-3 and possibly Ox instead of Young in the latter system.