I would play Barry over Henderson and Ox over Stirling.

Can't see Rooney being too happy being shipped out on the left. Also Wilshere has not had the best season. Would rather see someone like Barkley/ Llananna in that role.

*Lallana

You agree that it's logical to base the attack around Gerrard-Hendo-Sturridge though?

not if there are better options on the bench. Firstly for England to be remotely competitive they need a good defence and I think Barry is the best option for that. Lallana had been too good to not play.

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Wilshere is a similar creative player to Coutinho, but with more of a directness within his play. Rooney would be Suarez' replacement and has the ability to do everything Luis can do.
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Neither of those players are anything like their Liverpool counterparts.

I agree with what has been said regarding building the team around the Liverpool contingent, as much as it pains me to say it.

The real problem, as is with United, is Rooney and him having to play behind the striker.

It limits our ability to play a three man central midfield, something I think we'll need, unless we play him as the lone striker.

I wonder whether there would be a way to accommodate a front three of Rooney, Sturridge and Sterling/Ox (note that Rooney will always play through the middle) with a midfield three of Gerrard, Henderson and Wilshere?

Rooney would be Suarez' replacement and has the ability to do everything Luis can do.
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Really?????

I can't see Barry going, even though he has been in good form for this season. Carrick will be selected, would rather see Henderson and Gerrard together behind a creative player. Rooney can do that job, to a certain extent, but will he help out enough defensively?

Rooney would be Suarez' replacement and has the ability to do everything Luis can do.

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In which alien dimension did rooney suddenly develop all these skills that he never had before...

For me the England front 6 should be:


-----------Gerrard-----------
---Hendo------Wilshere---
Sterling--Studge--Rooney

Gerrard has been excellent in the defensive role this season, after a slowish start I think it's brought the best out of him especially with Henderson's energy as a midfield runner.

Fred, I like that lineup but I'd switch the front three around and put Sterling on the left, Sturridge on the right and Rooney through the middle.

Rooney is pretty average out wide nowadays as he cannot dribble. Both your lads can, so although Sturridge won't be as effective as through the centre, he's still be better out wide than Rooney and give the front line an overall better balance.

The issue here is that we are unlikely to see the lads from Liverpool play like they are able to because of Hodgson.

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The issue here is that we are unlikely to see the lads from Liverpool play like they are able to because of Hodgson.
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So we are in agreement and Woy should be sacked!

Yep definitely.

Interestingly I was hoping Rodgers would get the England job before Hodgson did.

I made pretty much the same article the other day

It also has to be said, that neither Suarez nore Sturridge play "out-wide" for Liverpool, while Suarez takes a more left sided defensive position, he is very rarely anything but an inside forward when we attack. The width is provided by the full backs and Sterling switching sides. (Note that England are blessed with very good attacking full backs.)

I'd also play Lallana over Wishere.

And I think Rooney has the ability to do a job similar to Suarez, even if he's no-where near the same level.

Moving Sturridge out wide to accommodate Rooney is mad. Sturridge is in better form at the moment, and if Rooney doesn't like being played off the front man for the good of the team, I'm sure there are plenty of people who will do that job instead of him.

We need to get away from the mindset of thinking Rooney is Mr England and that everything that should be built around him. Quite frankly there is no recent evidence that that's the case at all.

I agree, but the England set up evidently do not. Hence why I'd play Rooney as a cf so we can play three in the centre.

But Sturridge has shown he isn't effective out wide when playing at Chelsea. At the end of the day, it seems the choice is between the two, and they can't play together.

Which, unfortunately, is why we are going to see Danny Welbeck on the left wing for England this summer.

That may be.

But I think Sturridge's transformation is just as much to do with game time and playing in an attacking team than simply playing through the middle.

It's not like he's completely useless when he's in wide positions, and offers a lot more than Welbeck.

With Rooney's propensity to drift it could actually work having Sturridge starting out wide as he can come inside and exploit the space that Rooney will create when he drops deep.

Given our need to sit deep and play on the counter I think we are best having Rooney right up top and having the likes of Henderson and Wilshere in the middle giving us that extra man in the middle so we can match up numerically but also have the space and stamina to get up the pitch in support of the forwards.

See, I don't see why we do need to sit deep and counter. We have 4/6ths of the best attack in the Premier League available to select, "world class" Wayne Rooney to throw into the mix, and some good attacking full backs.

Let's face it, noone expects us to get much further than the group phase, so I'd rather go out in a gung ho blaze of glory than tame 0 - 0 draws.

Of course, this is all hypothetical. Because we all know exactly what Hodgson is going to do/

Because we have a crap defence and Hodgson is our manager.

So we will sit deep. I do agree, though. If England go out and attack at pace I think we could do well. Italy's defence struggles against pace and Uruguay's defence struggles.

Sadly we won't see that happening under Woy as he's too cautious.

Well now we'll get to see.

He's started with that same front six we are discussing.

Will be interesting to see who plays where.

No Baines, sadly as he's a good attacking outlet for us as well.

Yea, it will be very interesting to see how he sets the team out. I imagine you'll be right. Wayne Rooney front and centre once more, I'd imagine.

Fr the record, I don't have anything against Rooney, I just don't buy into the hype surrounding him, especially in an England shirt.

Mate, don't worry, I'm one of the United fans that feels the same.

All 3 of S S and Rooney would rotate so their starting positions become pretty irrelevant (as in who's the CF)

But the only way England are going to get the fans excited and restore faith is too attack.