If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Provision England Squad Announced - Surprises Inc...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Details can be found here but the squad is:
Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich), G Neville (Manchester United), R Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Totenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).
Early thoughts are:
Why include Campbell, Hargreaves, Jenas and Walcott?
Hargreaves and Jenas because they are crap, Campbell because he spends more time on in the treatment room than the physio and Walcott because he hasn't kicked a senior ball for months.
Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich), G Neville (Manchester United), R Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Totenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).
Early thoughts are:
Why include Campbell, Hargreaves, Jenas and Walcott?
Hargreaves and Jenas because they are crap, Campbell because he spends more time on in the treatment room than the physio and Walcott because he hasn't kicked a senior ball for months.
Post edited by JustV on
0
Comments
Who else is there?
Most of you probably havent seen him in action but trust me he's the real deal, and I mean in the same way that Rooney was the real deal.
Still, experience may still be a problem for him, although I'd love to hear 'You're gettin done by a schoolboy' being sung toward the Argentinians this summer
Lennon is a good choice, another product of the Leeds Acadamy, he's playing well at spurs and I believe will frighten the life out of most defences when he runs at them, I would personally put him on before SWP as he has played a lot more games and is in form.
Think its pretty much the standard "expected" squad, with just a couple of surprises which I doubt will have any relevance on the team as they will probably not play any of the games.
not suprised at all by the linclusion of hargreaves, sven seems to love him even though he does fuck all every time he comes on. scott parker would have been a better option surely.
defence and midfield is ok, although we could have done with SWP, and King would have been better the Campbell.
oh, and i really hope Robinson stays fit, the idea of having Robert Green + David James as our 1 and 2, would put my life savings on trinidad and tobabago knocking us out the world cup. I mean, Green, for fucks sake, hes been getting embarssed by championship strikers all season
I'm suprised Reo-Coker isn't in the full squad.
Harewood and Dawson had good shouts as well.
Hargreaves is probably the big suprise. He must be good to play for Bayern surely but really needs a move to England. Campbell was a bit of a shock too.
:eek:
Sven has actually gone insane, and I don't mean that jokingly, i am worried for his mental health after admitting that he picked Walcott for reasons tha era "not too logical" (his words)
Jesus......... :nervous:
It seems to me that Arsenal (mainly David Dein) has too much say over the FA. First stops any chance of specking to Wenger then makes sure that all of Arsenals english players are in the squad. I mean Walcott hasnt even played a premiership game, i dont care how good he is, i just think its too much pressure on a young lad like that.
I do feel sorry for players like Bent, Harewood, Dawson, Reo-Coker, Nolan they have all had great seasons and just get looked over because they dont play for a fashionable team or it would mean one of them replacing one of Svens favourites (e.g. Cambell, Hargreaves).
Sven is criticised for not taking a gamble and when he finally does he gets criticised again. Including Walcott could be a masterstroke.
I would say Walcott will make an excellent stop-gap in the group games until Rooney and/or Owen are fit. I doubt he would feature more than that, if he does feature at all.
This thread is going to get bumped if Walcott puts England into the knockout stages. :yes:
Also remember this squad is only provisional.
Do you honestly think England are not going to beat Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago and at the very least draw with Sweden?
If i was an opposing manager of a side we are likely to face if we want to win the cup then i'd send someone to watch tapes of all his matchs (to be fair there isnt that many). You know what it would show me, to just get some defender to bully him out of the game. If Rooney and Owen were both fully fit then maybe i wouldnt be as bothered but the matter of the fact is that they are both injured and we could start our first game with Walcott and Coruch up front. I know its a provisional squad but Sven know cant afford to take him out of the squad because we have only called 4 strikers up.
At least he called Lennon up, who deserves his shot
You mean apart from Reo-Coker & Parker for Hargreaves and Jenas, or any number of central defnders (I'd include Wesley in that) instead of Campbell?
Seriously, Campbell is past it as far as I am concerned and Hargreaves and Jenas just aren't up to it...
I was surprised about Walcott but not disappointed and I would have had Downing and Lennon in my squad too. Wright-Phillips is paying the price for being greedy IMHO
Thats a stupid thing to say, how do you know, hes completly unproven. Doesnt mean to say he will not be good for England, but you cannot rely on him doing the business for Arsenal let alone England.
From what i saw of him in the championship, he showed signs of being a potential superstar, so yes i could be one to gamble with. But ive seen him against the better sides in the championship, and he looked out completly out of his depth against the likes of 34+ year old malky mackay, and clarke carlise.
to conclude.. he could be a hero and work a bit of magic, so hes worth taking. but from seeing him play, i don't think hes all that
concentration lapses, although I'd still have both in the squad. I'd go for Carragher and Terry at the back to start though.
Upfront, I think if Rooney and Owen are fucked, then I can't see what Svens gonna do. I don't think Bent is at the standard required yet, he doesn't rate Defoe (although I do) and I think any partnership involving Crouch would need to be worked at. Beattie would have been an option IMO.
Don't think for a second Sven would have picked this squad if a) England didn't have a straightforward group or b) He wasn't leaving after the World Cup. I think that'll work to Englands advantage really, they can go for it 100% fully focused and Sven doesn't have to give a shit about media backlash or any other shite.
I may very well be getting carried away, but you know that feeling when you see a player and just know he's going to be a superstar? I've had it with Owen, Rooney, Cesc, Messi and now Walcott.
Whether he plays or not I am convinced when called upon he will be able to perform. I doubt he will play any more than the group games (if he plays at all) and it'll be a good stage for him going into next season.
If I was going to pick an unproven player who hasn't done anything except get splinters in his arse all year, I'd have gone for SWP ahead of Walcott. I really think Walcott is too young to be going, I would definitely have taken Defoe, D Bent or Johnson ahead of him. Walcott should be staying in the u21s for now.
and how the fuck does the premierships top scoring englishman not get in the squad when a 17year old who hasn't even played in hte premiership get in?
im slightly more realistic after seeing him struggle against decent championship teams, but im with you having a feeling, something brilliant could come from him
Shock factor is one thing, but all he's proved himself to be is a good Championship player against the likes of Crewe and Hull. If Owen and Rooney don't make it then the pressure on the lad to perform is going to be unreal.
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's the lack of thinking outside the box that's held England back all these years, but we'll see.
Oh, and I see Arsenal are all for it, seems they want him to be labelled as the next big thing quick smart. It's almost as if they've got a striker leaving in the summer...
Do they have Jaffa cakes in Germany???
Owen and Rooney have pace but they're obviously the injury risks. Crouch doesn't. Bent doesn't. Johnson doesn't. Beattie doesn't. Defoe does (but Sven doesn't seem to like him for whatever reason) so suddenly Walcott steps into the frame, God knows why. Perhaps it's Sven's idea of a masterstroke. This is a player who's never played against a world class player in his life though. Running past defenders is fun in the championship but against the best players in the world? Only time will tell, but I can't see him playing a major role, unless Rooney and Owen both remain unfit.
I'm worried that we're going to the World Cup with two half-fit strikers, one completely unproven striker, and Peter Crouch. The rest of the squad seems fairly decent. I wouldn't have bother with Jermaine Jenas (I've never seen him doing anything for England that would warrent having him on the bench, cos let's face it, he won't start). Apparently Hargreaves has been in excellent form, and if it's a choice between him and Phil Neville as our 'play anywhere' substitute, then I'll pick him every time. I would've picked Shaun Wright-Phillips, purely because with so few strikers, he'd be useful to have as he can play right-wing or just behind the striker. I pleased Stewart Downing got in, because it'll be really useful to have a proper left-winger if Joe Cole is constantly being forced infield.
It seems to have 4-5-1 written all over it, to be honest. I don't think that'll work well with someone like Owen up front though, who thrives on flick ons and balls over the top. I just hope Sven can mix it up a bit. We've got the players in this squad to play a number of systems, it's just a question of whether we've got the time to prepare for them all.
I think these are the two options:
Robinson
Neville----Terry----Ferdinand--A.Cole
Beckham--Gerrard---Carrick---J.Cole
Owen
Crouch
or:
Robinson
Neville----Terry----Ferdinand--A.Cole
Carrick
Gerrard
Lampard
Lennon
Downing/J-Cole
Crouch
Unfortunately, I don't think we could play the second system with the likes of Beckham and Owen, because I don't think it would suit their style of play. This means that we'll either be stuck with the first system, or playing the second system, just with players playing in the wrong roles (not like sven at all). Either that or the diamond :nervous:.
God, I'll spout any old crap in the politics and debate forum, but as soon as it gets to the serious matters, like the World Cup, that's when I start putting effort into my posts.
Robinson
Neville---Ferdinand---Terry---A.Cole
Lampard---Carrick
Beckham
Gerrard
J.Cole
Owen
Gerrard is playing off the striker in a more advanced role (similar to Rooney) which he has played in before for Liverpool. Carrick is the holding player allowing Lampard more freedom to roam and be more of a playmaker.
I think this World Cup, Joe Cole will rise to world class status, and Peter Crouch will surprise a lot of people, because plenty of people still doubt his talent. And if Carrick gets played, he'll excel himself too.
Basically it would be seen as 4-5-1 but in reality (if Sven gets tactics right) then it is 4-4-2 with Gerrard being the second striker playing just behind Owen in exactly the same role as Rooney. Other than that a straight swap for Rooney with Crouch. Think thats bullshit to be honest, why would Sven pick players to please the FA?? He's leaving after the World Cup so he has no reason to try and please the FA. David Dein has no say in the squad and never has done, people who think he has are a bit dillusional IMO. The England manager doesn't know too much about him, only from apparantly watching a few training sessions, so I doubt any of the other countries will know anything. Any videos of him playing will be him playing against second rate defenders in the championship, not something that would give you much clue how he would fair against world class opposition.
Gerrard Carrick Lampard J.Cole
Cause Gerrard plays on the right for Liverpool and plays extremely well. It would also allow Lampard to go further forward since Carrick would stay back