England Team Thread

[MarioMark]

I know it sounds stupid but it wouldn't hurt to start looking for English players a little bit more in the Championship, that league is so much more exciting and competitive these days.

Derby can't wait to get back in it.

Owen only has 7 goals in 25 games.

Yeah but don't forget about his match fitness through injury... and the team he's playing for.

He should have never left Liverpool.

[ezee ryder]

Yeah but don't forget about his match fitness through injury... and the team he's playing for.

He should have never left Liverpool.

True but it is rather worrying that our main goalscorer is in such bad form.

[toythatkills]

Has Owen really played 25 games this season? Sounds like a lot!

[MarioMark]

What about the goalkeeper crisis? That's always a good one!

[fatbatch]

Owen has played 6 for England and 19 for Newcastle (5 as a sub). If we can trust the BBC football pages ...

[Nu-Eclipse]

Well they won't like the reports that Owen has been dropped either then, I'm sure

At the end of the day (lol) I'm an England fan, and I want to see the best possible England team on the field, I want us to win games, and Beckham at the moment is too high risk having not played competitively for months now. He has no right to be in the team. If we're going to pick players based on their names rather than current form how about a central midfield of Gerrard and Lampard? Can't possibly go wrong, right?

Remember also that this is Capellos first game in charge, I doubt he wants to start his England career with a loss, friendly or not.

I don't get the obsession with this 100 caps thing anyway, it's just a bloody number. After this is the campaign for Beckhams 101st cap going to start?

Agreed, totally.

People on here need to stop with the "Becks for 100 Caps" agenda.

England players have been coddled and indulged for far too long (see Eriksson and McClaren eras). We need to get back to a situation where the best form players and ONLY the best form players get the England starting team and squad places, not the players with the biggest reputations.

Beckham has been a great servant to England, without question. But there's no way he merits an England team/squad place right now, 100th Cap or not, and that's a fact. Capello is spot on in not picking him just for the 100th Cap, and anyone in this country who thinks that he'll bow to media/fan pressure to do so (like the last two England managers would've) is in for a very rude awakening.

[Kit]

Totally agree. He can?t expect to get an England cap on merit - those shots of him pissing about on the beach didn't help either.

Owen?s another one who needs a wake up call. From what I?ve read football plays second fiddle to horse racing as far as he?s concerned. Maybe a spell out of the team will bring about some realizations.

[EJG1980]

I personally think this whole thing is just showing off the professionalism of Capello. While a lot of people are saying it's "just" a friendly, Capello sees it as a very important game and is only picking players he considers match fit enough to win the game.

After the way Sven treated friendlies, it's nice to see a manager who seems to consider them important. That's the way it should be too. He needs to get the players acting as seriously and expecting the same rules to apply for a friendly as they would for a vital qualifying game.

[Luigi-ds]

I'm loving Capello. I knew he'd throw the likes of overrated Lampard out of the squad. I like this new England squad, qhich is free from the same old regulars. I've for a long time, been critisizing former English managers for sticking to the same old lineup. I've always said there's tonnes of quality English players out there who should be in the England team instead of the same old regulars, and now they're getting their chance. And btw he made a right decision leaving Rooney out. Let's face it, he hasn't been on form.

[ezee ryder]

And btw he made a right decision leaving Rooney out. Let's face it, he hasn't been on form.

Am I missing something?! I'm pretty sure he picked Rooney

[Myth]

Yea he has picked Rooney haven't got a clue what Luigi is on about.

[PH]

I think he probably meant Robinson.

[Luigi-ds]

XD. I meant Robinson.

[Jebus]

Anyone got a link to the U21 team please?

EDIT: Nevermind, was wondering why Gary Cahill hadn't been called up, he has, it's for the U20 team. Future England defender I reckon.

[toythatkills]

XD. I meant Robinson.

He hasn't dropped Lampard either, he's injured.