England Team Thread

[Nu-Eclipse]

If we finish top then clearly we have been the best team. A rubbish team, sure, but everyone else must have been more rubbish. I can't imagine you've seen every minute of football that's been played in that group so you're not really qualified to make such claims.

I see what you're saying, but I disagree totally. True - I, like many others, haven't seen every minute of every match played in the group, but it could almost certainly be argued that Croatia have been a more consistent side than we have, if not indeed better.

So, we sack McClaren, what then? It's obvious he's not the man for the job (barring miracles) so who would you replace him with? Is there anyone available that's better qualified?

I don't know if you're aiming this at me, but if you are then you should actually read my last post. There, you'll see that I acknowledge that there are no outstanding candidates out there to come in and do a better job than McClaren. That doesn't mean that we should have to just suddenly be pleased that he's staying in charge.

The inescapable fact remains that due to the FA fecking it up yet again, we will now be stuck with a guy who wasn't even among the front-runners for the job post-Sven. That in itself has potentially massive ramifications for the forthcoming 2010 World Cup Qualifiers for the simple fact that McClaren and the players will be under immense pressure to perform more convincingly than they have done so in this campaign - is that the ideal climate in which to forge a successful winning team in international football? I'm really not so sure that it is.

[toythatkills]

I don't know if you're aiming this at me...

Nah it wasn't mate, just aimed at all the "McClaren out" posts in general!

[Red Hogg]

Fire his ass at once. We will then (hopefully) have about 9 months to prepare with a manger who isn't a useless grinning red bastard.

[JU!]

Don't think big Mac is this daring and I personally believe if he gets us to the Euros he should stay in his job, if not then sack n get in Pearce or Mourinho. This is the team I think he should pick but prob won't Carson, A.Cole/Bridge, Lescott, Campbell, Richards, J.Cole, Lampard, Barry, Beckham, Gerrard, Crouch. Play with Lamps n Gerrard behind Crouch or Gerrard just off Crouch.

[Baseley09]

I pretty much agree with your team, well in regards as i wouldnt be suprised if McClaren goes with Crouch on his own, i dont think he fancies Defoe particularly the amount of game time he's getting. Seriously short of pace side tho.

[toythatkills]

Don't think big Mac is this daring and I personally believe if he gets us to the Euros he should stay in his job, if not then sack n get in Pearce or Mourinho. This is the team I think he should pick but prob won't Carson, A.Cole/Bridge, Lescott, Campbell, Richards, J.Cole, Lampard, Barry, Beckham, Gerrard, Crouch. Play with Lamps n Gerrard behind Crouch or Gerrard just off Crouch.

I'd drop Gerrard. I still don't rate Crouch so I'd play Bent and Defoe up front with Lampard either and Barry or Hargreaves (probably go with Barry) in midfield. Left back has to be Bridge without a doubt, surely? Ashley Cole would be way too much of a risk.

Re the managers job, Pearce isn't nearly ready for it, and Mourinho? Don't England try to play his way anyway, and fail miserably? How would he do it any better?

[Red Hogg]

It'd be a sure way of seeing whether he's "special" or not, that's for sure.

[saif]

Yeah, I still don't rate Crouch either. He can stick his very respectable goals record and excellent link up play up his arse.


Where is the smiley button?


Personally, I would not play Beckham, slows play down and does the Gerrard-esque loose ball over long distance ball even more than Gerrard. Beckham sums up the England team for the last 5/6 years. Lauded in the UK for doing very little, atrocious record at international tournaments but very good at bums on seats. Gerrard is a bit of an issue for England imo. He does not play *that* well but he actually is always delivering SOMETHING so he needs a kick up the arse but he is very difficult to drop. imo.

[toythatkills]

I should have been more specific, I don't rate him as an international player. He's got goals, look who he's scored against...

Uruguay
Hungary
Jamaica x3
Trinidad & Tobago
Greece x2
Andorra x2
Macedonia
Estonia
Austria

Now, possibly with the exception of Greece, it's not that impressive is it? And link up play is all well and good, but England managers will insist on playing him as a lone striker, and he's completely useless in that role.

I missed Beckham in that team before, get him out, SWP in.

[saif]

Could you list the top teams he HASN'T scored against? No-one ever makes these lists for Rooney do they? Rooney went two years without scoring AT ALL for England and also no goals in Europe for Man U. England have ONE proven player who you can rely on to do a job against top drawer defences - and he is injured.

We know Rooney makes goals, I think you'll find Crouch's record is not bad at all on that front either....


Peter Crouch has scored against, for Liverpool, all the top teams in the Premiership (bearing in mind he has not always played either) and scored plenty in the champs league last season.

[Hombre]

I'd drop Gerrard. I still don't rate Crouch so I'd play Bent and Defoe up front with Lampard either and Barry or Hargreaves (probably go with Barry) in midfield. Left back has to be Bridge without a doubt, surely? Ashley Cole would be way too much of a risk.

Re the managers job, Pearce isn't nearly ready for it, and Mourinho? Don't England try to play his way anyway, and fail miserably? How would he do it any better?

Stopped reading up to that point

[ExtremePabs]

I really dont think he is brave enough to stick with Carson but it would be good if he did. Becks will play but not the 90 you havent really got any other choice wright-phillips is just way too headless. I think Barry may get the nod over Hargreaves as I am not sure he is fit enough. Crouch will play on his own up front his record is pretty good but I too am unsure if he will score against the really big teams. He is certainly a better bet than Bent and Defoe (Bent even looks out of his depth at Tottenham! and Defoe has got to the most over rated striker I have ever seen he cant pass,cant run and only scores when you are already 2 or 3 up - thinking about Defoe he sums up Tottenham - vastly overated)

As for the Mclaren talk he certainly isnt the man the FA wanted but they messed it up again. I dont personally think they are brave enough to dump him and go for another foreign coach after the Erikson debacle and there really isnt another English manager worth taking.

[Kit]

Could you list the top teams he HASN'T scored against? No-one ever makes these lists for Rooney do they? Rooney went two years without scoring AT ALL for England and also no goals in Europe for Man U. England have ONE proven player who you can rely on to do a job against top drawer defences - and he is injured.

We know Rooney makes goals, I think you'll find Crouch's record is not bad at all on that front either....


Peter Crouch has scored against, for Liverpool, all the top teams in the Premiership (bearing in mind he has not always played either) and scored plenty in the champs league last season.

I totally agree. Rooney never scores and usually gets booked or gives away a penalty but nope, the press ignore that. What makes it worse is when (by sheer luck) someone else gets a chance, scores consistently and the press go hyper critical on them - So it?s one rule for Rooney and another for just about everyone else?

As for the managers job: I?d love to see Terry ?The Christmas Tree? Venables take full control. I really don?t know why he got sacked (?) he worked wonders at Euro 96

[ShadowDancer]

I think Venables had to step down as he was involved with that C*nt, Sugar.

[johnno15]

I totally agree. Rooney never scores and usually gets booked or gives away a penalty but nope, the press ignore that. What makes it worse is when (by sheer luck) someone else gets a chance, scores consistently and the press go hyper critical on them - So it?s one rule for Rooney and another for just about everyone else?

As for the managers job: I?d love to see Terry ?The Christmas Tree? Venables take full control. I really don?t know why he got sacked (?) he worked wonders at Euro 96

He was sacked because he was involved in back handers or something at spurs his named was dragged through the mud and the FA didnt want that kind of press.