England Team Thread

[toythatkills]

If Beckham gets into the squad it means someone else who's been playing well and deserves a place is left out. If the first thing Capello does is show how much he's going to pander to the press/public then I'd really fear for what the future holds for his reign.

It's a fair decision.

[Jebus]

I know where you're coming from but we're talking about 15 minutes in a friendly, then it's over and done with, it becomes a non-issue and everyone can move on.

[vanpeebles]

Exactly, its a bad move. He could of had his 100th and everyone moves on, it lingers around now.

[toythatkills]

It's not the last chance he ever has to get an England cap, there are other games where he'll be actually deserving of a place.

[Big Seany]

Capello can't win. If he leaves him out, he will get slaughtered and before you know it there will be a f***ing petition in the Sun and all kinds of jingoistic furore about him being foreign and disrespecting Becks, etc etc.

If he does pick him, then he will be criticised for bowing to the public sentimentality and it will weaken his profile.

Personally I think he should pick Beckham for the squad and not use him, even as a sub. Then is the post match interview just laugh maniacally - that would be ace.

[Jebus]

It's not the last chance he ever has to get an England cap, there are other games where he'll be actually deserving of a place.

Of course and Capello has said as much.

However, it's the elephant in the room at the moment and if just played him for 15 minutes in a friendly it's gone and nobody has to talk about it again.

[EJG1980]

I think it's a reasonable decision by Capello. He's only just become England manager and this is his first game, so what does he gain more from: including a player in the squad that he knows all about, or including an up and coming player (like, say, Bentley) that he knows little about so he can see how well he trains, plays, etc.?

Giving Beckham's place to a new player allows him to learn more than he would from just picking Beckham. As for the question of Beckham's 100th cap now lingering around, I doubt Capello will give a monkeys if the fans or the press constantly talk about it or not.

[VR46]

He will do when it get's mentioned in every TV interview or when we lose.

As Jebus said think he should be sub in the next game then it will be forgotten.

[Jebus]

Indeed, it's been SkySportsNews' top story of the day all day since it was announced. A silly thing and it could have been avoided and settled by just giving him 15 minutes in a FRIENDLY match.

Like it or not this WILL be the story on the back pages tomorrow with words like "Disrespectful" and "Disgraceful" used in them. Sloganeering at it's worst because there is nothing the British press hate more than "foreigners" being disrespectful to national "heroes"...

[toythatkills]

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?

[Jebus]

Apparently no England player has ever got stuck on 99 caps...

[vanpeebles]

100 of most things is a milestone. Goals, assists, games etc. The other point about places and who deserves them doesn't really matter as the squad is full of players who probably haven't earned their place.

[bignige]

100 of most things is a milestone. Goals, assists, games etc. The other point about places and who deserves them doesn't really matter as the squad is full of players who probably haven't earned their place.

Agreed. Beckham on a bad day is still better than 90% of the England squad on a good day! They iz well shat innit?!

[hudson]

England will get worse coz yous is all playin footy on the couch in dresses coz normal clothes dont fit no more

[abigsmurf]

everyone seems to forget the years of mediocre half-hearted performances Beckham put in before he was dropped