World Cup 2010

[Dirty Sanchez]

Soccer World (those awful chav shops that cram as much 'sportswear' into the smallest space possible).

I had a look at the shirt and had to laugh at the incredible poor quality. Umbro/England should be ashamed of that shirt.

[glazza]

England's 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup finals:

Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green, Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

No Gary Neville but not suprised realy thought he had done enough and still think hes a better bet than Glen Johnson but all the rest was predictable anyways.

[SharkSkin-Man]

When you see the names all written down like that it really hits home just how poor the squad is compared to the top sides - full of nothing players.

[vanpeebles]

England's 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup finals:

Using the Pebble Index I've given the players the following ratings out of 10 for international tournament match impact rating.

Joe Hart 6, David James 6, Robert Green 5, Leighton Baines 6, Jamie Carragher 4, Ashley Cole 6, Michael Dawson 5, Rio Ferdinand 7, Glen Johnson 5, Ledley King 6, John Terry 6, Matthew Upson 6, Stephen Warnock 6, Gareth Barry 6, Michael Carrick 6, Joe Cole 6, Steven Gerrard 5, Tom Huddlestone 5, Adam Johnson 5, Frank Lampard 6, Aaron Lennon 5, James Milner 6, Scott Parker 5, Theo Walcott 7, Shaun Wright-Phillips 5, Darren Bent 6, Peter Crouch 7, Jermain Defoe 5, Emile Heskey 4, Wayne Rooney 9.

[Flabio]

Barry isn't going to be fit until almost the day of the first match, so I'd say he gets the boot when it goes down to 23 straight away.

[Baseley09]

Parker 5!? I think he should start instead of Barry whose started to only pass sideways.

[vanpeebles]

I thought the sideways pass was the star of the modern foreign tactics inspired England team? Parker is nowt special, although he does stand out well in poor teams.

[Steakman]

Did somebody just say Gary Neville instead of Glen Johnson??! Have i just bitten on a mighty fine tasting carp pellet or is that serious.

I agree though we used to look good on paper and play badly, now i've fear we'll just be bad at both, really hits home at the lack of talent coming through compared to other nations..... so why are we 3rd favourites in the betting behind Spain and Brazil.

[Jebus]

Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green, Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

Glen Johnson is our best right back, no question. He's brilliant going foward but part of that position's job is also to defend, and I'm seriously worried about him in that area.

Carragher? No way he should get called up out of the blue like this. The ****er didn't want to know for all that time, yet now we're in a world cup with a decent manager he's back in? Sorry, but no. More than that, he's getting slower and slower.

Upson is nowhere near international quality, and whilst I have reservations about King's fitness and Dawson generally, Upson shouldn't be anywhere near the squad, just because he's a hammer doesn't make him good. If King and Dawson are going (and they should on form) then Upson shouldn't be going too. King is actually the best English defender full stop, better than both Ferdinand and Terry, but his fitness is obviously a huge issue.

Carrick has had a terrible season, what situation is actually ever going to require him? Huddlestone the same, in a few years maybe but no way is there yet. Every time I've seen him in an England (U21 usually) shirt, he looks like a red card waiting to happen, always coming in late for tackles. Seem him do it for Spurs too.

Adam Johnson has scored one nice goal and looked half decent, but we've seen nowhere near enough of him to be able to say "Yup, England class". Apart from anything his manager has played him on the right hand side consistently since buying him, I've no doubt he could scare full backs coming in from the left, but as it stands he's another Downing, a one trick pony...run at them, come inside, cross.

Parker is actually good, but again, I can't see him ever getting a game.

Walcott...you have to be ****ing joking, seriously? Bloke hasn't got a brain in his head, all the pace in the world doesn't make up for the fact he's just not actually that good at football. The fact he's even in the squad suggests how poor our squad depth is.

Outside of our (obvious) starting eleven, we're seriously lacking quality.

[abigsmurf]

There's a big chunk of mediocrity in that squad. If Joe Cole doesn't perform and they have to fall back on SWP or Walcott... Euch.

[ShadowDancer]

Glen Johnson is our best right back, no question. He's brilliant going foward but part of that position's job is also to defend, and I'm seriously worried about him in that area.

Carragher? No way he should get called up out of the blue like this. The ****er didn't want to know for all that time, yet now we're in a world cup with a decent manager he's back in? Sorry, but no. More than that, he's getting slower and slower.

Upson is nowhere near international quality, and whilst I have reservations about King's fitness and Dawson generally, Upson shouldn't be anywhere near the squad, just because he's a hammer doesn't make him good. If King and Dawson are going (and they should on form) then Upson shouldn't be going too. King is actually the best English defender full stop, better than both Ferdinand and Terry, but his fitness is obviously a huge issue.

Carrick has had a terrible season, what situation is actually ever going to require him? Huddlestone the same, in a few years maybe but no way is there yet. Every time I've seen him in an England (U21 usually) shirt, he looks like a red card waiting to happen, always coming in late for tackles. Seem him do it for Spurs too.

Adam Johnson has scored one nice goal and looked half decent, but we've seen nowhere near enough of him to be able to say "Yup, England class". Apart from anything his manager has played him on the right hand side consistently since buying him, I've no doubt he could scare full backs coming in from the left, but as it stands he's another Downing, a one trick pony...run at them, come inside, cross.

Parker is actually good, but again, I can't see him ever getting a game.

Walcott...you have to be ****ing joking, seriously? Bloke hasn't got a brain in his head, all the pace in the world doesn't make up for the fact he's just not actually that good at football. The fact he's even in the squad suggests how poor our squad depth is.

Outside of our (obvious) starting eleven, we're seriously lacking quality.

Really got to agree with most of them sentiments. I'd also bracket Wright Phillips with Walcott, I'd take one or the other for a hope they have a good super sub 20 minutes at running down the flank, final ball is the same for both, very hit and miss.

Luckily Wes Orange didn't make it.

[Jebus]

I nearly forgot Joe Cole! He's hardly played since coming back from injury and yet he walks into the squad? Don't get me wrong, he's a quality footballer, but God knows we need some form players, not just Rooney and Lampard!

I'd bet that Bent gets dropped as well. Just like last season, the highest scoring English strikers didn't all get a game for England.

Wright-Phillips I've seen some intelligence from, he knows how to play without the ball, making a defender go with him, creating space. Walcott is just ****.

[Number45]

I'm going to refrain on commenting on the England squad (

->Open Spoiler<-

Yay Scotty Parker!

) and post the preliminary Italian squad instead.

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo)

Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Fabio Grosso (Juventus), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Antonio Candreva (Juventus), Andrea Cossu (Cagliari), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)

Forwards: Marco Borriello (AC Milan), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal)

I'm not an expert on Italian football by any means, but I have so much jealousy respect for the amount of Italian based players they have while remaining a genuinely good side.

[abigsmurf]

SWP could always be dealt with by a defender simply standing his ground when I watched him. He's not going to get around a defender and he can't put in a good cross 95&#37; of the time. So long as you don't give him an easy route, he's not going anywhere.

[Jebus]

Oh and Barry will no way be fit, so unless we play Gerrard and Lampard in the middle (they are both great players and should be able to play together under a decent manager) then I hate to think what our midfield will be.

I'd argue that Fabrice Muamba would be worth a callup if we had some friendlies left to play, he's been outstanding this season for us, if you ever need a player to break up play, and give it to someone creative, he's one of the best England has, probably just behind Parker. Even Stuart Pearce has been praising him with his U21 performances.