England's 30 A few hours to go until the announcement... Can we expect any surprises? Paper this morning claims Capello had decided on 28 last night with the last 2 decisions one being a late injury check and the other 'different' in the words of Fab. Also heard speculation Hargreaves is in with a real shout now due to Barry's injury... Mixed feelings on that cos he was our best layer by far in Germany but can we really take a man who's played 1 minute of football in 18 months? I'm really hoping the Carragher story is rubbish, personally I don't rate him and when he retired he craic was pretty lame in my opinion. Hoping to see Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Adam Johnson, Tommy Huddlestone and Bobby Zamora get their chance! Thoughts???
the hargreaves thing is surely rubbish? capello has harped on and on about picking players in form, hargreaves has only played 1 minutes football this season according to the paper. i think he's shit anyway personally. carragher is a funny one, but out of all the other english centre halfs he is probably the most experienced bar big bad sol. i'd actually probs take campbell i defo want to see Johnson get a shot, he's looked shit hot of late. i wouldnt mind seeing Shawcross in there too as i think he's gonna be a hell of a player.
Shawcross is a good shout like, deserved his call up earlier in the season 100% Campbell I assume you mean Sol and not Fraizer mate? Not for me, but then I am a Spurs fan Just thinking there I would like to see Walcott omitted cos he really is a terrible footballer, fast yes, but good at shooting, passing, heading, to some degree dribbling, no. Its pretty certain he'll be on the plane tho....
yeah, i meant Sol . i'm not sure about walcott either, but his pace scares the shit out of most people. defo one for the group stages imo. i think i'd go GK - Hart LB - A Cole CD - Terry CD - Ferdinand RB - G Johnson LW or RW - A Johnson CM - Gerrard CM - Lampard RW or LW - Milner FW - Rooney FW - Crouch
So there it is, Carragher and Barry in, no Hargreaves or Zamora....Warnock is a surprise but he must be testing him and Baines as cover for Cashley. Good to see the Spurs boys in 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. Just about agree with your XI Dan, but id have Lennon over Johnson on the right. Looking good like, the friendlies should be interesting let's hope they leave Capello with some tough decisions to make
Defoe's only scored something like 2 goals since Christmas and hasn't been prolific at international level. Comparing our best 4 strikers with some of the other top teams i know who's strikers i'd rather have and bar Rooney it's certainly not our supporting three i'd rather have... England - Rooney, Defoe, Crouch, Heskey Spain - Torres, Villa, Guiza, Llorente Argentina - Messi, Aguero, Tevez, Higuian Holland - Afellay, Kuyt, van Persie, Huntelaar Brazil - Baptista, Nilmar, Robinho, Fabiano Germany - Gomez, Klose, Podolski, Keissling Italy - Rossi, Iaquinta, Boriello, Gilardino France - Anelka, Henry, Gignac, Cisse
Defoe's record is less than 1 in 2 in all compations and he has been suspended and had injurys he is hardly shit. At international level recently he has scored 5 in 5 sub apperances this season not too bad. Our foreward line is better than Hollands and up there with germanys. Brazils not what it was. Italy is not the best either. Our weakness is Heskey hopefully having a strong midfield will make up for that. If lampard continues his form into the world cup his goals from midfield willbe vital.
I've not said Defoe is shit i have said that he has been out of form recently. Injuries or not he has came back and Redknapp has said he hasn't been getting substituted because of him not being fit in the last few games it's been because he's not been playing well which doesn't bode well. The only strikers out of those i mentioned i wouldn't rather have than Crouch, Heskey are Cisse, Kuyt, Affelay and Kiessing and i'd much rather have the vast majority of the rest playing upfront with Rooney than Defoe. Make no bones about it. Our striking option this country are pretty awful. We have an abundence of decent midfielders but a lack of quality strikers. As for your comment on Brazil it's pretty laughable. That'll be the same Brazil's forward line that destroyed their qualification and is fav to win the whole tournament after Spain. Nilmar, Luis Fabiano and Robinho are all class. Robinho failed over here but hes immense for Brazil and still a good player. Granted Italy's isnt the best but Rossi and Iaquinta will cause problems their ineffectivness will be the rest of the squad who seem to be ageing. As for Germany, Gomez had a poor Euro 08 but is a very good striker, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski have 85 international goals between them and loads of experience and goals at international tournaments.
I was referring to lee the mackams post on defoe he still has time to find fitness by the world cup and is not shit with recent international form. I do believe we have a foreward line as good as Holland kuyt iss awful huntelaar has never performed. Germanys foreward line is getting on and not performing though as you say have form. France hardly shone in the qualifiers. Brasil are good but Robinho is hit and miss and i don't see then that line up as good as pervious years hardly laughable. Spain's line-up and argentina's are top quality but do they have as strong a midfield as we do. Also lets see if spain self destruct after the group games as they normaly do. As for argentina Maradonna could pick anyone and any formation so they are not as dangerous as pervious years they barely qualified. Lets just hope the fact that we have a very strong midfield makes up for hesky and crouch learns how to score against top class defenders. This is all just my thoughts so we will see how it pans out.
Crouch is an excellent footballer! Proof was in the pudding against Man City recently. And you cannot argue 20 goals in 37 caps, he always seems to do well for the country. Id be starting him over Defoe. I reckon every squad has a weakness somewhere. Spain probs look the best although their defence isn't out of this world and Argentina having Maradona as coach definitely looks a blessing in disguise, they only qualified by the skin of their teeth remember. We have a good a chance as anybody really.
James i'd rather have Spains midfield depth than ours as well. Depending on who makes the squad... Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Mata, Jesus Navas, Busquets, Fabregas, Alonso, Senna and Pedro. I do think we have a very strong midfield but we still don't know our starting midfield and still struggle to find ways of playing Lampard & Gerrard. If they could play together in the middle with Johnson and Lennon/Milner on the wings then i'd love our mifield. I'm also still very confident we can get to at least the Semi Final and have a very good chance of winning it as i don't think we can play Spain or Brazil until the final if we win our group which is a massive bonus. I just don't think our forwards are very good and if we do go far it will be down to a solid defense and midfield. We have played well as a team and have as good a chance as any and should only be fearful of Spain and Brazil but shouldn't discredit teams like Germany, Italy, Argentina and France as they have great squads and qualification means nothing it's how you perform in the tournament that matters and those countries generally do well. One thing is for sure, with some of the big name ommisions from some squads it's going to be a fantastic world cup that i can't wait for and cant wait to see which players break through on the world stage that are relatives unknown or which players prove themselves even more. Hopefully some of ours can show just how good they are in the process.
If spain get it togeather on paper they are the best team in it. But history shows they always fall apart after the group games. I really think the maradonna factor mean that argentina will self distruct. The germans you can never write off but are weak this time with an older squad. Saying all that we will get beat in the semi on pens.
Spain did used to fall apart but they have been a totally different side the last 3 years. Look at them in Euro 08 and their qualification. They've only lost 1 of their last 44 games they have played and that was against USA in the Confederations Cup last year. Out of them games Played 44, won 39 , lost 1, drew 4 Two of them games they have drawn they won the tie's though in extra time and pens. They ARE the team to beat in this tournament forget about their past World Cup showings this is a different side and the most talented side in World Football.
Yes Rooneys obviously immense but you cant say defoe, crouch are heskey are world class.Defoe has been cack this second half of the season
- all the eggs are very much in the Rooney basket as far as goals are concerned... i hate the fact Heskey is going to get into a our squad i really do
