England squad vs Egypt announced

[The Wizard]

Because that dont agree with yours. You cant see past the end of your nose i doubt.

Ok, well I'll put it in BOLD so you understand my point, I won't say it again..

IF IT ISN'T BROKEN, DON'T FIX IT

 

[simmo]

This man came out and said he wouldnt have favorites and would pick on form and fitness.
He clearly isnt doing that.

Form and goals from your strikers etc means nothing to you between now and the world cup clearly ?

Its the form of our strikers that will ultimately decide how we do at the world cup, and id be absolutely delighted if Heskey Crouch and Cole started smashing them in on a regualar basis between now and the end of the season like like Zamora has been doing since the off this season.

Far to many people have got carried away with our qualifying campaign against in my opinion poor opposition.
We havent beaten one of the top sides under Capello.....

You really are a bit of a joke aren't you. You hated Ericcson and now you hate Capello. Just whom do you think should be England manager?

Do you not realise that we are probably the Spurs of World Football, people like you think (as do Spurs supporters in the domestic leagues/cups) we should be winning World Cups left right and centre wheras everyone else (non English) knows we are not really serious contenders. I mean in the 30 or so major tournaments we have entered we have won one (and that was at home), our record should make no-one think that we will win the WC yet every time it comes around the press whip up a frenzy that we are going to do it this time. Even countries like Greece and Denmark have won one major tournament that shows how low our true standing really is. We do not sit at the top table of World football with your Brazil's, Italy's Germany's whose records are far far superior to our own.

You have utter delusions of grandeur and you are not happy with Capello's stunning start to his reign as England's boss, which has been near faultless. Unlike when true real clowns like McClaren and Graham Taylor were in charge.

 

[Marshy]

Ok, well I'll put it in BOLD so you understand my point, I won't say it again..

IF IT ISN'T BROKEN, DON'T FIX IT

Your working on the assumption that is working, and it is to get you qualified.

Its not working if you actually want to win the World Cup though.

Fortune favours the brave, we have got to look at the real top national sides and its plain to see, a forward like Heskey Crouch or Cole is not the direction we should be heading in.

 

[Marshy]

You really are a bit of a joke aren't you. You hated Ericcson and now you hate Capello. Just whom do you think should be England manager?

Do you not realise that we are probably the Spurs of World Football, people like you think (as do Spurs supporters in the domestic leagues/cups) we should be winning World Cups left right and centre wheras everyone else (non English) knows we are not really serious contenders. I mean in the 30 or so major tournaments we have entered we have won one (and that was at home), our record should make no-one think that we will win the WC yet every time it comes around the press whip up a frenzy that we are going to do it this time. Even countries like Greece and Denmark have won one major tournament that shows how low our true standing really is. We do not sit at the top table of World football with your Brazil's, Italy's Germany's whose records are far far superior to our own.

You have utter delusions of grandeur and you are not happy with Capello's stunning start to his reign as England's boss, which has been near faultless. Unlike when true real clowns like McClaren and Graham Taylor were in charge.

No. However i do feel we should be regularly making semi finals of these events. When you get that far its all about a bit of luck on the day.

We have the players. They just are not used properly.

 

[The Wizard]

Your working on the assumption that is working, and it is to get you qualified.

Its not working if you actually want to win the World Cup though.

Fortune favours the brave, we have got to look at the real top national sides and its plain to see, a forward like Heskey Crouch or Cole is not the direction we should be heading in.

I'm not working on any assumption for god sake, we lost 1 game in qualifying which is a huge success whatever teams we had in our group, pretty much every club in the land has a big guy upfront who can hold play up and win headers, perhaps they are all heading in the wrong direction as well? changing our tactics now after using it for the entire qualifying campaign would do more damage than good.

But hey you obviously know better than 'clown' Capello with his 30+ management titles/cup wins.

 

[Marshy]

Every Club in the land you say....what about every good national side ?....very very few.

Spain NO. Brazil NO. France NO. These are the sides that win these events.

There is no bigger England fan than me and I will cheering on Heskey or whoever starts for England up front in any game hoping to be proved wrong but i very much doubt it.

When that crucial chance in the box drops 5 mins from time and you need a goal...who do you want it falling to ? Heskey, Crouch Cole or Rooney Defoe or Owen...as i have said before it really is a no bainer.

 

[WATFORD zero]

How about we go without a manager - the two top scorers get the striker spots, four best assists midfield etc

That seems to be what Marshy is suggesting

 

[simmo]

No. However i do feel we should be regularly making semi finals of these events. When you get that far its all about a bit of luck on the day.

Why do you feel that?

I expect, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Holland and Spain supporters all think exactly the same, yet only 4 countries actually can. What gives us the God given right to automatically get to the semi's? Especially when we haven't really got a decent goalie?

We have made one semi and one final in all the times we have tried. Wheras Germany, Brazil, Italy have reached dozens of semi's/finals.

Yes, past it Germany in their last two tournaments reached the semi and final. Wheras for the last major tournament (Euro 2008) we didn't even qualify!

The fact that we qualified for this tournament with a start of 7 wins out of 7 just shows how good Capello is when compared to say a McClaren. It is your opinion as to whether that Germany and Croatia are past it. But you should not forget as well it was probably only around 12 months from McClaren losing to Croatia 2-3 at home to England beating Croatia 4-1 away.

 

[The Wizard]

Every Club in the land you say....what about every good national side ?....very very few.

Spain NO. Brazil NO. France NO. These are the sides that win these events.

Brazil? yes Fabiano (Adriano & Ronaldo have done it in the past). Spain? nope but they have unbelievable technical ability all over the field so its not an issue for them. France? Trezeguet, Gignac & Benzema(to a lesser extent) Italy as well in recent years Totti & Toni

I think you'll find most teams play with at least one big man up front.

 

[Marshy]

How about we go without a manager - the two top scorers get the striker spots, four best assists midfield etc

That seems to be what Marshy is suggesting

How about we go with a manager and take the strikers that cant hit barn door and are out of form.

Thats what your suggesting.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Maybe 'cant hit a barn door and is out of form' Heskey is very lucky, because when he plays we win. I wouldn't mind that kind of luck.

 

[Marshy]

Why do you feel that?

I expect, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Holland and Spain supporters all think exactly the same, yet only 4 countries actually can. What gives us the God given right to automatically get to the semi's? Especially when we haven't really got a decent goalie?

We have made one semi and one final in all the times we have tried. Wheras Germany, Brazil, Italy have reached dozens of semi's/finals.

Yes, past it Germany in their last two tournaments reached the semi and final. Wheras for the last major tournament (Euro 2008) we didn't even qualify!

The fact that we qualified for this tournament with a start of 7 wins out of 7 just shows how good Capello is when compared to say a McClaren. It is your opinion as to whether that Germany and Croatia are past it. But you should not forget as well it was probably only around 12 months from McClaren losing to Croatia 2-3 at home to England beating Croatia 4-1 away.

We do not have a god given right to make the semi finals or more at all.
We do have the players and ability to do that tho, and the reason we dont..well there are many...but a big one is our reluctance to stop playing people like Heskey in our startng 11. Or at least look at other alternatives.

Has anyone seen Rooney and Defoe play together ?.....has it been given even half a chance ?

 

[saafend_seagull]

please can we play

hart

cole (pls b fit)
rio
terry
johnson


milner
beckham/barry
gerrard
lampard
lennon

rooney

cole/defoe/zamora would then be great options to come off the bench.

 

[Marshy]

Brazil? yes Fabiano (Adriano & Ronaldo have done it in the past). Spain? nope but they have unbelievable technical ability all over the field so its not an issue for them. France? Trezeguet, Gignac & Benzema(to a lesser extent) Italy as well in recent years Totti & Toni

I think you'll find most teams play with at least one big man up front.

Please, are you seriously comparing Ronaldo, Fabiano and Trzeguet etc amongst others to Heskey ? Sure they held the ball up a bit ( like any forward, but that wasnt there game at all )

These guys scored goal after goal for there national side, thats the whole point of my argument, Heskey just dosent score goals at any level !

 

[Pantani]

Heskey's place in the team isn't just about his hold up play. He scares the life out of foreign centre backs. Croatia were doubling up on him and still losing the headers. Also he has the pace to get in behind so the opposition cannot push up as far as they would like. All this creates space for Rooney and Gerrard to work in.

Anyone who wants him dropped is mental.

Crouch scores goals. However he has a tendency to drop deep and take up the same space as Rooney. This goes back to the argument others were having earlier. You do not need a big man/small man partnership. You do need a partnership where one striker plays on the last defender, either big and strong or fast. The other player needs to be good at dropping off. Eg. Lineker/Beardsley, Shearer/Sheringham, Heskey/Rooney.

The only real argument about Bobby being in the squad or not is whether he is better than Carlton Cole. Right now he probably is, however maybe Capello wants to see Cole again since his injury. I also believe that at this point we won't be trying many things out as we have so few friendlies until the World Cup starts. The things we may try are different formations rather than different players, seems logical to me.

 

[Marshy]

please can we play

hart

cole (pls b fit)
rio
terry
johnson


milner
beckham/barry
gerrard
lampard
lennon

rooney

cole/defoe/zamora would then be great options to come off the bench.

Seriously, If were not going to go with Rooney and Defoe this is an another alternative worth looking at in more detail.
I dont agree with yor Keeper or Beckham but other than that its worth a look in my opinion, escpecailly against the top nations.

 

[simmo]

We do not have a god given right to make the semi finals or more at all.
We do have the players and ability to do that tho, and the reason we dont..well there are many...but a big one is our reluctance to stop playing people like Heskey in our startng 11. Or at least look at other alternatives.

Has anyone seen Rooney and Defoe play together ?.....has it been given even half a chance ?

Because none of our players play abroad and they play in just the Premier League it is over exagerated how good our players are (I mean is Glen Johnson really that good?). We have quite a good starting XI (only good nowhere near the class of Spain) but we have no squad depth (nor goalie which is probably the most important position, to give you an example of this Reina is Spain's number 3 keeper he would walk into the England side) and when you have to play 7 games in a month to win the WC squad depth is what really matters.

Rooney is by far our best player. He is the one world class player we truly have. Although I think both Gerrard and Lampard are very good (whom I also remember you seemed to suggest couldn't play together, well that was before Capello found out they could). The one player that could realistically beat Messi, Kaka, Torres etc as player of the tournament would be Rooney.

I think and I am sure Capello does too is that to get the best of him he needs a big striker to hold up the ball for him and for him to play around. Defoe does not offer that. Do you not think that Capello has not talked to Rooney about what he thinks about playing up front with Defoe.

 

[The Wizard]

Please, are you seriously comparing Ronaldo, Fabiano and Trzeguet etc amongst others to Heskey ? Sure they held the ball up a bit ( like any forward, but that wasnt there game at all )

These guys scored goal after goal for there national side, thats the whole point of my argument, Heskey just dosent score goals at any level !

I'm not comparing them but you claimed none of these sides play with big men up front, which is categorically wrong, he may not score goals but he creates goals for other players.

I give up anyway, as I said, you must know better than the multi-title winning Capello and thousands of other people.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Has anyone seen Rooney and Defoe play together ?.....has it been given even half a chance ?

With a laboured England locked at 0-0 with Andorra in September, Capello made a typically decisive half-time move in bringing Heskey on in place of Jermain Defoe to partner Wayne Rooney in attack.

Four wins, 14 goals, and 12 points amassed... since his introduction in Barcelona Heskey has been a permanent fixture as England have banished the McClaren regime and left fans dreaming of South Africa.

In the 18 competitive games he has started, England have won 12, drawn five and lost only one - when Heskey gave a man-of-the-match performance as Brazil knocked them out of the 2002 World Cup.

BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Selfless Heskey makes England tick

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Robinson

Cole
Rio/Upson
Terry
Johnson

Gerrard
Barry
Lampard
Lennon

Heskey
Rooney