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73% of News of the World readers say ZAMORA for ENGLAND!









Twinkle Toes

Twinkle Toes

Growing old disgracefully
Apr 4, 2008
11,138
Hoveside
NOTW readers you say? That's his chance of going to SA totally screwed then. :angry:
 










G

Gully

Monkey in a seagull suit.
Apr 24, 2004
16,812
Way out west
Up to 73.7%...but if most of the country don't take anything printed in the NoTW seriously...what chance is there of Mr Capello paying any attention to it?
 






T

The Goon

Gully's Boy
Nov 24, 2008
862
Blowing up the Balloons!!!
Copied from Football 365:

It feels wrong.

It surely can't be right.

Is it a joke?

Is Robert Lester Zamora about to become England player?

Over the weekend, it emerged that he's now on Fabio Capello's radar. He plans to have him watched for all remaining games. And there's no doubt, with 19 goals so far, he's a man in form and we're told form matters to Capello.

But with the England team now at the 11th hour and with very little time to accommodate a brand new player into the squad, is it really going to be a runner? Could he take Emile Heskey's place when fielding Heskey, regardless of non-existent club form, worked so well in the qualifying rounds?

The witless people who keep banging on about Heskey's lack of goals, and boy, are there a lot of them, utterly miss the point about Heskey. He's not there to score goals; he's there to help others score goals, so shut up about his goals record. It's not relevant.

Those calling for Darren Bent's inclusion on the basis of his goal record this season also hugely miss the point. We don't need a player like Bent for England, playing on the shoulder, relying on pace. That doesn't work in international football. Capello also knows that a player must do much more than just score goals. This was why he so effortlessly dismissed Michael Owen as an option, despite the agape mouths of most football journalists who seem unable to see past a goals scored column to see what else a player brings. It's also why he's been reluctant to feature Jermain Defoe as anything more than an impact player

Bent offers little else but goals and by and large only goals scored by running away from the central defence onto a long through ball. That will not work against top defenders as his few international appearances have already proved. Carlton Cole, the only other striking option, looks like Zamora did for years; mediocre, lumbering and simply not clever enough to play at the highest level.

But Zamora seems to have evolved into a different beast this season. Like Heskey, he's a big bugger; he can shield and hold up a ball, bring other people in and create space. This is crucial for England because of our utterly pathetic inability to dominate possession or indeed play without panicking when we don't have the ball. And it would have to be Heskey he replaced because the impressive 34-goal haul in the qualifying campaign proved that having the big man in that role really worked for the rest of the team.

Zamora is an unflinching workhorse, which is crucial as defending from the front is the first key to regaining the ball once you've lost it.

But on top of those features, this season he's striking the ball very sweetly. His goal against Wolfsburg this week was frankly brilliant, showing a deft touch, great awareness and power. He's different from Rooney, Defoe and Crouch. Currently he's Heskey only with goals and greater self belief and less crockage.

If Zamora could play the Heskey role, and also contribute goals, this would surely be the best of all worlds. But that is a big 'if.' A very big if.

Zamora is 29. He's only made a handful of Under-21 appearances for England and didn't score. He was very successful at Brighton in the lower leagues, much, much, less so at West Ham and until this season at Fulham, he's looked - at best - a grafter.

Is he really international quality? The much-maligned Europa League has given him a chance to show he can play against top-notch sides such as Shaktar, Juve and Wolfsburg, all sides featuring international players and not just do well, but actually boss the game. His performance against Juve, especially in the first half, was hugely impressive. You don't play like that unless you have talent.

The important thing to realise about Zamora this season is that he has been a game-changing goal scorer. His 19 haven't been notched up by scoring the fourth and fifth in 5-0 thrashings. He's not boosted his total with goals in games that are already won, which is something that could easily be levelled at Defoe. His goals, especially in Europe, have been axiomatic to Fulham's success. That is a very good sign because it shows him able to perform under pressure and not just able to lash one in when the game is already won.

Yet understandably, after an average career in the top flight which has even attracted the ire of his own fans, there are bound to be doubts that he can do it on the big stage, whereas we know Heskey can. What we don't know is if Emile can anymore. He looks increasingly broken and dispirited at Villa.

Could he be a late flourisher? Maybe he's just grown up and understands the game better now. Maybe he just needed the right manager to get the best out of him. Without doubt, he faces an uphill battle to change attitudes towards him. When for years you've been a bit-part player, all, including Capello, are reluctant to change their view.

And yet there are examples of players who come to international football late and make a bit impact in a World Cup. Schillaci at the 1990 tournament made his debut for Italy and ended up at the top scorer that year. He was already in his mid 20s and a left-field pick. Could Zamora be England's Schillaci?

It still feels wrong though doesn't it? Bobby isn't that good is he? I mean, he even had a picture of his girlfriend's breasts on the ceiling above their bed for Chrissakes. Maybe all of his detractors, me included, will have to change our minds soon enough. A good run in the last games of this season, possibly including a high-profile European final and Bobby Z will be in with a magnificent chance of going to South Africa ahead of big Emile who isn't even a first-team regular.

His critics need to open their minds - this might well be a freaky purple patch but there's no denying how well Zamora has played. Who cares if he is never this good again, if the purple patch lasts until the end of June and helps England to succeed, then that's good enough.

Zamora for England. No, it still doesn't sound right. But hey, it just might be.
 


rcf0712

rcf0712

Out Here In The Perimeter
Feb 26, 2009
2,428
Perth, Western Australia
whilst I'm a fan of the idea, I seriously doubt that 73% of them could physically say that as there's a couple of tricky words in there - more like they put their x in a box methinks......
 


Colossal Squid

Colossal Squid

Returning video tapes
Feb 11, 2010
4,906
Under the sea
That's a very decent article on the subject there. I haven't read Football 365 for years but I think I will make some more regular visits after that very well put together argument.
 






F

Fourteenth Eye

Face for Radio
Jul 9, 2004
7,946
Brighton
Can i just point out that when BZ was here we set up the team to play to Bobbys strengths & thus here was successfull.

At Fulham, since jonson has been crocked, Fulham have set up the team around Bobs strengths and look whats happened!!

England will never do this & bob would be a fish out of water
 


Z

Zamoracomehome

New member
Apr 12, 2010
440
Hove
Hmm...do you think so? He's playing the target man role so well...Peter Crouch had a pretty poor game against Pompey yesterday...and Carlton Cole as another target man hasn't really produced much since he came back from being injured. I'd gamble on Bobby...he's my Theo Walcott of the 2010 World Cup squad...except he could play and is a lot older...
 










seagullsovergrimsby

seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
44,129
Crap Town
Emily Heskey only assists , BZ does both , assists and scores.
 


S

Socky

Sockmonster
Jun 24, 2008
170
Brighton
If by some chance Capello chooses to take 5 strikers then Bobby must have a good chance. If fit Rooney, Crouch, Defoe and Heskey look the most likely choice but a fifth striker? Can only be be between Bent, Cole, Agbonlahor, and Zamora for a fifth spot. Bent is to similar to Defoe. Agbonlahor is possible but unproven, Cole is just not as good as Zamora. Zamora pips the others for me on current form.
 


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