The England thread

[Colly]

Micah Richards must be turning in his grave.

[Adam]

A grave that by all accounts he has dug himself.

Spin away, Micah.

[Colly]

Just read the other thread. That said, just like Carrick before him I'll wait for it to be confirmed before I read Twitter rumours.

[Gazz]

Micah Richards must be turning in his grave.

Didn't even realise he was a Goth...

[9 to 5]

Goth Micah Richards is almost a funny image as Goth Scotty 2 Hotty.

[MDK]

Christ on a bike. Just call up Rio for God's sake.

Six Liverpool players in the squad. Yup, you read that correctly.

[Gazz]

MYKE FOR CENTREBACK!

[MDK]

I've retired from international football, the FA know this.

[Hobo]

Cahill out. Martin Kelly called up from Liverpool. This is getting ridiculous. How all these Liverpool players have made it baffles me.

That's how.

I'd imagine if Roy could call up Soto and Jamie Carragher he would. Roy likes his center backs to just fucking hoof it.

[Lineker]

England are the fourth best international team in Europe ahead of Euro 2012, according to Fifa's latest world rankings.

Roy Hodgson's side has moved up one place, from seventh to sixth, after successive 1-0 friendly victories over Norway and Belgium.

Spain have retained top spot, while Germany and the Netherlands are third and fourth respectively.

Uruguay are second, while Portugal have dropped five places to 10th.

Croatia and Denmark are the other two European sides who occupy the top 10, while Italy (12th), Russia (13th) and France (14th) sit outside.

The Republic of Ireland, who open their Euro 2012 campaign against Croatia on Sunday, are 18th in the world.

Poland, despite moving up three places, are the lowest-ranked team in Euro 2012 in 62nd, while fellow host nation Ukraine are 52nd.

Uruguay's position is an all-time high for the South Americans, while fifth-placed Brazil and seventh-placed Argentina make up the rest of the top 10.

The Fifa world rankings are compiled every month, with ranking points accumulated according to results, the importance of the matches played and the strength of opposing teams.

Fifa world rankings - top 20

1. Spain

2. Uruguay

3. Germany

4. Netherlands

5. Brazil

6. England

7. Argentina

8. Croatia

9. Denmark

10. Portugal

11. Chile

12. Italy

13. Russia

14. France

15. Greece

16. Ivory Coast

17. Sweden

18. Republic of Ireland

19. Mexico

20. Colombia

Other selected: 38. Wales 41. Scotland 52. Ukraine 62. Poland 103. Northern Ireland

[supergrass]

Disregarding the science of the FIFA rankings momentarily, how many of the other 15 teams in the competition would you say England are actually better than?

Greece, Poland, Ireland and Ukraine perhaps. I wouldn't feel particularly confident in England to get a win against the likes of Sweden, Denmark, Russia or Croatia. I think we're certainly in the lower half of the 16.

[GoN_]

Disregarding the science of the FIFA rankings momentarily, how many of the other 15 teams in the competition would you say England are actually better than?

Greece, Poland, Ireland and Ukraine perhaps. I wouldn't feel particularly confident in England to get a win against the likes of Sweden, Denmark, Russia or Croatia. I think we're certainly in the lower half of the 16.

Not to sound pretentious or something, but I would prefer to have England in my group than any of the three we got (I think Denmark is a weaker side but a worse matchup for us, and the germans and dutch are miles ahead of most teams in the competition).

Edited June 7, 2012 by GoN_

[Lineker]

Get ready to laugh:

Joey Barton believes he would have featured in the England squad at Euro 2012 were it not for his behavioural problems on and off the pitch.

He will serve a 12-match ban next season for kicking Sergio Aguero and clashing with Vincent Kompany after he was sent off at Manchester City.

Barton, who won one England cap in 2007, wrote on Twitter: "Why are people saying 'can't get in squad etc'?

"On ability I walk into the squad, on behaviour I don't."

Barton, who began his career at Manchester City and spent four years with Newcastle, was in the news again last week when he was arrested, and later bailed, following a brawl outside a nightclub in his native Liverpool.

On the pitch, Barton was also sent-off against Norwich last season, while he picked up 10 bookings.

The QPR midfielder, who won his only cap under Steve McClaren in a 1-0 defeat against Spain, was critical of England coach Roy Hodgson's decision to draft in Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson following the injury to Frank Lampard.

Henderson is joined in the England squad by fellow Liverpool players Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll and Martin Kelly, despite the Reds suffering a difficult season which saw them finish eighth in the Premier League.

They did win the Carling Cup and reached the final of the FA Cup, but that was not enough to prevent manager Kenny Dalglish from losing his job.

"If Henderson got in, any Englishman not currently in the squad has to feel aggrieved. Yes, I wish I was there but I'm not," he said.

"Everyone's thinking it, I'll say it. Liverpool have [had] an horrific season and have six players in our Euro squad. What chance do we have? [The England manager should] Pick on form.

"How [Grant] Holt, [Micah] Richards, [Michael] Carrick, [Rio] Ferdinand, [Leon] Osman, [Daniel] Sturridge etc never got involved is a travesty."

Barton insists he still wants England to do well at Euro 2012, but he is convinced they are unlikely to win the tournament.

"I really hope England do well and win it, I really do. All am saying is I don't think we will," he tweeted.

"If everyone stays fit, we've got a decent 11 once [Wayne] Rooney's back.

"If any of the key players get a knock, we are done for. Three games in eight or nine days takes its toll on the body. If a few are carrying injuries from a long domestic season, it will show. Not being pessimistic, just a realist.

"I am overqualified to pass judgement on this. Not only have I played in the Premier League for 10 years but I've played with and against most of them."

:lmao:

[Colly]

Joey Barton is a player who's had three alright seasons in his career, one of which was half a decade ago and one was in the Championship. Were it not for column inches he's Danny Guthrie.

[Adam]

Joey Barton is a player who's had three alright seasons in his career, one of which was half a decade ago and one was in the Championship. Were it not for column inches he's Danny Guthrie.

I disagree with that, and I'd say he is certainly a level above Danny Guthrie at the very least.

That said there is no way he would 'walk into the squad' as he says, and it's quite obvious why people are saying he can't get into th squad...it's because he can't.

[Summers]

If he wasn't such a twat (on and off field) then on ability he'd be in the squad right now. He also wouldn't be at QPR.

[METALMAN]

Yeah Joey Barton is a really good player. That's why so many people who, let's face it, know far more about football than anyone here have been prepared to take a risk on him time and time again.

[Matt]

Barton probably would be in or around the England squad, but that's more a testament to how bad the England squad is than how good Barton is.

[MDK]

I'd have him over Henderson at a push.

[Colly]

Yeah Joey Barton is a really good player. That's why so many people who, let's face it, know far more about football than anyone here have been prepared to take a risk on him time and time again.

To be fair the 'many people' are Big Sam who thought he could sort him out and get him back to early Man City form, and Neil Warnock (I think, QPRs management merry go round is complex) who thought he'd do a job in a flirting with relegation team. That's not particularly grounds for being a really good player.