The England thread

[Liam]

I know its all about position wise, and where people are needed, but if Warnock and Richardson deserve chances, then Knight deserves to be in the squad when the oppurtunity arises, as he's been Fulham's most solid player over the past 2 years, aside from possibly Boa Morte.

[Different Cloud]

Scotland Squad (No Point in a New Thread)

Goalkeepers

Robert Douglas (Leicester City)

Craig Gordon (Heart of Midlothian)

David Marshall (Celtic)

Defenders

Graham Alexander (Preston North End)

Russell Anderson (Aberdeen)

Steven Caldwell (Sunderland)

Christian Dailly (West Ham United)

Jackie McNamara (Wolverhampton W.)

Steven Pressley (Heart of Midlothian)

Andy Webster (Heart of Midlothian)

David Weir (Everton)

Midfield

Barry Ferguson (Rangers)

Darren Fletcher (Manchester United)

Paul Hartley (Heart of Midlothian)

Neil McCann (Southampton)

Lee McCulloch (Wigan Athletic)

Ian Murray (Rangers)

Brian O’Neil (Preston North End)

Nigel Quashie (Southampton)

Forwards

Craig Beattie (Celtic)

James McFadden (Everton)

Kenny Miller (Wolverhampton W.)

Garry O’Connor (Hibernian)

Steven Thompson (Rangers)

I'd go something like:

                            Gordon

                  Weir  Pressley  Anderson

McNamara                                            Murray

             

              Fletcher  Ferguson  Quashie

                    McFadden  Miller   

Edited August 31, 2005 by Viper

[Colly]

Goalkeepers: Robinson (Tottenham), Green (Norwich), Kirkland (Liverpool)

Defenders: Young (Charlton), Warnock (Liverpool), P Neville (Everton), A Cole (Arsenal), Carragher(Liverpool), Ferdinand (Man Utd), Knight (Fulham), Upson (Birmingham)

Midfielders: Beckham (Real Madrid), Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), J Cole (Chelsea), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), Jenas (Spurs), Carrick (Tottenham), Richardson (Man Utd)

Strikers: Owen* (Newcastle), Rooney (Man Utd), Defoe (Tottenham), A Johnson (Crystal Palace), Bent (Charlton)

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[Turbo Yannis]

Neil McCann (Southampton)

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[Summers]

If I was Scottish, I'd be in it too.

[lazy_arse]

Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to try out a new formation for England's World Cup qualifier in Wales on Saturday.

Eriksson may play a 4-5-1 system, with influential captain David Beckham in a deep lying midfield position behind Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips could play wide roles which would leave Wayne Rooney ploughing a lone furrow up front with Michael Owen suspended.

Jermain Defoe had been expected to take Owen's place in the starting line-up.

It is understood that the plan was discussed at a meeting between Eriksson and senior players on Tuesday.

The Swede was roundly criticised for England's lack of shape in their 4-1 friendly defeat in Denmark in August and has moved to improve the balance of the side.

Beckham had missed training on Tuesday but was involved a day later as he continued his recovery from a foot injury.

Gerrard's calf injury kept him out of action, but Eriksson was hopeful the Liverpool midfielder would be fit.

"Steven Gerrard did some good work on Tuesday, not with the other players but with the physio," said Eriksson.

"He will continue that on Wednesday. Hopefully on Thursday, he will train with us. The physio and doctor think he will be ready for Saturday."

But a knee injury to Chelsea defender John Terry is set to put him out for four to six weeks.

Fulham's Zat Knight has been called up as cover for Terry, but the Chelsea man's place is most likely to be taken by Liverpool's Jamie Carragher or Birmingham's Matthew Upson.

Jermaine Jenas, who has completed a £7m move to Tottenham from Newcastle, was training with the England squad, but Owen was in the north-east to seal his transfer to St James' Park.

[therockbox]

God forbid Sven lets Defoe have a go. Who knows, he might even be better than Owen. Then we'd all be screwed.

[Face Turn!~]

What!? What good is Beckham going to honestly do sitting behind the 2 central midfielders. Its been said before, and it will be said a million times until Beckham stops wandering around the middle and left side - We need Beckham on the wing because all the balls our other Midfielders have been playing have been utterly shite.

And playing Rooney up front alone is just idiotic. Everyone knows how much he likes to full back into the midfield and win the ball and charge up, and even if he has orders to linger up by the back 4 of Wales, he's not going to do it anyway, so its looking like we're not going to have a strike at all.

But i do praise Sven for not putting James anywhere near the bench.

[therockbox]

We don't need Beckham on the wing because he does nothing there. I honestly can't remember the last time he went past a player and put a telling cross into the area.

[fineintent]

Probably against Greece.

[Malenko]

What!? What good is Beckham going to honestly do sitting behind the 2 central midfielders. Its been said before, and it will be said a million times until Beckham stops wandering around the middle and left side - We need Beckham on the wing because all the balls our other Midfielders have been playing have been utterly shite.

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[Jam]

Win, lose or draw these next two games, Sven won't be gone until we either get knocked out of the World cup or not qualify. Something I can see happening the way things are progressing

I mean, not playing Defoe is absolutely shocking. Then Phil Neville at right back just because his brother's injured. What about Danny Mills? Or Tony Hibbert? Both good players, and Mills is proven at this level

Stephen Warnock is a good player, so I give him points for picking him as well as dropping Calamity James and Glenn Johnson.

Then we have the picking of Kieran Richardson, who had one good game in an England shirt and is now a regular even though he don't even play for Man United. Jenas is also fairly over-rated, and don't' even mention Owen Hargreaves. Jack of many trades, but he is crap at all of them

Then what is the point of picking 5 strikers if he is only playing one in the first match. Sven will pick Andy Johnson for all the qualifiers no matter how crap he plays, purely because he said he will have a chance in the Championship. It would make him look like a hypocrite in some respects to leave him out

And I heard Sven say that even if Owen was on the bench all season, he would still be starting in the World Cup. That must make people like Defoe, Bent, Ashton, Johnson and Crouch feel happy

[therockbox]

What!? What good is Beckham going to honestly do sitting behind the 2 central midfielders. Its been said before, and it will be said a million times until Beckham stops wandering around the middle and left side - We need Beckham on the wing because all the balls our other Midfielders have been playing have been utterly shite.

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I know everyone hates Eriksson and disagrees with anything he does but if Beckham plays the whole year on that position in Madrid, why not put him in the national team (since he's going to play anyway) in the position where he plays for his club? It's the position he's now routined to, so i don't see why he should be put in another position.

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[fineintent]

Then Phil Neville at right back just because his brother's injured. What about Danny Mills? Or Tony Hibbert? Both good players, and Mills is proven at this level.

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[9 to 5]

Can't believe people think Zat Knight is England worthy. :S

[lazy_arse]

Then Phil Neville at right back just because his brother's injured. What about Danny Mills? Or Tony Hibbert? Both good players, and Mills is proven at this level.

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Yes, because Phil Neville has no previous international experience...

Neville's decent, he wouldn't be anywhere near the international team without injuries, but he'll do for two qualifying matches. He's lightyears better than Johnson, and has been in good form this season, albeit in a different position. He'll also be going up against Ryan Giggs, who he knows like the back of his hand.

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[Jam]

Then Phil Neville at right back just because his brother's injured. What about Danny Mills? Or Tony Hibbert? Both good players, and Mills is proven at this level.

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Yes, because Phil Neville has no previous international experience...

Neville's decent, he wouldn't be anywhere near the international team without injuries, but he'll do for two qualifying matches. He's lightyears better than Johnson, and has been in good form this season, albeit in a different position. He'll also be going up against Ryan Giggs, who he knows like the back of his hand.

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[lanky316]

Win, lose or draw these next two games, Sven won't be gone until we either get knocked out of the World cup or not qualify. Something I can see happening the way things are progressing

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[fineintent]

Win, lose or draw these next two games, Sven won't be gone until we either get knocked out of the World cup or not qualify. Something I can see happening the way things are progressing

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Don't be silly, we'll get to the quarter finals or semi's lose to a team much better then us. Everyone'll blame a corect refereeing decision for the loss and they'll be welcomed back as "our brave heroes". Lets hope the poles win the group and we struggle against Jamaica in a play-off otherwise we'll never lose the bloody incompetent arse.

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[FLiam]

What is with all this 4-5-1 bullshit recently? It is fucking stupid.

When you see that formation being played, it usually means get an early goal and then sit tight for most the game whilst occasionally taking the odd chance to get another, and knowing Sven, it will mean just that.

Sven needs to start Defoe and Rooney up front because they would be lethal together, then he needs to put Lampard in the middle with Gerrard, SWP on the left, Beckham on the right and play (I never thought I'd say this), Phil Neville at right back, not Luke fucking Young. Neville knows Giggs inside out. If we play like that, we will be fine and dandy. But with this 4-5-1 formation, is has disaster written all over it. :/

Edited September 2, 2005 by Gooner4Life