The England thread

[METALMAN]

Poor Alan Pardew

[Lineker]

Greg Dyke has announced he will not seek re-election for another term as chairman of the Football Association.

Dyke had initially said he would stand for a further year in office but opposition to proposed reforms from some FA councillors and a minority of board members has made him change his mind.

The 68-year-old said “a more of a conciliatory figure than me” would be needed to pick up the pieces after the fight to get the reforms through the FA Council. He will now leave the governing body in the summer.

Dyke read a prepared statement to the FA board on Thursday saying: “During January, as work on options for governance reform crystallised, it became clear to all of us that there wouldn’t be a unanimous position on governance reform in the board.

“What now appears to be the case is that there is a majority position on the board for much needed significant reform. I fully support this but I recognise it is going to be a fight to get through the FA Council.

“I had already decided that if no reform was possible I was going to leave anyway this summer, a position I had shared with a number of colleagues.

“What I now see is that even if we get the reform through (which will be a difficult and divisive process although essential), I am probably not the best person to pick up the pieces following the inevitable discord.”

Dyke, a former BBC director-general, has been FA chairman since July 2013 during which time he became an outspoken critic of Fifa under Sepp Blatter. He has also pursued policies aimed at modernising the FA and increasing the number of English players in the Premier League.

He also made headlines by making a throat-cutting gesture when England were drawn in the same World Cup group as Italy and Uruguay – the gesture proved to be accurate – and saying “we should shoot ourselves” if England do not qualify from their group at Euro 2016. He also set England a target of winning the World Cup by 2022.

Dyke added in his statement: “However, whichever way the vote goes on reform, I think the FA will need more of a conciliatory figure than me to build on what has been achieved.

“So having said all that you’ve probably guessed what I intend to say. I have changed my mind about standing for a final year in the summer but I will devote my time in the coming months to press for acceptance of the board’s much needed, long overdue reform programme.”

[Lineker]

England will play Australia at Newcastle or Sunderland as one of three warm-up games for Euro 2016, two of which will take place away from Wembley, according to reports.

The Football Association is finalising plans to take one friendly fixture to the north-east of England and another to the north-west at the request of Roy Hodgson, who wishes to recreate a tournament feel.

The manager and his assistants, Ray Lewington and Gary Neville, have identified their preferred opponents for the May fixtures, with the Socceroos probably joined by two European teams. Portugal are likely to be one of them.

The FA is expected to confirm all three opponents and venues later this month but the final friendly before the tournament in France is set to take place at Wembley.

England have not played Australia since the friendly at Upton Park in 2003, when the Socceroos beat Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side 3-1. Australian media say this year’s match will be on 27 May.

[Colly]

Yay!

[Adam]

Cool that they're taking it around, but does 'making it a tournament feel' purely amount to the squad travelling together to Newcastle/Sunderland then again to say, Liverpool?

[The Lusophone]

The England women's team is currently holding world number 1 USA at half time, 0-0. England probably should've had a penalty. Live on the bbc site (and probably tv somewhere).

[MDK]

My word, Hodgson has said he has left the door open for Marcus Rashford for the Euros. And then he has the cheek to say "Most of all, I hope he is allowed to develop as an 18-year-old should and people don't try to put him under enormous pressure,"

[Just Joe]

Pre Euros Friendlies announced, two of them to be played away from Wembley.

May 22nd vs Turkey at The Etidhad, May 27th vs Australia at The Stadium of Light and Portugal at Wembley on June 2nd. Just seen on the Sunderland official site that if I want to go I have to get the tickets online through England Fan Club or something, can't just go to the SoL ticket office and purchase one. Modern Football is bollocks.

[Colly]

I think that's pretty standard to be honest, sure I had to buy Olympic tickets for SJP on the Olympic website, they're the ones generating the tickets.

[Just Joe]

My cousin sorted tickets when we went to The Olympics so wasn't aware of this, it's just a slight inconvenience really. Hopefully the tickets are reasonably priced. It'll be good to get a bit of business into the City for the day as well.

[METALMAN]

17 minutes ago, Colly said:

I think that's pretty standard to be honest, sure I had to buy Olympic tickets for SJP on the Olympic website, they're the ones generating the tickets.

Why were you buying tickets for Sarah Jessica Parker? She can get them herself.

[Colly]

She's bloody bone idle that's why.

[MDK]

Drinkwater is in the England squad! Good for him.

Quote

 

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City).

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).

 

 

[Lineker]

Good. He deserves it. Only call-up you could really question there is Walcott's.

Now for our five to come back uninjured...

Marcus Rashford has been selected for the England Under-20 squad to play Canada in Doncaster on Easter Sunday, in a move that suggests Roy Hodgson regards him as only a remote prospect for the senior side’s Euro 2016 campaign in the summer.

[MDK]

I'm not even sure why Studge is in the squad. Are we really that bereft of forwards? 

[Adam]

All I have to say about this England squad is

[Whisper]

Whenever I've seen Liverpool play, Henderson has looked pretty garbage. Liverpool fans who watch him every week - is he international quality?

Still rate Noble ahead of him, not that Woy would ever drop him anyway.

[TCO]

I know he's ruled it out but we'd totally take Noble. Fuck it, he could take our penalties and be captain too!

[therockbox]

9 minutes ago, Whisper said:

Whenever I've seen Liverpool play, Henderson has looked pretty garbage. Liverpool fans who watch him every week - is he international quality?

He was before his injury. Apparently his foot is fucked now though, he's admitted he's always going to have to play through pain and it shows.

[Lineker]

Euro 2016 kits.