May 24, 201015 yr What has happened to Michael Carrick in the last two years? He's dreadful now, if it wasn't for their names then him and Gerrard would be no where near the squad at the moment. I can't see them delivering in South Africa. Pleast Fabio, take Parker!!
May 24, 201015 yr Author What has happened to Michael Carrick in the last two years? He's dreadful now, if it wasn't for their names then him and Gerrard would be no where near the squad at the moment. I can't see them delivering in South Africa. Pleast Fabio, take Parker!! As a big Liverpool & Stevie G follower, I would not currently pick Stevie G in the England starting XI v USA. As for Michael Carrick as you can see from my earlier XXIII he was not in it, as quite simply I rate Parker & Huddlestone above him.
May 24, 201015 yr Carrick is absymal. Biggest weak link in the Man Utd team. He plays so many sloppy balls and is just generally not a top standard player.
May 30, 201015 yr We just have too many average players in our squad. Getting (currently) beat by Japan says it all, even if it basically is the reserve England team.
May 30, 201015 yr Frustrating :( We need Heskey or Crouch to make this work tbh. Funny thing is Walcott needs Lennon's goalscoring opportunities and Walcott needs Lennon's opportunities to get the ball in the box! Both Rio and Terry have been a bit $h!te as well. Imo Lennon should start and Walcott should be like Crouch and be used as an impact player. I'm starting to think maybe Gerrard shouldn't start tbh :o
May 30, 201015 yr Gerrard's been p*** poor this year, but there's no way he won't be in the starting XI. I have the feeling that Capello might not take Walcott. We have Lennon, Johnson and Milner all who can play right midfield. As well as SWP of course. Really hope Capello takes J.Cole. I think he's one of those impact players that could work really well for England. I don't think Capello will take Bent now. I guess he'll take Upson as extra cover for the CBs who are extremely injury prone. Regardless, I think our squad is extremely fragile and weak and we rely far too much on Rooney. I'd be suprised very if we made the semi-finals at this stage.
May 30, 201015 yr It's a shame Parker hasn't had a go in these two friendlies, I really wanted to see him make the squad as I think he's much better than Huddlestone and especially Carrick are. Can't see Bent going, and obviously neither will Dawson, Parker or Warnock. I hope SWP misses out, and it really wouldn't bother me if Walcott didn't go either to be honest. He's been potential for too long now, Aaron Lennon is a better player and they're ver similar. Joe Cole is proven and has quality, he did well today. Milner will get in and Johnson is an unkown quantity who deserves a chance, he's done as much this season for Boro and City than Walcott has in three years really.
May 30, 201015 yr Thing with Walcott is that people still forget that if he goes he'll be youngest player in the squad! I think he can be a decent impact player and he should go but Lennon has finally figured how to actually DO SOMETHING and should start. I really like SWP but I don't think he's as good as the other options imo. It's all about the best players for our system so imo Gerrard shouldn't start and Milner should play on the left wing but we have a problem with not starting players with high reputations hence why the most overrated player in the world John Terry starts for us as well <_< Then again if King didn't have his knee problems he'd start with Rio anyway.
May 30, 201015 yr Milner's not a left winger though (and neither's Gerrard). I've got a funny feeling that he might try Gerrard and Lampard in the centre together. Really don't know what we'll do with the wide left position though? It's definitely a large weakness for England. SWP is a goner. Idk about Walcott, I just find him to be far too inconsistent. When he's good, he's really good, but when he's poor he's really poor. I'm a bit disappointed Capello's not given Parker a chance either, as Mark said he's FAR better than Carrick and Huddlestone and is a lot better ball winner than Barry (just nowhere near as good in posession).
June 1, 201015 yr No Walcott? Who the f*** is gonna go instead then Shaun Wright-Phillips? :blink: Edited June 1, 201015 yr by Grandwicky
June 1, 201015 yr Darren Ben has always been terrible for England. There's no point taking him just because he scores goals. He can't link up with Rooney at all. Maybe if he was playing with Heskey he'd be OK, but there's no chance that would ever happen barring some freakish injury to Rooney. Walcott omitted... good news. He's been poor, exteremely inconsistent. It's not what England needs. Hope the rumours aren't true and he hasn't taken SWP and not Johnson. Weak decision if true imo.
June 1, 201015 yr ^yeah especially since Johnson has been the form player for Manchester City, not SWP! Looks like Ian Wright will have made a 100-page booklet detailing why SWP must go to the World Cup.
June 1, 201015 yr Now we apparently have Warnock getting the nod at left back over Leighton Beignes and Dawson getting in over King... Dawson has never played a minute for England.
June 1, 201015 yr Author Tuesday, 1 June 2010 16:01 UK World Cup 2010: Theo Walcott left out of England squad BBC Sports News Arsenal winger Theo Walcott was the surprise omission from Fabio Capello's 23-man England World Cup squad. Walcott, 21, who has 11 caps, started both of England's recent friendly victories against Mexico and Japan. Darren Bent, Adam Johnson, Scott Parker, Michael Dawson, Leighton Baines and Tom Huddlestone also miss out. Gareth Barry is included after a fitness test on his ankle injury, while Stephen Warnock, Michael Carrick and Ledley King also make the squad. Walcott was a shock member of former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson's 2006 World Cup squad, having never started a Premier League game but he did not feature in the tournament and the then-17-year-old's inclusion was widely criticised. The right winger has since scored three international goals, all coming in a 4-1 World Cup qualifying victory against Croatia in Zagreb on 10 September 2008. But after suffering with shoulder, back, knee and hamstring problems this season he has been restricted to 15 starts for Arsenal this term, with his form suffering as a result. Walcott said in a statement: "I am very disappointed not to be included in the squad going out to South Africa, but completely respect Mr Capello's decision. "I would like to wish the team the best of luck and hope they have a really successful tournament." Former England captain Alan Shearer was not surprised by Capello's decision to select tried and tested players to take to South Africa. "It was inevitable but I think Fabio said some months ago when he first took the job that players must be in form and playing regularly for their clubs," said Shearer. "Joe Cole isn't playing well and hasn't done for Chelsea and Emile Heskey hasn't played well for Aston Villa but on the other hand I can understand why he has done it because they are tried and trusted in his formation and in his squad." Tottenham skipper King, 29, has been plagued by a chronic knee problem that restricts his ability to train and play back-to-back games in quick succession. He featured for the first time under coach Fabio Capello against Mexico on 24 May, scoring with a first-half header. King had previously been named in a Capello squad in March 2009 but withdrew after being assessed by the England medical staff. Warnock's only England appearance came as an 84th minute substitute in a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago in May 2008. The Aston Villa defender, 28, has previously played for Liverpool and Blackburn as well as loan spells at Bradford and Coventry, and has been preferred in the squad to Baines, who played against Mexico last week and Egypt in March. Tottenham defender Dawson and West Ham midfielder Parker did not feature in either of the games against Mexico and Japan while Manchester City winger Johnson only got a run out as a late substitute. Huddlestone was impressive in Tottenham's midfield as they finished the Premier League in fourth place. ENGLAND SQUAD - MOST CAPPED PLAYERS Steven Gerrard - 80 caps Rio Ferdinand - 78 caps Ashley Cole - 78 caps John Terry - 60 caps Wayne Rooney - 60 caps Emile Heskey - 58 caps The 23-year-old came on as a substitute against Mexico and started against Japan but did not force his way into the final 23. Sunderland striker Bent was the third highest scorer in the 2009-10 Premier League season with 24 goals but has also missed out. And former England winger Chris Waddle admitted Bent's omission was understandable considering the way England play. "It's hard for Darren Bent," said Waddle. "He has got 23 goals and England always play with a target man so Rooney and Defoe are always ahead of Bent. Barring injury I never thought he'd be on the plane." Manchester City midfielder Barry, 29, has not played since he picked up a ligament injury in a Premier League match against Tottenham on 5 May and had an extensive test on his injured ankle on Tuesday morning. Joe Cole is now fully fit after a serious knee ligament injury and produced an impressive second-half cameo during Sunday's 2-1 win against Japan. And Waddle, who played for England at the World Cup in 1990, said Cole had benefitted from Johnson's inexperience after Capello decided to leave the Manchester City man at home. "Adam Johnson has played very well," said Waddle. "He looked very good in the five minutes in the friendly and I think it was between him and Joe Cole and he's gone for Cole." The World Cup begins on 11 June, with England's first game coming a day later against the United States in Rustenburg. England's 23-man squad for the World Cup finals: Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham). Defenders: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa). Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City). Forwards: Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United). SWP in ahead of Adam Johnson = WTF!
June 1, 201015 yr I'm not suprised by any of them, expect perhaps the inclusion of SWP over Johnson. I guess that Capello has gone for experience over raw talent, which is a shame really, but he's playing it safe. Also, i'd hazard a guess that he'll play SWP on the left (WTF again). Carrick is a poor inclusion imo, i'd have had Parker ahead of him. The others I can all see though really. Baines was terrible, and Warnock is a much better left back. Pleased for J.Cole though. The inclusion of Upson is no suprise really with the crooked centre backs we have.
June 1, 201015 yr Baines played himself out of the squad against Mexico. Walcott is no big loss, we won't miss him. A shame Parker and Johnson are out instead of Wright-Phillips and Carrick, but that was always inevitable. I know most of the criticism is about Heskey though, just how many people are there that don't understand football? If we're going to have any chance of winning the World Cup Emile Heskey has the be there, preferably in the starting XI. The only consistant thing about the reigns of Eriksson, McClaren and Capello is that when Heskey plays we score more goals and our star striker (Owen, Rooney) scores more. The one key stat I've seen today is; Rooney's last 10 games for England partnering Heskey: 9 goals. Rooney's last 10 games parterning someone else: 2 goals. No brainer.
June 1, 201015 yr Baines played himself out of the squad against Mexico. Walcott is no big loss, we won't miss him. A shame Parker and Johnson are out instead of Wright-Phillips and Carrick, but that was always inevitable. I know most of the criticism is about Heskey though, just how many people are there that don't understand football? If we're going to have any chance of winning the World Cup Emile Heskey has the be there, preferably in the starting XI. The only consistant thing about the reigns of Eriksson, McClaren and Capello is that when Heskey plays we score more goals and our star striker (Owen, Rooney) scores more. The one key stat I've seen today is; Rooney's last 10 games for England partnering Heskey: 9 goals. Rooney's last 10 games parterning someone else: 2 goals. No brainer. That I can see. But I would have liked to have seen a fifth striker in the squad, Capello was mad to leave out Carlton Cole who has the threat Heskey lacks but links up with the team far more than Bent. I think dropping Walcott is a shame but it was pragmatic given that the attacking midfield (on the right in particular) is our strongest department. I would like to see Capello experiment agaisnt the USA by playing Joe Cole in behind Rooney, with Milner and Lennon out wide. That leaves Crouch and SWP as impact players and if Barry isn't 100% Gerrard and Lampard start together. If theoretcially (and I still think it's possible as we should breeze past France into the semis) we played Spain in the final, right now I'd like to see: ................................Green Johnson......Ferdinand...........Terry...........A. Cole .................................Barry ................Gerrard................Lampard .....Lennon................................Milner / J.Cole ................................Rooney Edited June 1, 201015 yr by Jared Leto
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