Goalkeepers

 

Paul Robinson (Tottenham)

David James (Manchester City)

Robert Green (Norwich)

 

Defenders

 

Gary Neville (Manchester United)

Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)

John Terry (Chelsea)

Ashley Cole (Arsenal)

Sol Campbell (Arsenal)

Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)

Wayne Bridge (Chelsea)

 

Midfielders

 

David Beckham (Real Madrid)

Michael Carrick (Tottenham)

Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich)

Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham)

Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough)

Joe Cole (Chelsea)

Aaron Lennon (Tottenham)

 

Strikers

 

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Michael Owen (Newcastle)

Peter Crouch (Liverpool)

Theo Walcott (Arsenal) :o

 

Stand-by: Scott Carson (Liverpool), Luke Young (Charlton), Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace).

 

I have no idea why Theo Walcott is in there considering he's yet to play a premiership game let alone for England :blink: Wright Phillips and Darren Bent aren't even on stand-by :o

 

However it's looking good for Rooney now and I think he will play some part myself. :D

Taking only 4 strikers is absolute rubbish. Owen is injury-prone, Walcott is untested at international level (or top-flight level come to think of it), Rooney is doubtful and Peter Crouch is ... well Peter Crouch speaks for himself. In my opinion he should've took a proven goalscorer (like Defoe or Johnson) who may not be good enough for first team England football but could cover in effectively for times like this, because there's bound to be more injuries come June.

 

 

I think that Defoe should have gone instead of Walcott myself and maybe Young should have gone because what if Neville gets injured? :unsure:

I think that Defoe should have gone instead of Walcott myself and maybe Young should have gone because what if Neville gets injured? :unsure:

Sven's squad is SO inconsistent. He's planning on playing Joe Cole as a supporting striker if all else fails and will most probably drag Bridge or Downing across if Neville is injured. He has 23 players and, if used effectively, he could have pretty much every position covered with at least 1 back-up so that if players DO get injured then he doesn't have to be re-shaping the team at the last minute.

If he IS only going to play one striker then Gerrard should be the one who's put forward slightly as a support striker and maybe Carrick should play as an Anchor role I think.

If he IS only going to play one striker then Gerrard should be the one who's put forward slightly as a support striker and maybe Carrick should play as an Anchor role I think.

 

Yeah a diamond formation (sort of) could work well. Joe Cole is the ONLY player in that squad that can pull off playing in the left midfield with EASE. This formation would work well in my opinion:

 

--------------------Robinson-------------------------

 

A.Cole--------Terry----------Ferdinand------Neville

 

-----------------------Carrick-----------------------

J.Cole--------------------------------------Beckham

-----------------------Lampard----------------------

 

--------------------------------------Gerrard-------

--------------------------Owen (?)------------------

Yeah exactly like that ;) Except that The Coles and Neville and Beckham would swap sides as that's where they play :P

I'm glad Walcott has gone. He might be like Owen was in 98, althought at least Owen had played a game by then. Why the heck he has taken Carrick, Hargreaves and Jenas i'll never know. There was only a need for one of these which would have been Carrick. We could have taken 6 strikers instead which would have better.

Yeah exactly like that ;) Except that The Coles and Neville and Beckham would swap sides as that's where they play :P

 

Meh, I was looking at it from my computer screen angle ^_^ Although Beckham and Neville on the left would be an interesting match.

I'm glad Walcott has gone. He might be like Owen was in 98, althought at least Owen had played a game by then. Why the heck he has taken Carrick, Hargreaves and Jenas i'll never know. There was only a need for one of these which would have been Carrick. We could have taken 6 strikers instead which would have better.

 

Hargreaves serves NO purpose whatsoever. But yet Sven insists on taking him to EVERY major cup that we play in :rolleyes:

And yeah, Sven is clearly looking for Walcott to be the teenage hero of the cup, although I don't think he'll pull it off with as much style as Owen did 8 years ago.

I'm glad Walcott has gone. He might be like Owen was in 98, althought at least Owen had played a game by then. Why the heck he has taken Carrick, Hargreaves and Jenas i'll never know. There was only a need for one of these which would have been Carrick. We could have taken 6 strikers instead which would have better.

Well if he does well then I'll have to take my hat off to Sven but I he hasn't seen him play with his own eyes (not on the TV I mean) so I don't see how picking him is justified myself.

Hargreaves serves NO purpose whatsoever. But yet Sven insists on taking him to EVERY major cup that we play in :rolleyes:

And yeah, Sven is clearly looking for Walcott to be the teenage hero of the cup, although I don't think he'll pull it off with as much style as Owen did 8 years ago.

Hargreaves yes I have no idea why he's going as he never seems to do ANYTHING for England :blink: If he wanted another player like that then why not Joey Barton? or maybe another Striker would have been better as it has already been mentioned.

I think the squad selection is close to excellent.

 

I hate how the English public & the media have to slag off David Beckham & Owen Hargreaves because they don't see them play in the Premiership.

 

This season David Beckham has been resposible for 28 assists for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga - more than any other player in that League including Brazil's Ronaldinho & Argentina's Riquelme and has this year been voted Real Madrid player of the season. (Incredibly he never made the Top3 player's of the season when he played for Manchester Utd). Yet the likes of Sam Allardyce, Terry Butcher & Ian Wright STILL don't think he is good enough to play for the England side anymore.

 

Whilst Owen Hargreaves has been a near ever present player for Bayern Munich who did the League & Cup double this season in Germany.

 

As for Theo Walcott's selection - I'm all in favour of it. It much better to take a player with the potential to do great things than take Darren Bent/Jermaine Defoe or Kevin Beattie who clearly never will be good enough to play at the highest international level.

 

Remember back in 1958 Brazil took a 17 year-old kid who had then played just 17 times for his club Santos to the World Cup. But their then star striker got injured so this kid ended up playing in the Final scoring two goals! But whatever happened to Pele.....

 

The one player who I am most disappointed is not going to the World Cup is Phil Neville who has been outstanding this season in a Left Back/Left midfield role for Everton. I certainly think he would be better back up than taking Wayne Bridge.

I think Paul Konchesky COULD have been the left back but I think the two he's taken are good choices but Phil Neville could have been good as he can play at quite a few different positions.

Taking only 4 strikers is absolute rubbish. Owen is injury-prone, Walcott is untested at international level (or top-flight level come to think of it), Rooney is doubtful and Peter Crouch is ... well Peter Crouch speaks for himself. In my opinion he should've took a proven goalscorer (like Defoe or Johnson) who may not be good enough for first team England football but could cover in effectively for times like this, because there's bound to be more injuries come June.

Yes I agree with all those statements, why only four, and why those four?

Both Bent and Johnson are not England class IMO. There great for there respective clubs and although they haven't played much, but I still don't think there england class.

 

Ian Wright saying Beckham is not England class is for probably because he wants SWP to be in the place of Beckham and speaking of SWP and Ian Wright, Wright was spotted near the Liverpool ground on Friday, maybe talking about a possible move for SWP.

SWP at Liverpool could be an interesting move ;) and not a suprise at the same time ;) And I'm not suprised at Ian Wright's comments considering... :lol:

SWP at Liverpool could be an interesting move ;) and not a suprise at the same time ;) And I'm not suprised at Ian Wright's comments considering... :lol:

 

Yes I've "heard" that as well on the Liverpool FC forum, SWP pace down the right with new signing Gonzalez pace down the left wing could improve Liverpool greatly - all we'll need for next season is a decent striker - like Ruud Van Nisterooy :D .

 

I'm joking about Ruud as apparently Real Madrid & AC Milan are after him. Man Ure fans have turned against him as they reckon he has been tapped up by former Man Utd "rejects" David Beckham & Japp Stam respectively.

I personally don't want him to go as he's been our best striker in recent years but I have to a conclusion that he's a goner now. :(

 

Paul Anderson should break into the first team next season as well considering the right wing for Liverpool. ;)

I visit a Liverpool forum and Phil Thompson said that Nisterlrooy could join Lierpoola dn the Liverpool fans went ape. They were saying that they wouldn't even pay 5 million for him and they were just dissing Nistelrooy.

 

On the Paul Anderson note i'm hoping that he will begin to break into the first team, and i'm hoping Mark Gonzalez does adapts to English football quick as well as Anderson ad Gonzaels down the Liverpool flanks would be immense.