How Do England Stack Up?

[beats1]

I think it'll be Lescott, Jagielka, Cahill if fit and Rio. If Cahill's not fit then one of Smalling or Jones, probably Smalling. Don't think Caulker will be called up regardless of how well he's done at Swansea.

Im not too sure Woy got the job because they felt he would develop the first team better for the future and for the 2014 WC

and out of those CB's you listed both Jones and Smalling have played more games at RB or DM this season, Cahill has struggled to displace Luiz , Jagielka hasn't played much due to the knee injury

Doesn't say much about english CB's but other than Caulker, I cant think of one who has had a good season

 

[Marty]

Im not too sure Woy got the job because they felt he would develop the first team better for the future and for the 2014 WC

and out of those CB's you listed both Jones and Smalling have played more games at RB or DM this season, Cahill has struggled to displace Luiz , Jagielka hasn't played much due to the knee injury

Doesn't say much about english CB's but other than Caulker, I cant think of one who has had a good season

I agree with you, but I just think Woy will fall into the classic England manager trap at least for this tournament, then maybe the next qualifiers will be a bit more about development.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Im not too sure Woy got the job because they felt he would develop the first team better for the future and for the 2014 WC

and out of those CB's you listed both Jones and Smalling have played more games at RB or DM this season, Cahill has struggled to displace Luiz , Jagielka hasn't played much due to the knee injury

Doesn't say much about english CB's but other than Caulker, I cant think of one who has had a good season

So true. Caulker has a very good season and is an excellent player. I wouldn't be totally shocked if he made it (there is always at least one surprise) but I think he'll be in the Olympic squad instead. Definitely right about the lack of English CB's that have had a good season. If Kaboul was English he'd be first choice by far.

 

[beats1]

I agree with you, but I just think Woy will fall into the classic England manager trap at least for this tournament, then maybe the next qualifiers will be a bit more about development.

well it appears Caulker chances of going have increased as Smalling will not make the Euro's

 

[ShelfSide18]

The Hodgson appointment is interesting, his style is very much based on drilling, organisation and pragmatism first and foremost, and with teams like Spain, Germany, Holland, teams that England can't outplay, then it gives us a very slight chance of snatching something. The biggest issue however is that he doesn't have much time, any time really, to get his methods across. It takes long enough in club management when you have your players every day, he only has a handful of weeks with already tired players.

If England had gone with Harry, almost the polar opposite of Hodgson then we'd have likely gone to the Euro's, play with anarchic freedom, maybe stuff one team but bow out in the quarters when we draw a team with a manager and players who have some semblance of tactical intelligence. Even Capello struggled to reign in the tactical naivety of a lot of our players, Harry probably wouldn't even try too, Hodgson doesn't have enough time on his side for this tournament.

Ultimately I think Harry would have been a better short term appointment for the Euro's, he'd give the players what they want - freedom - he'd tell them all how good they are, he'd get the fans onside and we'd go and give it a right go until we draw Spain/Holland/Germany in the quarters and look like lost children in the supermarket. With Hodgson I just don't know how we're going to fare, I can't see him abandoning his methods so I guess he'll go with older experienced heads and maybe try and pick the core of a club side, Utd perhaps so to give some continuity and understanding. We won't be thrilling at all and I can see the fans losing patience very quickly.

I think a lot of people think England can be changed overnight, that all we need is the right manager, the players to care more etc etc etc but the long hard truth is that success is not born out of one man being given the job, it needs to start from the bottom. A clear grass roots strategy that nurtures our young talent and an ethos that runs through the national game that means it's less about the totem figure at the top who gets likened to a vegetable every 2 years but the idea that started it. We have never had a clear strategy, it's just us lurching from one hapless manager to the next who fails to polish the turd, a conservative Fa resistant to change and at the bottom willing but clueless volunteers who babysit youth teams which amounts to sticking the quickest runner up front and lumping it towards him and watch him score 70 goals a season.

The 3 favourites for the Euro's all have this, they boast the most amount of qualified coaches in Europe, the Dutch obviously are well known for their youth coaching and strategy, the Spanish have re-written football in recent years which has not come about by accident, the Germans are bearing the fruit of a massive inquest and national strategy put in place after they slumped out of Euro 2000. It takes time, not just a change of manager, we should really be planning towards 2020 and when Wenger leaves Arsenal we should be giving him a role to overhaul the national game from top to bottom.

We'll get knocked out in the Quarters.

 

[DJS]

Why are people picking Richards ahead of Walker?

I think England can do okay so long as Lampard is not picked and we pick players on merit rather then previous rep:

Hart

Walker Cahill Terry / Rio (not together as too old) Cole

Milner Carrick (real shame Wilshere isn't available to play as one of these two)

Walcott Gerrard (or Rooney) Young

Rooney (or Sturridge / Wellbeck / Carrol if Rooney deeper)

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Why are people picking Richards ahead of Walker?

I think England can do okay so long as Lampard is not picked and we pick players on merit rather then previous rep:

Hart

Walker Cahill Terry / Rio (not together as too old) Cole

Milner Carrick (real shame Wilshere isn't available to play as one of these two)

Walcott Gerrard (or Rooney) Young

Rooney (or Sturridge / Wellbeck / Carrol if Rooney deeper)

Parker will probably play ahead of Carrick. I'm not upset at all that Wilshere isn't playing, it is hard enough to muster up any enthusiasm for the England team without Wilshere in the team as well. Rio and Terry won't play together not only because they are both old, both been poor this season but I seem to remember there was was some issue between Terry and Rio's little brother which can't be good for the squad. In fact if the FA were willing to sack Capello and pey him a fee to leave over the Terry thing then I'd imagine they'd have told Roy that Terry can't go. He'll be much more of a yes man than Harry ever would have been and so the FA four man committee will have the chance to pick the squad.

In fact England are going to be short at the back. Terry likely won't even be in the squad, Smalling is definitely out, Rio looking doubtful too (in fact Ferguson may just not let any of his players play this summer if they don't win the league tomorrow). Jones has been very poor this season, Dawson is injured, Cahill has a hamstring problem. I think we are left with only Lescott and Jagielka as centre backs who look likely to be solid picks.

 

[beats1]

Why are people picking Richards ahead of Walker?

I think England can do okay so long as Lampard is not picked and we pick players on merit rather then previous rep:

Hart

Walker Cahill Terry / Rio (not together as too old) Cole

Milner Carrick (real shame Wilshere isn't available to play as one of these two)

Walcott Gerrard (or Rooney) Young

Rooney (or Sturridge / Wellbeck / Carrol if Rooney deeper)

I never understood why people rate Milner so highly, this season he hasn't been starting alot for a england starter (17 games) and Barry has done better than him this season

as said in the thread though it may have changed bait, all these players have had good seasons and it would be fair to reward this

Hart​

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Walker Caulker Lescott Baines​

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Parker Carrick​

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Walcott Sturridge Young​

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Welbeck or Holt​

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I know that team wouldn't be picked for England but with rooney in it for one of the deeper 3 I would suspect this team would go further than one that will get picked imo, I know gerrard will in the team instead of Sturridge but we seem to rewards superstar egos to much imo​

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I would also love to see scholes in that team as he has been fantastic for United this season and the difference for united this season​

 

[Blake Griffin]

germany look the strongest to me. spain have balance issues.

 

[Blake Griffin]

do we even stack up to belgium? just need to get lukaku back on the right path or find someone else and they're looking very strong.​

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courtois​

alderweireld - kompany - vertonghen - vermaelen​

defour - fellaini​

hazard - dembele - mertens​

lukaku

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[ethanedwards]

do we even stack up to belgium? just need to get lukaku back on the right path or find someone else and they're looking very strong.​

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courtois​

alderweireld - kompany - vertonghen - vermaelen​

defour - fellaini​

hazard - dembele - mertens​

lukaku​

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How did they not qualify?

 

[RichieS]

How did they not qualify?

Germany and Turkey in their group.

 

[Marty]

Germany and Turkey in their group.

Belgium really should've finished second though, there has been a bit of debate about why they failed.

Their qualifying group for 2014 is incredibly tough too, they play Croatia, Serbia, Scotland, Wales and Macedonia. Everybody can beat everybody, although I'd probably hold Belgium and Croatia as joint favourites.