I am thinking that I must be out of sinc with general opinion, as he never gets criticised but I really cant see why Milner plays for England, and what he brings to the team. Can anyone explain what it is I'm missing here?
100% player that can cover many positions, if he is going to play DM would have preferred Drinkwater, but I believe Roy wants to keep the players he has picked for the last 2 years if possible
Bloke is a proper professional. Not the greatest but England can hardly be picky. He can pass, cross, track back and tackle. He makes sure he's available for a teammate whos on the ball. He isn't special but over the years he has got better and now I would find it difficult to leave him out of the squad.
He's the best English crosser of the ball currently playing. He's not amazing at creating the space for it but when he gets it his delivery is excellent. I don't get why Kane is on set pieces ahead of him.
Always think that Milners persona goes before his talent. 14 assists and 5 goals since January for a side that did the business is Europe. If we play two holding I'd play Dier and Wilshere but Milner has ability and is he epitamy of a squad player.
The only situation I'd want him is of we have a slender lead to defends for ten mins. Bring him on for an attacking player. You get a great hard working player who will cover the defense and you don't lose your outlet.
Boring as f@@k though isn't he. How many top national teams would he even get near? Answer = none.
If England WAS a top national team that would be relevant. We aren't. Realistically we are and probably always will be on a tier below the very best, and someone like Milner is more than good enough for the team we ARE, if not the team we want to be (and the press like to pretend we actually are.)
James Milner is the new Owen Hargreaves... No one could understand why he was in the squad yet all of a sudden (2006 World Cup I think) he suddenly started playing really well and was probably one of our best players at that tournament.
James Milner is the new Owen Hargreaves... No one could understand why he was in the squad yet all of a sudden (2006 World Cup I think) he suddenly started playing really well and was probably one of our best players at that tournament.
I was only 11 but I understood why Hargreaves was playing. He was a ball winner and played a role that would compliment Gerrard/Lampard rather than have them fighting trying to play the same role.
Milne does none of those things. Doesn't fill a gap where we have no one else. Doesn't compliment other players and doesn't suit our style of play.
When Rooney was sent off against Portugal in 06, Owen Hargreaves played like a man possessed, covered every blade of grass and was a big part of why we took that to a penalty shoot-out.
Went from being a favourite of the boo-boys to a genuine favourite. Then unfortunately became a sicknote and hardly played for England again.
Before every season, Liverpool subject their players to an endurance exercise which consists of doing laps of the field until exhaustion. At 36, James Milner has finished first in this exercise for theeighth year in a row
He may not have been the best in any one position. But, in terms of versatility, there haven't been many that have had a better career or played over 700 games. He remains the ultimate pro in what is his 21st season and a fine example to any young footballer:
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...not much good in any of them though.
Not sure why Roy starts him.
A hard working midfielder on the right, who covers back and allows the right back to get forward on the overlap, in Milner.
Or an attacking midfielder/winger in Sterling, who is inconsistent, (or Townsend, who has been discarded).
Which one suits Hodgson?
Milner is ranked something like the 6th best player in Europe isn't he ?
Stats definitely lie.
Just like CL ranked Makienok (in the player marks), above POTY Cousins.
The real James Milner however is, as others have said, in the best form of his career and is rightly in the squad in my opinion.
Milne does none of those things. Doesn't fill a gap where we have no one else. Doesn't compliment other players and doesn't suit our style of play.
Went from being a favourite of the boo-boys to a genuine favourite. Then unfortunately became a sicknote and hardly played for England again.
At 36, James Milner has finished first in this exercise for the eighth year in a row
He may not have been the best in any one position. But, in terms of versatility, there haven't been many that have had a better career or played over 700 games. He remains the ultimate pro in what is his 21st season and a fine example to any young footballer: