England Squad

ISawLeaburnScore

England squad to play Andorra and Croatia:

Robinson (Blackburn), James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham); Lescott (Everton), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Brown (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Upson (West Ham); Barry (Aston Villa), J Cole (Chelsea), Lampard (Chelsea), Bullard (Fulham), Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Downing (Middlesbrough), Bentley (Tottenham), Jenas (Tottenham); Walcott (Arsenal), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth), Heskey (Wigan).

No Ashley Young, No Agbonlahar, No Owen, No Crouch, No Woodgate, No Ashton, No Bent

I personally don't think the likes of Downing will ever ever make it at international level and the squad is a bit of a disappointment in my opinion.

Still at a loss to work out what Upson offers that Woodgate doesn't for instance.

Owen is obviously out of sorts but proven and you can make a reasonably strong case for A.Young, Agbonlahor, Woodgate and our Darren to be in there.

We'll get served out in Zagreb if we even dream of playing like we did at Wembley last week, things under the new regime still appear to me to be same old hat.

Bexleyheath_Red

No Owen!? No Ashton!?

Also Agbonlahar and Young should be in there.

Let's hope his made the right choice.

Carter

Ashton is a bit too podgy to be considered fit for international duty and also overated. Owen should be the first name on the team sheet. Agbonlahor deserves a go young also but with him I would say time is on his side and he will displace Cole sooner rather than later.

southamptonaddick

This seems a weird squad. I agree with all that you've said and just want to add another missing player Micah Richards.

I know he was injured last weekend but I'm sure he played in the EUFA cup.

One other thing is how Jenas gets in the squad time after time and for different managers I don't know.

Kap10

So far Capello has been a disappointment, I was hoping he would shake things up and make the elitwe realise that they are privileged to be chosen for England. While one can argue that he has chosen the best 11 for England on paper they have not done it for us. Maybe we just don't have anyone that can get it together for England but the Prima donnas should be given a shot acros their bows.

ISawLeaburnScore

Jenas I'd agree on.

Theo Walcott is a continually strange one for me as well but at least you get the impression that he has the something extra required to make things happen.

Richards played in the week and today away at Sunderland (Must admit I thought he was still injured so didn't originally include him)

Addickted

Jenas?

How does this very average player still keep getting picked?

bingaddick

I please that Bullard's in there. Something needs to be done about our midfield and with Gerrard and Hargreaves out, this gives Capello a chance.

nth_london_addick

i cant see why everyone picks walcott as a striker he is so not a striker imo he is a winger at the wrong club yes he can go upfront if needed

but for ffs will managers make big decisions and only play players where they should be playing and drop the feckers if needed

like it or not crouch and defoe have scored together for england and looked good yesterday, i dont know the last time rooney played well for england and heskey for fecks sake he might as well have picked marcus bent

this fella is a fecking idiot the sooner the fa wake up and stop ripping the fans off get an english man in there and pick a team that plays to its strengths.

the only good thing is Bullard but he will only be in the squad not the team but it shows others that you can break into the team but only if 1 over paid arse cant be arsed to play

jimmymelrose

I said Capello would be crap when he was offered the job.
I'm still saying it now
And I'll be proved right.

Sounds a bit opinionated I know, but it just seems so bleeding obvious to me that a man with his command of English just won't be able to communicate effectively with the players.
But of course you'd probaly find that no-one on the FA committee has ever tried to learn a foreign language and they just brush it under the carpet like it isn't an issue.

colthe3rd

he can communicate with the players and they have all said his English is very good, he won't speak to the press that much because he isn't fluent yet as he doesn't want to say something by accident and them take it all out of proportion. Really don't see which English manager would have come in and done much better as in my opinion the players available really aren't that good and the sooner everyone realises that the better which in turn would probably take some of the pressure off the team as the media and the public would stop building them up for every tournament.

Ledge

Absolute JOKE no Michael Owen I am effing fuming.

That little mug Walcott struggles to get in the Arsenal team.

40 goals in 89 games for Owen for England DEMANDS a place IMO - He's been playing weel in a shit Newcastle team.

No Agbonlahor , no ahsley young - and still Beckham gets in.

New manager same old crap -

MCS

England have no hope, cant believe Owen aint in there, shocking, all the time we have heskey in the squad we are freakin doooomed!

Kap10

I was at England v Russia when we tonked them off the park. I have no problem with Heskey being in the squad, every team needs a hod carrier or two, but it was the partnership of Owen and Heskey that one the game that day, so where is Owen. What has Owen done to upset Capello, did he leave a "Capello" stinks sign in the bernabau? Walcott seems to be played as a striker because Wenger thinks he is a 2nd Henry, but he has not yet proved himself in that role so why is he in the England squad in that role? I used to look forward to England games frieindlies and competitive, now I can't be bothered.

Ledge

If Wenger, a very shrewd judge of a player, won't play Walcott up front for Arsenal YET despite having been there a while now HOW on earth is this kid getting in England squads.

UNBELIEVABLE

leftbehind

[quote][cite]Posted By: Ledge[/cite]If Wenger, a very shrewd judge of a player, won't play Walcott up front for Arsenal YET despite having been there a while now HOW on earth is this kid getting in England squads.


UNBELIEVABLE[/quote]

Spot On

Chris_from_Sidcup

I'm in much the same boat as others on here. I cannot believe his selections.

How do Lescott and Upson get picked ahead of Woodgate.
Why is Jenas there?
Why are Beckham and Downing there? Downing isn't good enough and by picking Beckham we're going back 2 years.
And Walcott as a striker ahead of Owen, Crouch, Ashton. It's pathetic.

For those asking why Richards isn't there, he got injured again for City yesterday.

Admittedly any XI we play will beat Andorra but i fear for us in Croatia.

Goonerhater

Crotia will be laughing their heads off. Owen should be in for the fear he puts into defences.

Ledge

Owen should be for his goal record alone.

I'

Weegie Addick

I think Woodgate is injured again, isn't he?

But same old, same old apart from Jimmy Bullard - pleased he's in, though not exactly building for the future is it?

Even Eriksson had a fresher approach when he first arrived and was prepared to judge players on merit and form rather than on the past or what clubs they play for.

Chris_from_Sidcup

[cite]Posted By: Weegie Addick[/cite]
Even Eriksson had a fresher approach when he first arrived and was prepared to judge players on merit and form rather than on the past or what clubs they play for.

With the England squad there does seem to be an obsession with picking players who play for champions league or fashionable clubs. That can only be the reason the likes of Jenas and Walcott get picked.
In one of the saturday papers it listed how many players the Croatian team that beat Germany in Euro 2008 had playing for CL clubs. None.

Ketman

No Owen is just...I am speechless.

Not sure what Rooney has done for England since Euro 2004. Have no problems with new players coming in, but the same old guard appear to be being picked. We'll have no problem in the Andorra fixture whoever he selects, but Croatia away we are gonna lose with these players, no Owen, no Gerrard (Injured) not looking too bright is it?

ISawLeaburnScore

[cite]Posted By: Ketman[/cite]Not sure what Rooney has done for England since Euro 2004.

overrated, overhyped, spoilt by an adoring media and SKY generation...

look at his goal record, look at his temperament - when has he produced apart from that one competition?

he looks sluggish and out of condition and particularly disinterested when he plays for the national team - 14 goals in 44 England apps

Peter Crouch on the other hand has 14 in 28 apps, including times when he was abused and derided by his own supporters - does not matter the opposition he scored against, you have to put the ball in the back of the net, which he has quite clearly done more regularly

With 89 from 40 Owen is going 2.225 games for a goal even including his recent times of injury and unfitness, Rooney is a full game higher

mart77

As an Irishman looking in i think Capello is a decent manager but am suprised at some of the exclusions especially Ashley Young and am shocked at the inclusion of Heskey who although some may point out that he can do a job, i still think he's a donkey.

Henry Irving

Don't think it is the manager or whether he is English (like McLaren) or not.

We don't have enough good players. The media talk up Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand as "world class" players and the others as big stars but as others have said when have they really shone on the international stage.

Good club players but the hype that surrounds the Premier League and England means that we have an expectation of success and try to explain the "mystery" of why these "great" players don't do it for England.

But there is no "mystery" it's just the players ain't all that.

Still some bizarre choices but I'm 100% confident we'll beat Andorra.

ISawLeaburnScore

[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]Still some bizarre choices but I'm 100% confident we'll beat Andorra.

No chance of anything else.

But even without Eduardo, Croatia will be a big big struggle.

Chris_from_Sidcup

[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]
The media talk up Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand as "world class" players and the others as big stars but as others have said when have they really shone on the international stage.

In my opinion the 5 you've listed are world class players, i don't think theres any doubting that. They'd get into most teams in the world. Torres said Gerrard is the best player he's ever played with. Mourinho is no fool and desperately wanted Lampard for Italy's best club side. Terry and Ferdinand are easily 2 of the best defenders in the world. And Fergie wouldn't continually play Rooney if he wasn't up to it.

But the fact is, they're helped by the other world class players they play with at club level. Is Rio helped by Evra, Vidic and Van der sar? Is Terry helped by Cech, Bosingwa and Carvalho? Gerrard has Torres, Mascherano and Alonso around him. Rooney has Ronaldo and Tevez. Lampard has Deco, Essien and Ballack.

The fact is we do have some world class players but we lack a world class keeper, right back, wide players and main goal scorer. And at international level that's lacking too much. 3 or 4 players can't carry the team. Teams that win tournaments have strength and quality throughout the side, not in just a couple of areas.

razil

Henry that is exactly why we shouldnt be blowing so much money on these foreign managers. Give it to Allerdyce or Rednapp for 2 years on a much reduced arrangement thats what I say.

Miserableoldgit

Redknapps gotta be the Topman.
And why is it (Bullard apart) the same squad time and time again ?
Thought Sven was gonna change all this when he picked "Our Chrissie" , but he ended up with the same faces ;
why not pick "form" players ?

razil

cos they are all so scared of being hung by the media, ironically so much so that that they end up getting hung by the media..

Miserableoldgit

So why not go for it from the start ;
if you know its all going to go "t*ts-up" one day why not do it all under your rules, rather than the FA and scummy press ?