Don't understand why GB feels the need to only select players who haven't been in the Euros - several top Spanish players have said that they want to be included.
Beckham's inclusion is nothing to do with form, it's purely based on nostalgia, but this should not be treated as an exhibition. Apart from anything he's in the middle of his season.
Very much the British attitude to the World Cup and European club tournaments when they started.
Every tournament are rubbish at and the public demands youth and development. A major tournament on their doorstep that is focused on youth and development and people say that it means sod all.
The fact that Brazil and Spain take it seriously should probably ring a few bells.
and Morts is right, the attitude to Olympic football in this country stinks, Brazil are desperate to win it, and will be sending the likes of Neymar, and Spain use it to develop the next generation of players.
To be fair, this country doesn't have an Olympic team. This is not going to benefit any of the home nations from a development point of view - its purely for show. And if you want show, you have Becks.
People are forgetting that in "normal" international football the four British nations compete individually.
However in the Olympics it is a Great Britain team. Those countries that want to be represented will be which means that the team will not be picked solely on footballing grounds in my humble opinion.
bad decision by pearse imo. not the first time. 2bob manager. Richards who has blasé attitude towards playing for England and Beckham who has made it clear he loves playing for his country and helped to secure these games in London should be given his chance to have a swan song last appearance. This talk about taking it seriously has nothing to do with picking Richards over beckham. this is a Great Britain team who have never and will never play together again. and i don’t think for not being that bothered about Olympic football is the reason why our national team is falling behind to Brazil or Spain. we are 4 different countries playing together for a one off tournament, you can’t build a new England national side on that.
I doubt the final decision was all down to Stuart Pearce, the GB squad is a nothing team playing in a nothing competition with the hope at best of winning a gold medal.
He is a puppet having his strings pulled by Olympic officials aiming to put out a balanced squad represented by all the nations and keeping the PC brigade happy.
To be fair, this country doesn't have an Olympic team. This is not going to benefit any of the home nations from a development point of view - its purely for show. And if you want show, you have Becks.
How ever bad Beckham has been I just can't see that Richards is better.
Do people seriously think that Richards is the best over 23 player in Great Britain who wasn't at the euros. I wonder if any Scottish are going to agree to play? If so surely one of them is better than Richards?
How many Scottish players did that? Is he better than Beckham? No, but maybe the manager wants an experienced defender rather than an icon.
Regardless of the dilution of the squad across 4 nations such a tournament could be great experience for young players from whatever country. The SFA, WFA and IFA should be fighting to get their kids this kind of experience but the old attitudes die hard.
Meanwhile Brazil and Spain take it seriously and will send strong teams. That alone should be making us think "why, what do they hope to gain or maybe what have they gained already that we are missing out on?"
I would say the answer lies in your question Henry, Brazil & Spain will take it seriously but they are individual countries, our team will be made up of representitives from four different countries who dont have much time for each other.
It was not that long ago that they were kicking lumps out of each other in the home internationals, and these were only stopped due to fighting between the fans.
Now we expect them to forget all that and play as one team, it was never going to work for the football side of the Olympics.
Strange to leave Beckham out even if it was only for PR. He would of put an extra 5,000+ on the gate and especially strange considering the football is struggling to sell.
if true then that is weird, why would Pearce who loved playing for England and was very critical of the likes of the Spurs / Blackburn guy (whos name escapes me-refused to play for England cause he was tired!) chose M richards who just turned his back on England this summer. The likes of Richards should never have the opportunity to represent their country again IMO.
Seb Coe wants Beckham in the hospitality areas shaking hands and putting bums on the expensive dining table seats, not out on the pitch playing in games.
Richards seems a strange decision as I thought Walker was going to play as he didn't go to the Euros
Walker could still play as he is under 23, Richards is just as good at CB.
I would have liked Darren Bent to be in the squad after he has been so unlucky to never play in a major tournament for England. He is suppose to be fully fit now.
why should they preferentially pick irish /scottish/english /welsh to make the numbers right , surely they should pick the best available , even if it is an all english or welsh or scottish or northern irish team
you wouldn't expect them to pick some chuffy northern irish sprinters in front of a better english sprinter if there were already a few english sprinters already in the team IYKWIM
The womens team was picked a couple of days ago, and there were no Irish or Welsh players, cause they weren't good enough.
With the Mens team, you would expect Bale and Ramsey, plus Giggs and Bellamy, cause there decent players. For Northern Ireland, I'm not sure who's good enough, as for the Scots, Barry Bannahan would be a decent bet.
Comments
Beckham's inclusion is nothing to do with form, it's purely based on nostalgia, but this should not be treated as an exhibition. Apart from anything he's in the middle of his season.
Bellamy is still a decent player, was excellent when he played for Liverpool this season.
Footballing, not political
Every tournament are rubbish at and the public demands youth and development. A major tournament on their doorstep that is focused on youth and development and people say that it means sod all.
The fact that Brazil and Spain take it seriously should probably ring a few bells.
I thought he'd retired from international football in 2007 to focus more on the shagging or something.
and Morts is right, the attitude to Olympic football in this country stinks, Brazil are desperate to win it, and will be sending the likes of Neymar, and Spain use it to develop the next generation of players.
However in the Olympics it is a Great Britain team. Those countries that want to be represented will be which means that the team will not be picked solely on footballing grounds in my humble opinion.
Beckham
Bellamy
Someone half scottish half N.I
Richards who has blasé attitude towards playing for England and Beckham who has made it clear he loves playing for his country and helped to secure these games in London should be given his chance to have a swan song last appearance.
This talk about taking it seriously has nothing to do with picking Richards over beckham. this is a Great Britain team who have never and will never play together again.
and i don’t think for not being that bothered about Olympic football is the reason why our national team is falling behind to Brazil or Spain. we are 4 different countries playing together for a one off tournament, you can’t build a new England national side on that.
He is a puppet having his strings pulled by Olympic officials aiming to put out a balanced squad represented by all the nations and keeping the PC brigade happy.
Do people seriously think that Richards is the best over 23 player in Great Britain who wasn't at the euros.
I wonder if any Scottish are going to agree to play? If so surely one of them is better than Richards?
How many Scottish players did that? Is he better than Beckham? No, but maybe the manager wants an experienced defender rather than an icon.
Regardless of the dilution of the squad across 4 nations such a tournament could be great experience for young players from whatever country. The SFA, WFA and IFA should be fighting to get their kids this kind of experience but the old attitudes die hard.
Meanwhile Brazil and Spain take it seriously and will send strong teams. That alone should be making us think "why, what do they hope to gain or maybe what have they gained already that we are missing out on?"
It was not that long ago that they were kicking lumps out of each other in the home internationals, and these were only stopped due to fighting between the fans.
Now we expect them to forget all that and play as one team, it was never going to work for the football side of the Olympics.
Like he needed to do that, that trip has Olympic jolly up written all over it.
I would have liked Darren Bent to be in the squad after he has been so unlucky to never play in a major tournament for England. He is suppose to be fully fit now.
you wouldn't expect them to pick some chuffy northern irish sprinters in front of a better english sprinter if there were already a few english sprinters already in the team IYKWIM
With the Mens team, you would expect Bale and Ramsey, plus Giggs and Bellamy, cause there decent players. For Northern Ireland, I'm not sure who's good enough, as for the Scots, Barry Bannahan would be a decent bet.