The England National Team

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Telegram Sam
18 years ago
8 months ago
5,083
30 Oct 2012 23:30:23
By rossiheslopi | Permalink | On 30 October 2012 - 23:21 PM
Knowing serbia they've probably charged them for being black

Pretty inconsiderate to be honest.
Jamieandhisego
20 years ago
3 years ago
841
31 Oct 2012 12:45:29
Serbia is such a fucking joke of a country.
Wes Brown
20 years ago
5 months ago
1,101
31 Oct 2012 17:56:44
British Government are stepping in
Mr Willy
18 years ago
1 year ago
495
31 Oct 2012 23:26:22
Not sure what Hugh Robertson or whoever is Sports Minister at the moment can do, normally when governments step into football matters, UEFA/FIFA get pissed off.
bluemoon.
19 years ago
6 months ago
2,411
Premium
31 Oct 2012 23:34:30
By Mr Willy | Permalink | On 31 October 2012 - 23:26 PM
Not sure what Hugh Robertson or whoever is Sports Minister at the moment can do, normally when governments step into football matters, UEFA/FIFA get pissed off.

This is isn't a football issue, though.
Deano
20 years ago
1 year ago
1,380
08 Nov 2012 11:46:38
Leon Osman! Fuck yea.
The OG KiKo
19 years ago
4 days ago
1,908
08 Nov 2012 12:09:34
Yeah, happy for Osman, been a long time coming. Such a hard working player, exactly the kind of attitude we need
Telegram Sam
18 years ago
8 months ago
5,083
08 Nov 2012 12:20:15
Pleased for Osman, he deserves his chance. Gutted that Gary Hooper was injured as he was supposedly set to make this squad. Would love to see Forster start next week.
Ninja
16 years ago
9 years ago
5,341
08 Nov 2012 12:46:02
Can't believe there's another fucking internetional break. Just when we were getting in to the swing of things again.
tmatthew
20 years ago
9 months ago
771
08 Nov 2012 12:53:04
Just a mid-week fixture isn't it? There's PL games this weekend and next.
Zog
19 years ago
7 years ago
395
12 Nov 2012 05:55:20
Really glad to see Zaha called up.

Well, not neccesarily him personally but I like the general trend of picking young players that Hodgson seems to be going for. It would be so easy for him to call up someone like Downing to spend some pointless time with the squad just because he's the next in line or whatever, makes so much more sense to bring in a young player who might actually benefit from getting integrated into the national team environment and would probably make the transition into a regular player a lot easier when it actually comes.
Wes Brown
20 years ago
5 months ago
1,101
12 Nov 2012 18:42:35
He's eligible for Ivory Coast too so nice to get him early.
bluemoon.
19 years ago
6 months ago
2,411
Premium
12 Nov 2012 19:28:04
He can still play for Ivory Coast, this is only a friendly.
Wes Brown
20 years ago
5 months ago
1,101
12 Nov 2012 19:36:42
Ah right, still it shows we're interested and he's got a chance of being involved in the future.
Tommo.
14 years ago
7 months ago
2,272
Premium
12 Nov 2012 20:04:35
Drogba has already tried persuading him to play for Ivory Coast
jumberto
18 years ago
2 years ago
1,111
12 Nov 2012 20:42:15
They were saying on FW that we could have 3 players play on Wednesday who could then go on to play for another country. Zaha, Sterling and Jenkinson. Quite interesting I thought.
Deano
20 years ago
1 year ago
1,380
14 Nov 2012 09:38:13
Sterling and Osman set to start tonight.
The OG KiKo
19 years ago
4 days ago
1,908
14 Nov 2012 09:57:59
By jumberto | Permalink | On 12 November 2012 - 20:42 PM
They were saying on FW that we could have 3 players play on Wednesday who could then go on to play for another country. Zaha, Sterling and Jenkinson. Quite interesting I thought.

Shawcross could also play for Wales IIRC
terriersmad
18 years ago
5 years ago
744
14 Nov 2012 17:59:25
Given the number of wingers being called up at the moment, I'm stunned that Anthony Pilkington hasn't got the nod. Top-scoring English midfielder in the Premier League last season, supplier of top-notch crosses, Norwich's best player (look at their results with and without him), and the Englishman who's created the most Premier League chances this season, despite being in and out through injury. Only Juan Mata has created as many chances.

But Sterling plays for Liverpool, so gets the call-up despite not being anywhere near ready yet.
King Luis
20 years ago
5 months ago
3,111
14 Nov 2012 18:18:04
By terriersmad | Permalink | On 14 November 2012 - 17:59 PM
Given the number of wingers being called up at the moment, I'm stunned that Anthony Pilkington hasn't got the nod. Top-scoring English midfielder in the Premier League last season, supplier of top-notch crosses, Norwich's best player (look at their results with and without him), and the Englishman who's created the most Premier League chances this season, despite being in and out through injury. Only Juan Mata has created as many chances.

But Sterling plays for Liverpool, so gets the call-up despite not being anywhere near ready yet.


Yeah really is a case of big club bias...OH WAIT.
terriersmad
18 years ago
5 years ago
744
14 Nov 2012 18:34:35
Sterling isn't ready, and were the roles reversed and he'd just made a breakthrough at Norwich he wouldn't have got anything like the media attention. I'll make a concession that Hodgson will know about him as former Liverpool manager, but the point stands. I notice Andre Wisdom was part of the U21 side last night - how often has he played? We had Robinson and Flanagan being lauded last season despite playing only a handful of games, and tipped for doing great things in the future. Martin Kelly made one appearance for you in the Champions League and won an inordinate amount of plaudits (though it took him much longer to get into the England squad through injury - although God only knows why people rate Glen Johnson ahead of him).

Maybe big club bias is harsh, but it's certainly big club media hype. I could give you a list of wingers (both English and foreign) who are better than Sterling right now, but who the media never pick up on.
jumberto
18 years ago
2 years ago
1,111
14 Nov 2012 19:27:34
Sterling's in good form and as he is available for another country it makes sense to call him now in a meaningless friendly midseason to try and commit him to England, as is the case with Zaha. I know Pilkington is available for Ireland (and has played for their u21s) but he's 24 so there's less of a rush as he's not committed already.

Pilkington is a decent PL player but I can't recall him ever having a blinder against one of the better teams (happy to be corrected if he has) whereas Sterling and Zaha both have had good games when everybody's watching, which tends to be the key and where the 'big-club bias' thing comes from.

Osman has just received his first call up aged 30/31 after years of good form so I think it's pretty understandable that Pilkington has been overlooked
Abbott
20 years ago
10 years ago
383
14 Nov 2012 19:28:06
Sterling apparently is thinking of playing for Jamaica in the future, so maybe this the England camp trying to convince him otherwise? Possibly a factor, although I think you're right with what you've said. But that's the way of the world, I'm afraid.
Wes Brown
20 years ago
5 months ago
1,101
14 Nov 2012 19:32:04
Well the truth is that it's much harder to break through at a club like Liverpool than a lower league club. When a player is considered a first team regular at Liverpool at the age of 17, you know he's pretty damn good.
Slashman X
20 years ago
2 years ago
6,000
14 Nov 2012 19:38:03
Ashley Young such a diving prick
Deano
20 years ago
1 year ago
1,380
14 Nov 2012 19:56:49
Steven Gerrard, over 400 apps for his club and 100 caps for England and he still fails to play to the Referees whistle...
Slashman X
20 years ago
2 years ago
6,000
14 Nov 2012 20:20:16
http://ballsdot.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/A7r-sMdCUAAgtqE.jpg


\o/
Fantastic
15 years ago
2 years ago
2,496
Banned
14 Nov 2012 20:27:05
Amazed England had ten minutes of decent football in the later stages. I'm only here for the Zaha though.
Shola
18 years ago
7 years ago
2,708
14 Nov 2012 20:28:12
By terriersmad | Permalink | On 14 November 2012 - 17:59 PM
Given the number of wingers being called up at the moment, I'm stunned that Anthony Pilkington hasn't got the nod. Top-scoring English midfielder in the Premier League last season, supplier of top-notch crosses, Norwich's best player (look at their results with and without him), and the Englishman who's created the most Premier League chances this season, despite being in and out through injury. Only Juan Mata has created as many chances.

But Sterling plays for Liverpool, so gets the call-up despite not being anywhere near ready yet.



Depends on Hodgson's ideology is I suppose. Depends if he's happy to call up a lot of 'lesser' players and give them a few caps when they're in form and there is a meaningless friendly to be played. Or to try and integrate the likes of Sterling, Zaha, Oxlade-Chamberlain etc. early to set the foundations early and prepare for the future.
Deano
20 years ago
1 year ago
1,380
14 Nov 2012 21:11:36
Osman is man of the match. Easily.

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