Sam
18 years ago
2 years ago
5,092
And now Cole has announced his retirement from international football.
King Luis
18 years ago
10 months ago
3,111




Fairplay to him
Telegram Sam
16 years ago
4 months ago
5,082
Premium
He's an absolute cock but an outstanding player. He should be going ahead of Shaw.
King Luis
18 years ago
10 months ago
3,111
This World Cup is kind of the perfect opportunity to take plenty of youngsters and just see how it goes, no ones expecting us to do well so nothing to lose really.
Flash.
18 years ago
1 year ago
677
This World Cup is kind of the perfect opportunity to take plenty of youngsters and just see how it goes, no ones expecting us to do well so nothing to lose really.


Nothing to lose? It's the World Cup for fucks sake. Everything every national team has been doing for the past 2 years (even 4) has been leading upto this.

You take your best players and do whatever is possible to get as far as you can in what is the biggest tournament on earth and the pinnacle of a footballers career, whether you're Brazil, England or North Korea.

I'd actually say it's the worst possible time to be taking plenty of youngsters.
Ninja
15 years ago
7 years ago
5,341
To be fair, Shaw's had a better season than Cole so you could definitely make the argument that he's earnt his place and its not just a case of giving the kids a chance. Same for Barkley, really, although I'm not sure I'd take him, either.

I don't think anyones going for the experience judging from what we've heard of the team selected, there's at least no outrageous selections like Walcott in 2006 (who bizarrely after playing in 2006 won't get another chance at a world cup till 2018, potential for the longest break between tournament record?)
Jamieandhisego
18 years ago
2 years ago
841
We should take the best possible players to the World Cup, which is exactly why we are taking Shaw over Cole.
Telegram Sam
16 years ago
4 months ago
5,082
Premium
Almost certain this will be the squad;

Hart, Foster, Forster

Baines, Shaw, Cahill, Jagielka, Jones, Smalling, Johnson

Gerrard, Henderson, Wilshere, Lampard, Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Lallana, Sterling

Lambert, Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge
Deano
18 years ago
1 day ago
1,380
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bnb-A5rIAAASBmf.jpg

Smalling? I know you can't please everyone one but someone explain to me how he is in there ahead of Stones. Smalling has been a liability all season and Stones has been in amazing form?
Telegram Sam
16 years ago
4 months ago
5,082
Premium
Hart
Johnson - Cahill - Jagielka - Baines
Gerrard - Wilshere
Lallana - Rooney - Sterling
Sturridge
Slashman X
18 years ago
1 year ago
6,000

Goalkeepers
Joe Hart (Manchester City)
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
Fraser Forster (Celtic)

Defenders
Leighton Baines (Everton)
Gary Cahill (Chelsea)
Phil Jagielka (Everton)
Glen Johnson (Liverpool)
Phil Jones (Man Utd)
Luke Shaw (Southampton)
Chris Smalling (Man Utd)

Midfielders
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - captain
Ross Barkley (Everton)
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
Adam Lallana (Southampton)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
James Milner (Manchester City)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)


Strikers
Rickie Lambert (Southampton)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)


Stand-by List
Michael Carrick (Manchester United)
Andy Carroll (West Ham United)
Tom Cleverley (Manchester United)
Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC)
Jon Flanagan (Liverpool)
John Ruddy (Norwich City)
John Stones (Everton)


Defence seems a bit "light", Cahill injury and they're fucked
Deano
18 years ago
1 day ago
1,380
Even to an extent Jones? Curtis Davies has been pretty much impeccable all season ffs.
Tommo.
13 years ago
6 months ago
2,272
Deano wins. Our standby list is a bit poor but off the top of my head there's not many others you could add to it
Tommo.
13 years ago
6 months ago
2,272
Even to an extent Jones? Curtis Davies has been pretty much impeccable all season ffs.


I like Caulker. May have got relegated but been one of their best players
Telegram Sam
16 years ago
4 months ago
5,082
Premium
Smalling? I know you can't please everyone one but someone explain to me how he is in there ahead of Stones. Smalling has been a liability all season and Stones has been in amazing form?

Stones has played 21 Premier League games and is vastly inexperienced. Smalling at least knows how to play in big matches. Stones did well to make the standby list.
Deano
18 years ago
1 day ago
1,380
Stones has played 21 Premier League games and is vastly inexperienced. Smalling at least knows how to play in big matches. Stones did well to make the standby list.


Bullshit. Smalling is a liability in any match he plays in. 21 games or not for Stones, He's been playing like he's a seasoned defender.
King Luis
18 years ago
10 months ago
3,111
The team Sam posted would be spot on but you just know Rooney will be stuck up top and Sturridge will be forced to play on the wing.
Deano
18 years ago
1 day ago
1,380
Even Fabian Delph should be on standby over Cleverley, and Barry over Carrick.
Telegram Sam
16 years ago
4 months ago
5,082
Premium
Bullshit. Smalling is a liability in any match he plays in. 21 games or not for Stones, He's been playing like he's a seasoned defender.

Smalling is far from a top-class defender but he's not a 'liability in any match he plays in' by any stretch of the imagination. He's played a number of times for England has looked alright. Stones has been impressive but if you want to take players based on their performances over a relatively small number of games then Adam Johnson would be going. It's the right call by Hodgson.
Telegram Sam
16 years ago
4 months ago
5,082
Premium
Even Fabian Delph should be on standby over Cleverley, and Barry over Carrick.

This I agree with. Barry should have been in ahead of Lampard in the actual squad.
Deano
18 years ago
1 day ago
1,380
Smalling is far from a top-class defender but he's not a 'liability in any match he plays in' by any stretch of the imagination. He's played a number of times for England has looked alright. Stones has been impressive but if you want to take players based on their performances over a relatively small number of games then Adam Johnson would be going. It's the right call by Hodgson.


Meh, Think i'm just taking it personally for the lad. When you see someone playing as good as he has been for a lad as young as he is only to see Smalling get in irrelevant of experience or not is highly frustrating.
Telegram Sam
16 years ago
4 months ago
5,082
Premium
Meh, Think i'm just taking it personally for the lad. When you see someone playing as good as he has been for a lad as young as he is only to see Smalling get in irrelevant of experience or not is highly frustrating.

It's just come too soon for him. I'm sure we'll see him feature plenty more after the World Cup and if he will surely go to Euro 2016 if his form continues.
Deano
18 years ago
1 day ago
1,380
This I agree with. Barry should have been in ahead of Lampard in the actual squad.


Barry has been phenomenal this season for us, completely revitalized under Martinez. Yet overlooked. Typical.
Carroll.
15 years ago
4 years ago
3,361
Barry should definitely be going. How are Carrick and Cleverly on the standby list baffles me. Also Flanagan instead of Johnson and Stones instead of Smalling/Jones.
Number 1
17 years ago
1 year ago
3,650
Glen Johnson and Chris Smalling have the air of being liabilities. I accept Kyle Walker would've been no better had he actually been fit (which he isn't) but really, those two have the air of weak links.

I don't think Oxlade-Chamberlain or Wilshere have been consistently fit enough recently to go, but can't really think of anyone else to have gone instead. Certainly not Cleverley, who would struggle to get into a hypothetical England D team with his form this season.
Sam
18 years ago
2 years ago
5,092


Surprised Smalling is in the squad tbh.
Slashman X
18 years ago
1 year ago
6,000
James Milner is so versatile, he filled in for Phil Jones' body \o/
Ninja
15 years ago
7 years ago
5,341
Smalling is probably the second best centre back in the squad. It's whether he's being taken as cover at right back that worries me.
The Platypus
14 years ago
1 year ago
1,784
Smalling is probably the second best centre back in the squad. It's whether he's being taken as cover at right back that worries me.


Better than Jagielka?
Ninja
15 years ago
7 years ago
5,341
Better than Jagielka?


Yeah. With Cahill the best one going. That's not to disparage Jagielka but Smalling has been consistently excellent centrally all season at centre back, people just bundle in he shit on the stick he produces at right back and lump in in with genuinely poor players like Cleverley.

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