The England National Team - Real World Football - FM24/25 Update

Lots of positives to take from that performance from a Scottish point of view. Was expecting the worst for us and we went out and played really well and barring that one moment for Lambert, which was a fantastic header by the way, we could well have drawn or won that.

England are shite. Very ordinary side, lots of work to be done for you lot.

Ninja

15 years ago

7 years ago

5,341

15 Aug 2013 09:56:22

There's the making of a half decent side in here for England.

Welbeck and Cleverley were both good, Wilshere looked to be trying too hard to force the game and Walcott can be useful off the right like that. I think the big question marks are over Gerrard, Walker and Cahill. I'm not sure Gerrard truly has the legs to play the all action role that's being asked of him in this set up. Cahill just looks out of his depth at this level and Jagielka seems to be unable to play well when his partner isn't good. And Walker can not defend to save his life.

Don't really know where England go over those issues, I'm not sure Jones is ready to demand a spot in the centre for England but it may be worth just blooding him from a young age and taking the good with the bad. He'll be an England centre-half sooner or later. Richards and Johnson are both better choices than Walker, but there's still question marks over both and Gerrard playing a diminshed defensive role because he's less mobile is probably a waste, especially as Barry and Carrick both do that better than him.

Oh and Rooney was so hilariously shit its hard to tell whether the made up injuries were real or he's done his usual trick of drinking too much and eating too many pies in the post season break.

Poe

18 years ago

2 weeks ago

3,675

15 Aug 2013 10:13:02

Johnson is England's best right back. He was awesome last year.

Ninja

15 years ago

7 years ago

5,341

15 Aug 2013 10:17:46

By Poe | Permalink | On 15 August 2013 - 11:13 AM

Johnson is England's best right back. He was awesome last year.

I still think he's guilty of the odd lapse in concentration which will be exposed against better teams, but yeah, he's a better option than Walker and certainly a better option than Jones for that spot.

Hard to see Richards displacing Zabaleta at City, but he'd probably be the player I would want England to go with.

Poe

18 years ago

2 weeks ago

3,675

15 Aug 2013 10:33:12

Hart
Johnson Jones Smalling Baines

Cleverley Wilshere

Walcott Ox Zaha

Rooney

If they're all firing on all cylinders that's not a bad side at all.

tmatthew

18 years ago

1 year ago

771

15 Aug 2013 10:33:48

I'd have Welbeck over Zaha atm.

Poe

18 years ago

2 weeks ago

3,675

15 Aug 2013 10:34:59

He'd be better against bigger teams because of his work rate for sure - Zaha will be the better/more effective player in the future though.

If Rooney continues to be a twat, then I'd replace him with Sturridge uptop.

Ninja

15 years ago

7 years ago

5,341

15 Aug 2013 10:39:19

By tmatthew | Permalink | On 15 August 2013 - 11:33 AM

I'd have Welbeck over Zaha atm.

Definitely, it's not even a debate.

Welbeck is twice the player Zaha currently is, shame that people can't look past a lean season and see his talent. He's a couple of minor issues (composure mostly) from being a top forward.

Dutton

18 years ago

11 months ago

1,101

15 Aug 2013 10:57:33

Swap Cleverley with Carrick too.

Crane

15 years ago

1 month ago

2,434

Premium

15 Aug 2013 11:00:53

By Poe | Permalink | On 15 August 2013 - 11:34 AM

He'd be better against bigger teams because of his work rate for sure - Zaha will be the better/more effective player in the future though.

If Rooney continues to be a twat, then I'd replace him with Sturridge uptop.

He keeps the ball a lot better than Zaha that's for sure. Still not 100% on his work rate. Poor closing down from him last night came before the two bigger mistakes for the goals.

Ninja

15 years ago

7 years ago

5,341

15 Aug 2013 11:05:21

By Crane | Permalink | On 15 August 2013 - 12:00 PM

He keeps the ball a lot better than Zaha that's for sure. Still not 100% on his work rate. Poor closing down from him last night came before the two bigger mistakes for the goals.

That's just a lapse in concentration rather than anything else I think, a few players were guilty of it at times because they aren't really sharp yet.

Watch the 2nd leg vs Madrid and the job he did on Alonso there, for a better example. He completely shut him down.

Fantastic

14 years ago

9 months ago

2,496

Banned

15 Aug 2013 11:27:02

By Poe | Permalink | On 15 August 2013 - 11:33 AM

Hart
Johnson Jones Smalling Baines

Cleverley Wilshere

Walcott Ox Zaha

Rooney

If they're all firing on all cylinders that's not a bad side at all.

That middle three is the most porous set of players imaginable. I would drop Rooney into the hole and have a striker play off him. Rooney is going to drop deep naturally anyway so you may as well position someone ahead of him.

Deano

18 years ago

3 days ago

1,380

15 Aug 2013 11:47:38

By Poe | Permalink | On 15 August 2013 - 11:13 AM

Johnson is England's best right back. He was awesome last year.

You spelled Tony Hibbert wrong.

Shola

16 years ago

6 years ago

2,708

15 Aug 2013 22:21:16

Unconvinced by so many of the current England side. Welbeck was about the only one I'm happy with. Cleverly had his moments as well.

Sturridge should definitely be given his chance as first choice striker. And I'd like to see Lennon brought back into the side.

Mr Willy

17 years ago

1 month ago

495

16 Aug 2013 16:47:51

James
Neville Ferdinand Terry A. Cole
Beckham Gerrard Lampard J. Cole
Rooney Owen

No other team is acceptable. #TweetLikeIts2006

Poe

18 years ago

2 weeks ago

3,675

17 Aug 2013 00:36:42

By Fantastic | On 15 August 2013 - 12:27 PM

That middle three is the most porous set of players imaginable. I would drop Rooney into the hole and have a striker play off him. Rooney is going to drop deep naturally anyway so you may as well position someone ahead of him.

Don't think we'll ever see Rooney play anywhere for England than upfront tbh.

England don't have anybody that can control the midfield, we've only ever had Scholes and Lampard in our lifetime - and we restricted Lampard to occupy Gerrard when Lampard was capable - maybe Wilshere will be able to do it in the future if he puts his injury problems behind him.

By Shola | On 15 August 2013 - 23:21 PM

Unconvinced by so many of the current England side. Welbeck was about the only one I'm happy with. Cleverly had his moments as well.

Sturridge should definitely be given his chance as first choice striker. And I'd like to see Lennon brought back into the side.

Forgot about Lennon - had a superb year last season.

Crane

15 years ago

1 month ago

2,434

Premium

22 Aug 2013 17:52:10

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23804230

Bugger.

Telegram Sam

16 years ago

4 months ago

5,082

Premium

22 Aug 2013 18:40:15

I quite like Southgate, and it's not like there were tons of top managers clamoring for the job.

Poe

18 years ago

2 weeks ago

3,675

22 Aug 2013 18:50:09

At least he's got his head screwed on unlike Stuart Pearce.

Ninja

15 years ago

7 years ago

5,341

22 Aug 2013 21:22:20

I would say give it to a foreign manager and try and create an identifiable England brand of football (that's not hoofing it to the big man) but seeing as Hodgson is a dinosaur then there's probably not much point.