The England National Team

Yeah I get that, were short on right backs tbf but Johnson has played like 2 games since being back

All he does is either dribble and get tackled, or dribble and shoot into the crowd. Adam Johnson should go instead.


Are you actually being serious? I'm a Spurs fan and I wouldn't have Rose anywhere near the England team. Assou-Ekotto is totally rubbish, but i'd still much rather have him than Rose.

My squad for Brazil
Goalkeepers
- Hart, Foster & Butland

Defenders
- Baines, Shaw, Jagielka, Cahill, Jones, Caulker, Flanagan (he's really surprised me this season) & Any other right back. They're all shite so it wont matter which one.

Midfielders/Wingers
- Gerrard, Barry, Wilshere, Barkley, Carrick, A. Johnson, Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain & Lallana

Attackers
- Rooney, Sturridge & Lambert

Only 3 strikers because i'd have Rooney playing off Sturridge or Lambert. Lallana or Barkley could also do this role.

Shola likes to say the opposite of what most fans think.

Do people think A.Cole should be going to Brazil? Just looking at the above squad list and the defence, there is so little top level expierence to call upon. Going with Baines and Shaw as the two left backs could be a very risky move in an already suspect looking defence.

Baines and Shaw are the future. No point taking Ashley Cole for him to be rinsed by Suarez and all the pundits to be like, 'who saw that coming?'

Has Cole even played this season?

Just because they're the future doesn't make them the right fit for now. I mean, that's effectively going to the world cup with a defeatist attitude already. You go there to win, or at least do well- particularly for a nation like England. Otherwise you may as well overlook anyone that isn't under 30.

You're also suggesting Baines and Shaw have the quality and experience to deal with the sort of players they'll face, in the high level situations that will be had? Baines is a little more understandable, given he has 20 odd caps, but Shaw is still very much a raw player. Neither have really faced the sort of quality A.Cole has on any consistent basis. Naturally, Cole may not start. But surely he's still worth a place in the squad simply for the experience and leadership he'd provide down back, no?


Not sure if serious?

He has, however the form of Dave has been outstanding since he slotted in at left back and the sole reason he's held his place in the team. Even Mourinho has said this much.

I sort of agree with Verse.

England's back 4 is pretty shit regardless, it being a inexperienced and pretty shit just asks for trouble.

Taking Cole will make no difference at all. This is the problem with England, despite Shaw and Baines being the players that are playing regularly this season, people are still saying we should take Cole instead. He lost his place at left back in the Chelsea team to someone who isn't even a left back. Do you really want someone who hasn't been getting a kick this season going up against the likes of Suarez, Cavani & Balotelli in the first 2 games? The whole point of a world cup squad is to take the best 23 players. That would usually include 2 left backs and who have been the 2 best left back this season? Baines & Shaw. Even Gibbs should be ahead of Cole.

I'm getting pretty tired of England teams that just use the same old players all the time instead of looking at the younger players. It doesn't matter which team we send out there, we will be lucky to get out of the group stage whoever plays. Why not send some of the youngsters instead and give them some vital experience that will help them in the future tournaments? The 'golden generation' all failed miserably when it mattered most. I'd only keep Gerrard because he is still top class and playing regularly.

I find it sad that Roy still picks his teams based on reputation. Just being at one of the top clubs or Man UTD seems to get you in the squad. Smalling Cleverley, Townsend, Cole, Welbeck & G.Johnson wouldn't get anywhere near the squad for me. I'd have Caulker, Barry, A.Johnson, Gibbs, Huddlestone & Flanagan over that lot.

Cole should definitely go instead of Shaw. If Baines is injured in the first game, would you rather have one of the best left-backs of all-time as back-up (who's still pretty good) or some kid who's barely got 50 league appearances under his belt and no experience at international level?

I'd take Cole for this tournament and look to use Shaw for Euro 2016 and beyond.

Someone just said they'd take Caulker?

I think people confuse 'best players' with 'players playing regularly', I'm not sure Shaw is currently a better left back than Cole, regardless of how much one is playing and the other isn't. Shaw's time will come, he's only 18, you just don't need to chuck every half promising youngster in at the deep end and push them under with a big stick that says 'Sink or Swim' on it. Why scar them with failure?

You also seem to be confusing 'playing' with 'playing well' Carrick has played like toilet this season and, alongside Cleverley, would be the first United player I'd axe. Bizarrely missing off everyone's list of 'players not getting in on merit' whilst everyone's including two that are. Ironic, because a year ago when he was playing well people didn't want him in, just goes to show how slowly opinions change.

Yes, someone did. What else is there though? Terry and Ferdinand don't play for England anymore, Dawson is rubbish & Smalling isn't much better. I would've included Lescott in the team, but the fact he can't even get in the City side ahead of that donkey Demichelis suggests maybe he's past it.

There's no small irony in the fact that Jones is an excellent centre half whenever he plays there, but has covered for the fact tom Cleverley is abysmal by doing a job in midfield, limiting his own chances at centre half and costing himself a place in the England team there.

Yet Cleverley is STILL getting picked.

Check this out: Ban Tom Cleverley?

The petition is now up to 10663 supporters as I type this.
-->Petition<--

That petition is pathetic.

I'd take Cahill, Jagielka, Jones and Smalling as our centre-halves. The last two can at least cover multiple positions.

Ashley Cole should go as backup to Leighton Baines.

Milner can't be that badly rated surely? Or is it just from lack of games?

That starting lineup would be good to see play though

Yeah the ratings a bit bollocks tbf. People like Milner wont have a high rating because they dont really stand out, but he does a big job for a team. Deffinetly would take him

Phil Jones should simultaneously be playing at centreback, defensive midfield and midfield according to whoscored.

http://www.whoscored.com/Players/81726/Show/Phil-Jones

Been better than Gerrard apparently. \o/

Nah, it's a lot of football fans either don't actually watch football or don't actually understand football and instead just go along with the general opinion.

Luke Shaw being a £20m+ is just the latest. Because he's young, comfortable on the ball and plays for a fashionable team, he is currently being totally overrated.

Leighton Baines is another one, it seems to be fairly unanimous that over the past couple of years, he is better than Cole and should be England's starting LB. Yet I can't remember anyone really caring when he was left out of the 2010 squad for Stephen Warnock.

And surely you can see how often Pardew is accused of playing 'hoofball' despite only Arsenal playing less long balls. With Southampton and Everton in 2nd and 4th most.

Its the nature of the beast of forum discussion.

People on here will talk about players they hardly watch as if they know them inside out, so people either fall into the trap of easy hyperbole or oppose the popular view and as its football it's always a bit difficult to tell whose right or wrong.

It would be boring if none of us did that though.

Hodgsons come out and defended Cleverly, fair play to him

Agreed. I personally don't rate Cleveley at all, but that petition is a bit too harsh on him.

The petition is very harsh, but to be fair it should be clear enough without it to see that he's not good enough.

But then Hodgson is the guy that bought Christian Poulsen and Paul Konchesky to Liverpool so nothing surprises me with him anymore.

Maybe this will be the kick up the arse Cleverley needs.

Nah, he thinks he's playing well.

If he really thinks he's playing well, he needs a bigger kick up the arse than I thought.