YOUR England football team *sigh* and Cricket too!!

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

For those that still give a shxt.

We've watching the team Sven put out.

We've after watching the genius that is Mclaren.

So, considering everyone is fit and in form. What would be your England team?


Keeper:

James - He's a tit, but he's Had an excellent season, seams to have put his brabble-est airshots and lacks of concentration to one side too. Robinson's been average and nothing more.

Right back:

Gary Neville - Scummer, but still the best right back in England, by some distance too!

Centre back:

John Terry - Not nearly as good for his country as he is for his club, but still good enough to be our main centre back and Captain.

Centre back:

Ferdinand - One of the few that is actually better for his country then he is for his club. Plays well alongside Terry.

Left back:

Bridge - I don't care what anyone says, Bridge is much much better then Cole. Does what a left back should do. Defends well, and gets forward to whip in dangerous crosses. This is why he is essential to the team, due to our lack of left footed midfielders.

Left midfield:

Cole - When he's on form he's our best player in that position, and can support the strikers well and score goals. Still a diving git mind!

Centre midfield (attacking):

Gerrard - Been misused to long now by both Mclaren and Sven. Right mid/left mid/holding mid. Ffs, this guy is one of the best in the world at driving forward and running at defences. Takes a good free kick too and has a fantastic long shot on him. Still a diving git though.

Holding mid:

Hargreaves - Our best player by some distance during the World Cup, and a seriously effective holding midfielder. Having him as the holding mid would allow Gerrard to get forward knowing things behind him was taken care of.

Right midfield:

Beckham - Forget his pace *(proven time and time again that he doesn't need it). Forget his dribbling skill (see *) he's worth his place simply because of end product. You win games by scoring goals, and Beckhams assist stats are among the best in the business. Oh he can take free kicks too!

Forward:

Rooney - Not worth the world class forward badge he's constantly given (yet!) and has a serious attitude problem (oooooh it just shows his passion! Fxck off!!) yet played correctly is a tremendous linking player that has a gift for finding space.

Striker:

Owen - (note I said fit and in form) simply a proven product at international level. Lost more then a yard of pace, but has worked hard to adapt his game. I'm actually a big fan of Owen, and believe he will get himself back to his best if he can stay clear of injury. Can score (and has done) against the best teams in the world.

Subs:

Robinson - Reliable.

Crouch - Scores goals for England, hasn't been picked against the better teams, but thats not the lads fault. Whose to say he isn't able too?

Parker - If he can have a run in a team that plays him to his strengths long enough, he would show that he can plays attacking midfielder or Holding midfielder. Good passer of the ball.

King - Good versatile player to have in the team. Can play centre back or holding midfielder well.

Young - After Neville the best right back in the country. Very underrated.

Cole A - Can replace Bridge without weakening the team to much. Better then Bridge defensively, but can't cross for shxt!

Lampard - Needs to turn his club form to international level if he's to get anywhere near my first team.

SWP - Not a big fan of Lennon, he's an exiting player, but has now end product at all! SWP could be great for England if he could only put his career ahead of his wage packet. Ahead of Lennon because he can and has scored goals for England.

Defoe - a natural goalscorer (I don't care what the pundits say!) shout from the bench "Defoe! Were are you!" and he couldn't answer! His positional problems are a problem. He'll keep a linesman busy all day.

SKD - No, sorry, I'm not in any way being biased, he would bring to our team something they haven't seen since the Lofthouse era. When tactics dictate, and Gerrard and Coles 9.1's have failed, SKD would bring a much needed bite to the three lions!


I've based the team around the simple 4-4-2 formation. So, the first team for me:


__________________________James______________________

Neville____________Ferdinand______Terry______________Bridge

Beckham_____Hargreaves___________Gerrard____________Cole

____________________Rooney_____________________________

_________________________Owen__________________________

[Nozza]

Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Collingwood
Foster
Flintoff
Macherenas
Plunkett
Panesar
Sidebottom

[Daxter]

Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Collingwood
Foster
Flintoff
Macherenas
Plunkett
Panesar
Sidebottom

How can you drop Matty Prior!?

[Nozza]

Peter Moores club pick.

Nowhere near the England frame until Moores came along. James Foster is a superior gloveman and batter.

I mean, Prior today - 1st Ball duck, chasing a ball that was never there to be chased. He will be found out against the top teams.

[Daxter]

Peter Moores club pick.

Nowhere near the England frame until Moores came along. James Foster is a superior gloveman and batter.

I mean, Prior today - 1st Ball duck, chasing a ball that was never there to be chased. He will be found out against the top teams.

That is his first failure though.

And what has James Foster done at international level to suggest he won't be found out against the top teams.

And I think you will find Prior was very much near the England frame until Moores came along. Played in the ODI's over in Pakistan and India and had been in the test squads as well, I believe.

[Nozza]

He has indeed played in some ODIs as you point out Dax, 12 in total. Scoring 240 runs in total, averaging 20.00 (high score 45). If I remember rightly, he was batting at number 4 for those. He hasn't been in any Test Squads bar the Tests he has played in. Fletcher never called up 2 wicketkeepers.

Foster has a decent record at international level. He played against Australia and scored 19 and 6, so can see your point. Just my opinion, but Foster is a better prospect. Mind, the fact they are both under 28 means we have 2 decent glovemen fighting for places over the next 6 7 or 8 years.

Matty Prior
James Foster

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

Is this some sort of two man rebelion?

You want to discuss the England cricket team, start your own thread ya lazy buggers!

[Nozza]

You said your England team.

You never said which sport.

[Tombwfc]

-----------------------------Carson-------------------------
-Neville--------Terry---------------Ferdinand-----Cole---
-Beckham------Gerrard---------Hargreaves----Cole----
----------------Rooney-----------Owen-------------------

Pretty straightforward really.

Cricket:

We're set for the Test side really, we're good at that so i wouldn't change things really. For ODI's.....

Flintoff
Benning
Cook
Pietersen
Collingwood (c)
Bell
Prior (WK)
Plunkett
Hoggard
Anderson
Panesar

Big hitters at the start and around the middle, broken up by build an innings type players. 5 bowlers on the premise that Flintoff may or may not be the same bowler when coming back from injury.

[bobby5]

In Peace time I'd have:

-----------------------------Kirkland-------------------------
-Neville--------Terry---------------Ferdinand-----Cole---
-Beckham------Gerrard---------Hargreaves----Cole----
----------------Rooney-----------Owen-------------------

In the event of a world war breaking out I'd have:


-----------------------------Nicky Weaver-------------------------
-Tony Hibbert--------Linvoy Primus---------------Titus Bramble-----Lloyd Doyley---
-Glen Little------Lee Cattermole---------Kevin Nolan----Matthew Ethrington----
----------------Kevin Davies-----------Jermain Defoe-------------------

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

Linvoy Primus

Is that fella English?

If so he should be up for some serious consideration! I watched him at the Reebok last season, and though we shipped three past them, he looked a one man defence! Shame he plays outside the top four.


Great player.

[hisroyalgingerness]

well i have faith in the 4-3-3 system that neither manager has seemed to get the best out of

------------robbo-----------
neville carragher terry cole
---------hargreaves--------
------gerrard lampard------
-rooney--------------- cole-
--------------owen----------

it's a team that looks infinitely better on paper than it does in real life
i would say though that as more and more premiership teams employ this formation i think the national team has to as well as this is the system the players are getting used to operating in and know their jobs within it.

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

well i have faith in the 4-3-3 system that neither manager has seemed to get the best out of

------------robbo-----------
neville carragher terry cole
---------hargreaves--------
------gerrard lampard------
-rooney--------------- cole-
--------------owen----------

it's a team that looks infinitely better on paper than it does in real life
i would say though that as more and more premiership teams employ this formation i think the national team has to as well as this is the system the players are getting used to operating in and know their jobs within it.

No..........No........No............No...........No

Oops, twould seam that I have ran out of font size! Still, I do believe you may be wrong sir!

[Verbal]

GK - David James...Robinson has failed to impress this year whereas James has excelled. I can see Carson/Foster fighting for this is a couple of years though.

LB - Wayne Bridge...much more consistent option than Cashley, though it's disappointing the two best left sided defenders are at the same club.

CB - John Terry (Capt)...great defender, aerial threat, passionate, professional, heart on sleeve...first name on the teamsheet.

CB - Jamie Carragher...solid, reliable and does his job.

RB - Gary Neville...been the best RB in the country for almost a decade now which is a testament to the guy. Though in the future I'd would like to see a pacy fullback who can scare defenders.

DM - Owen Hargreaves...hopefully is move to Man U will further his prowess as our answer to Makelele.

CM - Stevie G...he beats Fat Frank any day in my book.

LM - Joe Cole...a c*nt, but a good one at that. Can produce something out of nothing which is always a valuable asset.

RM - David Beckham...as SOTWA says, you don't need to run with the ball if you can put the ball where you want on the pitch. His performance in Estonia was matchwinning.

CF - Wayne Rooney...big, strong, fast, skillful and very creative.

ST - Michael Owen...born goal scorer, pace or not.


-----------------James--------------------
--Nev--------Car------Terry-----Bridge
---------------Hargreaves-------------
-----------Gerrard------------------------
--Beckham---------------------Cole----
----------------------Rooney------------
--------------Owen-----------------------

[Mar]

The England first team really isn't that much of a problem. Sure we've got Lampard and Gerrard who combined weaken one anothers qualities but aside from that we have a good squad of players. Its the reserves that need swapping about, theres no effectiveness in the replacement squad and those that do have an impact are quickly shunted out of the side.

So the usual England team (442):
Robinson, A Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, G Neville, J Cole, Hargreaves, Gerrard, Beckham, Owen, Rooney

The Reserves:

James, Foster,
Richards, Carragher, King, Baines,
Lennon, Lampard, Downing, Bentley, Carrick,
SWP, Davies, Crouch, D Bent


That makes up the 25 man squad. Players who have been shipped out have been replaced by more effective all rounders that can be used as direct replacements:
Bentley -> J Cole, Carrick -> Hargreaves, Carragher -> Terry, Lampard -> Gerrard, King -> Ferdinand

The likes of Davies and Crouch add an aerial threat. SWP & Lennon add pace. Micah Richards & Baines add an element of potential to the squad that need nourishing. D Bent adds an old fashioned strikers game, strength, pace and the odd bit of aerial prowess. Downing adds a left peg option.


Much rather have that 25 man squad than the rubbish McClaren has been putting out instead.

A lot better than having stikers in the squad that have an average of around 1 in 16. Alan Smith (1 in 17), Jermaine Defoe (1 in 8, was 1 in 17 until he put two past Albania in 2006). Another thing is the deadwood that gets shipped out, the likes of Jenas who, for every three games he plays, we lose (5 defeats in 17), compare that to Gerrard who has lost the same number of defeats (5 defeats in 57) and we notice a distinct lack of quality.

Much better to have impact players on the bench than Brown, Defoe and Jenas.

[Daxter]

He has indeed played in some ODIs as you point out Dax, 12 in total. Scoring 240 runs in total, averaging 20.00 (high score 45). If I remember rightly, he was batting at number 4 for those. He hasn't been in any Test Squads bar the Tests he has played in. Fletcher never called up 2 wicketkeepers.

Foster has a decent record at international level. He played against Australia and scored 19 and 6, so can see your point. Just my opinion, but Foster is a better prospect. Mind, the fact they are both under 28 means we have 2 decent glovemen fighting for places over the next 6 7 or 8 years.

Matty Prior
James Foster

Prior opened in those series. In my opinion, having seen plenty of Prior at the country ground in hove, he is a top class player who looks to have finally found his form at international level.