Hodgson....

[boltonboris]

He's a nice person for more reason than that pal!

[David Lee's Hair]

Agreed

[Lord Kangana]

As for the rest, Downing is rubbish but who else would you put in?

christopher eagles

It'd be interesting to see a head-to-head from last season about how many Barclay's Premier League goals and assisists Eagles and Downing got. I'd say we'll all probably start to think even Robbie Blake was value for money when the results come in.

[Verbal]

As for the rest, Downing is rubbish but who else would you put in?

christopher eagles

It'd be interesting to see a head-to-head from last season about how many Barclay's Premier League goals and assisists Eagles and Downing got. I'd say we'll all probably start to think even Robbie Blake was value for money when the results come in.

Downing played 36 games and scored no goals and got no assists.

I'm pretty sure Eagles beat that. I'm pretty sure I beat that.

[BWFC_Insane]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

[Gary the Enfield]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

So he's been picked on the form he had the season before last?

Perhaps we should ask Michael Owen if he fancies making a comeback. Quite impressive stat back in the day.

[BWFC_Insane]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

So he's been picked on the form he had the season before last?

Perhaps we should ask Michael Owen if he fancies making a comeback. Quite impressive stat back in the day.

No, but I'd ask, which left winger would you take instead?

[Gary the Enfield]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

So he's been picked on the form he had the season before last?

Perhaps we should ask Michael Owen if he fancies making a comeback. Quite impressive stat back in the day.

No, but I'd ask, which left winger would you take instead?

Why take a specialist left winger? Most of them cut inside or swap wings nowadays so why not just take another good right winger if he's better than the left wingers we have?

You could have a left back or left centre midfield for the deadballs.

[BWFC_Insane]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

So he's been picked on the form he had the season before last?

Perhaps we should ask Michael Owen if he fancies making a comeback. Quite impressive stat back in the day.

No, but I'd ask, which left winger would you take instead?

Why take a specialist left winger? Most of them cut inside or swap wings nowadays so why not just take another good right winger if he's better than the left wingers we have?

You could have a left back or left centre midfield for the deadballs.

Yeah we could. As said before he'd not be in my squad.

But my broad point is Downing is a symptom of the poor quality choice we have for the England squad rather than a cause of shitness......

[a1]

downing is a symptom of cramming the national team with liverpool players irregardless of form or team form.

i named a more in form player from a team that got relegated where it seemed everything were going against it due to it exploding a black cat factory or something in the summer

shocked he didnt pick beckham or giggs

first round knock out.

coyle 4 england.

[truewhite15]

downing is a symptom of cramming the national team with liverpool players irregardless of form or team form.

i named a more in form player from a team that got relegated where it seemed everything were going against it due to it exploding a black cat factory or something in the summer

shocked he didnt pick beckham or giggs

first round knock out.

coyle 4 england.

Deliberate mistake...?

[a1]

aye.

it'd sell shirts in china/japan/wherever though.

[Prufrock]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

So he's been picked on the form he had the season before last?

Perhaps we should ask Michael Owen if he fancies making a comeback. Quite impressive stat back in the day.

No, but I'd ask, which left winger would you take instead?

You don't even need to look further than the same flaming academy. Adam Johnson twice, at least, the player Downing is. And don't come 'he is right winger', as when they were both at Boro, Boro fans were pissed off he wasn't getting a game because it was one of him or Downing, so left-sided were they both.

Sturridge is left-footed too. Not like he is a 'winger' so not really important which side he is on.

I like Hodgson, but no Sturridge is weird, nor Johnson but Downing in is weird, and no Richards, particularly with Walker out, is unreal.

[BWFC_Insane]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

So he's been picked on the form he had the season before last?

Perhaps we should ask Michael Owen if he fancies making a comeback. Quite impressive stat back in the day.

No, but I'd ask, which left winger would you take instead?

You don't even need to look further than the same flaming academy. Adam Johnson twice, at least, the player Downing is. And don't come 'he is right winger', as when they were both at Boro, Boro fans were pissed off he wasn't getting a game because it was one of him or Downing, so left-sided were they both.

Sturridge is left-footed too. Not like he is a 'winger' so not really important which side he is on.

I like Hodgson, but no Sturridge is weird, nor Johnson but Downing in is weird, and no Richards, particularly with Walker out, is unreal.

Johnson is the one I guess, but perhaps they felt he hadn't played enough? He seemed to struggle last season too and that coupled with not playing much perhaps put them off?

[Prufrock]

And Downing didn't struggle? As many goals and assists as you or I, widely derided by his own fans struggling to live up to big expectations at the top level? Agreed Johnson didn't have a good year either, but I don't get it. Seems a no-brainer between the two of them for me.

And no Richards?

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Some odd choices especially given the limited pool. Hodgson reminds me of Sir Bobby in many ways. Lets hope he has the same dumb luck as his legendary predessessor.

[malcd1]

How on earth has Henderson got in the squad and on the pitch. Some of the papers saying he would be the one to benefit if Barry doesn't make the Euro's due to his groin strain. Henderson is the only central midfielder in the back-up squad so this could be correct.

Henderson has been found out at Liverpool this season. I know he has played on the right most of the time but if he isn't good enough for Liverpool how the hell can he be good enough for England.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Doesn't Matty Taylor play on the left, also he plays for West Ham, and in the best league in the world... must be in the squad for the euros!
(unless he's retired/injured/sold to someone who isn't West Ham)

[Nicko58]

If we must have a naturally left-footed midfielder midfielder in the squad (I can't think that there's any other reason for Downing's inclusion), it's not difficult to understand Hodgson's rationale for choosing him.

Adam Johnson should have got the nod as England's left-footer, but started just ten league games for City last season and, barring Wolves' Matt Jarvis, there's not much else to chose from.

Regarding Micah Richards, didn't Capello justify not selecting him on the basis that he didn't have the necessary discipline or concentration for international football?

He's obviously not the only one to think that.

[Worthy4England]

The season before the one just gone Downing had 7 goals and 7 assists. So not remarkable but in a fairly poor Villa side pretty good and better than anything Eagles has done in the top flight.

I suspect that his underperformance this season is down to Liverpool more than owt else.

And no I'd not have him in my squad but equally not many other options for the left hand side!

Eagles got 4 goals and 9 assists last season. So one short of Downing's tally the season before...Not a lot in it.