International Football thread

[m@tt]

With only a few games left of the season, been putting together my team and squad, whilst second-screening to the Masters.

Hart
Johnson - Cahill - Jagielka - Baines
Gerrard - Henderson
Sterling - Rooney - Wilshere
Sturridge

Liverpool are on a 10 game winning streak and are playing some great football. We should make us of that. So get Sturridge playing upfront instead of the wing, with Sterling on the wing, and Henderson partnering Gerrard. Never thought I suggest Henderson for a starting place! Rooney can then play the deeper role with Wilshere playing to the left of him. Centre backs are uninspiring but we're limited.

Rest of squad: Foster, Forster; Smalling, Jones, Cole; Lampard, Barkley; Townsend, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Welbeck, Defoe.

Back-ups: Walker, Caulker, Shaw, Carrick, Milner, A. Johnson, Lambert

As much as people like to say that we should take youngsters, you have to have a mixture. So I'd prefer Cole to go ahead of Shaw - on the basis that if Baines turns an ankle during the Italy warm-up, I'd rather our left back be a Champions League winning, 100-cap player with experience of facing the best players in the world, even if he's past his best, as opposed to youngster with two seasons of Premiership football behind him, however promising he may be. And as the experience midfield back-up, I'd rather take Lampard than Carrick - the latter isn't exactly having a great season whilst Lampard can be relied upon if we need to fill the midfield for the last 20-30 minutes.

You can then have the younger options such as Barkley, Townsend, Lallana and Oxlade-Chamberlain to provide that extra flair and inventiveness when we need to chase the game. The options up front aren't great - Welbeck isn't having a great season, Defoe's tottered off to Canada and whilst Lambert had a fairy tale start to his international career, it's unrealistic to expect that to keep going. But he can take penalties so perhaps he should make the 23!

[SaintPowelly]

You lost my attention as soon as I read "Townsend", the guy gets next to no game time at Tottenham and has 1 trick of going outside and shooting on his left foot which has long since grown old, even most of the Tottenham fans are sick of him.

[SaintPowelly]

So I'd prefer Cole to go ahead of Shaw - on the basis that if Baines turns an ankle during the Italy warm-up, I'd rather our left back be a Champions League winning, 100-cap player with experience of facing the best players in the world, even if he's past his best, as opposed to youngster with two seasons of Premiership football behind him,

Whilst I can see the logic ( and im obviously biased as a Saints fan ), but I'd much rather have a back up of a guy that plays 90 mins every week for his club, rather than someone thats barely played this season.

[dan08]

My team: Hart; Johnson, Jagielka, Cahill, Baines; Gerrard, Henderson; Lallana, Rooney, Sterling; Sturridge.

Subs: Forster, Foster; Jones, Smalling, Shaw; Carrick, Wilshere, Barkley, Oxlade, Milner; Welbeck, Lambert.

[m@tt]

You lost my attention as soon as I read "Townsend", the guy gets next to no game time at Tottenham and has 1 trick of going outside and shooting on his left foot which has long since grown old, even most of the Tottenham fans are sick of him.

I thought his lack of game time was down to injury? Tbh I haven't followed his progress lately, but he made a big impression in the few games he played for England.

[m@tt]

So I'd prefer Cole to go ahead of Shaw - on the basis that if Baines turns an ankle during the Italy warm-up, I'd rather our left back be a Champions League winning, 100-cap player with experience of facing the best players in the world, even if he's past his best, as opposed to youngster with two seasons of Premiership football behind him,

Whilst I can see the logic ( and im obviously biased as a Saints fan ), but I'd much rather have a back up of a guy that plays 90 mins every week for his club, rather than someone thats barely played this season.

Completely understand. It is frustrating how little Cole has played.

[GGAS]

Madness taking Cole and Defoe given the former has hardly played and the latter is wasting away in the MLS. Also you'd want Wilshere central or on the right, he played on the left a couple of times for Arsenal at the start of the season and was poor.

As a neutral. I'd go with:

Hart
Johnson, Jagielka, Cahill, Baines.
Chamberlain, Wilshere, Henderson, Barkley/Lallana, Sterling.
Sturridge.

Rooney and Gerrard are obviously going to play come the tournament though. I'd want Terry in there ideally instead of Jagielka. Rooney could get in alongside Sturridge against a smaller team.

[Aidan11]

Can I pick a team to win the World Cup?

Yes - Brazil.

[sussexpob]

I think a midfield of Gerrard and Henderson scares the life out of me, simply because Gerrard has adopted some "supermanesque" role in Hodgsons teams where he thinks he is Dunga and tries to pick out 95 meter passes every time he gets the ball. One thing that Rodgers has done brilliantly with these two is understand that Gerrard is an excellent player when restricted and canned a little, and playing as the "Xavi Alonso/Busquets type" midfielder in the central three has been the core of his success this season. The assumption is that Henderson is the defensive one, but I don't think that's true. And Henderson has been carried a little by the quality around him.

I have never been a fan, but no ne can deny Gareth Barry is by far the best DM midfielder in the country this season, he has been wonderful played in a system that suits him.

My midfield three would therefore be Gerrard, as the deep lying man who controls the tempo restricted to on the ground passing and making it tick, while providing some defensive back up. Gareth Barry alongside who drops behind to cover the CB's in defence, and assuming he is fit, Wilshere would be my link man in the 4-5-1/4-3-3 system.

For wingers, I would have Lallana on left, Chamberlain on the right.... Sterling has had a good year, and would be tight to take Chamberlain out, but I think Oxlade is a better player who offers more all round quality.
Sturridge has to start after his season, but again, Rooney is waiting to make an impact if needed.

Defence picks itself, and Hart is the best of a barren goalkeeping stock

[GGAS]

Hard to disagree with any of that SP.

[Aidan11]

England have slipped down to 20th in the FIFA World Rankings.


Deservedly so too.

[Red Devil]

England have slipped down to 20th in the FIFA World Rankings.


Deservedly so too.

Not sure Eng really deserve to be that high - maybe I'm being harsh.

[Aidan11]

England have slipped down to 20th in the FIFA World Rankings.


Deservedly so too.

Not sure Eng really deserve to be that high - maybe I'm being harsh.

You're probably right. We still seem to think we should be high up just because we are England. It's about time we woke up and realised we are very poor in comparison with the Germans, the Italians & the Spanish.

[Aidan11]

Steven Gerrard has retired.

So that's one England captain stood down.

[SaintPowelly]

Steven Gerrard has retired.

So that's one England captain stood down.

About 8 years too late.