International Football thread

[shankycricket]

wellbeck is struggling because RVP has signed for united...he needs to go out on loan and get regualr first team football..

Indeed....

Just read a stat that, in the EPL, only 40% of the players are England qualified. In the La Liga, 77% of the players are Spanish. Says it all really. Not at all surprising which country is more successful internationally...

Yes, in 1966, I’d estimate that Alf Ramsey had at least double the number of players to choose from in the top tier of domestic competition for his World Cup winning team than would be the case now.

Effect of too many foreign players, eh?

[Durhamfootman]

Not sure what Roy is thinking about.

Stephen Taylor has been immense for Newcastle, and I think he thought he was in with a chance when the latest squad was announced, but Roy has gone for Rio... who frankly is half the player he was.

Taylor was superb again tonight. Roy needs to start taking notice; he is a very accomplished defender, completely unflappable, and has heart in spades. Going for Rio makes no sense to me at all.

[Aidan11]

Roy had announced the end of Rio's international career on the tube a few months ago.

Wonder if he has resurrected his career in the same way.

[Alviro Patterson]

Roy had announced the end of Rio's international career on the tube a few months ago.

Wonder if he has resurrected his career in the same way.

The most surprising thing was an England manager travelling on public transport yet alone communicating with fans, great public relation skills.

[Aidan11]

Rio's pulled out now.

[Alviro Patterson]

No big loss, look to the future and all that.

[Durhamfootman]

Cahill drops out. Taylor gets his call up...... quite right too! Utterly ridiculous that he'd missed out in the first place

[mikesiva]

Rio's the best English defender in the country right now, and one of the main reasons why Man Utd are 15 points clear at the top....

Still, I support his decision to pull out, for the following reasons:

1) England treated him shabbily. He was not picked for the Euros, while Terry was, as if it was Rio's fault that his brother was racially abused by Terry.

2) When Cahill (a defender) was injured, Jordan Henderson (a midfielder), was called up to replace him, instead of Rio, which was an insult to Rio, to say the least.

3) Man Utd treated him much better than England, so I fully support his decision to tell Hodgson to sod off, and go to Qatar as a commentator....

[Aidan11]

Can't believe Israel are beating Portugal.

My 14 game acca is down at the first match.

[Chris de Burgh]

Japan have beaten Canada 2-1 in a friendly earlier today

[Aidan11]

An own goal gets England up and running.

[Alviro Patterson]

Much better performance from England than the Wembley fixture, plenty of off-ball movement and through passing.

[Alviro Patterson]

England game was quite enjoyable to watch, even if they were playing against an international side equivalent to the Evo Stik League. Having midfielders or even defenders running along the channels whilst attacking players queued up inside the box, top initiative from Roy Hodgson.

[Durhamfootman]

Out of curiosity, was it on the telly (not sky)? I didn't bother to look...watched gardeners world and went to bed instead

[Aidan11]

Out of curiosity, was it on the telly (not sky)? I didn't bother to look...watched gardeners world and went to bed instead

ITV but I only watched the 1st half.