England Euro 2012 23 man squad

[wiggyrichard]

If Carroll played for Norwich nobody would take him.

If Holt played for Liverpool everybody would take him.

Andy Carroll is too good to play for Norwich, thus why he plays for Liverpool.

Grant Holt isnt good enough to play for Liverpool, thus why he plays for Norwich.

So if you play for a small club then you're not good enough to play for England?

Just say yes.

Yes

[BOF]

I didn't realise that Stevo. Surely he won't turn down Woy.

[Stevo985]

You'd think so. But I think (might be wrong as I haven't seen the interview myself) he was interviewed since Roy got the job and said he wasn't interested.

I forgot about Paul Robinson. Has he retired too?

If not I'd probably take him above Green, purely because of experience, despite the fact I think he's incredibly overrated.

[BOF]

I wonder how Terry Thomas is doing over in Bursaspor.

[switters]

GK: Hart

CB: Lescott

CB: Terry

CB: Ferdinand

RM:Lennon/ Walcott

LM: Dyer

CM: K.Henry

CM: Cattermole

ST: Holt

AM: Rooney (Osman to play when Rooney is suspended)

ST: Carroll

Inspired by Wigan's 4-3-3. Terry organises the back three a la Caldwell. Sheer pace out wide. Centre mids to intimidate those horrible foreigners and win the ball back and give it to a deep-lying Rooney (if he's playing or out wide). Whip in the crosses and let the big men nod it in the back post. No Stevie/ Lampard nonsense.

That team is a thing of such ugliness as I've never seen before.

You've got a CM which is made up of 2 thugs who would be getting sent-off within half an hour by any international ref. Holt and Carroll would just get in each other's way and give away free-kicks every time they go for a header.

Team would be wide open for attacks down either wing as Walcott/Lennon/Dyer are not wing-backs (Wigan play Beausejour and Boyce in these positions in their system, completely different players with much more defensive awareness).

And also despite getting rid of the old guard elsewhere you still want to play Terry, who is the main problem element in the squad.

If you wanted to play something that actually ressembles Wigan's 3-4-3 system, I'd go with something like:

Hart

Smalling-Ferdinand-Lescott

Milner-Parker-Barry-A.Cole

Young-Welbeck/Rooney-Walcott

[villa4europe]

im going to be gutted when we take carroll, i would take -

hart, ruddy, ??

Richards, Walker, Rio, Terry, Jagielka, Lescott, Cole, Baines

Parker, Barry, Milner, Young, Carrick, Chamberlain, Gerrard, Lampard

Rooney, Welbeck, Walcott, Holt

I think Holt will be dropped for Carroll and england being england i can see defoe, sturridge and/or downing somehow getting in, if they were fit id take huddlestone and wilshere and i dont think dawson has played much this year either had he?

our strike force until rooney is available is scarily weak IMO

[Cizzler]

That team is a thing of such ugliness as I've never seen before.

You've got a CM which is made up of 2 thugs who would be getting sent-off within half an hour by any international ref. Holt and Carroll would just get in each other's way and give away free-kicks every time they go for a header.

Team would be wide open for attacks down either wing as Walcott/Lennon/Dyer are not wing-backs (Wigan play Beausejour and Boyce in these positions in their system, completely different players with much more defensive awareness).

And also despite getting rid of the old guard elsewhere you still want to play Terry, who is the main problem element in the squad.

If you wanted to play something that actually ressembles Wigan's 3-4-3 system, I'd go with something like:

Hart

Smalling-Ferdinand-Lescott

Milner-Parker-Barry-A.Cole

Young-Welbeck/Rooney-Walcott

Hmmm :? Perhaps a revert back to the good ol' fashioned 4-4-2 then.

GK: Charles Hart

RB: Tony Hibbert

LB: Ashley Cole

CB: Joleon Lescott

CB: Mike Williamson

RM: Ryan Shotton (utilise the long throw)

LM: Ashley Young

CM: Leon Britton

CM: Danny Murphy

ST: Adam Lallana

ST: Ricky Lambert

Lescott and Williamson are both coming off the back of fantastic seasons. Williamson would dominate airily, whilst Lescott could sweep with his pace. Hibbert and Cole have been two of the most consistent full backs in Premiership history.

Then the midfield. Britton's ball retention rate is comparable to Europe's elite. Murphy provides the more experienced head and has the bonus of knowing Hosgson very well. Both can keep the ball. We all know what Young is capable of at his best and Shotton provides both pace and a danger with his throw.

Lallana and Lambert have taken the Championship by storm this season.

[NurembergVillan]

I'm the not taking Scott Sinclair then? What if we get a penalty?!

[rhyscartwright_avfc]

GK - Hart, Robinson, Foster

DF - Walker, Richards, Cole, Baines, Jones, Ferdinand, Lescott, Cahill

MF - Parker, Milner, Carrick, Barry, Lampard, Lennon, Walcott, Young, Ox-Chamb

ST - Rooney, Bent, Sturridge.

Would take Wilshire instead of Lampard if fit. Struggling for a striker after Rooney & Bent. England only have 3 world class players; Rooney, Cole and Hart.

A 4-2-3-1 formation. Starting line-up would be:

--------------Hart------------------

Walker --Jones--Ferdinand--Cole

--------Parker----Milner-----------

Lennon---Lampard-------Young--

------------Rooney-----------------

[EastEndVillan]

The reason i included both holt and ruddy is the message that it would send out, ie if you show good form and are doing well, you deserve to be recognised. For too long the England team has been based on reputations and not form, that sends out the wrong message.

I'd have Carroll over Crouch purely due to age, Carroll is 23, and would be around for 10 years, this is probably crouch's last tournament.

Scott Sinclair is a good shout, might have him over Walcott.

[rhyscartwright_avfc]

Regarding Holt and Ruddy, I am all for giving players a chance who been in good form I just don't think they've been good enough. Ruddy is nowhere near good enough for international standard. He makes mistakes fairly regularly. Not necessarily giving away goals but parrying into dangerous areas or not collecting crosses etc, generally not good enough.

And as for Holt, yes he has scored quite a lot of goals for a poor team but he is so poor, his movement is atrocious, he doesn't finish very well, can't dribble, not quick. Good header of a ball and strong and will definitely put a shift in for you but not what I would want in my England team.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

GK: Joe Hart

GK: John Ruddy

GK: Ben Foster

DF: Kyle Walker

DF: Micah Richards

DF: Ashley Cole

DF: Leighton Baines

DF: Joleon Lescott

DF: John Terry

DF: Chris Smalling

DF: Phil Jones

MD: Scott Parker

MD: Steve Gerrard

MD: Gareth Barry

MD: Oxlaide-Chamberlain

MD: James Milner

MD: Ashley Young

MD: Theo Walcott

FW: Daniel Sturridge

FW: Wayne Rooney

FW: Darren Bent

FW: Peter Crouch

FW: Danny Welbeck

I think this and as much as I like him, I'd remove Milner for Lampard personally, not sure Milner has done enough to warrant a place and he's not good enough out wide for me.

I'd maybe take Lennon as a winger also instead of one of the Arsenal duo.

[Qwpzxjor1]

GK: Joe Hart

GK: Ben Foster

GK: Ben Amos / Jason Steele

DF: Kyle Walker

DF: Micah Richards

DF: Leighton Baines

DF: Steven Caulker

DF: Gary Cahill

DF: Chris Smalling

DF: Phil Jones

MD: Scott Parker ©

MD: Adam Johnson

MD: Tom Cleverley

MD: Oxlaide-Chamberlain

MD: James Milner

MD: Ashley Young

MD: Theo Walcott

FW: Wayne Rooney

FW: Danny Welbeck

FW: Danny Sturridge

FW: Grant Holt

FW: Henri Lansbury

--------------- Hart -----------------

Walker - Jones - Smalling - Baines

-------- Parker -- Cleverley ---------

Walcott ---- Milner ----- Young

------------- Rooney ----

Yeah, we won't get far, but at least it'll be the start of a team for the future. I don't see what benefit taking Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, etc.. will bring. It just means we'll go out in the same old predictable way. I'd rather go out trying something new.

Holt has played his way into the team this season IMO. Sure, it's only been one season - but what more does a player have to do to get a call up? The guy's been on fire.

If a 'senior' player is needed, then I'd take Scholes.

[Qwpzxjor1]

Oh wait, Rooney is suspended for first 3 games isn't he? Er.. step up Grant Holt? Wow that's kinda depressing, he's probably my first choice striker for the group games then..

[kurtsimonw]

Lansbury? He's only started 13 games in the Championship!

[VillaGoMarching]

Some pretty wild picks in here.

[switters]

We don't want to ruin the next generation by rushing them through with excessive expectations too soon. People like Lansbury and Cleverley simply not ready for this tournament. Cleverley's played about 6 games all season and you put him in the first team?! Not a good plan. Similarly Smalling-Jones is not a partnership Ferguson has chosen to play, so why would you put that in England team? A defence that inexperienced would be destroyed by France and co.

I understand desire to see change, but it needs to be done sensibly. Take the youngsters who are established first teamers at club level and seem ready for step up (Welbeck, Smalling, Sturridge, Walker, etc.) but we can't throw out all the old regime. Particularly in central midfield, there really aren't many good options beyond the usual suspects of Parker, Barry, Lampard etc. (Cleverley, Wilshere, Rodwell, Huddlestone, Frimpong - all injured/been injured most of the season, and younger players like McEachran, Barkley, G.Gardner even, just aren't ready)

[Cizzler]

In all seriousness

GK: Hart, (ideally)Foster, Fraser Forster

RB: Walker, Richards

LB: Cole, Baines

CB: Lescott, Ferdinand, Cahill, Jones, Smalling

RM: Lennon, Oxlade-Chamberlain

LM: Young, Johnson?

CM: Carrick, Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, Scholes

ST: Rooney, Bent, Carroll, Sturridge, Welbeck

[djdabush]

I know we're short on keepers but seriously, Ruddy? He's let in a lot of soft goals this season!

[The_Rev]

Mercilessly stolen from F365

Guide To Criticising Hodgson's Squad Selection

Captain: if someone who has been captain before, "predictable". If not, "wrong".

Average age of squad over 26: too old, over-reliance on the failed so-called "golden generation".

Average age of squad under 26: inexperienced/ruining our chances for the Olympics (I forget whether we care about this or not).

Goalkeepers:

Joe Hart: obvious choice and deserves no credit.

Rob Green: plays for a championship club. Only selected due to failure to persuade anyone else out of retirement, ergo poor man-management.

Ben Foster: nepotism.

Right back:

Failure to take all of Micah Richards, Glen Johnson, Kyle Walker, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling constitutes a decision, and therefore automatically a risky/wrong one.

Left back:

Ashley Cole: obvious, deserves no credit.

If a back-up is selected: unnecessary, waste of a squad place (cf. Stephen Warnock). If not: short-sighted.

Centre back:

Failure to persuade Rio and Terry to play together is poor man-management. Success is "too risky".

Central Midfield:

Gerrard: make reference to Hodgson's time at Liverpool and cast doubt on ability to get a performance out of him.

Lampard: too similar to Gerrard. If not picked, make unflattering AVB comparisons.

Scott Parker: would certainly perform better if 'Arry was manager

Carrick/Barry: boring.

Scholes: if picked, desperate. If not picked, a missed opportunity

Anyone else: an unknown quantity.

Wings:

Joe Cole: if not picked, point out that he has been playing brilliantly in France. If picked, point out that he has been rubbish in France. No-one will bother to check either way.

Ashley Young: if picked, diver that will not fool continental referees, therefore a waste of space. If not picked, point to past goalscoring form and ability to win penalties.

Adam Johnson: if picked, has hardly played for Man City this season. If not picked, has hardly played for Man City this season and would have bought much-needed freshness to the squad.

Walcott: if picked, has only ever performed that one time against Croatia. If not picked, performed that one time against Croatia.

Stewart Downing: if picked, 0 goals 0 assists. If not picked, bemoan lack of natural left-footers in the squad.

Anyone who plays for Swansea: if picked, they play for Swansea, a small club. If not, harshly overlooked.

Strikers:

Rooney: if picked, waste of a squad place. We'll be out after 2 games anyway. If not picked, have "ROO-DICULOUS!!!" headlines on standby.

Andy Carroll: if picked, has been rubbish all season. If not, has been brilliant for the last two games.

Defoe: if picked, has not played all season. If not, gifted finisher, adds freshness to the squad, 'Arry would have picked him.

Crouch: if picked, exposes England's dearth of strikers. If not, think of the wonder-goal.

Sturridge/Welbeck: if picked, inexperienced. If not, robbing the future of English football of valuable tournament experience.

For tabloid journalists, this is a handy cut-out-and keep style guide. For anyone else, combine this with a copy of next Wednesday's Sun to form a potentially lethal drinking game.

Steve (Dembele Full But We Hungry - Bob Marley), Nottingham