England Team for 2014
So, for some reason it feels like there's more people than ever before who might make Brazil.
I think the big question is around if Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard will make the flight (either yes/yes or yes/no respectively) and which other striker would make it. This was his squad of 30 for Denmark: Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City), John Ruddy (Norwich City). Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Cardiff City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur). Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal). Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC), Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Jay Rodriguez (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United). I'd personally go for: Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City), John Ruddy (Norwich City). Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Phil Jones (Man Utd), Phil Jagielka (Everton) (injured currently but taking). Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) (or Barry if Wilshere is still injured). Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United). I'd go for something like a 4-2-3-1 Code:
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0_o
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P.s. I'm a Liverpool supporter
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I think that is a reasonable squad, there is no Cleverly which is important. Personally i would play Henderson in a more advanced role (where Rooney is in your formation) and probably play Jones or Barry in the holding midfield role with Gerrard.
Cole shouldnt go, just purely on talent and form it should be Shaw. Baines should start but i dont think either would do a bad job in the role, i would like Baines so Rooney is nowhere near the free kicks. Finally i would leave Rooney out, i know no England manager would do this but i think that he has been mediocre at best this season, just like he has been for quite a few seasons and has now underperformed at multiple major tournaments. There is far more deserving players who will miss out on a place cos of this over rated pie eater. I think realistically England could get to the Second Round with their squad but i think that the fact they have a snowballs chance in hell in winning the torunament would be a great oppurtunity to field the players that everyone wants to play, all the youngsters, the future talent. With the exception of Gerrard, who to be honest is only play as he is captain and its his last torunament the squad should be comprimised of under 26's. Guys who will be in or entering their prime in the next 4 years. |
Re: England Team for 2014
Well, personally i would go for a more offensive playstyle.
Down the road like 3-4-3, 3-1-3-3 or 3-3-4. No long ball passes, that's a strictly no no! Want fast pace and 3+ strikers that cooperates at scoring as much as possible. Behind the 3+ strikers will be atleast 2 offensive midfielders/playmakers, while 1 or 2 are to be defensive if needed. As kaiba said, i would drop rooney from the squad aswell. He lacks all sorts of skills beyond his incredible stamina, and he doesn't really fit anywhere on the field. Not to mention he is short tempered and easily provoked. I'd love to see my name brother get another chanse, when he gets better. |
Re: England Team for 2014
I would dump out Ruddy for Forster, Shaw for Baines, Walker for Barry and Townsend for Barkley in your squad.
As for the first XI, Baines should start imo and I'd have Barry or Wilshere alongside Gerrard. If Rooney doesn't hit form before the summer I'd seriously consider using Barkley, Wellbeck or Chamberlain behind Sturridge. |
Re: England Team for 2014
One thing that needs to be said for the supporters is...
Don't expect a repeat of 1966 and try and not belittle the team IF they get put out early. |
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If they go out before the quarters then belittling is very much warranted
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We're really not add good as our media would have us beleive. |
Re: England Team for 2014
Yes, because the Fifa ranking with Switzerland in 6th place is an accurate rank of a team's strength........
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Overpaid and overhyped
Sorry had to be said. With very few exceptions we simply do not have the quality and talent in English Players. Rooney has lost his spark (if he ever had one?) Gerrard is brilliant, but one man does not make a team, and lets face it he is 30yrs old he must be slowing. Cole Wilshire Lalana Sterling All good choices, the rest are interchangeable with any other England Qualified player |
Re: England Team for 2014
Interesting that you don't include Townsend, Sturridge, Johnson, Lennon, Rooney in that! Some would argue that a few of those players are bit different.
England do have a bit more pace than before. Glad to see you list Sterling though - he has looked pretty solid in his last few matches (shooting aside, potentially). |
Re: England Team for 2014
England always look good (on paper) their individual efforts at club level are brilliant, they just never seem able to put it on when they play for England.
It is as if the life has been sucked out of them and they are told to play safe. England managers are far too fond of playing players out of position. We have some of the best forwards and midfielders in the world on any given day, we just need to let them do the same job they do for their clubs and build the team around that central core. As it is we have square pegs in round holes and players playing to the wrong tune. |
Re: England Team for 2014
ok pals since no one is quiet intelligent enough to make a decent team ill make it
hart jhonson cahil Jagielka shaw henderson gerrard(-Lallana) wilshere sturridge rooney welbelck tho u lack a true number 6 a vidal type of player |
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Andros Townsend is my one grief here. He's very much dribble and cut in and very little end product. My preference is Johnson (similar perhaps yes, but I feel more end product less hassle). Also scratch Jordan Henderson and have a Michael Carrick. Quote:
4-2-3-1 is fine for the long ball football England should be playing with this material. Hart is by a mile the first choice keeper, although to me Forster is adequate cover. Baines, Jagielka, Cahill, Walker would be my preferred defense. In the lack of a Jagielka, I might go to Dawson. Mostly because I feel Jones and Smalling are just too error prone. And that's a comparison to Michael Dawson. Gerrard and Carrick make for the slow double deep. They're both well, slow, but have excellent passing range and positioning nevertheless. In front of them will sit the Shrek with Hair. He's good, he really is - yes he's not been very profilic, but Man Utd are shambles right now. He has the work rate and the fighting spirit to cover a lot of ground. It's necessary. Pace on the flanks will miss Walcott, but it will be up to Raheem Sterling and Sturridge to work the flanks. Yes, I know I'm putting Sturridge there. Kind of an advanced winger I suppose. The lone striker role is tough. I would start with Rickie Lambert here. Should that fail, drop, move Sturridge up front, and put Milner on the flank and accept he's not that fast. I'm not sure if I can actually put Milner on the left flank and have him cover for Baines' going upwards. Maybe that's a plan. The major game plan is to park a bus and spray quick, long balls when the ball is won. There are good passers. There are good wingers, and there are back up wingers (Johnson, Oxlade-Chamberlain) to put in if 90 is too much for one. |
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Yeah walcott is "learning how to walk again".
Interesting that you chose Carrick - are you sure that we can cope with 2 less pacy midfielders holding? |
Re: England Team for 2014
Yeah, well, Walcott is a massive blow. He's just one of the best inverse/wingers for Premier League right now, and definitely the best England has. I believe his absense is what makes Arsenal not a title candidate.
What comes to the bottom of the midfield: Jordan Henderson and Tom Cleverley are both mediocre all over. They have no particular upsides. There isn't much coming up either, unless Phil Jones magically turns into a ball-playing deep midfielder, or Jack Rodwell starts getting immense game time and develops fast. What Carrick and Gerrard may lack in pace they make up with intelligence. Defensively, they're of course not energetic pressing players (like Tottenham can field Sandro and Paulinho, or Chelsea can field Ramirez and Matic). There simply isn't material. The fact that you have no material with fitness, energy, and ball control means a pressing-possession game is out of the question. It then becomes a question of using the strengths you have. We've seen in the past that parking the bus and launching fast attacks can beat strong teams when your group is well organized. Carrick and Gerrard are both disciplined players with good eye for the game and a range of passing. Sure you can't press mad on the bottom of the midfield, but you have your advantages. Carrick is probably interchangeable with Wilshere if you really want a bit more energy, but it doesn't solve the other half of the deep end and it takes away from the range, experience, and vision. This of course puts a lot of weight on say, wingers (which there are plenty, so it's not a worry if one can't make 90 minutes with high intensity) and the best English holding midfielder, Wayne Rooney. If you can put the wingers and Rooney at work, you can park the bus, sit deep, don't waste energy running after deep midfielders and defenders with ball, plug passing options instead. When you get the ball, look for a long ball forward (this is why I'd love a target man) towards the flanks. There is plenty of pace on the wings. Rinse, repeat, pray. You can't just toss a bunch of mediocrities in the center of the park and say "we want to play Spain playing like Spain but with far inferior players". |
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