England World Cup squad named:

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

It’s coming home, oh no it’s not…

Goalkeepers:
Seaman (Arsenal), Martyn (Leeds), James (West Ham).

Defenders:
Ferdinand (Leeds), Campbell (Arsenal), Southgate (Middlesbrough), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Bridge (Southampton), Mills (Leeds), Brown (Man Utd), Keown (Arsenal).

Midfielders:
Beckham (Man Utd), Scholes (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Dyer (Newcastle), Butt (Man Utd), Hargreaves (B Munich), Joe Cole (West Ham).
Strikers:

Owen (Liverpool), Heskey (Liverpool), Vassell (Aston Villa), Fowler (Leeds), Sheringham (Tottenham).
So…

Joe Cole: in ! I’m very pleased. With Sherringham, he offers an alternative to Sven’s main game plan. Wes Brown over Jamie Carragher ? Must have been close, I might well have gone with Carragher. No Jansen, no McManaman …iokay with me. Not a big fan of David James either, but I suppose he’s third choice 'keeper.

Three weeks to go…God, I’m nervous…

2

Woo! Do you think, if it goes to penalties (god help us) Southgate will be allowed a chance to redeem himself?

Is it a really stupid question if I ask who’s captain?

3

A certain Mr. Posh I would guess.
Be seeing ye in Japan/Korea.

4

Glad to see Dyer in. I think old Uncle Teddy will be an absolute star. I have my doubts about Wes Brown.

5

I think Dyer’s got the only left foot in the country so I reckon he was going to be okay. Looks like the choice of captain has been delayed due to a recovering meta…meta…meta…toe bone.

Teddy’s interesting, IMHO. Doesn’t fit in with Sven’s choice of tactics but he, with Joe Cole, offers a Plan B – both are presumable (injuries notwithstanding) going to be last 20 min subs. But yep, I love Teddy (and he can, at least, head the bloody thing) although he’s had a slightly dodgy season

6

I think Brown is a decent choice. I rate him (for a youngster). I like Carragher but to me he’s only a notch above Phil Neville – Mr Versatility but no Baresi.

I’m glad Cole, Bridge and Dyer are in, although Dyer still needs to prove himself. Not happy about James or Fowler but I guess they’re reserves.

7

Go En ga land!

8

He should have brough McManaman in that case.

9

I think it’s a shame that we have no place for a man proving himself at the very highest level, playing with Zidane etc.

I also think that Jansen could well have been an interesting “player to watch” in the WC. There’s normally one that comes through unexpectedly.

Carragher? For me there is too much cover at each of the places he could play in.

I’d have taken Jansen and left Keown. It’s strikers and the ability to change your attacking play that win matches, not extra defenders. And there is so much versitility in the players we have in defence and midfield that I feel there was more than enough CB cover without Keown.

Still, looking forward to it. I LOVE international tournaments like these. I’m currently reliving the games of USA 94 (I watched nearly 100% of them) and France 98, when I was there. I’m getting giddy just thinking of it.

pan

10

I’m quite glad McManaman didn’t make it. I just don’t think he’s ever consistently played well throughout a match for England. That wouldn’t be so bad if he had the skill to turn a match in one movement (a la early Gascoigne) but I don’t think he can even really do that. Besides, he’s not even a regular for Madrid – regular sub, as far as I can tell.

I’m very pleased for Joe Cole and Kieron Dyer. I think the latter hasn’t yet shown he has what it takes, but I still think he can if he takes his chance. Cole could be a star of this tournament.

11

The real disgrace is leaving Chris Sutton behind. He’s the best English player playing outside of England.

12

On yer bike, twisty <whack>

13

Don’t talk to a Chelsea fan about Chris Sutton.

14

I wouldn’t be talking to a Chelsea fan at all at the moment - far too likely to get my head bitten off :smiley: (biting smiley)

Gp

15

Feh

16

:frowning:

17

I see all the usual suspects have checked in already, my thoughts for those interested:

Firstly, Jamie Carragher. Jamie has had a good season for Liverpool but has suffered when put up against out and out wingers with pace. Marc Overmars gave him a torrid time in Liverpool’s 3-1 Champions’ League defeat to Barcelona at Anfield when he came on for Luis Enrique. And more recently Chelsea’s Jesper Gronkjaer did the same causing Houllier to shift Carragher to the opposite side of the pitch (Ranieri then promptly followed suit and switched Gronkjaer to the same side so he could continue to pester him).
Against less pacey players Carragher’s excellent positional play and tackling have got him out of trouble but I still think against the world’s best question marks remain.
I don’t think we can afford to play any defender who struggles with pace.

However, having said that we look quite short of cover at right full back and given Danny Mills’ disciplinary record it wouldn’t surprise me if we come to need a little cover.

As for the rest of the squad I am very pleased to see the inclusion of Joe Cole, who will give us that little bit of flair if and when we need it. Glad to see Wayne Bridge there too, I think he has the edge over Ashley Cole defensively and I hope he starts at left full-back.

A fit Dyer gives us something else too, someone who can take players on and run with the ball. A very welcome inclusion to the squad. However, I doubt Sven will play him in the role Bobby does and as a left winger his effectiveness is reduced (as seen a little in the last international - although he wasn’t entirely fit). I suspect we might only see Kieron at his best if we are behind, need to score and Sven frees him up.

Teddy Sheringham’s inclusion didn’t surprise me and it doesn’t hurt to have a player like him in the squad. I agree with London_Calling that we are most likely to see him in the last 20 minutes of a game.

Would I have included Jansen for Keown like kabbes, perhaps, but I am happy with Keown none the less.

McManaman, for me, has never really done it at international level so I am not too upset. Whilst playing very well for Real Madrid (when he makes the team) I think he is more of an Ian Wright (another who struggled to make the step up) than a Michael Owen (someone who had no trouble).

I can’t argue with the rest of the squad, they picked themselves really. We just need to keep our key players fit (Owen and Beckham spring to mind), as without them a good team turns into a decidedly average one.

All in all its as I expected.

All I have left to say is “WooHoo! The World Cup is coming!” and am looking forward to hearing the Dutch squad being named…for 2006 :wink: (sorry Coldie I couldn’t resist.)

18

Glad to see that Fowler got in, his move away from his beloved Liverpool was a shame for such a loyal servant of that club in an age when buying a foreigner seems to keep the fans happier than bringing on home grown talent.

Its hard for Liverpool fans to dispute the logic of Houllier given their final league position but there must have been some mixed feelings when they played Leeds.

19

I thought Houllier cashed in because Fowler’s contract was up next year and there was no way he was going to sign on again without being in the team?

If that’s true, I can’t blame Houllier for wanting some money for a player who’d go for naught otherwise.

20

Are you nuts, Twisty? As injury prone as Sutty is, the absolute last thing I want to see him doing is playing for England.

Crusoe, I know I rubbished Alan Thompson before, but he has played fairly well lately - and Sven plays a 4-4-2, right? [sub] Don’t watch many England games, sorry[/sub] Under which he’d be more suited than he is in the wingback position he usually plays for us. So there’s another left foot you could have had (though again I’m not particularly sorry you don’t :)).