Who would select Paul Scholes for England?

Harry Redknapp has quoted today that he believes Scholes should be in the England National side for Euro 2012. Even at the age of 37, Scholes is still a supreme talent proven by his recent displays made even more remarkable by the fact he was retired for six months!

There is no other footballer like him in England, he's able to control and dictate the pace of a football game single handily and rarely gives the ball away. This is very much the sort of player England have been missing for many years (I personally believe Scholes has been England's most talented midfielder since the 1990s).

So would you take him on the plane? If so, you would have to start him. There's no point attempting to bring him on as an impact player. Gerrard and Lampard have both suffered on the big stage, and I personally wouldn't start with either- albeit they would most likely be in my squad.

I would go for a midfield trio of Wilshere, Parker & Scholes. That's just a midfield packed with talent and steel. With the likes of Ashley Young, Theo Walcott, Arron Lennon, Adam Johnson, Danny Welbeck and maybe even Oxlade Chamberlain on the wing England will have plenty of pace to burn.

International football is about fine margins, I personally believe Scholes will bring that much needed extra bit of creativity and fluency England desperately need.

I was thinking about this earlier in the week, and there is no reason (Apart from Paul declining) not to take Scholes to the Euro's. He's the only player for England who can dictate like you said, the speed of the game. I honestly don't believe United could've have come this close without his impact this season. Every team apart from England it seems, has someone to dictate the game: Schweinstiger, Xavi, Alonso etc, and England will be a better side going into the Euro's with Paul Scholes in the team than without him.

Why not just pick the spine of a successful club side that has multiple english players and fit others in round their system.

Would:
Hart
Jones Smalling Ferdinand Cole
Lennon Scholes Carrick Young
Rooney Welbeck

really do much worse than trying to shoehorn Gerrard, Lampard et al into the side? At least their would be complete understanding and some fluidity.

You could pick anyone of United, City or Chelsea then fill in the gaps.

I'd take Paul Scholes, he is just a wonderful footballer although I nearly crashed my car today when I heard Richard Keys say he should get Player of the Year

Is it wise Harry Redknapp coming out and talking about England though? I realise that's not the point of the thread but surely in the position he's in at the moment, commenting on England seems a tad strange

It's either Scholes or Lampard for me and I'd take Scholes

Gerrard would go to no question, Wilshire should be fit by then surely and Scott Parker, that's the four CM slots filled

On current form Carrick would have to go for me, he's a unsung player who does his job perfectly. Previous seasons he seemed to stagnate by over simplifying everything but he's rediscovered his wonderful ball distribution and also gets stuck in more than he used to. Not a flashy player by all means but he's the perfect foil for Scholes, Parker is the better player but not sure it would be a good partnership.

Carrick and Scholes
Gerrard and Parker

I really don't believe Gerrard should start as a central midfielder, maybe as a support act to Wayne Rooney? But I'd personally prefer a Welbeck/ Bent/ Sturridge alongside him.

All great sides have the master passer on their side. Spain have an abundance in Fabregas, Xavi, Alonso and Iniesta- it's unfair really. It's dissapointing England have been unable to produce another Scholes, but he really is that damn good.

I wouldn't take Carrick personally, I think his form has only really improved since Scholes has taken the pressure of him. Also, Valencia has been in magnificent form making the whole United team look good in the process.

Scotty Parker is a must for me as one of the midfielders, the other slots are all up for grabs.

My worry if Harry does get the job is potential bias, imagine a team as follows:

Hart
Walker
A Cole
Rio
King
Lennon
Parker
Carrick
Lampard
Defoe
Rooney

I think Ledley King is the best CB England have but it's just unrealistic to expect him to be fit, I'd also have no problem with anyone who picks Kyle Walker, he's been immense, his performance at Anfield last week was the best) performance I've seen all season

....................... Hart

Walker ...... King ... Jones ..... Cole

...................... Scholes
............ Parker .......... Wilshire

Sturridge ....... Wellback ..... Rooney

Yeah, I'd take Scholes, but I find it really hard to fit him into my side. Gerrard has to play for me, as does Parker, and as does Wilshere when fit. Not sure how to get all four into a side without sacrificing width.

My team assuming no Scholes would be as follows:-

........................Hart

Richards...Jones...Dawson...Cole

............Gerrard.....Parker............

Sturridge......Wilshere........Young

.....................Rooney...................

I'm not a fan of Ashley Young, never have been, he is far to greedy for me, he can do some unbelievvable things on his day but when he's off his game he can be absolutely brutal, that said, I'd probably take him in the squad

Scholes should have been the fulcrum of the England midfield when he was in his peak form (2005/2006) but the idiots in charge of England kept picking Lampard who will never take a back foot and let the more technical player be the playmaker.

As of now I wouldn't pick Scholes as they need to build with the younger legs.

You build towards major tournaments and this is a major tournament, don't think you build for the future at the euros myself.

I think you are all forgetting that the tournament is played in the summer heat and Scholes hates playing in hot weather. Combine that with his age and how long will he last?

Kyle Walker, he's been immense, his performance at Anfield last week was the best) performance I've seen all season

Really? I thought Glen Johnson playing at left back was much better than Walker that game. It was a real good battle down that flank, but I felt Johnson actually outshone him on that day.

Crimey wrote:

Kyle Walker, he's been immense, his performance at Anfield last week was the best) performance I've seen all season

Really? I thought Glen Johnson playing at left back was much better than Walker that game. It was a real good battle down that flank, but I felt Johnson actually outshone him on that day.

I'm with Gaffer, any defensive doubts I might have had about him were completely removed that day. He was impeccable and he kept that side of the pitch absolutely locked down.

.....................Hart

M.Richards........Jones......Ferdinand (are we THAT short on CB's?) ........Cole

....................................Parker

.............Wilshire.............Gerrard..........Oxlade Chamberlin

.......................Wellbeck / Sturidge.......Rooney

I'd rather see Scholes as captain of the Olympic team, both he and Giggs should certainly be in that side, with all the best youngsters alongside them learning for the future.
The likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain aren't guaranteed to play at the Euros, so they should play at the Olympics, where they'll get full game time and actually have a chance of winning something, for once, as we are hosts, we should take an underage tournament seriously.

Rodwell and Carrick could do a very good job for the national team. Rodwell is a little bit better than Wilshere for me, I find Wilshere too similar to Parker with Parker being a bit more dependable.

ReallyReal wrote:I'd rather see Scholes as captain of the Olympic team, both he and Giggs should certainly be in that side, with all the best youngsters alongside them learning for the future.
The likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain aren't guaranteed to play at the Euros, so they should play at the Olympics, where they'll get full game time and actually have a chance of winning something, for once, as we are hosts, we should take an underage tournament seriously.

Great call.
Scholes is five times the player Beckham is/was.

Tony B Liar wrote:

ReallyReal wrote:I'd rather see Scholes as captain of the Olympic team, both he and Giggs should certainly be in that side, with all the best youngsters alongside them learning for the future.
The likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain aren't guaranteed to play at the Euros, so they should play at the Olympics, where they'll get full game time and actually have a chance of winning something, for once, as we are hosts, we should take an underage tournament seriously.

Great call.
Scholes is five times the player Beckham is/was.

There was an interesting article with Xavi a year or so back and he was asked something along the lines of, if you could take any english player or any other player to play alongside at Barca from the last 20 years who would it be? His answer was Paul Scholes. Rated him so so highly.

Just found the article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1355726/Xavi-interview-Paul-Scholes-best-midfielder-20-years.html

PS: In answer to the OP, I wouldn't play any player over the age of 26. Did a thread on it a few months ago, we should give up on these Euros (and maybe even the 2014 WC) and start from scratch with a team packed with the talented youngsters we have on offer. The German's did it in the early noughties, the French in the early 90s, and both have reaped the rewards.

Think my team was something along the lines of:

Hart
Walker Jones Smalling Baines
Johnson Cleverly Wilshere Young
Welbeck/Sturridge Rooney

TopHat24/7 wrote:PS: In answer to the OP, I wouldn't play any player over the age of 26. Did a thread on it a few months ago, we should give up on these Euros (and maybe even the 2014 WC) and start from scratch with a team packed with the talented youngsters we have on offer. The German's did it in the early noughties, the French in the early 90s, and both have reaped the rewards.

Think my team was something along the lines of:

Hart
Walker Jones Smalling Baines
Johnson Cleverly Wilshere Young
Welbeck/Sturridge Rooney

Thats not true though is it, Ballack, Kahn, Scholl etc all played in the 2002 WC final, France had Blanc, Deschamp, Leboeuf, Djorkaeff with Guivarche, Petit etc all approaching 30 in their first major tournament.

There is no point sending out a team of youngsters with little to no elite level experience to get thrashed at a major tournament.

This is like the fallicy that the united 96 side contained only youngsters when schmeichael, bruce, pallister, irwin, keane, giggs, cantona (ie the spine of the side) were all experienced championship winners.

I do maintain that a side based around a successful club side has the most chance of winning as they will be used to playing like a team and more importantly winning.

Ent wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:PS: In answer to the OP, I wouldn't play any player over the age of 26. Did a thread on it a few months ago, we should give up on these Euros (and maybe even the 2014 WC) and start from scratch with a team packed with the talented youngsters we have on offer. The German's did it in the early noughties, the French in the early 90s, and both have reaped the rewards.

Think my team was something along the lines of:

Hart
Walker Jones Smalling Baines
Johnson Cleverly Wilshere Young
Welbeck/Sturridge Rooney

Thats not true though is it, Ballack, Kahn, Scholl etc all played in the 2002 WC final, France had Blanc, Deschamp, Leboeuf, Djorkaeff with Guivarche, Petit etc all approaching 30 in their first major tournament.

There is no point sending out a team of youngsters with little to no elite level experience to get thrashed at a major tournament.

This is like the fallicy that the united 96 side contained only youngsters when schmeichael, bruce, pallister, irwin, keane, giggs, cantona (ie the spine of the side) were all experienced championship winners.

I do maintain that a side based around a successful club side has the most chance of winning as they will be used to playing like a team and more importantly winning.

How do you get them elite level experience if you don't blood them in competitive competitions?? When France reached the 98 WC their back 5 of Barthez, Thuram, Lizarazu, Blanc and Desailly has been playing together for years and years had lots of caps and experience and were a perfect unit. That is the kind of foundation you build a winning side on, not keeping past-it bums like Terry and Rio around because they were good 5 years ago whilst talent like Jones etc warm the bench and make cameo appearances. Germany's resurrection and investment in youth was post '02 and only just showing dividends - they had relative kids in SA and looked brilliant, playing without fear and battering our crummy prima-donna 'experienced pros' taken from the top sides.

This is a long term vision not a quick fix. You have to accept 1 or 2 tournaments of experience gathering without the usual pathetic build up we give every England side about how 'this could be the year'.

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Ent wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:PS: In answer to the OP, I wouldn't play any player over the age of 26. Did a thread on it a few months ago, we should give up on these Euros (and maybe even the 2014 WC) and start from scratch with a team packed with the talented youngsters we have on offer. The German's did it in the early noughties, the French in the early 90s, and both have reaped the rewards.

Think my team was something along the lines of:

Hart
Walker Jones Smalling Baines
Johnson Cleverly Wilshere Young
Welbeck/Sturridge Rooney

Thats not true though is it, Ballack, Kahn, Scholl etc all played in the 2002 WC final, France had Blanc, Deschamp, Leboeuf, Djorkaeff with Guivarche, Petit etc all approaching 30 in their first major tournament.

There is no point sending out a team of youngsters with little to no elite level experience to get thrashed at a major tournament.

This is like the fallicy that the united 96 side contained only youngsters when schmeichael, bruce, pallister, irwin, keane, giggs, cantona (ie the spine of the side) were all experienced championship winners.

I do maintain that a side based around a successful club side has the most chance of winning as they will be used to playing like a team and more importantly winning.

How do you get them elite level experience if you don't blood them in competitive competitions?? When France reached the 98 WC their back 5 of Barthez, Thuram, Lizarazu, Blanc and Desailly has been playing together for years and years had lots of caps and experience and were a perfect unit. That is the kind of foundation you build a winning side on, not keeping past-it bums like Terry and Rio around because they were good 5 years ago whilst talent like Jones etc warm the bench and make cameo appearances. Germany's resurrection and investment in youth was post '02 and only just showing dividends - they had relative kids in SA and looked brilliant, playing without fear and battering our crummy prima-donna 'experienced pros' taken from the top sides.

This is a long term vision not a quick fix. You have to accept 1 or 2 tournaments of experience gathering without the usual pathetic build up we give every England side about how 'this could be the year'.

Look what you are saying isn't true, Lama was French number 1 at Euro 96, Lizerazu was only breaking into the team - harldy years and years. England have tried to blood youngsters in the past, Beckham, Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, Gerrard, Owen, Rooney all went into the team at a young age and it didn't pay any dividend.

That Germany team won the u-19 and u-21 championships, whereas England went out in the first round last year!

I've no issue with blooding youngsters but they could do with a bit more PL and EPL experience and dumping anyone over the age of 26 to try and prepare for 2-4 years down the line is a stupid idea.

If you are good enough you are the right age and it comes down to the fact that in the last 20 years England haven't been good enough to win these competitions or perform well.

You say that Ferdinand is a past it bum but he is at present better than any young english centre back, he's not at his best but he's still the best available.

There is little point in sending a young team to get thrashed in the european team when you can just stick with a natural progression and see how they perform.

there is no way in hell that Paul scholes should be in the england squad..
.
move on with youth!

Who better for the young players to learn from that the greatest english midfielder of his generation?

TopHat24/7 wrote:PS: In answer to the OP, I wouldn't play any player over the age of 26. Did a thread on it a few months ago, we should give up on these Euros (and maybe even the 2014 WC) and start from scratch with a team packed with the talented youngsters we have on offer. The German's did it in the early noughties, the French in the early 90s, and both have reaped the rewards.

Think my team was something along the lines of:

Hart
Walker Jones Smalling Baines
Johnson Cleverly Wilshere Young
Welbeck/Sturridge Rooney

Apologies- but that's absolute sucidal. Experience is key in 95% of all successful sides. Yes build for the future (eg take the likes of Welbeck, Wilshere, Smalling and Jones etc.). But we must remember the Euro's is one of the PREMIUM competitions- you play your best side

The reason why you have Scholes is because he adds much needed balance to the England side. A lot of the above posts have included players who are obviously brilliant for their club side but never real excel for England. It's very hard to gel a team of talented players.

For the record this would be my side (pending on Terry's state of mind come June).

GK Joe Hart (simply outstanding)
RB Micah Richards
LB Ashley Cole (Englands most consistent performer over 10 years)
CB Cahill (can't believe a lot of posters fail to mention him)
CB Terry (Especially if Cahill and JT develop a partnership at Chelsea).

RM Oxlede Chamberlain (if he carrys on at this rate)
LM Ashley Young (although this is up for debate)
DMC Scott Parker (no doubt about it)
MC Paul Scholes
MC Jack Wilshere or Steven Gerrard

FWD Wayne Rooney

Terry is dressing room suicide, should never play for England again and Gerrard continues to flatter to deceive at international level (though still better than the woeful Lampard who should've been dropped for good 4 years ago).

Otherwise that's a good side, and Scholes aside (and maybe Cole) is heavily reliant on youth. Perfect.

Youth doesn't mean chucking out uncapped 18 year olds, it means getting players in their early to mid 20s who have several seasons of experience playing top EPL and European level football some competitive international experience so that in a tournament or so's time they'll be tip top.

We've tried for about 10-15 years keeping in underperforming old players whilst getting younger players the occassional cap here or there. It's not worked at all. The 2010 WC was a national embarrasment.

It would be a step backwards to select Scholes at this point. My side would be:

Hart

Walker - Lescott - Jagielka - Cole
----------Parker--------Milner
Sturridge-------Wilshere------Oxlade
--------------Rooney

GK. Hart (C) (One of the best in the world atm)
RB. M.Richards (Outstanding season so far, doesn't get played enough by Mancini)
CB. C.Smalling (Consistantly plays well for united, mature head for a young lad, quick, strong, good technique and one for the future)
CB. R.Ferdinand (Regained his form and has been United's stand out CB in the 2nd half of the season)
LB. A.Cole

CDM P.Scholes (Experience and currently the best CM in premier league)
RAM S.Parker 9Box to Box, outstanding for Spurs)
LAM J.Wilshere (If he regains fitness. Future of England's midefield with Cleverly and Rodwell)

LW. D.Welbeck (Outstanding this season for utd, keeping hernandez out of the side)
RW. A.Lennon (Need a winger of his speed, worst thing for defenders is a winger who is as fast as him)
ST. W.Rooney


Terry too disruptive and has show signs that he's getting on a bit this season. You can't go to a major tournament with a court case for racism over his head, how can you have respect of the dressing room despit innocent till proven guilty.

GG wrote:It would be a step backwards to select Scholes at this point. My side would be:

Hart

Walker - Lescott - Jagielka - Cole
----------Parker--------Milner
Sturridge-------Wilshere------Oxlade
--------------Rooney

Oxlade Chamberline has played a handful of games for Arsenal. That does not justify taking him to a major tournament. He should be concentrating on breaking into the Arsenal starting line up before going to a major tournament. England should learn from Walcott.

Still don't see any of the teams listed troubling the side I put up earlier.

To refresh your memory

Hart
Jones Smalling Ferdinand Cole
Lennon Carrick Scholes Young
Rooney Welbeck

Most of the team play together every week in a high performing and successful side.

Some of the teams on here have players with very little about them, very little experience, playing with unfamiliar team mates in unfamiliar formations.

Lambs to the slaughter for the better Euro nations.

id take scholes for deffo- he provides a lot of stability in the midfield- and has great link up from rooney!

i am not saying play him every game, but a very usefull squad player.

however if wilshire gets back to full finess and form- scholes will be a good bench back up for him only!

i am really not interested in lamps or gerrard this time around

Ent wrote:Still don't see any of the teams listed troubling the side I put up earlier.

To refresh your memory

Hart
Jones Smalling Ferdinand Cole
Lennon Carrick Scholes Young
Rooney Welbeck

Most of the team play together every week in a high performing and successful side.

Some of the teams on here have players with very little about them, very little experience, playing with unfamiliar team mates in unfamiliar formations.


Lambs to the slaughter for the better Euro nations.

I don't see your side troubling martyr_94's team either.

martyr_94 wrote:

GG wrote:It would be a step backwards to select Scholes at this point. My side would be:

Hart

Walker - Lescott - Jagielka - Cole
----------Parker--------Milner
Sturridge-------Wilshere------Oxlade
--------------Rooney

Oxlade Chamberline has played a handful of games for Arsenal. That does not justify taking him to a major tournament. He should be concentrating on breaking into the Arsenal starting line up before going to a major tournament. England should learn from Walcott.

Oxlade is a FAR superior player to Walcott...as he has an end product...not just pace...

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Ent wrote:Still don't see any of the teams listed troubling the side I put up earlier.

To refresh your memory

Hart
Jones Smalling Ferdinand Cole
Lennon Carrick Scholes Young
Rooney Welbeck

Most of the team play together every week in a high performing and successful side.

Some of the teams on here have players with very little about them, very little experience, playing with unfamiliar team mates in unfamiliar formations.


Lambs to the slaughter for the better Euro nations.

I don't see your side troubling martyr_94's team either.

Pretty niave of you, Rooney can't really successfully lead the line on his own and his 3 man midfield 2 of them play 442 mostly and none of them play together regularly. Welbecks much better through the middle, Lennon doesn't play as a wing forward, Wilshire mightn't even be match fit by the Euros.

You can't throw players together and expect them to gel quickly.

Martyr's team didn't have Rooney as a lone striker (a role he has performed fine when playing in a better team [United]), he was being played as the head of three with two winger/forwards playing off him - a system that reaped significant rewards for United earlier in the season (pre-Citeh mauling).

And to comment on balance when you've selected three centre-backs in your defence is a bit 'naive' yourself. Unless you typo'd and meant to put Smalling right back you've currently got a player with the sum total of 2 caps to his name and no right back experience playing in that position.

TopHat24/7 wrote:Martyr's team didn't have Rooney as a lone striker (a role he has performed fine when playing in a better team [United]), he was being played as the head of three with two winger/forwards playing off him - a system that reaped significant rewards for United earlier in the season (pre-Citeh mauling).

And to comment on balance when you've selected three centre-backs in your defence is a bit 'naive' yourself. Unless you typo'd and meant to put Smalling right back you've currently got a player with the sum total of 2 caps to his name and no right back experience playing in that position.

Our good form early season came when Rooney was partnering Welbeck with Young and Nani on the wings. Rooney isn't as good alone through the middle, which he will be in a 433. He used to get shunted out to the left for us so Ronaldo could play down the middle in the bigger games. Granted he scored plenty of goals in 09/10 but we played gash football, he got very few assists and we won nothing.

Smalling and Jones have been playing right back for united this season, both in PL and CL - you could put Richards in if you wanted but he isn't that much more experienced with 1 CL season and 12 caps under his belt and he is also a centre half by trade.

You are welcome to your opinions but do you really think a side with 2 players out of position, 5 in an unfamiliar system and the majority not having played often together would beat a side with 10/11 in their natural/club position and the main spine of 6 used to winning pretty much every week?

There is no need for pedantry, like I said if it's a united thing you could base it round city players in a 433.

Ent wrote:Still don't see any of the teams listed troubling the side I put up earlier.

To refresh your memory

Hart
Jones Smalling Ferdinand Cole
Lennon Carrick Scholes Young
Rooney Welbeck

Most of the team play together every week in a high performing and successful side.

Some of the teams on here have players with very little about them, very little experience, playing with unfamiliar team mates in unfamiliar formations.



Lambs to the slaughter for the better Euro nations.

If I listed the Spanish, German or Dutch teams, would they trouble this team?

I think the Spanish, German and Dutch best XI's would more than trouble any England side we could put out.

lorus59 wrote:

Ent wrote:Still don't see any of the teams listed troubling the side I put up earlier.

To refresh your memory

Hart
Jones Smalling Ferdinand Cole
Lennon Carrick Scholes Young
Rooney Welbeck

Most of the team play together every week in a high performing and successful side.

Some of the teams on here have players with very little about them, very little experience, playing with unfamiliar team mates in unfamiliar formations.



Lambs to the slaughter for the better Euro nations.

If I listed the Spanish, German or Dutch teams, would they trouble this team?

well its basically a man u team isnt it- i think the above could be a very good team, however bayern munich and barcelona do trouble united, however united trouble them as well!

germany and spain do very well because there use players that play togeteher, it makes sense

mystiroakey wrote:well its basically a man u team isnt it- i think the above could be a very good team, however bayern munich and barcelona do trouble united, however united trouble them as well!

germany and spain do very well because there use players that play togeteher, it makes sense

Germany and Spain do welll simply because they are better teams than England and the only reason why they are dominated by players from certain clubs, is that the richest clubs tend to buy the best players, as they do everywhere, it definitely doesn't mean that players should be picked for their national side just because they play for a certain club.
When you start picking players by the club they play for rather than just picking the best players, you end up like Scotland in the mid 80s, when Fergie refused to pick the best Scottish defender for a generation just because he preferred those who played under him, or you simply get hated by fans (and players) of every other club as they see the international side as a closed shop.
Pick players based on ability and form and you will seldom make a mistake, pick them by reputation and you'll fail too often.

i am really not interested in lamps or gerrard this time around

They both should have retired with some humility after 2008 and then again after 2010. Nothing but disappointment with these two mercenaries.

ReallyReal wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:well its basically a man u team isnt it- i think the above could be a very good team, however bayern munich and barcelona do trouble united, however united trouble them as well!

germany and spain do very well because there use players that play togeteher, it makes sense

Germany and Spain do welll simply because they are better teams than England and the only reason why they are dominated by players from certain clubs, is that the richest clubs tend to buy the best players, as they do everywhere, it definitely doesn't mean that players should be picked for their national side just because they play for a certain club.
When you start picking players by the club they play for rather than just picking the best players, you end up like Scotland in the mid 80s, when Fergie refused to pick the best Scottish defender for a generation just because he preferred those who played under him, or you simply get hated by fans (and players) of every other club as they see the international side as a closed shop.
Pick players based on ability and form and you will seldom make a mistake, pick them by reputation and you'll fail too often.

i dont think simply comes into it at all. picking players on form alone is as much of a problem as picking players on rep alone. its all about building the best team

Lampard and Terry haven't been picked on form since 2006 when they were at the tops of their games. Heskey was being picked for the WC for gods sake and he hasn't been on form since his first few games for Liverpool.

It is all about building the best team instead of trying to find a system to fit in all the best players, a problem we've had for the past 10 years.

An interesting dilemma is central midfield, the obvious four to take are Carrick, Scholes, Gerrard and Parker but the best partnership doesn't contain the two men expected to be captain and vice captain, a big problem. Gerrard and Parker strikes me as lacking creativity, composure and ball retention, all guts and bluster but not guile. If we've learnt anything from Spain it's that short simple passing is the way forward and in Rooney, Carrick and Scholes we have three fantastic passers, we need to utilise that.

Albrighton should be in the reckoning ahead of Walcott who is a waster of the ball imo. Very decent little player!

Imperial Ghosty wrote:It is all about building the best team instead of trying to find a system to fit in all the best players, a problem we've had for the past 10 years.

An interesting dilemma is central midfield, the obvious four to take are Carrick, Scholes, Gerrard and Parker but the best partnership doesn't contain the two men expected to be captain and vice captain, a big problem. Gerrard and Parker strikes me as lacking creativity, composure and ball retention, all guts and bluster but not guile. If we've learnt anything from Spain it's that short simple passing is the way forward and in Rooney, Carrick and Scholes we have three fantastic passers, we need to utilise that.

I wouldn't get carried away with Michael Carrick, he is far too inconsistent and is very much a confidence player. Yes, the Spanish play real football but they have probably 5 or 6 central midfielders who are better than any of England's.

However, England does have a saving grace in Jack Wilshere who you have failed to mention. Every team needs am iron man of a midfielder as well (like Spain have Busquets) and England have been lacking this for sometime- untill Scotty Parker has come along!

If we want to play creative football- Scholes, Wilshere and Rooney are a must for fluid football. It's also imperative to have a ball playing defender in the side. I would personally go for Gary Cahill as he's more established than Jones and Smalling (who will be the future, albeit they should 100% be on that plane).

I completely forgot about Wilshere but his injury worries don't instill me with confidence that he would be fully fit for the Euros. Carrick has been inconsistent in the past but he's been playing at a high standard for a few months now and is in far better form than either Lampard or Gerrard. Can't agree with your point about an iron midfielder because Busquets isn't one, he doesn't really get stuck in like Parker which leads nicely to our biggest problem being the injuries to Hargreaves, he would be a perfect foil for any attack minded midfielder.

Ball playing defender would still have to be Ferdinand, not the player he once was but he's better than Cahill, he's not had an opportunity to build a firm understanding with anyone since Vidic injury, one week it's Evans then it's Smalling then it's Jones, you need consistency of selection through the spine.

Hart

Walker-Ferdinand-Jagielka-Cole

Carrick

Wilshere-Scholes

Young-Agbonlahor

Rooney

We need to move away from the blood and guts style we've persisted with for so long, it works in the premier league but not at international level.