Englands Best and Worse XI

I've Robbed of the BBC but thought it would be a Interesting topic to discuss!!!

Best XI:
GK: Gordon Banks
RB: Gary Neville
CB: Bobby Moore
CB: Tony Adams
LB: Ashley Cole
RW: Stanley Matthews
CM: Bryan Robson
CM: Steven Gerrard
LW: John Barnes
AM: Bobby Charlton
CF: Alan Shearer

I can't argue much with this team maybe replace Barnes with Tom Finney and Cole with Stuart Pearce

Worst XI:
GK: Bonetti
RB: W Barton
CB: Curle
CB: Terry
LB: P Neville
RW: Dyer
CM: J Barton
CM: Palmer
LW: Hodge
CF: Fashanu
CF: Ricketts

I think Phil Neville has no business being in there. I'd replace with Konchesky! Stuart Ripley and Emile Heskey should maybe be in there too!

Lineker over Shearer for me. Probably Butcher over Adams too.

The worst one is ridiculous really. One bad tackle from Phil Neville puts him in there, Terry is in there cos hes a Tinkywinky but hes had some cracking games for England (and as mentioned I think hes a Tinkywinky), Dyer never did anything wrong for England really.

I was debating Lineker but Shearer was the man when i properly started following football in 94-95.

Yeah, Konchesky for Neville and Razor Rudduck in for Terry!

Think Dyer got put in the team coz he has over 30 caps and didn't do anything really!

chris.wilkerson13 wrote:Lineker over Shearer for me. Probably Butcher over Adams too.

This +1

Nicky Shorey has a cap vs Brazil at LB

Chris powell could sneak in at left back as well as David Nugent up front for the worst 11

IMO best

-----------------Gordon Banks-------------

--Gary Neville----Tony Adams (c)---Bobby Moore---Ashley Cole-----

----David Beckham--Bryan Robson---Steven Gerrard----Stanley Matthews----

-----------------------Alan Shearer-----Gary Lineker------------------------------

How have we not prodcued a better left back than Ashley Cole?!

IMO Worst

----------------------------------Scott Carson--------------------------

--------Warren Barton---Curle----------Des Walker-------Wayne Bridge-----

-----Kieron Dyer-----------Joey Barton------Palmer---------Hodge----------

-----------------------------------Michael Ricketts----Andy Carroll

How have we not prodcued a better left back than Ashley Cole?!

How have we not produced a LB better than a guy whos probably been the best in the world at his position for a while in his prime?

I don't know how you can put Andy Carroll in there, who while his club exploits have been troubled, as has actually been pretty decent up top for England when called upon.

That goal vs Sweden was probably the highlight of England's Euro 2012.

Des Walker in the worst team? The guy was pure class for a few years around 1990, but was limited by injuries in the later part of his career. Remember that he replaced the class act that was Terry Fenwick at centre half.

Steve Hodge also shouldn't be in there - OK, wasn't a brilliant player but was the sort of guy that would do a competent job as a wide midfielder.

However, there is serious competition for the central midfield spots - OK, few could challenge Carlton Palmer for one spot, but surely Geoff Thomas has to be well in contention for the other spot.

I'd take Shearer over Lineker for one up front, but it would be an interesting discussion to compare Lineker and Beardsley with Shearer and Sheringham as the most effective striking pair of the last 25 years.

Carlton Palmer was a highly underrated footballer. By no means a great but nowhere near one of the worst England midfielders of all time.

Kieran Dyer would have been a mainstay if he didn't keep breaking down. One of the biggest wastes of talent I have seen.

And Des Walker in a worst ever team? Just no.

I thought Peter Reid did well to win as many caps as he did.

Peter Bonetti has no business being in the worst team. He was just unfortunate to play in the era of Banks, Shilton and Clemence.

Bonetti was a decent keeper by all accounts. I'm sure there's been a dozen worse since he held that position.

I'd go Carson or Green from recent memory

Im supprised nobby stiles and jimmy greaves havent had a mention for the best team

spencerclarke wrote:Im supprised nobby stiles and jimmy greaves havent had a mention for the best team

+1

Barnes was a bit hit and miss for England. Surprised he got in.

My team, from players I have seen.

Seaman
Neville
Ferdinand
Campbell
Cole

Beckham
Gerrard
Robson

Rooney

Shearer
Linekar

dummy_half wrote:Des Walker in the worst team? The guy was pure class for a few years around 1990, but was limited by injuries in the later part of his career. Remember that he replaced the class act that was Terry Fenwick at centre half.

Steve Hodge also shouldn't be in there - OK, wasn't a brilliant player but was the sort of guy that would do a competent job as a wide midfielder.

However, there is serious competition for the central midfield spots - OK, few could challenge Carlton Palmer for one spot, but surely Geoff Thomas has to be well in contention for the other spot.

I'd take Shearer over Lineker for one up front, but it would be an interesting discussion to compare Lineker and Beardsley with Shearer and Sheringham as the most effective striking pair of the last 25 years.

Wasn't he in the team of the tournament for the 1990 world cup? "You'll never beat Des Walker" was a cry from the Forest fans and not many did.

There really cant be anyone else as captain but Bobby, when even Alf Ramsay is gushing in praise for a player then you know he was something special.

Billy Wright is also worth a mention or two. Maybe Lofthouse?

Really surprised by David Platt's goal record for England, I think his spoon head confuses me too much

Cracking thread.

The worst XI is pretty impossible to pick. So many contenders. A few others over the years who deserve a shout are Mike Pejic, Trevor Cherry, Peter Barnes, Mike Duxbury and Andy Sinton. Bonetti wasn't that bad a keeper - his possible place owes everything to him having a nightmare in one of England's most important matches in the last 40 odd years, 1970 World Cup quarter final where he stood in for the sick Banks and almost single handedly gifted the game to the Germans.

Surprised to see Tony Adams in the Best XI. If it had been judged by people even older than me, I'm pretty sure there would have been a loud call for Duncan Edwards.

When choosing a Best XI, worth remembering the wisdom of Alf Ramsey about the ability and need to play alongside particular team mates. In '66, Alf surprised some with his selection of Jack Charlton and was asked why he considered Jack to be England's best centre-half. Alf replied along these lines, ''He's not, but nobody plays better alongside Bobby Moore.''

Of the original team, I would remove Adams and replace with Rio. Replace Robson with Gascoigne and Barnes with Finney. I would take out Gerrard and move Charlton back into midfield, freeing up space for Lineker to come in up front. So:

Banks
Neville Rio Moore Cole
Matthews Gascoigne Charlton Finney
Lineker Shearer

Best XI

GK Gordon Banks
RB Jimmy Armfield
CB Bobby Moore
CB Billy Wright
LB Stuart Pearce
M Sir Stanley Matthews
M Sir Bobby Charlton
M Paul Gascoigne
F Sir Tom Finney
F Alan Shearer
F Kevin Keegan

Worst XI

GK David 'Calamity' James
RB Keith Curle
CB Antony Gardner
CB Zat Knight
LB Chris Powell
M Geoff Thomas
M Carlton Palmer
M Mark Walters
F Michael Ricketts
F Emile Heskey
F Brian Deane

Nick Pickering and Barry Venison both won caps I think. Not what Id call international class players Then again neither was Steve Stone but he played like one when he was picked.

10 years on - who is now your BEST and WORST England XIs?

Best that I've seen play.

Shilton

Gary Stevens
Terry Butcher
Rio ferdinand
Stuart Pearce

Bryan Robson
Steven Gerrard
Paul Gascoigne

Teddy Sherringham

Gary Linker
Alan Shearer


Best ever

Gordon Banks

Gary Stevens
Bobby Moore
Terry Butcher
Stuart Pearce

Tom Finney
Bryan Robson
Bobby Charlton
Stanley Matthews

Jimmy Greaves
Alan Shearer

Subs
Gary Linker
Paul Gascoigne
Rio Ferdinand
Peter Shilton

Looking back at this thread, some of the 'best XIs' would be awful teams, even if made of 11 very good players.

Bobby Charlton and Gazza as a central midfield combination would be excellent with the ball but utterly hopeless without, and similarly I don't think Shearer and Lineker wok as a pair up front, even if as individuals they have good claims to be in the best 11 English players of all time.

As an aside, where does Kane rate for the number 9 shirt? Obviously now our top goal scorer, but the feeling that he has slightly 'filled his boots' against poorer opposition at times, but he has been a key player in the most successful England side of my lifetime (i.e. from the early 70s onwards).

Also notice a lack of love for Kevin Keegan, who was a hell of a player, although perhaps gets marked down in this context because while he had a lot of success at cub level, he was in an England team that seriously under-performed through the latter part of the 70s (failing to qualify for the 74 and 78 world cups, then him only being a bit part player in the unsuccessful 1982 campaign). Also perhaps Keegan misses out on being too old to count in the 'modern' players most of us remember but not being so old as to be amongst the legends like Matthews and Finney. Plus of course he ended up coming across as a bit of a muppet in his coaching career.

dummy_half wrote:Looking back at this thread, some of the 'best XIs' would be awful teams, even if made of 11 very good players.

Bobby Charlton and Gazza as a central midfield combination would be excellent with the ball but utterly hopeless without, and similarly I don't think Shearer and Lineker wok as a pair up front, even if as individuals they have good claims to be in the best 11 English players of all time.

As an aside, where does Kane rate for the number 9 shirt? Obviously now our top goal scorer, but the feeling that he has slightly 'filled his boots' against poorer opposition at times, but he has been a key player in the most successful England side of my lifetime (i.e. from the early 70s onwards).

Also notice a lack of love for Kevin Keegan, who was a hell of a player, although perhaps gets marked down in this context because while he had a lot of success at cub level, he was in an England team that seriously under-performed through the latter part of the 70s (failing to qualify for the 74 and 78 world cups, then him only being a bit part player in the unsuccessful 1982 campaign). Also perhaps Keegan misses out on being too old to count in the 'modern' players most of us remember but not being so old as to be amongst the legends like Matthews and Finney. Plus of course he ended up coming across as a bit of a muppet in his coaching career.

Yep, that's a point I tried to make on this thread ten years ago and one which Alf Ramsey certainly made most effectively fifty-seven years ago as I flagged.