Best England XI

This has probably been done a zillion times.......BUT it is world cup year.

Based on players you have seen, what would be your best England XI? Feel free to do any other nationalities if you wish to.

Mine from 1982ish onwards.

Seaman
Neville
Campbell
Ferdinand
Cole

Beckham
Gazza
Robson

Rooney
Shearer
Lineker

Subs

Shilton
Adams
Scholes
Gerrard
Owen

well I've only been watching since 1996 so have limited options, but happy to give it a go:

Seaman

Neville
Terry
Ferdinand
Cole

Beckham
Scholes
Gazza
McManaman

Shearer
Owen

Banks

Neville
Moore
Adams
Pearce

Beckham
Charlton
Robson
Barnes

Shearer
Lineker

In my lifetime;


Not necessarily a static 4-4-2 mind.

Think i agree with that team Marky. Maybe Rooney/Owen ahead of Sheringham.

Just tried to write mine and I cant decide on a few positions.

I wont bother with ever as I cant really either decide or justify all of it.

Since I've been watching:

Seaman
Neville-Rio-Adams-Cole
Beckham-Scholes-Gerrard-Robson-Gascoigne
Rooney

Originally had Shearer in there with Rooney and Gazza behind, no Beckham in the side. Very hard, Owen deserves a shout, Terry and Ince too. Robson gets in on childhood Man United memories more than anything. Doesnt really say anything to how highly I rate Sheringham as a player too.

Well if England want to win the world cup again.
 
This is the team Roy should seriously be thinking about.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Steer
Lowton Baker Bennett Bertrand
Albrighton Westwood Delph Agbonlahor
Holt Bent.
  
 
I left out Jordan 'i'm so bad' Bowery.

Think this team will do well

Blackman
Kane Cahill Terry Cole
Chalobah Lampard
Saville McEachran Bertrand
Bamford

Getting back on topic, watching since '86 so I'd go with

Seaman
G Neville Adams (c) Ferdinand Cole
Beckham Gascoigne Platt Waddle
Rooney
Lineker

Stella - interesting topic although a tricky one, especially so if like me you've been watching England since before they won the World Cup.

With no apology for heavy influence from the Boys of '66, the spine of my team is more straightforward. That gives me Banks, Moore, Bobby Charton (in an attacking midfield role) with probably Greaves and Shearer up top.

A major difficulty (which I certainly haven't cracked) is who of the other contenders would play well with whom. Particularly so for leading midfielders - a decent case could be made for each of Robson, Gascoigne and Hoddle although I doubt they would gel as an ideal trio and have sufficient defensive steel.

To partner Moore in central defence, I would probably go down the same road as Alf Ramsey. Even in '66, Ramsey didn't consider Jack Charlton one of England's best two centre backs. However and more importantly, he did regard him as the best centre back to play alongside Bobby Moore. That probably still applies for a best ever England team although others like Terry Butcher can consider themselves hard done by.

As for the full backs, Neville and Cole are understandable and very decent selections from several posters. Further going back several decades, I would also though suggest Jimmy Armfield and Terry Cooper at least go into the mix.

Good point about Jack Charlton. CB's are a mini team within one, similar to CF's. For that reason, some might have Beardsley - Lineker or Shearer - Sheringham.

seaman
neville adams rio cole
becks gaza scholes gerrard
shearer owen.



The left wing is the problem for me so I just shoved in Gerard

Seaman

Neville
Rio
Terry
Cole

Beckham
Scholes
Gerrard
Lampard - played LM at Euro 2004 was brilliant

Owen
Rooney

Basically Euro 2004 team but with Seaman in goal. Easily the best England team I've ever seen. Little bit too young to fully appreciate the 96 team.

No Gaza SF . tutut

fair enough you are basing it on what you have witnessed.

To be honest the 1990 team was probably even better than the 1996 and 2004, I just can hardly remember it

The 1990 team was decent but in fairness had a pretty easy route to the semi's, and nearly ballsed that up.

we were that close from a final though and we were not at home!

so .. got to give credit.

But the best footy we have played was in euro 96 under Venables.. Great manager, bad when money is involved!

mystiroakey wrote:we were that close from a final though and we were not at home!

so .. got to give credit.

But the best footy we have played was in euro 96 under Venables.. Great manager, bad when money is involved!

Euro 96. Great summer that was. lager, Footie, and Oasis.

The 2002 team were good, and it took a very good Brazil side to beat them.

Yes stella at that perfect age for me- In college- no worries, loads of beer , tourny at home, good football. Gaza's skills.

I think we should all pay tribute and watch 'my summer with des'

mystiroakey wrote:Yes stella at that perfect age for me- In college- no worries, loads of beer , tourny at home, good football. Gaza's skills.

I think we should all pay tribute and watch 'my summer with des'

Was that the hour long programme that the BBC made? I had that on VHS for years. The Boo Radleys' 'wake up boo' (i hate that song) was played on it.

Yes, I was 24, lived at home, and watched the games down the pub. The dutch game, which was a night one, was unbelievable.

It was that film with Neil Morrisey and Rachel Weisz who i have never given up my crush for.

It followed the whole tourny.

CFCNick wrote:Seaman

Neville
Rio
Terry
Cole

Beckham
Scholes
Gerrard
Lampard - played LM at Euro 2004 was brilliant

Owen
Rooney

Basically Euro 2004 team but with Seaman in goal. Easily the best England team I've ever seen. Little bit too young to fully appreciate the 96 team.

Agree that Lampard was excellent in Euro 2004, but he played in the centre alongside Gerrard. Scholes played on the left, and it was one of the reason's he stopped playing for England.

mystiroakey wrote:It was that film with Neil Morrisey and Rachel Weisz who i have never given up my crush for.

It followed the whole tourny.

Yep, remember it now, The programme about Euro 96 was also good   

Nakatomi Plaza wrote:

CFCNick wrote:Seaman

Neville
Rio
Terry
Cole

Beckham
Scholes
Gerrard
Lampard - played LM at Euro 2004 was brilliant

Owen
Rooney

Basically Euro 2004 team but with Seaman in goal. Easily the best England team I've ever seen. Little bit too young to fully appreciate the 96 team.

Agree that Lampard was excellent in Euro 2004, but he played in the centre alongside Gerrard. Scholes played on the left, and it was one of the reason's he stopped playing for England.

  

Nakatomi Plaza wrote:

CFCNick wrote:Seaman

Neville
Rio
Terry
Cole

Beckham
Scholes
Gerrard
Lampard - played LM at Euro 2004 was brilliant

Owen
Rooney

Basically Euro 2004 team but with Seaman in goal. Easily the best England team I've ever seen. Little bit too young to fully appreciate the 96 team.

Agree that Lampard was excellent in Euro 2004, but he played in the centre alongside Gerrard. Scholes played on the left, and it was one of the reason's he stopped playing for England.

That's right. Must be the fact Lampard was 11 that threw me off.

Banks

Gary Neville
John Terry (reluctantly)
Bobby Moore (just, from Jimmy Dick, sorry mate)
Ray Wilson

Francis Lee
Brian Robson
Gerry Francis
Bobby Charlton

Mick Channon
Alan Shearer

Not sure what position to play Charlton but can't possibly leave him out.

Ahha a Man with a bit more agewisdom to add something.

You still pick Neville - that lad is getting better with age it seems.. I know he is also the best thing we have as a footy pundit.. But did we never have anyone better than him?!

Age, not wisdom!

The seemingly forgotten Jeff Hall (sadly died of polio in his prime) was rb for England when I first followed England's fortunes but I never saw him play.
Armfield (as guildford testified) was very good and no knowing how good Don Howe would have been if injury-free.
But George Cohen was just solid and there really weren't any long-time incumbents for most of the seventies and eighties. Gary Neville, to me, was a multi-talented footballer and would be effective down the right side with Brian Robson and Franny Lee beside/in front of him.
For my team anyway!

Left back interesting; I always feel Ray Wilson was the most under-rated member of England66 and Cashley is way over-rated. Kenny Sansom would be my second choice at LB, probably followed by Baines (just missed Roger Byrne).

In the 80's/early 90's we had players like Mick Mills, Viv Anderson, and Earl Barrett pre Neville. Compare that to Sansom, Pearce, and even Le-Saux.

Hi Kwini - in my earlier post, I had Jimmy Armfield in contention for the right back spot with Gary Neville. I was slightly cheating there, as this is meant to be based on players we saw. Whilst I did see Armfield play, it was only in his later years and so gave him a shout largely on reputation. Suspect you could have seen more of Armfield than me and at his peak. Any thoughts?

Also noticed you have Gerry Francis in your team. Sad to say, he looked over weight and not in the best of health when on tv recently.

Stella,
I saw a lot of Mick Mills, don't honestly think he was in the same class (despite him being a PFC youth player), and never thought Viv Anderson was a complete player. Don't know much about Earl Barrett, never saw him, but if I was going to pick a player who had three caps or less, I can think of some strong candidates!

Pearce was good, Le Saux OK.


guildford,
I saw Armfield relatively early in his career then at the very end - only saw him on telly for England, but definitely a top class right back, top class bloke too from what I understand.

Thought that Gerry Francis-led team could have been successful 'til he got injured. He was superb for QPR (saw him a lot) and usually for England but injuries take a toll, still are evidently.

(Not happy to have left Greaves out and might have given Beattie a shout but for Bobby Moore and injuries! Loved watching him play.)

kwini

Sorry, I should have also typed, that we have been blessed with some good/great \LB's in the last 30 years, but maybe only one very good RB in the same period.

 
Stella,
I wondered about that!

Pretty much what I was also trying to get at, but with the caveat that I missed some years in there pre-internet and footie on US TV (except World Cup stuff).

Thanks for that on Armfield, Kwini.

Yes, I was a bit surprised you left out Greaves but there you go.

Beattie was a very fine footballer. Unlucky to suffer so much from injuries.

Spurred by your earlier post, just been reading about Jeff Hall. He was before my (watching) time. Absolute tragedy. Playing football at the highest and then two weaks later dead from polio. Following his death, there was a massive take up of the vaccine and additional supplies had to be flown in from America.

guildford,
When Jeff Hall died there was quite the epidemic in England.
I think I'm right in saying that there was a particular outbreak in the Blackburn area which caused many of their early season matches to be postponed and by the time they started to make up games they were adrift at the foot of the Div 1 table and never recovered.

Strange that many of English football's best teams over the years either had journeyman right backs or non-English.

Seaman

G Neville
Terry
Ferdinand
A Cole

Beckham
Scholes
Gerrard
Lampard

Owen
Shearer

You still pick Neville - that lad is getting better with age it seems.. I know he is also the best thing we have as a footy pundit.. But did we never have anyone better than him?!

Gary Stevens? The Glasgow Rangers one when Trevor Stevens and Mark Hately and all the English lot were up there.