The Official *England's Passage to Paris 2016* Thread

[Duty281]

Onwards, we go. Latest England squad has been named for the friendly against Norway, and the opening qualifier versus Switzerland.

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City)
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Everton)
Midfielders: Jack Colback (Newcastle United), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

You know, such a squad does not fill me to the brim with optimism!

Best side we can muster out of that, assuming Roy takes a 4-2-3-1 shape, would probably be:

Hart, Stones, Jagielka, Cahill, Baines, Henderson, Wilshere, Sterling, Rooney, Oxlade, and Sturridge.

[Marky]

Jack Rodwell should be there.

[Mackem]

Jack colback shouldn't.

[owen10ozzy]

Delph is a slightly left field choice but with Colback in it, that selection almost becomes normal; Rodwell has shown better early form as has Lee Cattermole for that matter...the latter was also one of the form players at the tail end of last year add in Ward Prowse and Will Hughes and those selections become pretty disheartening.

I'd have also preferred not to see Milner in that squad; but might as well get used to it as think he will be at Euro 2016! Glen Johnson would have also been picked had he not picked up a knock and that was to be at the expense of John Stones...thank god Gerrard and Lampard took the decision of selection of them out of Roy's hands.

[Liam]

I'd play:

Hart

Stones---Cahill---Chambers---Baines---
-------------Wilshere-----------
---Henderson-----------Ox---------
---------------Sterling---------------
---------Rooney-------Sturridge----------

[Dolphin Ziggler]

No idea why Colback is in there. Nobes should be quite frustrated. Chambers being in is a bit of a joke and Danny Rose is dire.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Shelvey, Huddlestone, Ward-Prowse, Barry and Rodwell would all be ahead of Colback in my pecking order. Pleased for Delph, think he's been a rare bright spot for Villa over the past 12 months.

[Guest]

No idea why Colback is in there. Nobes should be quite frustrated. Chambers being in is a bit of a joke and Danny Rose is dire.

Roy Hogdson - ''Jack Colback is like a ginger Andrea Pirlo''.

Seriously, how is this guy the England manager? I like Jack, he's surprised me since he's come to my club but this statement is just ridiculously comical.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Hodgson actual verbatim quote; "Someone who knows him very well called Jack 'the ginger Pirlo' - lets hope that becomes true"

In it's full context that quote isn't that bad, but it will be taken out of context all of the time now.

[Duty281]

Roy Hodgson - heaven knows how many times I will defending him over the next couple of years! - never said that. What he did say was:

"Someone who knows him very well called Jack the "ginger Pirlo" - let's hope that becomes true."

Nothing close to the quote provided by John.

I will also hammer down my early reasoning by saying that I would be pleased if England managed a draw against Switzerland...because that is all we need in this ludicrously easy qualifying group! The preceding friendly against Norway (are they playing a fifteen year old?) will just be a chance to blood some young players, and get a first win post-Brazil 2014.

[Guest]

haha, i heard it on the radio, so i apologise. it obviously got altered. yeah, it's not too bad i guess but still don't expect jack or fabian to make any inroads into this side. roy will have his favourites for the campaign, i doubt we will see much difference to the side that played in the WC, just minus gerrard.

[Guest]

[NickisBHAFC]

So happy the ginger Pirlo is in that team. Buzzing that Delph and Rose are in there as well!

Team ill go for

GK Hart
RB Chambers
LB Baines
CB Cahill
CB Jones
RDM Henderson
LDM Wilshere
AM Rooney
ARM Oxlade Chamberlin
ALM Sterling
ST Sturridge

[Crimey]

As much as people do criticise the so-called "Golden Generation" it's clear that it was the height of English players. The emerging pool of talent it's clear won't be as good. 

Strangely, the English players that were at the time some of the best in the world, around 2008 with Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Neville, Rooney, Hargreaces were at the best teams in Europe and at the heart of those teams was when England didn't even qualify for a major tournament which is crazy when you think about it. On paper England should have had one of the best teams going into that tournament.

Hopefully England will perhaps have a better team in reality after so long having such a good team on paper.

[NickisBHAFC]

As much as people do criticise the so-called "Golden Generation" it's clear that it was the height of English players. The emerging pool of talent it's clear won't be as good. 

Strangely, the English players that were at the time some of the best in the world, around 2008 with Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Neville, Rooney, Hargreaces were at the best teams in Europe and at the heart of those teams was when England didn't even qualify for a major tournament which is crazy when you think about it. On paper England should have had one of the best teams going into that tournament.

Hopefully England will perhaps have a better team in reality after so long having such a good team on paper.

Scott Carson is all to blame for that though tbh.

[Duty281]

During the Golden Generation (say 2004-2010) the defence was very rarely the problem. It was achieving the right balance in attack, adopting a fluid tactical shape, picking players that were fit and in form, and playing the best players in the best position - those four things all went awry.

Under Sven, England were too negative, by and large. They played a rigid 4-4-2 most of the time; Sven persisted with Gerrard and Lampard in the middle, even when it were clear it would not work; he played Scholes out of position in 2004 thus alienating him from the national team; he made the ludicrous decision to select Walcott and Lennon for 2006; he played Rooney in 2006 when he clearly was not fit to play.

England should have done better than three quarterfinals from 2002-2006, but some weak management cost the team as a whole. Sven was certainly set in his ways.

Then England moved to Steve McClaren: a farcical appointment. It all went wrong when the circus began in early 2006, and he should never have been appointed as England manager owing to his previous status as Sven's assistant. Tactically, McClaren was out of his depth. Man-management wise he began strongly, with some firm decisions, but wavered as time wore on...admittedly not helped with injuries. That time for England was a disaster.

Finally, Fabio Capello. Like Sven, started out very well and rapidly went downhill. Qualification was a breeze, but it all fell apart at the business end. Again, like Sven, he made some strange squad decisions (no Walcott?), stuck with a rigid 4-4-2, played some players who were either unfit (Ledley King) or out of position (Steven Gerrard) or disastrously out of form (SWP or Aaron Lennon). Whatever conviction he may of once held was soon lost after he did not have the courage to drop Rooney after the 0-0 with Algeria; all the world could see that Wazza's head were gone.

Then the debacle with the training camp and the Capello index. Oh dear me. Funnily enough, international football was so poor at that World Cup that England could have still fluked their way to a semi-final - like 1990 - if the referee had seen Lampard's shot over the line.

Overall, that is why I like (not quite the past tense yet) Roy Hodgson as manager. Tactically he developed England from 4-4-1-1 to a more fluid 4-2-3-1, whilst trying a 4-3-3 en route. He brought through some young players and made some bold selection choices - Oxlade versus France, Townsend against Montenegro, and Sterling versus Italy - not to mention the more in-form, and deserving, squad he chose for the World Cup.

But now he is slipping into some poor habits. This qualification campaign is a perfect chance to blood some youngsters, and develop cohesion for a vibrant, attacking, young team. Instead, he tried to talk Gerrard and Lampard out of retirement and retain their inclusion for England, a clear backward step. He has given the captaincy to Rooney, thusly ensuring his selection for the next two years and, therefore, depriving a place to a more hungry competitor.

Let me be clear here: England have a chance of going far in Euro 2016. The semifinals should be their minimum expectation. There is only one high-calibre side in all of Europe, presently: Germany. England have a chance here of doing well. But Hodgson must be brave and courageous in his convictions; something which is seemingly starting to ebb away from him. His bluster, for instance, a couple of months ago that he would not be scared to drop Wayne Rooney should the need arise was just that: bluster.

I suppose we shall just have to wait. Qualification will not be an issue, but conquering Europe altogether is another factor entirely.

[JDizzle]

John Stones isn't good enough as a RB. He got torn to shreds in the Merseyside derby last year playing there. Positionally not good enough at RB, CB or nothing at international level at the moment for me.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Just read it was Talksport resident village idiot Adrian Durham who came up with the Ginger Pirlo nickname, which shows that Hodgson been paying attention to that moron.

[super_realist]

During the 1.BROWN Generation

Let me be clear here: England have a chance of going far in Euro 2016. 2.The semifinals should be their minimum expectation. There is only one high-calibre side in all of Europe, presently: Germany. 3.England have a chance here of doing well. But Hodgson must be brave and courageous in his convictions; something which is seemingly starting to ebb away from him. His bluster, for instance, a couple of months ago that he would not be scared to drop Wayne Rooney should the need arise was just that: bluster.

I suppose we shall just have to wait. Qualification will not be an issue, but conquering Europe altogether is another factor entirely.

1.
2.
3.

[Ent]

Duty do you not get fed up with this blind optimism only for England to do terribly in every tournament?

[Duty281]

Duty do you not get fed up with this blind optimism only for England to do terribly in every tournament?

Actually I find it helps me sleep at night! As I will have no interest in the next World Cup if it remains in Russia, I can use two tournaments worth of optimism on Euro 2016.

Much like the last World Cup, either Germany or England will win this tournament.

[Ent]

Duty do you not get fed up with this blind optimism only for England to do terribly in every tournament?

Actually I find it helps me sleep at night! As I will have no interest in the next World Cup if it remains in Russia, I can use two tournaments worth of optimism on Euro 2016.

Much like the last World Cup, either Germany or England will win this tournament.

England were one of the worst teams at the last world cup, coming bottom of their group and getting a single point from a 0-0 draw in a dead rubber game against the group winners.

Are you taking the urine?

[super_realist]

Duty do you not get fed up with this blind optimism only for England to do terribly in every tournament?

Actually I find it helps me sleep at night! As I will have no interest in the next World Cup if it remains in Russia, I can use two tournaments worth of optimism on Euro 2016.

Much like the last World Cup, either Germany or England will win this tournament.

You might as well say either Germany or "insert any other European team, including Gibraltar" will win this tournament.

England are an International footballing joke and they'll be lucky to be considered one of the second tier nations at the tournament.

[NickisBHAFC]

Duty, England are a poor average country at football. The World Cup showed just how poor wew were. Were not going to win anything until changes are made. 

Face it, were rubbish end of.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Stones should be getting game time. Next generation and about as good as Jagielka anyway.

[westisbest]

Shelvey, Huddlestone, Ward-Prowse, Barry and Rodwell would all be ahead of Colback in my pecking order. Pleased for Delph, think he's been a rare bright spot for Villa over the past 12 months.

True plaza.

said it towards the end of last season that he should get a call up.
As a Villa fan, very pleased for him.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

"@SkySportsNewsHQ: England XI against Norway: Hart; Stones, Jones, Cahill, Baines; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wilshere, Sterling; Rooney, Sturridge. #SSNHQ"

Three months too late with the midfield pairing Roy

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah I'm happy with that team. Stones at right back worries me a little, he is beret in the middle. I would of started Chambers.

[Crimey]

Still not convinced on Wilshere, but there isn't really an alternative. Hopefully Henderson can take his Liverpool form and quality into the England set up.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Stones is not a right back. That infuriates me but the experience of playing for England can only be good for him. Clyne should have been given a chance in that squad.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Yeah no idea why he's gone Jones over Stones at CB. Could've even gone Chambers

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Jones has played alright this year and I think he should be groomed by England to play there more. Jones is a little ahead of Stones development wise so I have no problems with that.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I prefer Jones at RB personally

[Crimey]

It could be the other way round, that's presumably just how Sky Sports prediction of the actual positions.

[super_realist]

This could be a very tough game for England.
A disparate team of international inexperience against a team of dogged, well disciplined, match fit professionals 2/3rds of the way through their domestic season.

[Mackem]

Be interesting weather they'll play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2. If it is 4-2-3-1 who will play in the no10 role? Rooney or sterling. Personally id play rooney behind Sturridge with sterling on the left. I'm looking forward to see how Henderson plays without Gerrard. I think he'll do well.

[Crimey]

I'd be surprised if England won this comfortably.

[hampo17]

Be interesting weather they'll play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2. If it is 4-2-3-1 who will play in the no10 role? Rooney or sterling. Personally id play rooney behind Sturridge with sterling on the left. I'm looking forward to see how Henderson plays without Gerrard. I think he'll do well.

4312 is the best formation, Sterling flourishes when played in the middle and will allow us to play two upfront.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I'm watching purely for Alexander Tettey

[hampo17]

Wow, there must be less than 20,000 at Wembley tonight.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Its friendlies like these where they should go back to going around the country rather than playing in a half empty stadium

I remember going to watch England/Croatia friendly at Portman Road once. Was quality

[hampo17]

Yeah I remember those days Olly, I went to watch them play Paraguay at Wembley. Fantastic atmosphere that night.

[Crimey]

Is this a friendly? 

I thought it was qualifying.

[compelling and rich]

its embarrassing that rooney is england captain, hes been rubbish in the shirt for ten years

[Guest]

God we're awful. Roy clearly motivated the boys for this game. Flat as a pancake.

[Crimey]

Been a bit disappointed with Oxlade-Chamberlain, needs to get his head up more.

[Hero]

Meanwhile in Germany Di Maria has scored 1 and assisted 3 times v Germany

[Fernando]

Didn't the Real Madrid friendly not teach you to judge by them ?

[Hero]

Okay I'll just base it on his performance in the Champions League final then

[Fernando]

Going with 1 off games still then That's like me saying Sanogo is quality cos he scored 4 in the Emirates cup

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