*Official* England Squad Thread

[Neil Pickup]

I was about to say that I reckon you're spot on - but now there's a hot (though unconfirmed) rumour going around that King is out and Dawson is in.

Official announcement has now been pushed back to 1500.

Dawson would surprise me, particularly as the guy didn't play against Mexico or Japan, whilst Capello has persisted with King month after month, despite the rest of us having written him off as being even more fragile than a papier-mâché model of Darren Anderton.

Still, that same logic would have dictated that Warnock had no chance, but he appears to be on the plane in place of Baines, based allegedly on homesickness - if you believe Sky Sports... I think the "pick a Spurs centre-back" question is the only one that needs resolving.

I really think there should have been a press conference at 1200 to quash all this rumour as it does seem more than a little bit village.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Would have liked to have seen Johnson make it, offers something a lot different to the others and you know that several of the guys in the squad are just going to be perma-reserves.

 

[marc71178]

The manner in which this squad has been released makes the performances against Mexico and Japan look competent.

Can someone please explain how Carrick has made the squad (especially after the reports today that Fabio thinks his head is elsewhere having barely seen his newborn child?)

 

[GIMH]

Rumour has it Capello can't get through to one of the players who has been left out and doesn't want to go public until he's spoken to all of them

 

[Neil Pickup]

Hmm, QuickQuid loans as advertised on Sky Sports News. 2,356% APR. Tempted? Thought not.

 

[Matteh]

1415: How thick can this plot get? The News of the World's Neil Ashton reckons Ledley King is NOT going to South Africa. Unbelievable drama.

1411: BBC sports news correspondent Dan Roan says he has it on good authority that Ledley King is IN the England World Cup squad.

ITSTL

 

[Neil Pickup]

Sky Sports News pretty convinced that King is going - to the point of announcing him as a definite thirty seconds ago.

 

[The Sean]

Can someone please explain how Carrick has made the squad (especially after the reports today that Fabio thinks his head is elsewhere having barely seen his newborn child?)

Lack of talent / faith in the other options I guess. Given the season he's just had, and his abject performance against Mexico, I thought he was staying home for sure.

 

[Matteh]

This isn't too dissimilar to transfer deadline day. Certainly builds up some hype and excitement after the two recent friendly performances.

 

[grecian]

meh, no excitement here, whoever we pick it looks piss-poor, particularly in defence, apart from cashley, which is depressing in itself.

 

[The Sean]

Ha ha, official announcement now not coming until 1600.

 

[marc71178]

Rumour has it Capello can't get through to one of the players who has been left out and doesn't want to go public until he's spoken to all of them

So who was it turned their phone off with the theory that "if he can't call me I'll have to go to South Africa" then?

 

[Jarquis]

Feo

 

[TT Boy]

No Walnut.

 

[TT Boy]

Putting all the rumours together:

James, Green, Hart
Cole, Johnson, Terry, Ferdinand, Carragher, Upson, Warnock, King
Lampard, Gerrard, Barry, Lennon, Milner, Carrick, Cole, Wright-Phillips
Rooney, Defoe, Crouch, Heskey

A 23 man squad looks ordinary but you can make a good 15 from that and that's all England should need.

 

[Uppercut]

Leaving out Walcott's a brave call.

 

[roseboy64]

Not really. He's only had one good game.

 

[GIMH]

The live text thing on BBC just referred to John barnes as an England legend. First time I've ever txt one of these things, it was hard work keeping the language clean though

 

[GIMH]

Sky sources are now claiming they have all seven. They think Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker will join Leighton Baines, Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott and Darren Bent in missing out.

source=sky

 

[Neil Pickup]

source=sky

That's because they read my post two hours ago.