*Official* England Squad Thread

[wpdavid]

Also one Scholes too many.

Can't believe no-one else noticed that.

I suppose it makes up for one Scholes too few after Euro 2004.

 

[chaminda_00]

For mine the 98 side had a lot of players that were either at the end of their peaks or just finding their feet at international level. The side didn't have that many players at their peak. The side looks very good on paper, but the balance between experience and inexperience wasn't there in 98. For mine the 2010 side is fair bit better. But they do lack players in key positions, but there guys there that can step up and make a name for themselves.

 

[sledger]

BBC Sport - Football - World Cup 2010: Fabio Capello fumes at photographers

Good for Fab, can't stand the British press.

 

[GIMH]

Definitely think there's an element of rose-tinted specs around regarding Les Ferdinand. In 1995 he was the answer to England's problems. In 1998 he was an injury-prone striker coming off the back of a poor season who played up front for a bottom-half Spurs side. Still better than Crouch though.

Goalkeeping really stands out there. I'd take any of 1998's three over any of those in the current squad. Twice as many world-class strikers, too. Although it's worth mentioning that players like Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville weren't half the players they later became.

Three times as many, arguably.

 

[grecian]

Crouch better then Sir Les for me at International level. In all but heading, funnily enough.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah I agree. Although I may have already said that, cbf to go back and check

UC's point on the keepers valid though, although only because Hoddle woke up and realised Ian Walker had a **** haircut

 

[Pothas]

Ferdinand way better than Crouch as far as I am concerned but that may be young childhood memories playing tricks on me.

This squad is by no means terrible but it does lack class apart upfront apart from Rooney I do not think there is any denying that.

 

[grecian]

Yeah I agree. Although I may have already said that, cbf to go back and check

UC's point on the keepers valid though, although only because Hoddle woke up and realised Ian Walker had a **** haircut

I was just backing you up, now I've a new keyboard, and I had to have a go at the fop-haired **** who never ran in an England shirt, first. Mind you that description could be Jamie Redknapp too....

 

[GIMH]

Good lad. Let's stick together on this one. We can be friends until April. Then we'll implode again. ****.

 

[grecian]

Good lad. Let's stick together on this one. We can be friends until April. Then we'll implode again. ****.

Well, we'll need to make some signings for us not to struggle again. Up 'til then I've got to waste my time talking about the gits in the Ing-er-lund team. ****

 

[cover drive man]

Was an interesting disscusion on the radio the other day and a fella said: "The big question if England want to win the world cup I feel, is can he be our Marradonna? Our Zidane?" If we bear in mind that one was one of the if not the best player in history and the other was possibly the best player of his generation can we really say Rooney's good enough?" I don't think he his.

 

[sledger]

Will be content with him just being our Rooney tbh. Pretty sure a load of teams have won the World Cup without having Maradonna or Zidane in their squads.

 

[grecian]

Was an interesting disscusion on the radio the other day and a fella said: "The big question if England want to win the world cup I feel, is can he be our Marradonna? Our Zidane?" If we bear in mind that one was one of the if not the best player in history and the other was possibly the best player of his generation can we really say Rooney's good enough?" I don't think he his.

A lot of teams win the World Cup without a player of that magnitude, from my own memory I'd say Rooney was potentially better then the best player of the winning teams from 82 (Rossi just a goal-scav), '90 (Lothar, poor mans Beckenbauer) and 06 (umm, Pirlo is quite good I suppose)

Borderline on '78 too, but can't remember it that clearly, and TBH, the discussion you've highlighted is one of the reasons I just want the bloody tournament to start.

Btw, as I keep on saying, we ain't gonna win it, but that's not because of the quality of our best player, it's because 5 or 6 of our players that will probably play in the tourney are a bit pish, and would of been whomever fab picked. This is why I guess I'm annoyed about all the talks of tactics and formations and training camps and nutrition. You can't make a silk purse.........

 

[wpdavid]

A lot of teams win the World Cup without a player of that magnitude, from my own memory I'd say Rooney was potentially better then the best player of the winning teams from 82 (Rossi just a goal-scav), '90 (Lothar, poor mans Beckenbauer) and 06 (umm, Pirlo is quite good I suppose)

Borderline on '78 too, but can't remember it that clearly, and TBH, the discussion you've highlighted is one of the reasons I just want the bloody tournament to start.

Kempes was terrific in 1978, but he's no Maradonna, so agreed.
You could probably add England in 1966 and Brazil in 1994 to that list, fwiw. And West Germany in 1954.

 

[grecian]

Kempes was terrific in 1978, but he's no Maradonna, so agreed.
You could probably add England in 1966 and Brazil in 1994 to that list, fwiw. And West Germany in 1954.

The two Bobbies and Romario I thought would probably be a class above "our Wayne", but who knows if he has a massive tournament it could all change.

 

[sledger]

Romario and Bebeto were both excellent players around 1994 imho.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I wouldn't put them in the same class as Rooney.

Rooney is one of the best players in the World, in any era there'd be precious few above him.

 

[wpdavid]

The two Bobbies and Romario I thought would probably be a class above "our Wayne", but who knows if he has a massive tournament it could all change.

I suppose I don't think that either Bobby dominated that WC like Maradonna in 1986 or Zidane in 1998. Fine players, of course, and arguably more legitimately great than Rooney simply due to longevity and having actually won the WC. Thinking about it, perhaps I'm being unfair to Moore.

Romario, imo, was a fine finisher but not an ATG. That being said, I wish he'd been around in 1982.

 

[grecian]

I suppose I don't think that either Bobby dominated that WC like Maradonna in 1986 or Zidane in 1998. Fine players, of course, and arguably more legitimately great than Rooney simply due to longevity and having actually won the WC. Thinking about it, perhaps I'm being unfair to Moore.

Romario, imo, was a fine finisher but not an ATG. That being said, I wish he'd been around in 1982.

Yeah, I guess, Romario was probably in the Kempes envelope. I was watching that Italy/Brazil match on ESPN the other night, still a travesty, you actually feel Brazil have got to get the equaliser, even now.

The Azzurri ruining football since 1934....

 

[Pothas]

Tim Vickery, god of football believes Romario to be one of the most talented strikers that he has ever seen.

Even if he may not have entierly delivered on that talent his scoring record is pretty damn impressive.