The England National team thread

[Arnau]

You should show more respect to one of the best Man utd player ever.

 

[kp41]

I do agree with Arnau on this, he holds the record and should get credit for that ...

 

[Mus]

Rooney scored yet another penalty to hit the 50 mark. I think most of his latest goals for England has been penalties because he can't score from open play anymore. He has become a Soldado.

The 50 goals is still a fantastic achievement. Of his 50 goals, 6 only are penalties (I thought much more were penalties), 2 freekicks. The other 42 are from open play including 6 from outside the box. 11 goals were from headers.

Mus keeps saying he scores many against San Marino but only 10 % of his goals are against them. He scored 5 against San Marino. He also scored 4 against Swiss and 4 against Croatia, 2 respectable opponents.

Of his 50 goals, 36 are in competitive games which is way more than Charlton.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/wayne-rooneys-50-england-goals-6408903

1 in a world cup..
5 against San Marino is still quite significant, 3 against kazakhstan, 2 vs estonia, belarus, andorra...etc he's just a bully of shitty qualifying teams

his "big" team goals:
Switzerland x2 in 2004 euro
Croatia x2 in 2004 euro
Argentina in a friendly
Netherlands in a friendly
Croatia again in qualifiers x2
Switzerland in qualifiers x2
Brazil in a friendly
Uruguay at the world cup

So basically after his breakout as an 18 year old he regressed internationally at a competitive level, only managing to replicate his previous feat against big teams +1 goal agaisnt uruguay for another 12 or so years

Here's an example of a "decent" swiss team he scored against - not even that great

Stiel, Haas, Murat Yakin, Muller, Spycher, Huggel, Celestini (Cabanas 53), Wicky, Chapuisat (Gygax 45), Hakan Yakin (Vonlanthen 84), Frei.

 

[Pogba4Now]

1 in a world cup..
5 against San Marino is still quite significant, 3 against kazakhstan, 2 vs estonia, belarus, andorra...etc he's just a bully of shitty qualifying teams

his "big" team goals:
Switzerland x2 in 2004 euro
Croatia x2 in 2004 euro
Argentina in a friendly
Netherlands in a friendly
Croatia again in qualifiers x2
Switzerland in qualifiers x2
Brazil in a friendly
Uruguay at the world cup

So basically after his breakout as an 18 year old he regressed internationally at a competitive level, only managing to replicate his previous feat against big teams +1 goal agaisnt uruguay for another 12 or so years

Here's an example of a "decent" swiss team he scored against - not even that great

Stiel, Haas, Murat Yakin, Muller, Spycher, Huggel, Celestini (Cabanas 53), Wicky, Chapuisat (Gygax 45), Hakan Yakin (Vonlanthen 84), Frei.

Well, all players play against shit teams for their National teams so that's not just him. 36 of his goals are in competitive games. I did not research it but I am sure many of Charlton's 49 goals were against shit oppositions also.

1 goal in the World Cup - this has been extensively discussed a few posts back. He was injured/unfit and rushed to play and suspended. Its again not just him. England NT has been underperforming for years. He can't score if he is unfit or suspended or doesn't get service from the incompatible Gerrard/Lampard.

 

[Pogba4Now]

You should show more respect to one of the best Man utd player ever.

I do agree with Arnau on this, he holds the record and should get credit for that ...

I said "the 50 goals is still a fantastic achievement" so I did give him credit.

 

[Mus]

 

[Pogba4Now]

Ha. Cool story.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Rooney has been ruled out for England. This is a blessing in disguise. Who should start for England up front? I fancy a Walcott-Sturridge strikeforce. Sturridge as main striker, Walcott behind him.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Kane - Sturridge for me, I think Kane could benefit from a game in a different environment right now

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Kane alone. Wouldn't rush Sturridge back for the national team so quick. Let him get his feet for Liverpool first.

 

[Pogba4Now]

After just a few games with the senior team, England calls up Lingard. WTF?

 

[Arnau]

England has some very good young players, i liked them against Spain.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Lingard has played 193 minutes in the EPL though.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Provisional 26 Man Squad Named:

Squad

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley).

Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Andros Townsend (Newcastle United), Carlos Wilshere (Arsenal).

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Not bad, Roy. I know you only picked Rashford because Welbeck is injured, but still the fact he is one of just five strikers suggests he wont be one of the three to be shed from the official squad. We'll let you have Milner, since he is your boy and he has had some good games for Liverpool, and congratulations for resisting the temptation to pick Jagelka, Barry, Walcott, Carrick etc. It's a good progressive team, only names I have questions about are Delph, Wilshere, Townsend and the first two just because of fitness/sharpness. I assume Townsend will be the first to be chopped barring injuries. I'm encouraged.

 

[Pogba4Now]

I would pick this:

------------Kane-------------
Sterling---Rooney---Lallana
------Alli---Henderson------
Rose--Stones--Smalling--Walker

Most would choose Barkley instead of Rooney. I am not a fan of Barkley's style. I think Rooney is a better playmaker and will contribute much more including defense. I think he is finished up front but he has a role as AMF. His range of passing and vision is better than Barkley and he defends also. He played a few games as AMF this season and he impressed. Unfortunately most of his games have been as striker or more recently DMF though.

 

[Pogba4Now]

Febian Delph didn't do shit this season. Townsend is shit. I am not a huge fan of Lingard but he is better than both combined and he is not in the team.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Delph plays a completely different position, and with question marks over Wilshere and Henderson fitness it's pretty important to have another option in that position. The alternatives to Delph would be carrick, Barry etc and I certainly wouldn't prefer either of them. I am assuming delph will be cut from the final squad unless Wilshere or Henderson has a fitness issue.

I'm assuming Townsend will be cut pretty much whatever happens so I'm not worrying too much about his inclusion though of course I would prefer give lingard a shot

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

As much as I don't like the idea of Cahill as a first choice CB, it's very hard to justify starting stones after the season he's had.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I'll post my starting eleven in a bit, I'm very tempted to try to include Drinkwater