England squad announced for friendlies against Spain and Sweden.

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Joel`

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Goalkeepers
Scott Carson (Bursapor), Joe Hart (Manchester City), David Stockdale (Ipswich Town - loan from Fulham)

Defenders
Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Bolton Wanderers), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders
Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)

Forwards
Gabby Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Bobby Zamora (Fulham)

Good to see Sturridge and Gabby there - But Glen Johnson over Richards!? :(
 
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Happy to see Rodwell, Sturridge and Kyle Walker in there. There the sort of players who deserve to be in and need to get international experience as our squad is fairly old, they'll be our main players soon.
 
Don't think Richards is too happy with being left out.

OfficialMR2Micah Richards
Hahaahahaahahahhahahaahahahahahahahahaahahaahahahhahahahaahahahahahaahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahhahahahahaahahhaahha

OfficialMR2Micah RichardsWell well well!!!! Disappointed is an understatement!!
 
I completely share Micah's sentiments.

I always make a case for him regardless, I made a case last time when Smalling got picked over him.

People say he offers nothing defensively when he is one of City's most consistent players, he tries to get his head on everything and can match 80% of world footballers for pace.

Also I would like to see Steven Taylor in there rather than Cahill or Jagielka, he deserves a chance to be in the squad at least after his performances.

Slightly bemused that Stockdale has beat Jason Steele to the goalkeeping position, probably due to Steele's injury and the fact he's just back.

But yeah on the Richards front, it bemuses me. I don't even need to make a case against Johnson because it's frankly common sense that should tell you that over the past 2 years Richards has been far better.

Perhaps too similar to Walker? But then, Richards has far more experience than Walker so I don't see that being the problem.

I think that, once again, Capello has got this wrong and these games will be other through-the-mill encounters which gets English football no closer to where it wants to be playing style wise. I've threw away the next 9 months of International football, England aren't going to turn into a dominating force under Capello and at the very least I'd want entertainment and Capello delivers neither. He conned the FA 3 years ago, sold them a dream of 'stability' and 'success', just like he conned Milan.

I'll stop there before I delve into a rant about Capello/The FA/Everyone, I should be safe to talk to about England in around 9 months but at the moment it's all very raw...

But yeah, Richards/Agbonlahor/Taylor are my issues with this squad selection.
 
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i bet he still plays jones at RB.

im happy for walker but seriously, what more does richards have to do to get a callup?
 
I agree Richards should be in instead of Johnson i believe he delivers more defensively than Johnson and matches him going forward as well as being a more physical presence. I'd like to see Smithies get a chance seen as young keepers are getting in but to be fair he is very young and still playing reasonably low quality football compared to others. I also agree Taylor should be given a chance and maybe even Ryan Taylor as Newcastles defence has been brilliant this seasonm there unbeaten record is brilliant.

Would really like to see Harry Redknapp as our manager, we need an English manager, players and staff alike should feel pride putting on an England shirt, not feel it a chore as some of them seem to, sometimes its embarrasing to watch.
 
Joel` said:
Why Agbonlahor, Jamie?
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Whoops, I misread I thought Gabby was excluded again, my mistake.

Glad he's in though, not sure about whether he would be if Andy Johnson was fully fit after his recent form. If Gabby can keep this up and build on his form, he gives England a great striking option. A fully fit and firing Agbonlahor goes in my starting lineup over Darren Bent as well, he may not have Bent's finishing but his game all round helps England's play a lot more.

Surprised there isn't more cries for Steven Taylor, the guy has been consistently brilliant for Newcastle and as good/better than Terry has been. Have to give Taylor a chance, he deserves that much in my opinion.
 
sigh, where is richards, hes better attacking wise and defensive wise than Glen Johnson, and hes better than walker too imo.

Only positive is that Lennon is nowhere near this squad.
 
Jamie. said:
Whoops, I misread I thought Gabby was excluded again, my mistake.

Glad he's in though, not sure about whether he would be if Andy Johnson was fully fit after his recent form. If Gabby can keep this up and build on his form, he gives England a great striking option. A fully fit and firing Agbonlahor goes in my starting lineup over Darren Bent as well, he may not have Bent's finishing but his game all round helps England's play a lot more.

Surprised there isn't more cries for Steven Taylor, the guy has been consistently brilliant for Newcastle and as good/better than Terry has been. Have to give Taylor a chance, he deserves that much in my opinion.
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Thing is about Gabby, he offers cover all across the front three. We're not even playing him as a striker: rather, an interesting left-sided striker/winger role that has him drifting in from the left. Think Antonio Cassano in his pomp at Sampdoria playing off Giampaolo Pazzini, for example.

Out of Bent and Agbonlahor, Gabby's certainly been the one who is in form. Against Norwich Bent only got his two goals because of Gabby's pace, power, crossing and intelligence. We will see how this pans out.

Agreed on Taylor, I always rated him. Recently his form has been good, and he's quicker than Terry if nothing else. How someone like ****** Joleon Lescott can get in ahead of him defies belief. Sick and tired of seeing him in an England shirt.

How anyone can justify giving Johnson a shot at reviving his England career (AGAIN) over going with Richards, a player holding down a spot in currently the best team in the country with ease, I have no idea. I wouldn't say he was too similar to Walker: Walker's stupid quick, a good dribbler and an even better crosser, but Richards is equally quick, better defensively and crucially less prone to the lapses in concentration that have plagued Walker so far in his career.
 
Is Ashley Young injured or something?
 
If he starts Johnson and Walcott down the right versus Spain I'll probably just switch off after seeing the team sheets, we would get destroyed.

What is his plan versus Spain?

Playing Walker/Johnson at RB versus Spain is a deathwish especially with Walcott in front of them. Will he start Cahill who will be pretty untested, friendly or not, against a team the caliber of Spain. I mean I can't see Capello's thinking at RB at all. Even playing Jones at RB would be a massive gamble against Spain, England's best shot was with Richads down the right.

I can't see what Capello was thinking, not for the first time in his career either.
 
Capello is a ***, and ****.

Can't wait till he ***** off.
 
How I want us to set out against Spain:

ingurland.png


Unorthodox, I know, but let me explain.

Hart is an auto-pick. Baines is in better form than Cole, and I'd say he's now a better player than him, so he's got my pick at left-back. Walker is the best of a poor bunch at right-back. Jagielka gets the nod ahead of Gary Cahill, as Cahill has been in pretty shocking form recently, and Jones is one for the future and thus should get an opportunity in friendlies.

Parker reprises his holding role he's been filling to such acclaim with Spurs, whilst Jack Rodwell gets an opportunity to show his worth in an energetic box-to-box role that allows us to switch from a 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 at will. Finally, perhaps my oddest pick of the bunch, but James Milner gives us someone who can drive from deep and create, but also someone who can harry and press for 90 minutes.

We pick an energetic and fluid front three, and go from there. The whole focus of the formation is to shut down Spain and counterattack through the wings, where they are at their most vulnerable. Picking a slightly defensive but extremely hard-working midfield would allow us to battle for possession throughout the game in a way Spain are unused to from opposition teams, and the pace of Agbonlahor and Welbeck would be invaluable in exploiting Spain's biggest weakness.

I don't expect this formation, but it would be nice.
 
I called Rodwell getting into the squad, well deserved. And how Glen Johnson can get into the squad ahead of Richards is truly baffling.
 
Zamora doesn't deserve to be in the squad, been poor most of this season.
 
Jack Fulham said:
Zamora doesn't deserve to be in the squad, been poor most of this season.
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Fair play if you're saying it, I haven't seen enough of him this year. I imagine he's there as ye olde English panic button, a big man we can lump it up to if we're in a pickle. I'll be disappointed if he starts.
 
GodCubed said:
How I want us to set out against Spain:

ingurland.png


Unorthodox, I know, but let me explain.

Hart is an auto-pick. Baines is in better form than Cole, and I'd say he's now a better player than him, so he's got my pick at left-back. Walker is the best of a poor bunch at right-back. Jagielka gets the nod ahead of Gary Cahill, as Cahill has been in pretty shocking form recently, and Jones is one for the future and thus should get an opportunity in friendlies.

Parker reprises his holding role he's been filling to such acclaim with Spurs, whilst Jack Rodwell gets an opportunity to show his worth in an energetic box-to-box role that allows us to switch from a 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 at will. Finally, perhaps my oddest pick of the bunch, but James Milner gives us someone who can drive from deep and create, but also someone who can harry and press for 90 minutes.

We pick an energetic and fluid front three, and go from there. The whole focus of the formation is to shut down Spain and counterattack through the wings, where they are at their most vulnerable. Picking a slightly defensive but extremely hard-working midfield would allow us to battle for possession throughout the game in a way Spain are unused to from opposition teams, and the pace of Agbonlahor and Welbeck would be invaluable in exploiting Spain's biggest weakness.

I don't expect this formation, but it would be nice.
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No Barry? Haters gon' hate.
 
Joel` said:
No Barry? Haters gon' hate.
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I was tempted to pick him over Rodwell, Cahill over Jagielka and Bent over Welbeck just so that I could get 7 ex- or current Villans into the first 11. ;)
 
GodCubed said:
Fair play if you're saying it, I haven't seen enough of him this year. I imagine he's there as ye olde English panic button, a big man we can lump it up to if we're in a pickle. I'll be disappointed if he starts.
Click to expand...

he aint no emile
 
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