England at World Cup 2014

[Annihilate Now!]

Considering all the current England scapegoats appear to be United players (Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck are getting a right good kicking - Smalling and Jones are just crap apparently) - I hope these 4 prove their worth when called upon.

Carrick should be happy he's not been called up really, he'd be getting rough treatment too..

 

[sizzling sausages]

Considering all the current England scapegoats appear to be English (Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck are getting a right good kicking - Smalling and Jones are just crap apparently) - I hope these 4 prove their worth when called upon.

Carrick should be happy he's not been called up really, he'd be getting rough treatment too..

You mean United? I find it weird that people think Smalling is so crap too, clearly only judging him on his on the ball struggles when played RB rather than on his defensive game.

 

[bishblaize]

Considering all the current England scapegoats appear to be English (Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck are getting a right good kicking - Smalling and Jones are just crap apparently) - I hope these 4 prove their worth when called upon.

Carrick should be happy he's not been called up really, he'd be getting rough treatment too..

I sometimes wonder why anyone would want to play for England. The whole experience of playing for England seems very joyless. Just a endless series of building players up only to knock them down.

 

[united_99]

Flanagan?

I thought he wasn't nominated??

 

[sizzling sausages]

I thought he wasn't nominated??

I think he's on standby. Didn't realise they went with the squad though.

 

[JackJebb]

Drop Rooney and play these 3(Sterling--Sturridge-Welbeck) upfront. They'd do damage on the counter

 

[MarcRed96]

I think he's on standby. Didn't realise they went with the squad though.

Flanagan and someone else flew out with the squad, I think it might have been John Stones. The rest stay at home, I presume.

 

[mancan92]

I personally believe Wilshere could become a star at the world cup. Literally his only problem is that he seems to sometimes forget that he has ridiculous technical ability and instead refers to this primitive typical English mentality of all action lion heart role. When the truth is someone as talented as him doesn't need to do that at all because he has his ability to fall back on. Hopefully he realises that as he is a star.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Henderson shouldn't be starting in front of Wilshere in my opinion.

For all his good form for Liverpool (and it has been very good) Wilshere is still a much better and more talented player.

 

[bishblaize]

I personally believe Wilshere could become a star at the world cup. Literally his only problem is that he seems to sometimes forget that he has ridiculous technical ability and instead refers to this primitive typical English mentality of all action lion heart role. When the truth is someone as talented as him doesn't need to do that at all because he has his ability to fall back on. Hopefully he realises that as he is a star.

One thing about Wilshere is that he always appears (to me anyway) to be one of the few Arsenal players that really fights when the going gets tough. He also has more experience of a higher level than Henderson.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Henderson is not the type who will bring you far. No creativity just a hard worker with good lungs. Wilshere has more vision, tactical insight, creativity, wilshere next to gerrard would be the best option I reckon.

 

[Diadoras]

Can any England player emerge with credit following a likely group stage exit? If so would they have to be super,top-top amazing! or just Owen Hargreaves good and dedicated, to overcome the (Sun Headline) SHAME!!! (maybe skimped on exclamation marks)

 

[mancan92]

One thing about Wilshere is that he always appears (to me anyway) to be one of the few Arsenal players that really fights when the going gets tough. He also has more experience of a higher level than Henderson.

Its true he does do this but often it makes him a bit rash and rush things when he really doesn't need to. Its all good working hard but you can also keep your composure which I think Wilshere struggles with sometimes.

 

[eddiebb]

But almost all teams since the dawn of time have had at least one player like Henderson. You can't just have a midfield full of lazy attacking players - you need graft and defensive cover too in order to work as a team. I really think it would be a mistake to use a midfield of Gerrard and Wilshere, for example.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Based on the seasons they just had you would have to choose Henderson. And it is unfair to categorize him as just a workhorse

 

[Reducation]

The anti-England brigade are the most tedious people in the football world. The English anti-England types are simply the most utterly horrendous bores.
Supporting England with optimism (no, boneheads, not arrogance and not delusion) in the World Cup is bloody great.

 

[mancan92]

Based on the seasons they just had you would have to choose Henderson. And it is unfair to categorize him as just a workhorse

He isnt just a workhorse but compared to someone like Wilshere he is a whole couple levels below on an individual level.

 

[ThierryHenry]

Henderson is not the type who will bring you far. No creativity just a hard worker with good lungs. Wilshere has more vision, tactical insight, creativity, wilshere next to gerrard would be the best option I reckon.

Henderson shouldn't be starting in front of Wilshere in my opinion.

For all his good form for Liverpool (and it has been very good) Wilshere is still a much better and more talented player.

I personally believe Wilshere could become a star at the world cup. Literally his only problem is that he seems to sometimes forget that he has ridiculous technical ability and instead refers to this primitive typical English mentality of all action lion heart role. When the truth is someone as talented as him doesn't need to do that at all because he has his ability to fall back on. Hopefully he realises that as he is a star.

Wilshere's problem is (like mancan says) that he tries to do too much, too often. He'll dribble past one player and then think he can beat two more and lose the ball. You can't have that in a central midfielder unless you've got two other players covering him, which he won't for England if Rooney's in the team. The best line up we could have with Wilshere, Gerrard and Rooney would be:

Henderson---Gerrard

Wilshere---Rooney---Sterling

Sturridge

I'd love to see that team tried out before in one of the next two friendlies. Think Jack will only start if he manages to impress off the bench in one of the group games though.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

The BBC's Ian Dennis expects something close to the following against Ecuadorr:

Foster
Jones
Smalling
Jagielka
Shaw
Lampard
Wilshere
Milner
Sterling
Chamberlain
Lambert

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Hogdson should play 3 centre midfielders. If he feels the need to play Rooney and Sturrudge, although I'd play one of them as the no.9, then one of them will have to be suffice with playing on the wing.

The team should be something like:

Hart
Johnson - Cahill - Jagielka - Baines
Gerrard
Henderson - Wilshere
Sterling - Rooney/Sturridge - Welbeck​

3 in midfield will give our front three more freedom to attack, and should allow us to keep the ball better, which will be important in such a hot climate.

A midfield three of Gerrard (Deep-lying playmaker), Henderson (Box to box) and Wilshere (Creator) should provide a good balance. Unfortunately, I don't think Hodgson will go with this, although he experimented with this once or twice for England.

 

[vanthaman]

The anti-England brigade are the most tedious people in the football world. The English anti-England types are simply the most utterly horrendous bores.
Supporting England with optimism (no, boneheads, not arrogance and not delusion) in the World Cup is bloody great.

Definitely this, it seems to be "cool" to slate England, pisses me right off

 

[JefferiesTube]

Hogdson should play 3 centre midfielders. If he feels the need to play Rooney and Sturrudge, although I'd play one of them as the no.9, then one of them will have to be suffice with playing on the wing.

The team should be something like:

Hart
Johnson - Cahill - Jagielka - Baines
Gerrard
Henderson - Wilshere
Sterling - Rooney/Sturridge - Welbeck​

3 in midfield will give our front three more freedom to attack, and should allow us to keep the ball better, which will be important in such a hot climate.

A midfield three of Gerrard (Deep-lying playmaker), Henderson (Box to box) and Wilshere (Creator) should provide a good balance. Unfortunately, I don't think Hodgson will go with this, although he experimented with this once or twice for England.

I think we should play 3 man midfield too, but I would go with Gerrard, Barkley and then 1 from Wilshere/Lallana/Henderson
3 forwards should be Rooney, Sturridge and Sterling because you cannot justify leaving any out after the season they each had and it is the most effective 3 forwards too
Welbeck/Lambert as back up depending on who might get injured
I would also play Smalling at CB with Cahill, I think Smalling is United and England's best defender, he just needs to be given chance to prove it playing CB

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

I think we should play 3 man midfield too, but I would go with Gerrard, Barkley and then 1 from Wilshere/Lallana/Henderson
3 forwards should be Rooney, Sturridge and Sterling because you cannot justify leaving any out after the season they each had and it is the most effective 3 forwards too
Welbeck/Lambert as back up depending on who might get injured
I would also play Smalling at CB with Cahill, I think Smalling is United and England's best defender, he just needs to be given chance to prove it playing CB

It'd be harsh leaving one out, but it's about finding the right balance, and i'm not sure that would happen with both, Rooney and Sturridge playing, as one of them would have to play on the wings.

I agree.

 

[JefferiesTube]

It'd be harsh leaving one out, but it's about finding the right balance, and i'm not sure that would happen with both, Rooney and Sturridge playing, as one of them would have to play on the wings.

I agree.

It would be similar to how Rodgers played 3 forwards
ST Rooney ST Sturridge
SS Sterling behind them and with a free role to play central, left or right
We would always have 2 strikers in the box and width from Baines and Johnson with Sterling supporting either flank at times
Better than United, where we had 4 flank players trying to find 1 striker

 

[TheGame]

I cannot believe there are people in this thread saying we should be playing 2 in midfield. We would get taken apart.

 

[JefferiesTube]

I cannot believe there are people in this thread saying we should be playing 2 in midfield. We would get taken apart.

There is already the risk of that because the only midfielder who is half decent defensively is Gerrard
And he is not a top quality DM in terms of defending

 

[TheGame]

There is already the risk of that because the only midfielder who is half decent defensively is Gerrard
And he is not a top quality DM in terms of defending

Gerrard has been playing the deeper role for Liverpool, him supported by another 2 should make us better.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

Gerrard has been playing the deeper role for Liverpool, him supported by another 2 should make us better.

Liverpool have had the ball this season, they have been attacking most of the time. England won't have the ball in Brazil, they will be chasing it the whole time. A completely different challenge Gerrard faces in there.

 

[JefferiesTube]

Gerrard has been playing the deeper role for Liverpool, him supported by another 2 should make us better.

Hopefully but whoever the 2 assisting Gerrard are they got to compete with
Pirlo with de Rossi, Marchisio, Thiago Motta

 

[Barney]

Henderson is not the type who will bring you far. No creativity just a hard worker with good lungs. Wilshere has more vision, tactical insight, creativity, wilshere next to gerrard would be the best option I reckon.

Yet Henderson has scored and assisted more than Wilshere in the past two seasons.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Is it really as simple as people are making out to transplant Liverpool's brand of football onto the international stage? To implement it in English conditions against Premiership defences is one thing, to attempt to do so in the climate of Manaus versus an organised Italy quite another.

If this were Manchester United during the Ferguson era what would we expect? He'd probably make a bold call and drop one of Rooney or Sturridge, bolster the central midfield but ensure that the team retained a sufficient threat down the flanks. SAF might start Milenr/Jones alongside Gerrard with the aim of nullifying Pirlo outright [Welbeck would also be disciplined and effective in such a capacity].

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Is it really as simple as people are making out to transplant Liverpool's brand of football onto the international stage? To implement it in English conditions against Premiership defences is one thing, to attempt to do so in the climate of Manaus versus an organised Italy quite another.

If this were Manchester United during the Ferguson era what would we expect? He'd probably make a bold call and drop one of Rooney or Sturridge, bolster the central midfield but ensure that the team retained a sufficient threat down the flanks. SAF might start Milenr/Jones alongside Gerrard with the aim of nullifying Pirlo outright [Welbeck would also be disciplined and effective in such a capacity].

The funny thing is, it's not even Liverpool's brand of football. But I agree, we could never go out all guns blazing in that climate. We need to be patient.

 

[ravelston]

The BBC's Ian Dennis expects something close to the following against Ecuadorr:

Foster
Jones
Smalling
Jagielka
Shaw
Lampard
Wilshere
Milner
Sterling
Chamberlain
Lambert

Wow!!! Considering Hodgson said that no one who started against Peru would be starting this game, that's a really ballsy prediction. (I guess the brave bit was having Barkley as the odd man out and Foster rather than Forster in goal.)

 

[JefferiesTube]

Yet Henderson has scored and assisted more than Wilshere in the past two seasons.

Over the past 2 seasons

Wilshere
3415 league minutes played
3 goals
10 assists
80 chances created
101 successful dribbles
64 tackles made
124/153 long passes 81%
19/66 throughballs 29%

Henderson
4664 league minutes played
9 goals
11 assists
95 chances created
24 successful dribbles
120 tackles made
190/239 long passes 79%
11/23 throughballs 48%

Cleverley
3020 league minutes played
3 goals
3 assists
29 chances created
9 successful dribbles
85 tackles made
149/196 long passes 76%
0/4 throughballs 0%

Pirlo
5316 league minutes played
9 goals
14 assists
164 chances created
76 successful dribbles
125 tackles made
627/758 long passes 83%
43/86 throughballs 50%

Number of minutes per goal or assist
231.1 - Pirlo
233.2 - Henderson
262.7 - Wilshere
503.3 - Cleverley

Number of minutes per goal or chance created
30.7 - Pirlo
41.1 - Wilshere
44.8 - Henderson
94.4 - Cleverley

Number of minutes per goal, assist, chance created, successful dribble, tackle made, accurate long pass or accurate throughball (doing something positive)
5.0 - Pirlo
8.5 - Wilshere
10.1 - Henderson
10.9 - Cleverley

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Wow!!! Considering Hodgson said that no one who started against Peru would be starting this game, that's a really ballsy prediction. (I guess the brave bit was having Barkley as the odd man out and Foster rather than Forster in goal.)

Oh really, i wasn't aware of that. I knew that a few starters had been confirmed to the press ahead of time but nothing further.

In addition to Barkley's introduction we might do a spot of contingency planning, employ Milner or Jones in the DM role as a practice run for a Gerrard injury.

 

[Cina sucks]

England squad bemused as comedian dressed in matching shiny grey suit tries to join them on flight to Miami for start of World Cup training

Christ look at Flangan's face - what an ork.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Yet Henderson has scored and assisted more than Wilshere in the past two seasons.

Scoring has no direct relationship with creativity and assisting goals also. Or you think Rooney is more creative than Modric? Or more creative than Silva?

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

Talksport's correspondent with the squad was just saying that Milner is to be started at RB tomorrow, i wonder if that is a sign of possible concerns about Jagielka fitness? If it were something more immediate you'd hae supposes that Flanagan would be given a run-out.

 

[saivet]

Talksport's correspondent with the squad was just saying that Milner is to be started at RB tomorrow, i wonder if that is a sign of possible concerns about Jagielka fitness? If it were something more immediate you'd hae supposes that Flanagan would be given a run-out.

I thought Jagielka is doing alright fitness wise? It could also be to test out a possible alternative to Johnson.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

I thought Jagielka is doing alright fitness wise? It could also be to test out a possible alternative to Johnson.

Well obviously the latter as at the root of the decision, although i had assumed that the job of auxiliary right back was supposed to fall to Jones [unless he isn't performing well there in training].