England at World Cup 2014

Still not sure Rooney and Sturridge should play against Italy.

Why not tell Barkley to mark Pirlo and hope that he can run away from him with his pace and power when England win the ball? That makes sense, right?

----------Sturridge/Rooney--------
Sterling-----Barkley------Chamberlain
-----Gerrard------Henderson

Still favor the Italians, but at least you're putting pressure on the average Italian fullbacks and Pirlo defensively, and that's surely the best way to get at them.
 
Welbeck shouldn't start. He should be an impact sub as much as I like Welbeck starting him over Sterling/Rooney whoever plays left-wing is not smart

Given the lack of any sort of defensive midfielder Welbeck's work rate and experience of big matches could be very important. Plus the fact that he's already proven himself more than good enough in an England jersey.
 
Feel for the lad but glad he won't be starting.

----------Rooney----------
Sturridge--Barkley--Sterling

That would be my front 4, none of this Rooney behind the striker shite.
 
I'd leave Rooney out in favour of Sturridge up front on his own and pack the midfield with the creative types we clearly have and who are all capable of moving forward with pace and skill:

Lallana-Barkley-Gerrard-Wilshere-Sterling

Welbeck for Lallana after 65 minutes
Rooney on for Sturridge after 70 minutes
 
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The completely unjustified stick Welbeck is getting makes me fecking sick. I've even got "friends" on social media that aren't particularly into football saying they're glad he might miss out. fecking idiots.

The criticism doesn't even make sense as his form for England is good. He's just fashionable to slag off at the minute along with the rest of the United players and coupled with the fact Sterling is the currenty Golden Boy means everyone's on his back.

Welbeck's outperformed Lallana in the friendlies, I don't get why he's not the one people are leaving out.
 
The completely unjustified stick Welbeck is getting makes me fecking sick. I've even got "friends" on social media that aren't particularly into football saying they're glad he might miss out. fecking idiots.

The criticism doesn't even make sense as his form for England is good. He's just fashionable to slag off at the minute along with the rest of the United players and coupled with the fact Sterling is the currenty Golden Boy means everyone's on his back.

Welbeck's outperformed Lallana in the friendlies, I don't get why he's not the one people are leaving out.

Welbeck will be back in the team when he is fit. He's very important to the side and Hodgson knows it.
 
If fit Welbeck should start. On the basis of these friendlies the likes of Wilshere and Lallana don't deserve to be in the first XI. Wilshere especially has been very poor.
 
Welbeck might not start as a result of his injury. If he's fit, I'd swap Lallana and Welbeck in my formation.
 
Welbeck might be out? Ffs, he would've been one of our best players. He's a big game player. I guess we'll have to do with Lallana instead who I don't rate too highly.
 
For me, Welbeck has to play, and man mark Pirlo ala how he did it against Alonso for United. His pace will force them to sit a bit deeper, and if he knicks the ball from Pirlo no chance Pirlo catches him.

The Ox has to start if fit, has Champions League experience, and he can run at teams. Sterling back up for him if Ox isn't fit.

Rooney through the middle, he apparently played awful last year but has roughly as good stats as Sturridge, despite Sturridge playing out his skin. You ask any other international team who they'd rather play against, Rooney or Sturridge and the answer is Sturridge. Rooney is better, and has experience at a much higher level.

Sturridge plays off the left, as more of a sort of wide forward. Welbeck will probably be dragged around following Pirlo, so I'd imagine Sturridge will get space to cut in and run through the middle. Baines will provide width anyways.

----

Midfield picks itself. Gerrard will play next to Henderson. I'd like to have seen Barkley given a shot at a deeper role, but Gerrards the captain, and Hendersons the only real baller winner England have taken (which makes the exclusion of Barry or Carrick just astonishing).

---

Defence will be Johnson - Cahill - Jagielka - Baines.

I'd put Jones in Johnsons position, Johnson is likely to get caught out of position far up the pitch and Pirlo can capitalise on that. He's not as good as Johnson going forward but more solid defensively.

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I'd definitely bring Barkley and Sterling on if we are chasing the game. Both are quite unpredictable, and none of the Italians will have played against either before, and to be honest, probably don't know all that much about either. They are the future, although I think the game against Italy will call for a bit more experience. I actually think Sterling is probably England's best winger, but this isn't the game for him.

I can actually see England scraping this, providing Gerrard and Henderson are able to keep their composer deep, and Welbeck does his job on Pirlo.
 
Wouldn't bother with Welbeck for cover, Lallanas in much better form and much more dangerous at the moment. Bring Welbeck onto the bench if someone gets injured in the tourney but other than that don't bother with him.
 
I'd rather Rooney play RW if he isn't playing CF for England's sake as Johnson at RB is the biggest liability, Rooney would help make up for it, rest picks itself really..


Hart
Johnson Jones Cahill Baines
Gerrard Wilshere
Rooney Sterling Welbeck
Sturridge



That's what I'd try, if Sterling behind Sturridge wasn't working, I'd simply push Sterling out wide and Welbeck forward.
 
If England had a top defending right back they could be dangerous. I wonder if Ashley Cole could have played on the right. Jones can be quite good there but he's not at that top level.

With Ox and possibly Welbeck out I'm going with:

Hart
Jones Cahill Jagielka Baines
Henderson Wilshere
Sterling Rooney Lallana
Sturridge​
 
If England had a top defending right back they could be dangerous. I wonder if Ashley Cole could have played on the right. Jones can be quite good there but he's not at that top level.

With Ox and possibly Welbeck out I'm going with:

Hart
Jones Cahill Jagielka Baines
Henderson Wilshere
Sterling Rooney Lallana
Sturridge​
Might aswell forfeit if that's the team vs Uruguay, honestly.
 
If England had a top defending right back they could be dangerous. I wonder if Ashley Cole could have played on the right. Jones can be quite good there but he's not at that top level.

With Ox and possibly Welbeck out I'm going with:

Hart
Jones Cahill Jagielka Baines
Henderson Wilshere
Sterling Rooney Lallana
Sturridge​

Gerrard and Johnson will both start. Gerrard gets in on merit, Johnson gets in on the basis that he's the best of a bad bunch of right backs.
 
Johnson and Jones are your right backs? Clyne should be ahead of one those
I'm not English but those two and Smalling are their options. Clyne probably is better than Johnson now but I think Hodgson picked Johnson as him and Cahill are the only two defenders with any international experience. I doubt he wanted to risk bringing in inexperienced full backs on both sides.
 
Gerrard and Johnson will both start. Gerrard gets in on merit, Johnson gets in on the basis that he's the best of a bad bunch of right backs.

Of course they will both start, but I wouldn't start them. Gerrard as a holding midfielders is far too weak defensively and Johnson is a winger not a fullback.
 
If only we had the pace and concentration of Lugano to insert in our defence we might have got somewhere
 
Gerrard instead of Lallana, Rooney left and Henderson sitting on Pirlo.

He was saying that team wouldn't work against Uruguay.

I would probably go with 433 and put Jones, Henderson and Wilshere in midfield, leave Rooney out. Not sure who I would have at right back, someone that didn't make the team probably, who can defend.
 
If I was Woy I would go with:

Hart

Jones Smalling Cahill Baines

Gerrard Henderson

Sterling Welbeck Sturridge

Rooney​

Welbeck man marking Pirlo, I think that he's the only one on the team who can do so. An another scenario would be adding Wilshere on midfield and then either Rooney or preferrably Sturridge on attack.
 
He was saying that team wouldn't work against Uruguay.

I would probably go with 433 and put Jones, Henderson and Wilshere in midfield, leave Rooney out. Not sure who I would have at right back, someone that didn't make the team probably, who can defend.
Ah, so he was.
 
It's a better team (on paper) than the one you lot will put out.
Not sure about that. Uruguay's defense is usually very strong (similar to Atletico's defense) and Suarez/Cavani are better than any English player. They can harm England's weak defense. England has a better midfield but they never capitalized on their midfield, even when they had some of the best midfielders in the world.
 
Welbeck's outperformed Lallana in the friendlies, I don't get why he's not the one people are leaving out.

Welbeck and Sterling on the flanks with Rooney and Sturridge up top?

Roy wouldnt go for that. Nor would it suit Sterling and Welbeck to be on the wings in a 4-4-2. They need to be doing their thing closer to goal.

It'll be three of the four. And Welbeck is the lesser of the quartet. Although I'd consider dumping Rooney for him.
 
Reports that the England v Italy pitch is piss poor.
450407418-1-608x342.jpg

Same for both teams so doesn't bother me. Bad from the Brazilians though. Expected better at a World Cup.
 
I definitely wouldn't have Henderson in the side.

The tempo will be nothing like the tempo Liverpool played at. He can't really beat a man from a standing position (which Wilshere can).
He'll end up being a complete passenger and passing the ball backwards and sideways the whole game.

That's not to say Wilshere will do anything special either, but he's better suited to the slower paced game.
Wilshere, Gerrard, Lallana in a three.
 
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Welbeck and Sterling on the flanks with Rooney and Sturridge up top?

Roy wouldnt go for that. Nor would it suit Sterling and Welbeck to be on the wings in a 4-4-2. They need to be doing their thing closer to goal.

It'll be three of the four. And Welbeck is the lesser of the quartet. Although I'd consider dumping Rooney for him.

I don't see how bringing in Sterling for Lallana alters the formation or system at all.

We're likely gunna have Rooney in behind Sturridge so the 3 players (Welbeck, Sterling and Lallana) are fighting it out for the 2 wide spots.

I only like Rooney in the #9 anyway. Play him there or don't play him at all if you ask me.