Goonersworld

Walcott is shit. Young trough the middle is not smart. Defoe is underrated.
If I were you i just wouldnt go defensive. Just 2 strikers.

mg86 wrote:

Hart
A Cole Lescott Cahill Baines
Parker Barry
Chamberlain Rooney Young
Defoe

No Gerrard????



IMO Roy can play it two ways: A) Try to get out the group and just see how far we can drag ourselves, or B) Throw everything at building for the future and risk being humiiated.

I just can't see him going down route B), he'll see this as a free tournament as long as he doesn't do anything to wind the press up. Can you imaging what the Sun will do if he starts with a 3-0 defeat against France.

So he'll be happy with a solid team to start with. I just don't see how he can play 4-4-2 with the squad he's picked, even though that's the formation I'd have imagined him wanting

So I'm thinking a variation on 4-3-3.



He'll stick with Terry, coz why else take him? Cahill is his Chelsea partner, so that makes sense. Cole is still our best LB and Johnson is the only choice at RB (I'm told he is better positionally that Richards anyway). Jones is only there for experience and training as FEC. The others are the backup in the squad
Lampard has settled into playing the more defensive/sitting role at Chelsea now he's getting old and slow(er) so there's experienced cover for Parker if he doesn't make a full recovery. Generally speaking Barry has done well for England. Milner can also cover the center if necessary.
Gerrard is captain, nuff said. If needs be they can drop Gerrard back if Rooney needs to drop into that role when he comes back, and Young can play there as well.
I think Roy will start with Milner to give support down the flank in what will be a tight opening game. Welbeck is in until Rooney is available, with Carroll & Defoe being the options off the bench. Young might well prove himself to be a genuine international class forward player (Good diver=possible penalties). I'm hoping they don't play Theo from the start. He'll be more effective, and it'll give him more confidence to come on for the last half hour. The Ox is his wild card, I don't think he'll be seen in the first game, unless it's the final throw of a wild dice. I honestly think Downing was the last squad entry and is only in as desperate cover down the flank - he's reasonably experienced, will hold a position, and 'won't let the team down'. I'd prefer him to stub his toe, so we can get Johnson in.

It's not a great squad, but it's a reasonable squad that won't upset his bosses,or the media. Plus he's semi gambled on a few names like The Ox, Jones, Carroll, and Welbeck.

The problem is, we don't have many better options he could have gone for.

I'd have picked Richards, but there are plenty of experienced pundits that query his positional play, and the fact he wasn't playing against QPR is seen as a negative. So I can understand Roy's choice.
I think Downing is the only actual mistake in the squad, when he hasn't picked Johnson, but again, he has played a role for England before (albeit a spectactularly ineffective role).

I still have this fear that Roy will find a wonderfully staid, boring, ineffective way to turn these players into a very flat, 2 dimensional 4-4-2 formation.

How about

Lol. It's a negative as he didn't play against qpr? He's not even fully fit! He's been coming back from injury and playiing off the bench a lot.

Yorkyblue wrote:Lol. It's a negative as he didn't play against qpr? He's not even fully fit! He's been coming back from injury and playiing off the bench a lot.

Like I said, I'd have taken him, but there have always been questions about his positional sense.

I was just saying that several pundits saw it as a negative that he wasn't first choice in City's most important game of the year.

I'm not that arrogant that I'll say I know more about one of your players than you, Roy, and loads of reporters who watch City more than I do.

people putting carrol in their starting lineup makes me LOL.
He's the most awful player of the year.

Apart from Rooney we dont have a ready made CF, so Roy is going to have to gamble on someone. I'd go with Welbeck but I can see the case for Carroll.

Dejan wrote:people putting carrol in their starting lineup makes me LOL.
He's the most awful player of the year.

Better player than most people credit him with being. He would be perfect in a direct team. But obviously we would not want our national team to go that way.

Play like Chelsea

Defoe should start for you guys, he's has been quality on his limited time at Spurs this year, I think he has around 17 goals.

Defoe will play when Rooney is banned hopefully

Gerrard should be in everyone's lineup. It's not a wish list, the fact that he's been out injured for most of the season doesn't matter. He's captain, therefore Woy will start him.

Terry was controversial, why pick him and not play him? Plus he's our most experienced defender. I hate the c**t but it's almost garunteed he'll start. The rest of the defence picks itself imo. Cahill is Terry's partner, Cole is obvious, Johnson is the only option on the other side.

imo the following is definite:



Milner's an option for either position, and of course Lampard's the other big name missing. I just hope Woy doesn't pick Lampard just because he was in the CL final... I didn't even realise he was in the final til I saw him lift the cup! What the f**k did he do? He's fat and he's f**king shit! I really hope he's not in Woy's mind for the starting 11. Capello didn't do much, but he was definitely on to something when he dropped Fat Frank from the starting line-up.

My hope is that Barry takes the spot next to Parker with either Theo or Ox on the right (Ox of course being first choice).

Milner can play RB as well.

Barry will start 100%.

GOALKEEPERS

Fraser Forster (Newcastle United), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

DEFENDERS

Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Micah Richards (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea)

MIDFIELDERS

Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Manchester United)

STRIKERS

Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Peter Crouch (Stoke City), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

- - -

The official squad numbers have been announced:

1 Joe Hart, 2 Glen Johnson, 3 Ashley Cole, 4 Steven Gerrard, 5 Gary Cahill, 6 John Terry, 7 Theo Walcott, 8 Frank Lampard, 9 Andy Carroll, 10 Wayne Rooney, 11 Ashley Young, 12 Leighton Baines, 13 Robert Green, 14 Phil Jones, 15 Joleon Lescott, 16 James Milner, 17 Scott Parker, 18 Phil Jagielka, 19 Stewart Downing, 20 Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, 21 Jermain Defoe, 22 Danny Welbeck, 23 Jack Butland.

This is how numbers 1-11 line up:

Hart

Johnson - Cahill - Terry - Cole

Walcott - Gerrard - Lampard - Young

Carroll - Rooney

The starting lineup is unlikely to be this though. Hodgson will most likely select Parker and Gerrard as his central midfield axis during the tournament. The England coach also added: “I think we’re looking at two strikers against France, whether or not you call Ashley Young a striker or a midfield player. When you have a player like Rooney, who is excellent in that position, and a player like Young who is showing signs of being very good in that position it would be seem a bit strange if you just went to one lone forward.” So, 4-4-2 it is.

Sources: BBC Sport and The Daily Record.

Hodgson really doesn't have a clue