Englands World Cup Squad

[Atko]

Provisional squad:
Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich); G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).

Standby:
Carson (Liverpool), Young (Charlton), Reo-Coker (West Ham), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Crystal Palace).

[Higgy]

Im shocked there is no defoe! He should of been in the squad over Hargreaves, apart from that its a good team...........Walcott hmm i cant say i have never seen him play at all!

[andyd]

Hargreaves, Lennon and Walcott at the expense of Wright-Phillips, Defoe and Bent?

Is Sven on drugs?

I'm shell shocked and in total disbelief...has our coach totally lost his marbles or just partially?

Not impressed.

[Higgy]

Lennon should be in the team he is a fantastic player, SWP hasnt played this year if he was playing well then yes but he aint.

[DaveE]

andyd said:

Hargreaves, Lennon and Walcott at the expense of Wright-Phillips, Defoe and Bent?

Is Sven on drugs?

I'm shell shocked and in total disbelief...has our coach totally lost his marbles or just partially?

Not impressed.

Same reaction here. About 7 of us sitting in a group at college all instantly went nuts over that decision. You can tell Sven's happy to be leaving

[Adam]

No Darren Bent.. not even on standby!

...But Andy Johnson is on standby!

[belak]

I hate Owen Hargreaves

[Rich]

belak said:

I hate Owen Hargreaves

Hates strong but I agree hes a total none entity, hes done naff all for england.

Very contriversial. No Beattie disappointed me. A good goalscorer in the premiership left out at the expense of a kid whos never played premiership football?!

I thought it was a total wind up to begin. As we wait on fitness news the first games could see Crouch and Walcott up front with no Striker on the bench. Oh well theres always 2010!

[DaveE]

He said he may play Joe Cole in an attacking role (rhyme not intended) in the press conference that was just shown on Sky Sports News. Unfortunately, he also looks like he can't be arsed with, well, anything.

Bye bye Sven

[Johnson]

belak said:

I hate Owen Hargreaves

here here

[newham]

Sven has proven that he has completely lost the plot here.

He fails to pick the two top English strikers in the Premiership this season but picks one who's had an average season at best in division one. He fails to pick the man who has been instrumental in Tottenham's brilliant season, but picks someone who has not played a first team game above Championship level. He picks a man who has done naff all for England in his entire career (Hargreaves) and leaves out the likes of Defoe?

Sven has lost the plot and if i didn't know better, i'd say he was trying not to win this cup.

[Rio]

adam said:

No Darren Bent.. not even on standby!

...But Andy Johnson is on standby!

Woop Woop

[Rio]

johnson said:

belak said:

I hate Owen Hargreaves

here here

How the hell does he get in the squad? Hes awful! Can think of many better players...

[sunbeam]

Very good squad picked by Sven.

If Rooney is fit then he'll play behind Owen in a 4/4/1/1 and Crouch will be the sub.
If Rooney ain't fit then Eng will play 4/5/1 with Owen up top on his own and Crouch as the main sub.
If Rooney is out of the World Cup altogether then Defoe will go and will be the 2nd sub after Crouch.

It all makes perfect sense and Sven, Mac, Gripp and co have done well.

As for Bent, I'd have had him instead of AJ but I can see why Sven prefers AJ. Let's be honest, in the transfer market Bent would be bought after all the other strikers. That's why he plays for Charlton. Lots of clubs have tried to sign AJ incl Spurs, Everton and Liverpool.


I'd have picked Phil Neville instead of Bridge and Hargreaves. OH has had a poor season for Bayern this year and hasn't matched the high standards of previous seasons when he was excellent for them.
With the extra slot I'd have chosen Defoe. I'd also have picked King instead of Jenas.

These are minor points though. The main men are all there and Sven recognises that we avoid 4/4/2 and play 4/5/1 whilst Rooney is out.

As I mentioned on the England thread it's nice to see Sven reads the Cage! For those who doubt Theo........

Liverpool bid for him. Man Utd bid for him. Spurs bid for him. Chelsea offered £15m for him. Arsenal got him. Those five men know a thing or two about football. We should've taken a 16 year old Rooney in 2002. At least we've not made the same mistake twice.

Well done Svennis.
;D

[BIG-BAD-TONE]

Provisional squad:
Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich); G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).

Standby:
Carson (Liverpool), Young (Charlton), Reo-Coker (West Ham), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Crystal Palace).


It just takes the .......
andy johnson on standby yet no james beattie?
what the ..... has wayne bridge done?
Owen Hargreves and Peter Crouch?
Owen Hargreaves has never performed for England on any convincing level, so why should he do so now? Jenas is rubbish, Walcott is a somewhat baffling choice, isn't even in the Arsenal team yet he gets in the England team? Playing for Southampton isn't exactly proving yourself to full potential is it...any keen young player could have looked good in that team. I could go on forever but that squad is absolutely shocking.
sooner world cup is over and he clears off the better


Edited for language - Cage Admin

[Higgy]

If Walcott scores a hat trick in the first game people wont be moaning then, as i've said in the Mclaren thread give the bloke a chance (lad in this case though), still shold of gone with 5 strikers though ;D

[P.G.F.I.]

Sven makes me laugh...

Hargreaves WHY OH WHY! I dunno what i think about the squad now. Walcott could be a good addition to the squad but i would rather take someone like Bent.

Hey ho not long till hes gone.

[sunbeam]

higgy said:

If Walcott scores a hat trick in the first game people wont be moaning then, as i've said in the Mclaren thread give the bloke a chance (lad in this case though), still shold of gone with 5 strikers though ;D

True but he won't because he's not going to play. Fowler went to Japan but never played.

Theo is going for the experience. 4th pick strikers have as much chance of playing as back-up keepers.

[DoUrden]

sunbeam said:

higgy said:

If Walcott scores a hat trick in the first game people wont be moaning then, as i've said in the Mclaren thread give the bloke a chance (lad in this case though), still shold of gone with 5 strikers though ;D

True but he won't because he's not going to play. Fowler went to Japan but never played.

Theo is going for the experience. 4th pick strikers have as much chance of playing as back-up keepers.

Not when your 1st 2 strikers may not be fit enough to go to Germany let alone play! Should have picked 4 fully fit strikers and then icked Rooney as the 5th striker to use him IF he gets fit in time.

Some other strange decisions too. King would have been in there for sure if he was fit but he's injured too I think. Defoe should have been in the squad too.

[jaycourtney]

to be honset
I don't understand why Campbells going he needs to sort his fitness out and his privite life out.

Hargreves Not the best but does his best

Crouch- Great if theirs a power cut use him as an extra flood light.
Walcott- Not disrecpt the kid I think its to ealry and get some club football with arsenal.

I would of taken Bent and Harewood upront between them the got 32 goals.

I think Joe Coles going to be the Key for England

[sunbeam]

dourden said:

sunbeam said:

True but he won't because he's not going to play. Fowler went to Japan but never played.

Theo is going for the experience. 4th pick strikers have as much chance of playing as back-up keepers.

Not when your 1st 2 strikers may not be fit enough to go to Germany let alone play! Should have picked 4 fully fit strikers and then icked Rooney as the 5th striker to use him IF he gets fit in time.

Some other strange decisions too. King would have been in there for sure if he was fit but he's injured too I think. Defoe should have been in the squad too.

Owen is fit. All signs are that Rooney is healing well. If neither make it then Defoe or AJ will be called up and will jump ahead of Theo in the queue.

The 4th striker is one of those who goes to carry the bags.