England Euro 2012 squad [Merged Threads]

[turienzo's lovechild]

Best hope not, for Downing's sake.

at the same time, some players are fairly average at club level and brilliant at international

(milan baros springs to mind)

2012 is DOWNINGS YEAR!!!

 

[Silent Bob]

You're looking at it wrong. The point is that having Milner and Jones there means that you shouldn't bother picking the 4th choice CM, the 3rd choice RM or the 2nd choice RB. That way Milner's inclusion makes space for an extra impact player (Crouch or Zamora in addition to Carroll, or A.Johnson in addition to the other wingers).

Yeah, but we haven't done that though? Picking two players for every position makes more sense to me, for a three week tournament.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

at the same time, some players are fairly average at club level and brilliant at international

(milan baros springs to mind)

Whilst this is true, and Baros is a good example, we could sit here and type out a list of 100 players who are average at club level and useless at International level.

 

[Steveapps71]

at the same time, some players are fairly average at club level and brilliant at international

(milan baros springs to mind)

2012 is DOWNINGS YEAR!!!

I like being positive & love fact Oxade-Chamberlain is going (if he has balls to play him) but Downing!!
In which way is he better than Adam Johnson??
Johnson is quicker, goes past players better, more skill, scores more goals & has more assists.
I hope Downing gets injured in his time off this week & Johnson is brought in.
However if Oxade-Chamberlain starts I dont care as Downing will just be watching from the bench x

 

[Ninja Elephant]

2006 - Owen Hargreaves.
2012 - Stewart Downing.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Yeah, but we haven't done that though? Picking two players for every position makes more sense to me, for a three week tournament.

You need COVER in every position, of course, to allow for suspensions as much as injuries - its pretty easy for a defender to pick up two yellows in 3 group games. My point is, that ONE player can cover TWO positions. Just assume for example that your first choice back four is Johnson, Terry, Cahill, Cole. Jones can cover RB / CB and Lescott can cover LB / CB. Baines, who is never going to get selected ahead of Cole, is a waste of a squad place, which could be used for a DIFFERENT option in the forwards.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I like being positive & love fact Oxade-Chamberlain is going (if he has balls to play him) but Downing!!
In which way is he better than Adam Johnson??
Johnson is quicker, goes past players better, more skill, scores more goals & has more assists.
I hope Downing gets injured in his time off this week & Johnson is brought in.
However if Oxade-Chamberlain starts I dont care as Downing will just be watching from the bench x

Young will almost certainly be first choice on the left. Downing is a waste of a spot. I'd rather have taken a fourth goalkeeper*




*not actually true.

 

[Mellotron]

2006 - Owen Hargreaves.
2012 - Stewart Downing.

Difference is a lot of people could already see Hargreaves redeeming qualities before that tournament. I have seen Downing dozens of times and every single time he has looked average to poor.

 

[Mellotron]

You need COVER in every position, of course, to allow for suspensions as much as injuries - its pretty easy for a defender to pick up two yellows in 3 group games. My point is, that ONE player can cover TWO positions. Just assume for example that your first choice back four is Johnson, Terry, Cahill, Cole. Jones can cover RB / CB and Lescott can cover LB / CB. Baines, who is never going to get selected ahead of Cole, is a waste of a squad place, which could be used for a DIFFERENT option in the forwards.

But you're assuming Lescott DOESN'T start. I wouldn't assume that.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Difference is a lot of people could already see Hargreaves redeeming qualities before that tournament. I have seen Downing dozens of times and every single time he has looked average to poor.

Difficult to argue with that. I've always liked Owen Hargreaves, but then I've always watched German football.

I know I'm almost completely alone in liking Downing, but I honestly think if he's played on the left of midfield, not the right, he'll be a good player for England in this tournament. The truth is that Downing probably won't even play. All this kerfuffle about his selection is probably completely mute.

 

[Silent Bob]

Young will almost certainly be first choice on the left. Downing is a waste of a spot. I'd rather have taken a fourth goalkeeper*




*not actually true.

I'd have taken Jagielka as third goalkeeper, that is actually true.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

2006 - Owen Hargreaves.
2012 - Stewart Downing.

Owen Hargreaves (2006) - technically accomplished footballer, at top European club, at the peak of his form.
Stewart Downing (2010) - severely limitedmid-table squad player, utterly bereft of form or confidence.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Owen Hargreaves (2006) - technically accomplished footballer, at top European club, at the peak of his form.
Stewart Downing (2010) - severely limitedmid-table squad player, utterly bereft of form or confidence.

So you don't remember the media anger at selecting Hargreaves?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

But you're assuming Lescott DOESN'T start. I wouldn't assume that.

I'm really not - it was just an ILLUSTRATION Mellors.

If he starts, and the LB is injured, Terry or Jones comes on, and he moves to LB. Same difference.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

So you don't remember the media anger at selecting Hargreaves?

I remember some ill-informed morons in the media who didn't know who he was, questioning the selection.

That says a lot more about them, than him.

A bit like Shearer's "don't know anything about" Ben Arfa comments.

 

[Mellotron]

I'm really not - it was just an ILLUSTRATION Mellors.

If he starts, and the LB is injured, Terry or Jones comes on, and he moves to LB. Same difference.

Lescott at LB? Not in my lifetime.

 

[Mellotron]

I remeber some ill-informed morons in the media who didn't know who he was, questionning the selection.

That says a lot more about them, than him.

A bit like Shearer's "don't know anything about" Ben Arfa comments.

Precisely.

"Doesn't play in England? Must be SHIT mate."

Like certain comments about some of Hodgson's achievements not "counting" as they weren't in England.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'd have taken Jagielka as third goalkeeper, that is actually true.

There is a flaw in your cunning plan - one of the countries tried it at the 2010 WC, and it was ruled that you HAVE to name 3 keepers, and they can only play in goal.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Lescott at LB? Not in my lifetime.

#SAF

 

[sten_super]

I'd have taken Jagielka as third goalkeeper, that is actually true.

I read recently (must have been the last World Cup, or maybe an African Cup of Nations?) that one team attempted something similar - they thought they only needed 2 keepers so selected an outfield player in the designated 3rd keeper spot, thinking that they'd been clever and beaten the system. Then FIFA told them that players in those squad spots could only play in goal. Unsurprisingly, the 3rd choice keeper didn't make it off the bench.