How would you line up England tonight?

[Sheebo]

The big difference is that when we were poor you accept some of the players arent good enough, with England you just get the impression that the players cant be bothered. Thats why i think everyone is finding it hard to show any support or passion for the national team

Very fair point. I do feel this in some respects too - but it's all the same to me - I still get excited to watch every game my team plays - be it Albion or England.

I just remember how good things were 1990 - 1998 (with the Taylor blip in the middle) - the whole country was behind us and life had an extra buzz for the weeks of Italia 90 / Euro 96 / WC 98 - It was still good to have the whole pub behind England at the WC last yr etc (and those not bothering to follow the qualifiers etc will mostly be back for the actual Euros i assure you), but the negativity depresses me. I agree England were poor at the WC - but that doesn't tarnish my support.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

I entirely empathise with people not caring about England players who don't care, I too am not too bothered about being out with the current Mrs HHS tonight and missing this one. BUT - this one-eyed obsession with clubs is part of the reason we've been so crap for so long. Clubs are kings here - clubs have all the power, do all the coaching, take the kids at a young age etc, and the fans only really care about club success so don't kick up about it.

The sort of roots-upward reorganisation of coaching that happened in Spain (and is happening in Belgium now, and already bearing some fruit) will never happen here while so many people inside and outside the game think like this. So get used to England being rubbish, because we're going to be stuck with it for some time, pretty much regardless of who's in charge.

(Edit: I'm going on Tuesday night to the Wales game, so I haven't completely given up on them. Just think this is the way it's going to be - good enough to qualify most of the time, way, way, waaaayyy short of the required quality to actually compete for the pots once we get there.)

 

[Stumpy Tim]

..........................Hart .........................

Smalling ...... Terry ..... Jones ..... Cole

........................Barry.....................

Walcott .........Lampard......... A. Young

.......................Rooney .................

.......................Bent.....................

 

[countrygull]

Very fair point. I do feel this in some respects too - but it's all the same to me - I still get excited to watch every game my team plays - be it Albion or England.

I just remember how good things were 1990 - 1998 (with the Taylor blip in the middle) - the whole country was behind us and life had an extra buzz for the weeks of Italia 90 / Euro 96 / WC 98 - It was still good to have the whole pub behind England at the WC last yr etc (and those not bothering to follow the qualifiers etc will mostly be back for the actual Euros i assure you), but the negativity depresses me. I agree England were poor at the WC - but that doesn't tarnish my support.

I think much of the apathy from the public comes because of the manager: he's not a `man of the people`, his English is poor, he doesn't understand the national psyche of football in England. I've never previously called for an English manager for the national side but I do believe that has to happen next time. (unless we win Euro 2012 in which case it's a week of partying)

 

[northernblue]

Really looking forward to the game tonight! I have been frustrated with England in the past liek we all have and some of the games have been a complete bore, but Im quite excited about the current youth we have in our squads that are a breath of fresh air to the premiership and hopefully to England!

------------------------------Joe Hart

Smalling------------Jones--------------Terry-----Ashley Cole

--------------Scott Parker--------------Gareth Barry

Theo Walcott-----------Frank Lampard------------Ashley Young

--------------------------Wayne Rooney

 

[Deleted member 18477]

he'll shove terry and lampard in.

our team should now be (with capellos squad);

Hart
Smalling Jones Cahill A.Cole
A.Johnson Cleverly Parker A.Young
Rooney (c) Carroll

but we all know he'll pick;

Hart
Smalling Terry (captain c**t) Lescott A.Cole
Lampard (dire player, does nothing except score penalties) Parker Barry
Walcott Rooney (he is not a f***ing loan striker!!!) A.Young

MY england team if everyone was fit;

Hart
Smalling Jones Cahill A.Cole
Barton Cleverly Wilshere (c) A.Young
Rooney Welbeck

subs:
Richards
Baines
Parker
Gerrard
Carroll
Sturridge
A.Johnson
(yes, no reserve keeper as they are all shit, if i had to have one i'd choose Robinson)

 

[00snook]

I'd line them up against a wall and shoot them.

Extremely extremely well said.

In fact they should of lined themselves up and shot themselves after that debacle in the World Cup.

Honestly can anybody bear to watch these guys play anymore.

I unlike others do believe that they truely care about representing their country, they just play so poorly as a team together.

 

[Sheebo]

I think much of the apathy from the public comes because of the manager: he's not a `man of the people`, his English is poor, he doesn't understand the national psyche of football in England. I've never previously called for an English manager for the national side but I do believe that has to happen next time. (unless we win Euro 2012 in which case it's a week of partying)

Maybe. But up until the WC he was brilliant in many eyes - Hadn't lost a competitive international (that meant anything) and a faultless qualifying campaign. I was at that Croatia game and England were superb (both Croatia games actually) and really seemed to have turned a corner. They hadn't though clearly... But we must still get behind our country (as football fans) whoever is playing for them IMO...

 

[fire&skill]

don't care - i'm a JCL [Jock Come Lately]

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Bobby not been picked?

Zamora is injured. That should be his signature now. He is a complete liability now. I love Bobby for what he did here but now he may as well retire. He is finished as a professional footballer. I guess he is picking up £ 80k a week of so , so why would he retire ?. Capello will have written him off now as he is too much of a sicknote. He must have been injured for every England game except one, when he played in the last 2 years. For this reason I think signing him up at BHAFC is a very bad idea.

 

[sten_super]

GK: Hart

RB: Smalling
CB: Jones
CB: Lescott
LB: Cole

DM: Parker
CM: Cleverly
LM: Young
RM: Johnson

F: Rooney
F: Walcott

But I've no doubt that Terry and Lampard will start, Walcott will play on the wing if picked and Darren Bent will start alongside Rooney.

 

[hart's shirt]

Good post (as usual), HHS.

To think it was 10 years and a day ago that I was in Munich to watch England humiliate Germany 5-1 - the sublime following the ridiculous having witnessed Albion capitulating to Northampton the previous evening. For those who didn't know, it was incredibly quiet on the coach afterwards on the way back to the airport as pretty much everyone couldn't believe quite what had happened. A stunned silence. Following the debacle at Wembley for the last game there prior to rebuilding, Germany winning 1-0 and Keegan's subsequent departure later that afternoon, most travelling supporters would have happily taken a draw beforehand. We weren't exactly optimistic.

Things haven't changed so much since then - most supporters would rather their preferred team did well as opposed to success for the national side. An Albion promotion to the Premiership or an England European Championship? Hmmm.... To be fair, I think the former is more likely to happen than the latter, but is this where the law of averages comes in? Surely with so many qualifications for international tournaments, we're bound to win one of them eventually, even as a surprise like Denmark in 1992 or Greece in 2004. Whether or not it's likely to happen under the current administration is another matter entirely.

The sheen of following England and wearing the England shirt has been tarnished and dulled considerably over the last few years. From strikers openly criticising travelling supporters on camera to goalkeepers retiring themselves from international selection to former defenders stating that the team is scared to play to the captain's armband being frequently tossed around during matches, it'll need a different approach and attitude from those in power to restore the faith of the majority of supporters. And that's not to mention the personal accountability of the players in terms of conduct.

Gone are the days of unrequited love from the vast majority of supporters up and down the country. Reconnecting with them is essential to avoid the cart coming before the horse in terms of club v country.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Hart
Smalling Jones Cahill A.Cole
A.Johnson Cleverly Parker A.Young
Rooney (c) Carroll

That looks pretty good. The main thing that has going for it is that it doesn't have the hanme J. Terry in it. Personally I'm not convinced Parker is actually as good as everyone painted last year, he may have looked good playing in a crap team.

 

[Falkor]

I hope terry and Lampard dont play i hate them with a passion

 

[Gerbil]

Will never be the side. But I'd have.


Hart
Richards Jones Cahill Cole
Johnson Cleverly Parker Young
Sheck Bent

And Wilshire for Cleverly when fit

 

[hart's shirt]

Zamora is injured. That should be his signature now. He is a complete liability now...he may as well retire. He is finished as a professional footballer.

Players return from injuries. Zamora will be no different.

As for the 'complete liability' and 'he may as well retire' comments, I couldn't disagree more.

He's only 30 years old.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Players return from injuries. Zamora will be no different.

As for the 'complete liability' and 'he may as well retire' comments, I couldn't disagree more.

He's only 30 years old.

He has hardly played since April 2010. A handful of games last season and a few this season being injured more or less constantly for a year and a half. This on top of numerous injuries and prolonged periods of non play with WHU and BHAFC.

No, I am sorry to say, he is finished to all intents and purposes. A bit part player now at best. Shame as he could have moved onto becoming a World Cup player in 2010 and England regular. We cannot afford to pay him £ 30k a week or whatever in a couple of years time to sit on the bench or in the stands at the Amex.

 

[Biscuit]

How would I line them up?

Against a wall.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

He has hardly played since April 2010. A handful of games last season and a few this season being injured more or less constantly for a year and a half. This on top of numerous injuries and prolonged periods of non play with WHU and BHAFC.

No, I am sorry to say, he is finished to all intents and purposes. A bit part player now at best. Shame as he could have moved onto becoming a World Cup player in 2010 and England regular. We cannot afford to pay him £ 30k a week or whatever in a couple of years time to sit on the bench or in the stands at the Amex.

are you writing off vicente aswell?

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

i'd actually forgotten that england were playing, certainly didn't know it was tonight

is it me or has there been a bit of a lack in media interest for this game?