if you were england coach...

[Stumpy Tim]

Green
Richards, Ferninand, Terry, Cole
Bentley, Gerrad, Hargreaves, Cole
Rooney, Owen

Barry/Hargreaves interchangable

 

[Seasider78]

Green


Richards Ferdinand Terry A.Cole


J.Cole Gerrard Hargreaves A.Young


Rooney Agbonlahor

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Scott Carson
Joe Hart
Robert Green

Ryan Taylor
Luke Young
John Terry
Rio Ferdinand
Zat Knight
Ashley Cole
Nicky Shorey


Joe Cole
Gareth Barry
Owen Hargreaves
Ashley Young
David Bentley

Gabriel Agbonlahor
Wayen Rooney
Luke Moore
Peter Crouch

This line up is laughable. Do you really think we will excel at a finals with these people? How far placed above the Germans, French and Italy do you think t hese idiots are?

 

[beefypigeon]

i have to agree with that.
ZAT KNIGHT? Have you seen him play?

I think our defence on paper is decent. Im a bit unsure on Terry but when you look at other alternatives you probs have to side with him. Rio is quality though, Cashley Cole is a decent left back, and Micah Richards i think has a lot to offer.

As for Midfield, you cant play lamps and geza in the same team. i think thats been proven now. out of those two though, you gota pick gerrard surely?

As for forwards, i really only think Rooney is our only world class striker. I'd like to see him upfront by himself with 2 widemen supporting him. Kinda like Chelsea played at the weekend. 2 Holding midfielders to sure up the defence, one Midfielder bombing on to support front man and 2 wide to support aswell.
This would be my lineup:


......................Carson/Foster

Richards...Ferdinand...Terry/Woodgate...Cole

....................Barry...Hargreaves
...........................Gerrard
J Cole................................................A Young
...........................Rooney


Sorted.

 

[Mellotron]

Looks good pidgeon.

1066, thanks to the arrival of Cuellar Zat Knight is now FOURTH choice behind Laursen, Cuellar and Curtis Davies (who is better than Knight anyway).

 

[NMH]

who would be your starting XI?

i'd go for a fresh, young, new look team, something along the lines of:

carson

johnson
woodgate (c)
taylor
richards

bentley
barry
reo coker
downing

agbonlahor
ashton

Agree in principal, but wholesale change wouldn't work. You have to retain some of the better experienced players.
I'd consider the following;

James

Ferdinand
Woodgate (c)
Terry
Richards

Barry
Rooney
Gerrard
J.Cole

Agbonlahor
Ashton

subs from; Carson, Wright-Philips, Walcott, Bentley, O'Hara, Carrick, Storey.

 

[Les Biehn]

Hart
Richards Ferdinand Terry Cole
Hargreaves
Lampard Barry
Rooney Ashton Cole

BACK UP
Foster
Johnson Woodgate Taylor Warnock
Carrick
Gerrard Jenas
Walcott Crouch Young​

Want Agbonlahor in there some how but think he would be used more if the team reverts to 2 up front.

 

[Marshy]

Kirkland

Richards Terry Ferdinand Cole

Cole Gerrard Barry Young

Owen Rooney

 

[Munkfish]

Green
Richards Ferdinand Terry Cole
Carrick Hargreaves
Gerrard
Cole Rooney Young​

Pretty much that, but id have barry instead of carrick, as i think he covers more ground than carrick.

 

[Rookie]

James

Brown - Woodgate - Ferdinand - Cole

Hargreaves - Barry
-Gerrard
Rooney-(Not set postion's more free)-Cole

Ashton

 

[Knotty]

i have to agree with that.
ZAT KNIGHT? Have you seen him play?

I think our defence on paper is decent. Im a bit unsure on Terry but when you look at other alternatives you probs have to side with him. Rio is quality though, Cashley Cole is a decent left back, and Micah Richards i think has a lot to offer.

As for Midfield, you cant play lamps and geza in the same team. i think thats been proven now. out of those two though, you gota pick gerrard surely?

As for forwards, i really only think Rooney is our only world class striker. I'd like to see him upfront by himself with 2 widemen supporting him. Kinda like Chelsea played at the weekend. 2 Holding midfielders to sure up the defence, one Midfielder bombing on to support front man and 2 wide to support aswell.
This would be my lineup:


......................Carson/Foster

Richards...Ferdinand...Terry/Woodgate...Cole

....................Barry...Hargreaves
...........................Gerrard
J Cole................................................A Young
...........................Rooney


Sorted.

Looks good to me apart from the keeper. Not saying you're wrong but I find it difficult to choose any keeper at the moment.

From the little I have seen, I think Foster could be very good but he'll need to be United's no. 1, or move to another TOP side, to show it and get the experience.

Carson should never have been picked for the Croatia game and I feel sorry for him, but I am not sure that playing for WBA will help his cause. Jamesy showed his weaknesses last night, Green is not faultless, Hart could be good but we need more time to see it.

My problem is I can watch last night's poor performance and choose players to drop but, although I watch a lot of football on TV, I don't believe I see enough of individual players to make definitive choices as replacements.

 

[Munkfish]

wes brown! what a joke, i can play right back better than him, he doesnt offer anything going forward down the right side.

 

[BensGrandad]

wes brown! what a joke, i can play right back better than him, he doesnt offer anything going forward down the right side.

But he can defend and the prime job of a defender is defending. People are obsessed with this attacking full back theory when they should concentrate more on the defenders ability to do his job and defend properly.

 

[y2dave]

First 11

James
Cole
Richards
Ferdinand
Brown
Young
Cole
Hargreaves
Gerrard
Agbonlohor
Rooney

Squad players
Kirkland
Hart
Terry
Woodgate
Bridge
Glen Johnson
Barry
Huddlestone
Lampard
Bentley
Milner
Walcott
Ashton

 

[Marshy]

i have to agree with that.
ZAT KNIGHT? Have you seen him play?

I think our defence on paper is decent. Im a bit unsure on Terry but when you look at other alternatives you probs have to side with him. Rio is quality though, Cashley Cole is a decent left back, and Micah Richards i think has a lot to offer.

As for Midfield, you cant play lamps and geza in the same team. i think thats been proven now. out of those two though, you gota pick gerrard surely?

As for forwards, i really only think Rooney is our only world class striker. I'd like to see him upfront by himself with 2 widemen supporting him. Kinda like Chelsea played at the weekend. 2 Holding midfielders to sure up the defence, one Midfielder bombing on to support front man and 2 wide to support aswell.
This would be my lineup:


......................Carson/Foster

Richards...Ferdinand...Terry/Woodgate...Cole

....................Barry...Hargreaves
...........................Gerrard
J Cole................................................A Young
...........................Rooney


Sorted.

All very good except Rooney cant play up front on his own, he needs another forward so he can drop of from time to time and someone for him to play in.
Has to be Owen when fit, still our best and most reliable goal scorer

 

[Walkers Cajun Squirrel]

But he can defend and the prime job of a defender is defending. People are obsessed with this attacking full back theory when they should concentrate more on the defenders ability to do his job and defend properly.

Richards??

f***ing good defender that has the pace to go forward and get back in time.

 

[cjd]

First thing I would do is axe Beckham...............

Then i would ensure we didn,t qualify for the next major tournament...........


















































.......then sit back and wait for my £2 million pay-off............job done.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Last night's match actually gave Cappello a LOT of answers:

1. David James is still as accident-prone as ever.
2. Wes Brown gives the ball away far too much for international football.
3. Gerrard on the left doesn't work - Ashley Cole hasn't got a clue where the man in in front of him was all night.
4. Other than dead balls Beckham's contribution is negligible.
5. Lampard isn't up to it.
6. Rooney doesn't know what the f*** he is doing in this system.
7. The team have no pace out wide.

Some of the players suggested in this thread should be nowhere near an England 3rd XI, let alone a 1st XI.

The keeper is the only real question mark. Personally, I'd drop James. It's not so much the age thing but the headless chicken act which we saw again last night, plus his tendency to stand rooted to the spot as the ball sails in, pareticularly from free-kicks.

I like the look of Foster and would pick him if fit, with Kirkland as replacement. That said, the keeper options ARE poor

Re the outfield, I'm now convinced that this side is the best we've got:

1. Foster
2. Richards
3. Cole, A
4. Ferdinand
5. Terry
6. Cole, J (RM)
7. Hargreaves (CM)
8. Gerrard (CM)
9. Barry (LM)
10. Heskey
11. Rooney


With Rooney just playing off Heskey.

 

[barney]

hart

richards taylor wheater bridge

walcott barry gerrard young

agbonlahor crouch