Hometownclub Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 13 minutes ago, leeslover said: Now there's a thought, he's never played for a real country... D'oh, I forgot he was Irish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 4 minutes ago, Hometownclub said: D'oh, I forgot he was Irish. This suggests either that you have an iffy memory or you never heard him talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hometownclub Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 minute ago, leeslover said: This suggests either that you have an iffy memory or you never heard him talk. Both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deyres42 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 21 minutes ago, Stevie_J said: Alli's the most talented midfielder we've got. Unfortunately he seems to be in a bit of a dip in terms of form. I'd still have him in the starting eleven. Made a mess of him trying to turn him into a number 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 2 hours ago, oafc_lover said: I don’t think Shelvey has even had a yellow in 2018. Could be wrong though. The rest I agree with. Surely someone like Charlie Austin would have been a better shout than Welbeck?! Austin's made of balsa and his injury record is if anything worse than Welbeck's. I'm no particular fan of the latter but 15 goals in 37 games internationally must make him the better choice out of those two. (Me, as I said above, I'd hoped someone like Solanke or Abraham would've shown more this season, but damn Liverpool for sticking with this no-mark "Firmino" chap. Won't amount to anything.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, deyres42 said: Made a mess of him trying to turn him into a number 10. Jack Byrne you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristolatic Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Is it only me that thinks the one shining light in that squad is that there's no Smalling? Trouble is, Phil Jones is there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarddog73 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 13 minutes ago, Bristolatic said: Is it only me that thinks the one shining light in that squad is that there's no Smalling? Trouble is, Phil Jones is there. Cahill is the real weak link for me and he is really lucky to be included in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worcester Owl Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Just now, yarddog73 said: Cahill is the real weak link for me and he is really lucky to be included in my opinion. Dier has been dire this season. Never looks happy either. Shelvey should have been in the squad, destroyed Chelsea last week. Wilshere is the most talented English midfielder, and is left footed, giving balance. I've admired the way Southgate has got England to play since he took the job, but he's let himself down with some selections in this squad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarddog73 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 minute ago, Worcester Owl said: Dier has been dire this season. Never looks happy either. Shelvey should have been in the squad, destroyed Chelsea last week. Wilshere is the most talented English midfielder, and is left footed, giving balance. I've admired the way Southgate has got England to play since he took the job, but he's let himself down with some selections in this squad. Agree with regards to Dier, Shelvey seems to have built up a bad reputation and for me Jack Wilshere has done little to prove himself in the past twelve months, he seems to have a sense of entitlement about him because he plays for Arsenal, he's been built up to believe he's something he isn't and doesn't deserve a place based on him being left footed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzlatic Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Has Wilshere ever delivered a big performance in an important game for England/Arsenal? Always come across as a bit of a flat track bully to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worcester Owl Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 He scored 2 crackers in a qualifier v Slovenia I think it was. I know he's injury prone but when fit I think he's one of the few we've got who can pick a pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Burns Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 3 hours ago, Hometownclub said: D'oh, I forgot he was Irish. ? He isn’t. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deyres42 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 56 minutes ago, nzlatic said: Has Wilshere ever delivered a big performance in an important game for England/Arsenal? Always come across as a bit of a flat track bully to me. Remember him playing well against Barcelona and Brazil (?) A real shame that injuries have blighted him as probably the nearest thing we've had to Gascoigne since the man himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzlatic Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 7 minutes ago, deyres42 said: Remember him playing well against Barcelona and Brazil (?) A real shame that injuries have blighted him as probably the nearest thing we've had to Gascoigne since the man himself. Probably shows just how far we've been from having someone like Gascoigne then. The lad clearly has ability, but apparently chose Bournemouth over a potential move to AC Milan or Roma. To make that kind of choice says a lot about ambition/character etc in my opinion. In fact, that's one of my biggest gripes about top level footballers in this country, none of them seem to want to go and play overseas. This 'home comforts' attitude can't help when it comes to major tournaments - where they are tested in the biggest possible way and fail every time. Maybe if more of them pushed themselves by competing for a place in a top european team they might have more about them when it comes to international tournaments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzlatic Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 On the squad in general, I don't think there are any glaring omissions really. A lot of them are much of a muchness so if you swap a couple out there's not a huge difference to the balance. Whatever side he puts out is capable of getting at least 4 points from Tunisia and Panama with the right attitude. So it all comes down to Belgium. We'd be the underdogs for a change so if he sets up on the counter with Alli, Kane and Sterling then if those 3 fire we could go through top of the group and have a good crack at the quarters. If we get that far and get beat by a better team (Brazil or Germany most likely) then that's still a pretty good tournament all things considered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deyres42 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 9 minutes ago, nzlatic said: Probably shows just how far we've been from having someone like Gascoigne then. The lad clearly has ability, but apparently chose Bournemouth over a potential move to AC Milan or Roma. To make that kind of choice says a lot about ambition/character etc in my opinion. In fact, that's one of my biggest gripes about top level footballers in this country, none of them seem to want to go and play overseas. This 'home comforts' attitude can't help when it comes to major tournaments - where they are tested in the biggest possible way and fail every time. Maybe if more of them pushed themselves by competing for a place in a top european team they might have more about them when it comes to international tournaments. Surely that is more down to the money though, plenty went to Italy in the 80s/early 90s when the lure of the lira was strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 minute ago, deyres42 said: Surely that is more down to the money though, plenty went to Italy in the 80s/early 90s when the lure of the lira was strong. Yep. Kane would get a pay rise at Madrid but most would take a big cut to be bang average members of European squads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzlatic Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 45 minutes ago, deyres42 said: Surely that is more down to the money though, plenty went to Italy in the 80s/early 90s when the lure of the lira was strong. Money plays a part, that's true. But there are plenty of foreign players at top euro clubs that could probably earn more at Chelsea/Man City but chose not to. It wasn't just Italy, there were internationals who played in Spain, France and Germany. There has to be something more to it than just cash - not one player in that squad plays overseas. In fact, when was the last time someone playing overseas was picked for an England squad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deyres42 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 18 minutes ago, nzlatic said: Money plays a part, that's true. But there are plenty of foreign players at top euro clubs that could probably earn more at Chelsea/Man City but chose not to. It wasn't just Italy, there were internationals who played in Spain, France and Germany. There has to be something more to it than just cash - not one player in that squad plays overseas. In fact, when was the last time someone playing overseas was picked for an England squad? Beckham/Hargreaves maybe? Hart was on loan at Torino. You could argue that a lot of the top Spanish, and lesser extent, German players don't test themselves elsewhere. I don't disagree with the point you are making, just don't see it changing any time soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisRichard Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 4 hours ago, Bristolatic said: Is it only me that thinks the one shining light in that squad is that there's no Smalling? Trouble is, Phil Jones is there. I'd say Phil Jones is marginally less prone to fuck ups than Smalling. When I watch Smalling play for England I develop the same twitchy eye than when we had Brill in goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcfluff1985 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 14 minutes ago, ChrisRichard said: I'd say Phil Jones is marginally less prone to fuck ups than Smalling. When I watch Smalling play for England I develop the same twitchy eye than when we had Brill in goal. We've a shocking pile of centre backs. Stones makes me ill. 50mil. Jesus wept Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc_lover Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 minute ago, mcfluff1985 said: We've a shocking pile of centre backs. Stones makes me ill. 50mil. Jesus wept Gone are the days of the proper English centre back now I think. All people want now is one that can pass out from the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisRichard Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 14 minutes ago, mcfluff1985 said: We've a shocking pile of centre backs. Stones makes me ill. 50mil. Jesus wept Agreed. We are lacking an old hand at the back. If you think of the wealth of CBs we've had over the years this batch don't seem to have inherited the legacy of those before them YET. We basically are a top heavy team that will probably concede loads but hopefully score loads. We might be entertaining to watch at least in that respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, oafc_lover said: Gone are the days of the proper English centre back now I think. All people want now is one that can pass out from the back. If only there was one who could do both... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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