Are Ireland in this european soccer competition darcy?
Yeah, as G-L says, I don't think it's defence where the problems lie. I can't understand taking Downing...he's had a ropey enough season.
I reckon it's best for everyone to lower their expectations - too many fans see "Premiership" and think they'll get a similar standard in the international side - it's not going to happen until the Premiership is made to give a shit about England.
I'm looking forward to:
Watching Spain.
Watching Germany.
And of course watching the green machine 
Though we have a bastard of a group. 🙁 Il Trapp does get them playing nicely though, and they really haven't got anything to lose, except their first three games...hopefully.
Well good luck to our green friends then.
Are scotland and wales in it too?
Dear BBC,
Why, O, Why, O, Why has he left out the 2nd and 3rd top ENGLISH goal scorers for the buffoon that is Andy Carroll.
Carroll=45 appearances and 9 goals, hardly prolific.
Grant Holt=37 appearances 17 goals.
Danny Graham=34 appearances 14 goals.
Personally, I despise Wayne Rooney but 34 goals in 44 appearances says he's the first person on the team sheet, thats if he wasn't suspended for the first two games of the tournament that is. 🙄
After the last world cup, I think expectations have never been lower.
Never have I seen such a woeful England side. They just capitulated in the most abject and pathetic manner imaginable. It was embarrassing, quite frankly! No spirit. Utterly clueless tactically. Bloody awful. Everyone on the pitch that day against Germany should be too ashamed to ever put an England shirt on again.
As Bravisimo has noted; there will be some good football played, but it won't be by us
All I can say is "meh"
England have not been good to watch since Bobby Robson was in charge. Or maybe Hoddle.
Club vs country? Club every time, despite the damp squib that was the season just finished.
[i]"Well, y'know, for most of the world, it's their one BIG GAME."
This is a part of the England myth that mystifies me; to most of the rest of the world we're really an average side which should do better. The fact that other teams we consider ourselves to be equal to do better against weaker teams is becaure they are able to see them off as they are expected to.
Likewise our great "rivalries"
Argentina= Malvinas aside, their rivalry is with Brazil.
Germany= fairly ambivalent about Britain, they like our music but wonder why we don't do so well, and won't shut up about the war. Have a bit of a permanent grudge fixture with the Dutch...
despite the damp squib that was the season just finished.
I don't think last season can be described as a damp squib assuming you mean the Premier League.
Expectations for England are low for Euro 2012, so where would you expect us to finish to classify the tournament a success for us?
I'd say Quarter finals would be a good achievement with this squad and given group they are in, Semi's would be punching above our weight, Final....who knows, we would have to have had some luck somewhere and avoided penalty shoot-outs!
QFs as a bare minimum for success? I guess that's strictly true as that just means you got out of the group (I think). Wouldn't put it like that myself though, we'll do well to get out of the group and I'd be pretty happy with that. Too much fail in the squad to expect better IMO.
Like others I feel sorry for Micah Richards - i guess it was a toss up between him and Phil Jones and maybe Jones is a little more versatile. Would have been interesting to see who would have gone if Kyle Walker had been fit.
Picking Carroll reminds of the when Liverpool bought him - there's a small chance he might just be awesome (and I hope he is!), but most likely ineffective. I'm not sure his performance for half an hour in the cup final, good as it was, warrants a call-up when Grant Holt has been putting himself about to good effect for most of the season.
I think Downing is an intelligent player but he has had an awful season - I'd take Adam Johnson, he just seems so much more dangerous when he's on the ball - can go inside or outside, play on the left or right, cross and score. Probably needs a kick up the backside every now and then though.
I like Wellbeck and Sturridge too, but neither are prolific goal scorers so I can see the temptation to take Defoe. He is a poacher - maybe a 2 up front big-man/little-man combo for the first two games without Rooney?
I dislike Terry and Ferdinand, but they both marshal the back line better than the other options, IMO one of them had to go and with Ferdinands fitness worries, I geuss it had to be Terry (despicable human being that he is aside).
Adam Johnson should have gone ahead of Downing, maybe not had enough games towards the end of the season, but he puts better crosses in and gets more goals than downing, and he has got a lot better at tracking back to help in defence, which neither Young or Downing do to any great effect.
I can see the point of Gerrard and Lampard, as long as they are never on the pitch together, who are the other attacking midfield options? I think Parker as defensive midfielder with Gerrard in front, with Young and Johnson on the wings would probably be my first choice midfield from the current choices.
Up front Rooney is still obviously the number 1 striker and had to go, wellbeck forms a good partnership with Rooney, Caroll started looking good at the tail end of the season, was it enough? I am not sure but I can see why he was taken if he can continue that form, I would have chosen sturridge ahead of defoe.
And yes what exactly does Micah Richards have to do, is there something going on behind the scenes we don't know about. I take it Jones will be expected to cover the right back position. The thing I will say about Micah (and Lescot) is they play a lot better when Kompany is marshalling them, maybe that's the worry.
from the press conference, A Carroll got picked because King Kenny has faith in him.
but who has faith in Kenny?
To be honest I'd be impressed if we don't finish bottom of the group... Fabio knew what was coming & decided to use Terry as an excuse to jump ship
Totally uninspired selection. Same old tired faces. Building for the future? Bollocks. Not watched them since the shambles in SA, don't see a reason to start again.
FFS: Lampard? Gerrard? Terry? I suppose it was too much to expect Roy to grow a pair,
+1
I don't usually whinge about England team selection but this seems so uttery devoid of anything worth getting excited over.
Walcott will do nothing, Carroll will crumble if picked to play. Defoe? He may smash a couple from long range and over hit a couple of crosses.
For me, this summer is all about Team GB. I'm so over watching England and their nasty pikey ex captain.
but who has faith in Kenny?
Indeed. He's just been sacked.
Richards is the most obvious omission, especially considering Kyle Walker is injured. Richards is part of a title winning defence that has conceded less goals than any other team in the division. Maybe he is paying the price for not playing recently, although at least he'd be fresh.
Stuart Downing is another inexplicable selection given his form for Liverpool - no goals and barely an assist. I would like to have seen Victor Moses rewarded for his brilliant late season performances.
As a City fan I feel for Micah - as well as right back he can do a great job at centre back. Being 23 and a Pearce favourite I think he will be a shoo-in for the Olympic side - would be funny if he gets a medal this summer and the England squad do not.
Adam Johnson can be infuriating but he would be far more likely to make an impact than Downing.
The strikers are a pretty poor bunch compared to 1996'ish when fantastic players like Fowler and Sutton could not get a look in.
I would like to see the City players do well but am not expecting to get out of the group stages tbh.
Johnson, Moses, Lennon are all head and shoulders ahead of Downing for ability. I don't care if he is left footed...he's crap.
I would like to have seen Victor Moses rewarded for his brilliant late season performances.
I remember seeing Moses play for Palace a few yeara ago thinking this kid is going to be fantatic. He struggled a bit after his move to Wigan but seesm to be finding his feet now. But I think he's chosen to play Nigeria now, so isn't an option for England.
As a City fan I feel for Micah - as well as right back he can do a great job at centre back
I seem to remember he himself thinks centre back is his natural position.
I remember seeing Moses play for Palace a few yeara ago thinking this kid is going to be fantatic. He struggled a bit after his move to Wigan but seesm to be finding his feet now. But I think he's chosen to play Nigeria now, so isn't an option for England.
Ah really? Shame that, although who can blame him. Hopefully Wilfried Zaha won't opt to play for Ivory Coast.
From that squad I would play a 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielders using the team shown below:
Could maybe swap Gerrard for Lampard and Milner for Walcott
Hart
Johnson Terry Lescott Cole
Parker Barry
Gerrard
Walcott Young
Rooney/Welbeck
Still not expecting much though!
Just hope Zaha stays another season.
I used to love watching international matches and big comps like Euros and World Cup, I was even daft enough to think England sometimes actually had a chance of not disappointing their fans.
Sadly I seem to have got older and if not wiser maybe more cynical, and no longer really care about Euro 2012 and the like, I may watch a bit but doubt it.
I suspect however that once again the headlines will be all about the wrong things as it sounds like the locals fancy a match against the England fans, not realising most of the bad element will be safely back in blighty checking in at their local nick. Leaving the real fans to face the brunt of local thuggish fury.
One thing I do hope for is who ever plays will remember that the fans are entitled to BOO the players off if they think it is deserved, you get applause for playing well not for turning up Mr Rooney
I used to respect Hodgson, but when he signed Konchesky for Liverpool I realised he was off his 'ed.
We are going down. It's going to be worse than the world cup.
Sorry fellas.
Come on Team GB!
I'm not too surprised with the squad. Glad to see the Ox in there. I'd love to see him play centre midfield like he did for arsenal against AC Milan when he tore them to shreds before he got injured. A midfield of Parker Gerrard and the Ox with young and Walcott out wide would scare the crap out of most defences, just a shame Rooney is suspended for 2 games.
I don't think last season can be described as a damp squib assuming you mean the Premier League.
you assumed wrong. I was talking about my team, the once-(and long ago) mighty whites of Leeds United. The season just finished was most definitely a damp squib, and unless Bates gets his hands in his pockets (and we're not talking about spending millions on a stadium we "don't" own) this summer, I can see another equally damp one coming and Warnock walking away before the season even starts.
MOT. FWIW.
England may just manage to progress past the group stage with some dire but solid defensive performances but will be totally outclassed when they come up aganist Spain or Italy(sorry Eire fans).Mind you many of the well known top European players often perform indifferently at these tournaments at the end of a long tiring season...and I'm sure Roy will use this line for England's not so top players.
Downing selection is a joke.
Richards and Johnson should have both been included too.
And Terry? Said it all in the thread at the time the allegations surfaced
I would rather watch 90 minutes of horas jolly penis than 45 minutes of England failing yet again.
On paper its a fairly well balanced team given players available. Ok so Ricards for RB and maybe Lennon for LW positions but overall not too bad IMO. I like the addition on Oxlade-Chamberlain and hope he gets a run out rather than warming the bench like Walcott did previously.
We all have our opinions on who else should be here so who would you have liked to see in the team?
so who would you have liked to see in the team?
How about building for the future? Any player over 25 axed. Build a squad that will be together for the next three tournaments. Let's me honest the so-called "Golden Generation" blew it. Remember South Africa? Absolutely shameful. And if memory serves they couldn't even be arsed qualifying for the last Euros. Why keep faith with failures? Big clearout and start from scratch. I don't buy all this crap about "bringing experience". Experience of what? Apathetic and inept performances leading to early exit. Wasters.
