English Supporters how to you rate this years squad?

[Lo Siento.]

. . . "passion" and . . "playing for the shirt"

always served us so well in the past.

 

[editor]

and here was me thinking it was about ability

So you don't think individual players can get the best out of others and inspire them?

Why do you think they bother having a captain, then?

 

[Lo Siento.]

So you don't think individual players can get the best out of others and inspire them?

Why do you think they bother having a captain, then?

tradition mainly. Captain is an absolute nonsense position on a football team.

 

[Lo Siento.]

nah, I'm sure having the right man with an armband on shouting "come on lads, we can do this" will make all the difference...

 

[editor]

nah, I'm sure having the right man with an armband on shouting "come on lads, we can do this" will make all the difference...

Wow. You really don't know about the game, then.

A good captain can unite and transform a team. Try doing a search for "inspirational football captain" and learn something.

 

[strung out]

i think the value of a good captain/leader is more important off the field, in the changing room, in training etc tbh. in that respect, it doesn't really matter who's captain as you can have lots of leaders in the dressing room. i highly doubt that john terry beating his chest and shouting is going to have much effect on wayne rooney while a match is going on.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Wow. You really don't know about the game, then.

A good captain can unite and transform a team. Try doing a search for "inspirational football captain" and learn something.

ah, I have a difference of opinion and I don't know about the game? Arrogant.

As for "searching", people talk a lot of nonsense about captaincy in football, quite what doing a search is supposed to prove is beyond me. I see no evidence that most top football teams have someone inspirational leader to bind them together on the pitch (bar, usually, the manager)

 

[mattie]

Wow. You really don't know about the game, then.

A good captain can unite and transform a team. Try doing a search for "inspirational football captain" and learn something.

Why does a player stop being inspirational because he's not captain?

 

[Diamond]

Not as good as 1998.

These were the forwards we had then:

Alan Shearer
Teddy Sheringham
Michael Owen
Les Ferdinand

 

[Sunray]

Wow. You really don't know about the game, then.

A good captain can unite and transform a team. Try doing a search for "inspirational football captain" and learn something.

And Steven Gerrard isn't that? I think he is, never understood him being 3rd choice for it.

Just need a 1/2 good game from him to walk through any defence and score. He's like having a 3rd striker.

 

[Gingerman]

Squad's worse but manager's much better. Squad is good enough, I think, making the manager the key factor.

^^^^^^^
This,a decent squad with one world class player in Rooney and a brilliant manager in Capello who could make the difference between England having an ordinary WC or a brilliant one.

 

[strung out]

while i do agree, i do wish people would stop using the phrase 'world class' with regards to how many great players each team has. england are in the top 10 teams in the world, and as such, the majority (if not all) of our players are world class. we've got a perfectly adequate team, with plenty of players capable of performing as well as other top players in the world.

 

[aylee]

Our midfield has massive strength in depth and variety. You have the anchormen (Barry, who will hopefully be fit, and Carrick), the attacking midfielders (Lampard and Gerrard), versatility (Milner), speedy wingers (Wright-Phillips and Lennon) and cultured flair (Joe Cole).

Unfortunately I remain concerned about all other areas of the pitch.

There is no clear first-choice keeper, though I would start with Green.

In defence, the only real class player is Ashley Cole. Johnson can't defend, Terry doesn't inspire the confidence that he did 12 months ago before all the Bridge nonsense, Ferdinand is crocked and was in poor form anyway, King has glass knees, Upson hasn't been all that great this season and has suspect fitness, Carragher is past his best though may yet be inspired to roll the years back, and Dawson and Warnock have no or next-to-no international experience.

Up front, Rooney is world class if he keeps his head. Defoe and Crouch can be lethal against lesser opponents but have yet to convince against the top nations, and Heskey; well, he is Heskey.

I do not think these deficiencies can be remedied by any coach. This squad is simply not capable of putting out 11 players that can beat Spain or Brazil .... it's as simple as that.

 

[Lo Siento.]

I do not think these deficiencies can be remedied by any coach. This squad is simply not capable of putting out 11 players that can beat Spain or Brazil .... it's as simple as that.

Can beat? Of course we can beat Spain or Brazil. In football teams are beaten by their inferiors all the time. Should beat? Probably will beat? No. But hopefully if all goes to plan we won't play those teams til the latter part of the tournament...

 

[kabbes]

Squad's worse but manager's much better. Squad is good enough, I think, making the manager the key factor.

I was right with the first sentence, at least. The players simply weren't good enough, showing a lack of imagination on the ball and poor technical ability.

But I was woefully wrong in thinking that Capello was somehow going to be able to turn that into a winning side.

 

[The Octagon]

should be multiple choice. I think it's better than all those squads apart from 1998.

(How we lined up in 98...

Seaman
Neville Adams Campbell Le Saux
Beckham Ince Scholes Anderton
Shearer Owen.

I reckon only Rooney and maybe Terry would make that team...)

Had I seen this beforehand I would have taken issue with it, but after the world cup he's had at least everyone can see he belongs nowhere near this England team.