Tony gale's England WC starting eleven

[Christiffa25]

way too early to say now, especially using walcott as an example last week.

would have oxlade-chamberlain barkley and sturridge behind rooney myself, with carrick and i don't know who next to him. obviously it'd be gerrard, but he's so slow right now that he's a liability for club and country. maybe wilshere? he doesn't do anything for me.

barry should be on the plane as carrick's backup for sure though.

Can't agree with the Gerrard comment as much as I'd like too. I'd take Barry over Lampard tbh. Wiltshire has gone right off the boil since his long lay off.

They recon pace/counter attacking is going to be a big thing in the WC, so the likes of Barkley, Townsend, sturidge, Ox, Llanna could be very handy.

 

[crusade]

Barry would be a disaster next to Gerrard, he's good for us because him and McCarthy compliment each other's game. The closest thing England have to McCartht is Cleverley or Henderson and neither of them are international standard.

 

[moyeslovechild]

Barry would be a disaster next to Gerrard, he's good for us because him and McCarthy compliment each other's game. The closest thing England have to McCartht is Cleverley or Henderson and neither of them are international standard.

milner? put in some good performances for city lately. not saying hes much like mccarthy but hes a runner and better than cleverley/henderson.

a milner/barry or milner/gerrard mid combo defo doesnt right either thouhg i guess.

tbh, i still think england should go for wilshere. even if people think he hasnt had a good season, hes got undoubted quality and at 22 is going to be around for the next few years

 

[moyeslovechild]

thing about putting sturridge on the left is that he plays like a striker there (because he is one i guess!). its why he got such a bad/selfish rep at chelsea. put him through the middle and he comes off as less selfish because he actually knows what to do (seems like hes set up a few suarez goals so maybe him & rooney could have similar partnership?)

i agree it does seem like an attempt to force barkley into the side when u dont have him at no. 10. but i honestly think he's that good. hes gonna do a better job than milner or welbeck there.

 

[efcforeva]

Hart
Walker Jags Cahill Baines
Gerrard(C) Wilshere
Lallana Rooney Barkley
Sturridge​

Good mix of experience and youth but honestly if Gerrard wasn't England captain I'd drop him like a stone, you need a water carrier like Barry or Carrick in the midfield at the international level and Gerrard can't bring himself to do that because deep down he still thinks he's the all action midfielder he was in his 20s. Still though I reckon that team could do well, it's a bit narrow like but it's technically proficient and we could even try passing the ball a bit. Lallana is miles ahead of Townsend in my opinion and would do well cutting inside with Walker on the overlap, same with Barkley. Rooney is our best player so should play in his best position off the front man and Sturridge (loathe as I am to say it) is a great player and is twice the player Welbeck is, he could lead the line for a good 2 or 3 tournaments

Quite like the look of this team. Probably the strongest starting XI on paper.

 

[The Hibbert Agenda]

Townsend should not feature.

 

[njligernj]

Given the short time players have to work together I would favour familiarity over individual talent (when the talent gap isn't very wide). This is especially true defensively: when one error can dump you out of the tournament I'd rather have some people who know each other.

I'd have Barry in there for sure -- you could have an entire central spine of the team which is fairly used to working with each other (Jags to Barry to Barkley).

The whole "they'll never drop Gerrard" thing is precisely the reason why England will never win anything (that and not having that good of a team I suppose -- but even if the players were better they'd still screw up selection because they're too afraid of the media to make any hard decisions).

I don't know why they bother paying England managers lots of money. I'm not convinced a poll of 100 random people on the street would yield a squad any different than the one the manager will pick. I guess it's his renowned tactical acumen that will be the difference.

 

[ijjysmith]

Hart
Walker Jags Cahill Baines
Gerrard(C) Wilshere
Lallana Rooney Barkley
Sturridge​

That'll do.

 

[meagher94]

...........................Hart...................... .
......Johnson....Jags......Cahill.....Baines..
....................Barry...Wilshere..............
Ox-Chamberlain.....Barkley.........Lallana...
.........................Rooney....................


That team could potentially get us to the quarters lads.



You hear that? The quarters.

 

[TX Bill]

........................Hart.......................
..Johnson....Jags......Cahill.....Baines..
...............Gerrard...Carrick..............
...Townsend.....Barkley......Welbeck...
......................Rooney....................

3 Everton players, very much as I'd have myself. Not sure about Carrick and Welbeck. Think Barry is very unlucky not to be involved really. Not been many if any English CM performing better than him. Think I'd have Llanna on the left myself.

What's everyone think? What would be your starting eleven's?

1) Like everyone else, I'd hope Barry in on the roster.

2) I like all but Welbeck. I'd rather have Defoe or Sturridge in for him.

 

[MARK SMITH]

How many potential England squad members have already had a mid-season break? Jags, Baines, Barkley, Gerrard, Sturridge, Townsend have all had a few weeks off injured, Hart has been dropped for a few weeks, Oxlade-Chamberlain is not back yet, Wilshire started the season injured. Are we still expecting the 'we play too much football, they're all tired' excuse.

 

[TGW89]

How many potential England squad members have already had a mid-season break? Jags, Baines, Barkley, Gerrard, Sturridge, Townsend have all had a few weeks off injured, Hart has been dropped for a few weeks, Oxlade-Chamberlain is not back yet, Wilshire started the season injured. Are we still expecting the 'we play too much football, they're all tired' excuse.

Does anyone remember in 1995/6 when we had shedloads of midweek games during the season, and it ended about 2 weeks earlier than usual? Did England the world of good as we bossed Euro 96 (until the semi that is).

If our group games are indeed in Thrilla-esque conditions of humidity, then surely this season should follow suit and allow our beloved white-garbed primadonnas time to adapt and maybe JUST MAYBE beat one of the big teams in something other than a friendly.