Who would you pick? Here's my squad, based on 3 goalies and a squad of 22, which leaves one outfield position without a backup.
Positions based on a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield.
Position and shirt number key
G = Goalie (1)
B = Backs (2/3)
C = Central defence (5/6)
H = Holding midfield (4)
W = Wing midfield (7/11)
A = Attacking midfield (8 )
F = Forward (9/10)
01 G Paul Robinson
02 B Gary Neville
03 B Ashley Cole
04 H Ledley King
05 C Rio Ferdinand
06 C John Terry
07 W Steven Gerrard
08 A Frank Lampard
09 F Wayne Rooney
10 F Michael Owen
11 W David Beckham
12 B Luke Young
13 G David James
14 B Paul Konchesky
15 H Alan Smith
16 C Sol Campbell
17 C Jamie Carragher
18 W Shaun Wright-Phillips
19 G Robert Green
20 F Peter Crouch
21 F Jermain Defoe
22 W Joe Cole
On Call
xx B Wayne Bridge
xx H Phil Neville
xx M Owen Hargreaves
xx A Jermaine Jenas
xx W Kieran Richardson
I think our only weakness is the left and right backs where we don't have enough proven depth and both first choices are or have been out injured, and in goal where we don't have enough good choices. Everyone else is on form at the moment! King and Ferdinand are scoring, Defoe scored a blinder, Crouch is out of his rut, Smith is revelling in his new midfield role, Carragher's organising a tight-arse Liverpool defence, Gerrard and Lampard are firing them in from all angles...
What do you all think?
Looks like a good squad to me. I'd certainly try to fit in Bridge and Hargreaves somewhere. Young plays well at right back as a back up to Neville. I'm not sold on Crouch or Smith. Crouch maight make it just because he's tall and he's about the best really tall player ENgland have right now. I'd shove Jenas in rather than Smith too.
Seems a very good selection it will be interesting to see how the actual team matches up to what you have chosen.
You have a good mix of CHELSEA players there so that team gets my 100% support smile
I'd certainly try to fit in Bridge and Hargreaves somewhere. I'm not sold on Crouch or Smith. Crouch maight make it just because he's tall and he's about the best really tall player ENgland have right now. I'd shove Jenas in rather than Smith too.
I left Hargreaves, Bridge and Jenas on the call-up list because I have never seen them do anything to impress me. Not that I don't think they are good players, I just haven't seen them perform to fill their reputation.
Jenas certainly did himself a favour getting out of Newcastle, who looked a mess at Liverpool. They have two of the best strikers in the country of any nationality, but have an amateurish disorganised defence and a midfield resembling Swiss cheese. Any player leaving that will have a better career. Jenas was the outfield player to miss out of my squad at the hands of the 3rd goalie.
I don't watch much Bunteliga as I find it drab and dismal inside the fence (the supporters are always fun though). So I have only seen Hargreaves play on the rare occasions he has worn an England shirt, and that is mostly as a late second half sub.
Crouch has his critics but at worst he is a clumsy forward that defences don't know how to handle. At best he is a great target man with a deft touch and good eye for an opportunity for his team, very unselfish. I see a lot of Liverpool as TnS is a LFC fan.
Smith never impressed me much as a forward, but as a backup for King as holding midfielder I think he would be a great choice. I filled the squad with the best 2 players at each position, rather than the best 22 players available. I can't see Jenas - or any of the other players I picked - filling that role. Apart from maybe Carragher in an emergency role.
The team virtually picks itself doesn't it, but I do have a couple of arguments with the list.
It looks like you'd stick Gerrard on the left which I dont agree with at all. He needs to be along side Lampard in the centre. To fill the left midfield there's either Downing, or SWP who I reckon is going to be tried in that position in pre tournament friendlies.
With the quality of the back four I dont know whether you need to have a holding midfielder, although Gerrard excels at that if needed. Also agree that Smith is looking alright at that role as well.
Depending on the run up to the world cup, I would seriously consider Carragher at the left back over Ashley Cole.
Crouch is a big question mark. He scored with his head yesterday but it was more luck than judgement; in off the post and the keeper. I'm a long way from convinced and I cant see any international standard defenders being the slightest bit worried about marking him.
If he doesn't work out the other option is a 4-3-1-2 formation with Rooney behind the strikers and Defoe along side Owen. That'd scare the crap out a lot of teams.
Either way, Sven'll fuck it up.
I don't think we get the best out of Gerrard and Lampard if they are worked together the same position in midfield. I have Gerrard as a right-sided midfielder with Beckham taking up the opposite side. Then Lampard as the attacking midfield option. Although Gerrard is a good holding midfielder, I think he is hugely wasted in such a position. I agree about the Cole/Carragher switch as a possibility.
As for "international standard defenders not being worried marking him"... there's no international standard defenders in the EPL?
As for Downing I have not heard enough of him since he first came into the picture as a possible England senior cap.
I'd be more likely to throw the Southampton 16-yo in as a wild card, than a player who is very much below the radar albeit in the EPL.
I saw Hargreaves play for Bayern on the Bundesliga opening day and he was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch. He started everything for Bayern plus he scored a really nice goal.
I realise that was probably a particularly good performance and basing my judgement just on that is questionable but it does show me what he is capable of.
As for "international standard defenders not being worried marking him"... there's no international standard defenders in the EPL?
Yea, there's plenty; and none of them seem too worried about marking him.
Seems EPL defenders are having increasing difficulty in marking him.
Most defending these days is done by playing so close to a player you could be wearing the same shorts. It is tough marking someone that close when they have three-foot-long elbows.
.me.