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I know a few won't be interested and will have great joy in telling everyone so but squad expected to be announced soon.

What's peoples thoughts? expecting any suprises, any players you think should be included but won't be?

Please do not take MILNER, ROONEY, WALCOTT and all the others who have gone to many major competitions and are programmed to lose.

Young blood - starting line up similar to the side who beat Germany.

I agree re Walcott but not the other 2. Milner has had a great season imo

All you can ask is for the squad to be based on form not reputation, Roy does have his favourites though.

If Wilshire gets a spot it will be a joke, guy has played about 5 mins this season

Rooney will go, no doubt about it. He shouldn't, but will

Milner has had a belting season, obviously will go and be pushing for a start.

Good for Rashford to be involved but shouldn't be in the 23. Townsend can fuck off. As can Delph. And Wilshere... but that would leave us with only 22 players, so Wilshere can go for the hello of it.

               Hart
Walker Smalling Cahill Rose
          Dier Henderson
Lallana      Alli       Barkley
               Kane

Would be my XI. Expect Rooney for Alli and, possibly, Sterling or Milner for Barkley in Roy's.        

I'm rather pleased that the England side has now returned to pre 1990 levels of interest....

The 2 big ??  assuming no last minute injury crisis appear to be will Jack Wilshere be going, after 70 mins for Arsenal on Sunday and the centre half dilemma.

The CH dilemma is significant...by my reckoning we've Cahill, Stones and Smalling of whom Stones has been poor for a while now, but because he doesn't hoof gets good press. Cahill is steady enough but gets found out at a higher level and Smalling who is an improving player, that's not really enough to be taking into a tournament, and hoping to win.

Elsewhere it doesn't look so bad GK's are viable......full backs a bit iffy, but the likes of Danny Rose and Clyne are improving players who've had good seasons.

Hopefully Alli will have had a nice little rest, as he's key, could be a star in the summer.  Henderson is also back fit, and he's another who's improved this year.

So my 23....might look like this

Hart
Forster
Heaton

Clyne
Walker
Smalling
Stones
Cahill
Jagielka
Rose
Baines

Dier
Henderson
Drinkwater
Lallana
Barkley
Alli
Wilshere
Townsend

Kane
Vardy
Rooney

Then I'd take Defoe as the 4th striker off the bench with 20 to go.

Have to take Milner as he can fill in to many positions, Rooney could be used as an impact sub, Walcott is a waste of a squad place.

I never bother watching many England games now in friendlies etc but always stil like to watch the tournaments.

I think we have a squad that can genuinely make it to the semi's at least.

Here's the initial 26.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley).

Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Andros Townsend (Newcastle United), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).

The squad
Goalkeepers

Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton
Defenders

Nathaniel Clyne, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Ryan Bertrand, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Gary Cahill
Midfielders

Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Fabian Delph, Danny Drinkwater, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere, Andros Townsend
Forwards

Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Daniel Sturridge

So here's Woy's 26.....as above I wouldn't have bothered with Sterling, Delph or Sturridge.

Presumably Rashford will drop out unless there's injuries.

Bertrand for Baines....is fair enough.  Milner.... :hmmm:

I alway think of how the Hun, would include Klose, a man well past his sell by date at club level, but can score a goal in the last 20, a useful thing for a squad.

Milner deserves to go, had a good season and a decent dependable player.

Too many midfielders with fancy stuff but no end product apart from giving the ball away.

The defence frankly scares me, what with the habit of rash tackles (Stones) and wrestling at corners (Smalling) with foreign referees I can see us conceding a penalty in each game?

And there you have it - it's the hope that kills you  :no: ;)

It's all good though. The last few months, I've actually been taking an interest in the PL and England side for the first time since the early 2000's - when Beckham was Captain for God's sake!

I suppose the biggest single factor has to be the Leicester/Spurs effect. They have made both the PL and England team infinitely more interesting than I could have possible imagined a few months ago. Whatever team or final squad Roy picks, I just hope he doesn't fall into the trap of England Managers for as long as I can remember, of picking players based on who they are rather than current form.

For the first game of the Euros, I would pick the same starting line up as the Germany game - job done.

As I said earlier, the centre half question was the biggest facing Woy...he's just gone for the 3 obviously hoping Dier can fill in if needed.

But it is a glaringly weak pick....Stones is a sort of David Luiz, can play a bit of football but not defend, flavour of the month a while ago, but the likes of Leicester and Atleti, have shown nowt wrong playing a couple of stoppers.

Cahill is steady enough....but has benefited from playing with Terry who despite his unpopularity, with the fans, does get defending. Take Cahill out of that and expect leadership and it's not really there.

Smalling has it in in him to have a good tournament...so you never know, I don't suppose Blade's fans thought Traianos Dellas would walk off with a Euro winners medal in 2004, after his stint for them.

Cahill is a Titus Bramble or on a local level Jerel Ifil sort of defender, fantastic with someone next to him to think for him and talk him through a game but dangerous when left to his own devices, I think him being the senior defender if only going to cause problems.

Chris Smalling is miles ahead of our other CB options. Cahill should get the nod alongside him, particularly given he's left-sided.  

I think a lot depends on the fitness of Henderson - presuming Roy hasn't completely lost it and starts with Wilshere in there instead.

Kane up front has the potential to be the break-out star of the whole thing, but it's best just to assume we'll draw two of the three group games, win the third and get knocked out in the last 16 after an insipid display. Anything more will be grand.

I don't disagree on Smalling, but you watch him marking in the box and he gets away with murder, I just fear with a little more stringent refereeing he could be a liability!

Its where do you accommodate Rooney which is the issue, I would be amazed if he doesn't start (he really shouldn't) there is a rumour doing the rounds up here that he asked Van Gaal to play in midfield for the end of the season as he thinks that's where he has more chance of getting a game for England - I don't believe it but who knows, Roy has his favourites!

You're right, he shouldn't. And that's why England will never do fuck all. Picking players based on their name and past reputation. The only place he should be accommodated is the bench. As I alluded to in my previous post, it's an age old problem, going back as long as I can remember (which is quite a long time tbf)...

Some of us have yet to forgive Sir Alf, for playing Geoff Hurst over the fit again Jimmy Greaves in 66

Don't agree with all of that squad but by and large it looks decent. Ridiculous wilshere/delph have got in considering the gametime they have had

But...but...but...but....their faces fit...they have to go  ::)

Especially considering Roy has said he didn't pick Walcott (a good thing) due to lack of game time.

Overall I'm happy with the squad, the odd thing I don't agree with that's to be expected

Defence is frail as fuck. Would have picked both Noble and Carroll also.
Rooney will play which isn't necessarily a good thing. It's all rather meh actually.

Carroll limped off in yesterday's match which probably had a bearing on the decision

Or it had no bearing, and everyone can see he's a cart horse good for one thing and one thing only. Battering ram strikers do not work at the top level.

Jan Koller had a pretty good international career....

Don't think him going off made a difference. He wouldn't have gone anyway imo.
Inevitably there will be a point where we are chasing a game and need something different. A battering ram of a centre forward is a good option. Nobody better in the premier league at nailing headers in the box. When the ball is fired in there he scores.
Where has tippy tappy football got England anyway ?

Yeah, but it's not 2003.

If you play Carroll, you have to completely change the way you play football, so you're ripping up any developed strategy, momentum, technical work etc over the past months and years in the run up to a tournament just to play a shithouse who can win a few headers.

the 2003 comment is lost on me ?

If it ain't working the changing the way of playing is the whole point. I think you're over complicating it by the way. Look what having a simple game plan did for Leicester. Then compare what having a rigid, refusal to change attitude does for  arsenal.

About as far as Swindon?

The 2003 comment was response to the Jan Koller comment above. Apologies.

The Leicester comparison is lazy. Nothing wrong with a simple game . Everything wrong with a constantly changing game plan, or no game plan, which taking Carroll after 4 years of international wilderness would suggest.

But the default setting for English football has always been (and remains - see Fellaini at Man Utd), if you are losing in the last 10 minutes lump it up to a big man, its a system that the whole team will know what to do. Don't really think that Carroll is an option and he is as fragile as Sturridge and Wilshire.

Taking Wilshire and Delph is a crime. Townsend is a bizarre choice. And I'd pick Defoe over Rashford.

If you're losing a game and plan A isn't working then I don't see anything wrong with that style.
I wouldn't start Carroll, but having a player like him on the bench at least gives you other options if it's not happening on the park.
We'll get like for like subs I'm sure and a way of playing that won't adapt much if at all. Let's hope it works.

It wouldn't be a true England match without a shite Milner corner would it?

Smalling and Wilshere though. Grim.
I can see us being pretty good to watch on the counter at least.   :yay:

Townsend is adequate imo. Obviously not brilliant but he puts a decent enough shift in. There aren't many alternatives.

I rate Smalling, he's the best centre half we have by far.
I also like Wilshere, when he's fit, which isn't often enough, he is an outstanding footballer.

Not really....we've been short of left sided midfielders/wingers for ages.  Townsend was just about ourbest player a while ago, and is something like a Welbeck, a rarity, someone who plays better for the national team than for their club side.

I'd take a Welbeck over a Sturridge/Sterling type, who largely seem to play for themselves. (Yes I know he's injured)

Agree with this. If we play Spain at some point we aren't going to out football them, we will need to try something different and going direct against their back line could be effective.

I'd have taken Carroll purely for the mix it up factor is we aren't doing well. I still remember going nuts from his goal in the euros against Sweden

 Well last night's game, was a classic  :)  I did wonder if it was a deliberate tactic to completely bewilder watching scouts, as to what we might do in the Euros....but then kept on thinking of watching Gary Neville's Valencia who were similarly hopeless.

 What I found even more bizarre, was the pundits rattling on about England playing a diamond formation, when it seemed more like a 4-3-3.

 Bruno Alves' foot, the highest I've seen since the Battle of Santiago 1962....impressive 

I watched it to see if it was worth watching the euro games. Saw the same old turgid crap that has been rinsed and repeated for 20 years. Solution seems simple to me, drop rooney and let everyone play their proper positions. He wont of course, so early exit very probable.

Not a great game. Don't think Vardy and Kane are helped by having to track back, and we're trying to play too many central forwards just because it's the position we're strongest in, reminds me of trying to get Scholes/Lampard/Gerrard all into a team years ago. Wilshere looked good when he came on, still think if he's anywhere near fit he's our best central midfielder, and I think you need to play one of Lallana/Sterling to add a small amount of width and crossing ability.

I'd probably go with the following for the Euros:

.................Hart...................
Rose...Cahill...Smalling...Walker
.................Dier.....................
........Wilshere...Ali.................
..............Sterling..................
...........Rooney....Kane............


But then again we seem to have a lot of centre forwards and a lot of players who'd like to play in the hole... fitting them into a sensible formation is actually quite tough.

Oh, and the Alves tackle was hilarious. What on earth was he thinking?

It was a terrible game, but the context of a friendly just over a week before a tournament has to be considered....players not giving it full gas etc.

We're in a difficult group...Russia, will be hard to beat, Slovakia beat Spain in qualifying, and won in Germany at the weekend, and Wales is a derby, I can't see them producing the sort of half arsed tournament display we now seem to specialise in.

I do get playing Rooney, given the lack of experience elsewhere in the side, but thought I'd read he's been playing more as a midfielder for ManU this season, not up front as he appeared to be trying to do last night.

Have to agree with Reg, awful game.  Too many square pegs in round holes, Rooney being a prime example - seemed a bit lost in the position he played last night and kept running into a brick wall - most did to be truthful.  In my opinion we seem to play better and with more freedom when Rooney isn't in the side!

I went to the game, it was shit. Playing vardy out wide is a waste of time. Play vardy/kane up front with sterling in behind and have rooney on the bench. We might have a chance then

I hadn't seen the Turkey or Oz games so decided to watch last night to see if we have any hope going into Euro 2016. Of course you can't base warm up games on how we are going to do in the tournament, but if you did, I doubt we'd get out of the group.

Wayne Rooney seems to be an issue. He's been an excellent servant for England but with Kane and Vardy above him in the pecking order, we are trying to shoe-horn him into the team. In the first half almost everything he did was bad, almost as if he was trying too hard.

As Nemo said, Wilshere looked decent coming on, and Alli started quite brightly but otherwise individually we were pretty poor. Too many hollywood passes in the first half overhit etc. Actually now I think back, the wing-backs in Rose and Walker were probably our best players.

Finally, please take fucking Harry Kane off of set-pieces, the corner he hit in the first half along the ground straight to a Portugal player should have had him immediately taken off. Surely we need his height in the box from corners?

Picking Rooney means everyone else bar the defence and Dier have to play out of their natural position. He also needs to play Kane with Alli in behind him.

I totally agree, Kane is shit at free kicks etc and is much more dangerous in the box waiting for a delivery etc.

I just don't get why you'd pick Vardy then play that way. He's spent all season stitting on the last man waiting for the boot over the top to run on to. But then we asked him to defend. Hmmm.

It was a friendly. Perhaps they were trying things out, because that's what friendlies are for!

It's a classic case of the management and coaching staff not knowing what they're doing....I recall an interview with Ferguson, where he espoused what might be called his first law of management....don't ask players to do what they can't do.

Sometimes in tournaments sides sort of fall into personnel and shape, more by luck than judgement....that would seem to be our only hope atm.

I would say that's what earlier freindlies were for, unless he's playing mind games,(unkilely). I'd have played my best team and formation last night. Iron out the glitches. All he's done now is confuse the hell out of everyone, players included.

How? I am fairly certain the players are aware of what is going on

Did'nt look it last night

I wouldn't say they didn't know what was going on though. They pressed as a unit had people filling in the wide players tracked back,the passing was shit granted but they played how their manager asked them.

that's how I'd call it too. yes I agree drs that they did what they were told to do. just seemed odd to be asked to do it now.

that said, it's only a friendly. one in which nobody wants to get hurt.

I'll wait at least 7 minutes of the first game before writing us off

From my limited viewing on Turkish TV, we looked pretty turgid until Milner went off and we stopped playing with two holding players.

Im pretty sure jack wilshere sealed his place in the starting line up!

If that's the case we better have a plan B because he can't be relied on to play 90 mins let alone multiple games.

Gotze is a much better player but Germany aren't taking him because they can't rely on him to stay fit

The difference of course being that Germany have plenty of quality options in that position whereas we're into Danny Drinkwater, Mark Noble and their ilk - good premiership players but not exactly proven on the international stage.

I'm a big fan of Rooney, personally.

I'd be quite happy to see him play in an advanced midfield role, like he has done for Manchester United over the season.

He's much better in that 'Paul Scholes' role, than up front.

I also agree with the Harry Kane scenario.. strange to have him on set pieces..

Yet against Portugal he seemed to be playing through the middle in advance of Kane and Vardy with essentially the point of the diamond permanently splitting the strikers, not playing the no.10 support role, leaving the peculiar situation that we had the two most in form strikers in the country flanking an out of form player who seemed to be playing where he wanted to play rather than to the system, hence Vardy and Kane spending the majority of the game tracking back and thus not doing what they were supposed to do. If Rooney plays where he is supposed to play its a system he plays well, if he uses it as an opportunity to circumvent all the objections to his playing up front and still essentially plays as a striker its either him not understanding the system or deliberately not playing where he should, claiming to be a midfielder to get in the team and then ignoring that!

No idea why Kane was taking the set pieces, it was not as if he was even taking them very well?