England Squad

[Don Rogers Sock]

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?

[Stevens]

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.

[Don Rogers Sock]

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

[Abrahammer]

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

[Chubbs]

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.

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

[Panda Paws]

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.        

[Reg Smeeton]

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.

[Peter Venkman]

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.

[Costanza]

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).

[Reg Smeeton]

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....

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.

[horlock07]

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?

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

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.

And there you have it - it's the hope that kills you  

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.

[Reg Smeeton]

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?

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.

[horlock07]

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 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.

[Panda Paws]

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.