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Wilshere and Gibbs in.

Jagielka, Zamora and Foster also.

We really are a team on a downward spiral aren't we

nope, its a step up from James, Johnson and Heskey!

Johnson is in I think.

Crouch isn't but bent is

Foster is garbage and seems to have been found out now and the other 2 are average at best hardly world class

I don't care and I won't be watching any England games for a long time.

Foster isnt garbabge, he has hardly played for years.

None of our players are world class anyway?

A downward spiral from what exactly?

How many times has Gibbs played first team football? Has he even made 20 starting appearances? 10?

It seems pretty ridiculous that we are calling players up before they have even begun to establish themselves at first team level.

A lack of talent?

A lack of opportunities?

Probably a bit of both.

I reckon we could have done with Zamora at the WC. Could have made a real difference and turned things round.

What a waste of time, yet another meaningless friendly. No doubt the blokes at work will be creaming their pants especially if it's on TV, it's the only games they can be bothered to watch

well qualifying for tournaments may be a challenge if that the calibre of players we could have to rely on. The young players I can understand but not Zamora or Jagielka

@oxford_fan - Its a friendly game right before the Prem season starts. Its pointless and so it looks like we are blooding a few whilst appeasing the Prem managers by not playing their "stars".

@glos_robin. Well we did fuck all with the 'stars'  even when we did qualify. Personally I'm beyond the point of caring about England.

I'm assuming there is some sarcasm in that post

I'm fairly sure Fulham fans would argue with that and say their 'star' striker is in it

Seconded.

I note with some amusement from that leaflet that was being given out today that England have an away friendly next year against Thailand. Has someone let John Terry organize fixtures?

it's all a load of shit.

Thirded and what arriba said

I'm definitely going to be watching the game next week. Not because I care, not because I expect it'll be entertaining, but purely because I hope so dearly that the players get the reception they deserve from the crowd.

I'll watch 5 minutes maybe purely to see if the new Desso pitch has actually solved the pitch problem once and for all.

The reception the players deserve is for the stadium to be completely empty but unfortunately alot of mugs have bought tickets I'm sure.

Capello's cunning plan is clearly to play a bunch of players who had nothing to do with the World Cup in order to avoid this.

I suspect it won't work. My only hope is that the fucking band have decided to give it a miss.

Let me know then reeves

Problem is, England will win the game 3 or 4-0, and suddenly everyone will believe England will win euro 2012. 

I think that finally the penny may have dropped that England aren't very good.

Cant help thinking this match was originally arranged to be some sort of celebration.How come Barry Terry Lampard and Stevie fucking G are still in the squad and Parker isn't?

because gerrard and lampard are blatantly better players who play in (roughly) the same position?

Not very blatant in fucking June was it?

Only by the clowns at work, but we know different

It was, Parker was deservedly sat on a fucking beach.

You assume incorrectly.

I reckon Zamora would have gone to the WC if he was fit. He offers something different and can't possibly be any worse than Heskey.

One reasonable season in the Prem and suddenly he's an England player. He'd done nothing until this season.........Bent, Carlton Cole, Walcott should all be ahead and comparing him to Heskey is a bit pointless as Austin probably would of shown Heskey up

Surely it's reasonable to suggest that a reward of playing well over a period of a season is an international call-up?

I don't think Zamora is the answer to the problems of the national team. However, I do believe that a player should be given such an opportunity if they have earned it.

Based on the logic that Zamora isn't good enough becasue he's only had one decent season, how does Walcott get ahead of him in your pecking order? He's made about 20 starts for Arsenal!

To be honest i dont care about england, but if i was the england manager i would pick jack rodwell. I think he will be a class player later on in his career.

Due to the small fact he's scored for England (a hatrick if you remember) and plays in one of the top club sides in the country.

So does Wes Brown.

Picking someone because they play for a top club isn't enough for me.

Zamora deserves his cap the same way Andrew Johnson, David Nugent, Darren Bent, Carlton Cole etc deserved theirs. They were scoring goals.

Where's Wes Brown come into the equation the conversation was about Zamora? This is another Michael Ricketts situation, one decent season and you get a cap, same with Nugent.......it's pretty embarrassing that both of them played for the national team and neither have done anything since even at club level.

Tbh I lost interest in England after the Glenn Hoddle fiasco I'm just pointing out that we really are scraping the barrel if the likes of Zamora are getting into the squad when not that long ago players in their prime like Ian Wright, Robbie Fowler etc struggled to get in the squad. Now we're scraping around looking for average players to replace other average players.

There is no question that the national team is in decline.

Wes Brown was mentioned, I think, because you suggested that if you played for a big club you were good enough to play for England regardless.

Nugent deserved his cap. Michael Ricketts was a funny one and from a period when Eriksson should've been arranging 'B' internationals.

no shit sherlock

its been in decline for fucking years

We'll have to disagree about that at the time of his call up he'd never played a top flight game in his career so was pretty odd.

Steve Bull didn't ever play and he was good enough.

At the time, Nugent had to be considered. Plus I'm certain Charlie Austin could shine against such opposition - there was no threat, so why not?

how Rodwell has been left out but Gibbs and Wilshere are in is beyond me

To be honest mate I think Gibbs and Wilshere being added to the squad is good for the future of England but like you said how on earth is'nt Rodwell in the squad.

It probably is, but some of these things are cyclical. We'd kill to have Shearer / Sheringham / Fowler / L Ferdinand / Wright available up front like we did at one point in the 90's but not long after that we coudnt actually field a natural left back from the premier league.

Top quality English strikers are in decline no doubt.

Why is Wenger picking the national team again? Theo got in before he deserved to, and now these 2 untried, undeserving cunts do. Pathetic.

Not yet. Its too early. Get them playing in the Prem and allow them to develop first.

I see Paul Robinson has retired from international football.

Apparently he was told he'd be third choice and wasn't terribly amused.

Shame really, I'd have more faith innhim on the bench than Foster. Experience 'n all that.

I suspose thats correct. I think Adam Johnson is another good youngster, but then Man City go and buy David Silva. Does this mean Adam Johnson won't get first team football? Or is he good enough to go a head of him?

I have absolutley no sympathy for the likes of carragher and robinson retiring for the reason they have done. Taking the easy way out is all it is: they can't be bothered to fight for the position. Shows a complete lack of pride in the shirt.

In contrast, take a look at Victor Valdes. A much much much MUCH better keeper than paul robinson can even dream of becoming, yet has only one international cap to his name. Do you see him retiring in a huff? Do you bollocks

That I totaly agree with. Well said Dave!

Wes Brown's retired and all.

What a shame.

...no one wants to play on wednesday!John Terry next please.

thank fuck for that. he's never international quality

Please tell me that you are taking the piss? Gerrard and Lampard did fuck all and have done fuck all for England in the last 18 months, both of them have laboured through games knowing that they wont be dropped. Parker is in the form of his career. I can see why you call yourself Colin Todd. 

Bad state of affairs when mediocre players start retiring from national football.I have been in the Capello camp but the things he is doing now is really starting to bemuse me.

The players he left out the squad you could argue most of them were not the players who should of been left out.

Yesterday he says to Michael Carrick 'I thought you were injured'? Seriously the bloke seems to be losing it.

Our team on wednesday could be full of players who are not even first choice for clubs.

I agree DRS, I am falling out of love with England much as I did under Taylor and McLaren.

But that said I think Capello is 90% the right man for the job, I can't think of anyone better right now.

Bully played 13 times for England and scored 5 times but noone really loved him bar the Wolves fans

It seems 2 of the most successful managers around today (Capello & Mourinho) agree with me.

Parkers a decent premier league player but runs round like a headless chicken half the time.

Parker at chelsea never played. Lampard plays every week and is 1st name on the team sheet. Last season Parker was one of the few good players at a club that almost went down, Lampard was a key player for the champions and scores at least 15 a season.

Mourinho has at least twice tried to buy Gerrard

I dont even think that Lampard is all that to be honest, but theres a shit load of evidence and respected opinion that says he's a better player than Parker and always will be.

harry redknapp.

The media cannot get it into their heads that none of the players of 'world class' as they keep calling them.
The manager is not the problem it is the culture and the players - you can thank Sky Sports for part of that

Good to see Crouchy has been at it with a spanish hooker according to todays papers.

Good lad!

Tabloids?

When he's noshing Abby Clancy or whatever her name is, I think you can regard that story as utter bullshit

Harry Redknapp should be the England manager.  He's a great manager tactically, just look at what he did at Pompey and has done with Spurs.  I dont think there would be any problems in the dressing room as Redknapp is easy to get along with.  Redknapp would no doubt encourage the lads to have a few games of poker and a couple of jars too (as long as it isnt too excessive).

Nothing wrong with Copello
Totally agree.

Also sick to death of the whole "got to be English" manager debate and the "4-4-2 won't work" debates.

Sven and Capello are better qualified than any English manager I can think of.

4-4-2 worked for Uraguay.

Spot On.

I have retired from international football now! Refuse to watch that shower of shite. Looking to the future where is Macienne? Agbonlahor? Young? Italian Twat :D

Visiting Legoland

Fully agree. Our players are just overpaid premadonnas, who's more interested in their next advertising deal or being in OK/Hello/Heat, than playing for their country.

couple of scott parker-esque goals from gerrard tonight  :D

This.

Took them to the brink of bankruptcy? Redknapp wouldn't take the England job anyway, no backhanders from his "wheeler dealing" the media so love in it for him

redknapp said a few weeks ago that he would have taken the job

Yeah, I wasn't being wholly serious

This is nonsense. I think world class is a pretty stupid term anyway but if you're going to call any players world class then many of the England team have done enough their careers that they obviously would be.

Capello definitely is a problem too, he's made so many bizarre choices recently and it's very clear that most of the players have no confidence in him. I've said Redknapp should be manager ever since Sven was sacked and he deserves it even more now.

Absolutelyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1NIbVYVzMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIIx1etew7E

and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1NIbVYVzMo