Who the hell is Jordan Henderson?

[tans]

Jay fucking Bothroyd.

Says it all doesnt it?

Henderson and Carroll i can understand, but Chris fucking Smalling?

Dear oh dear

[DV]

Jay Bothroyd but no Charlie Austin?

[Barry Scott]

...i actually have a bit of respect fro capello doing this

Me too. And I would rather see Championship players, who will likely give a fuck, than a team full of premiership players who couldn't care less. Although being completely honest, I actually don't care that much anyway.

[Nemo]

Chris Smalling ahead of Phil Jones is the baffler, I quite like Bothroyd for the message more than the actual player.

[Don Rogers Shop]

I thought that about Jones but he has been playing midfield this season hasn't he.

[Rich Pullen]

I used to have the same attitude as Barry in regards to selecting players who 'would care'.

To be honest I don't anymore because I dare say the attitude of the 2nd tier professional footballer is no different to a Premier League footballer! Plus I like the summer competitions so why should we waive our participation because we don't like attitude of our most gifted?

Problem is our most gifted pool of players is rapidly drying up.

Capello isn't picking the likes of Bothroyd because he's sending out a message. It's because he's got no choice!

Plus: BRING BACK THE 'B' INTERNATIONAL!

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

I couldn't believe it when I was told Bothroyd was in the team. I actually thought I was being had.

[Langers]

Has it really got that bad that we have had to go to Jay Bothroyd. Jesus Fucking christ.

[juddie]

always surprised by this attitude. agreed, no real strikers coming through BUT

albrighton, phil jones, jordan henderson, wilshere, adam johnson, chris smalling...

the u19s and u17s have both won tournaments at expense of the likes of germany and spain in the last year.

once capello goes, we'll be decent.

During the World Cup I composed an overlong post on the immediate future of the English national team.

I'll stick to my guns. England's immediate future ain't bright.

[Awaits a plucky 2-0 victory over France]

[Rich Pullen]

I'm glad you pulled me up on this one because I'm more than happy to elaborate for you Juddie (just to give you a little bit more insight).

Firstly, I'm not dramatically pessimistic about the English national team. I support them but more importantly I want them to do well!

Many pundits and fans are pointing towards the German national team as a figure of hope as England look to move on from the non-starter Golden generation which (we're told) offered us great hope.

My fear is that no matter how much potential the players you have mentioned are within our nation (and they are genuine hopefuls), are they really up to the world stage? You can't judge a player within the odd game here and there when their bosses feel Vidic, Essien or Yaya Toure need a day off.

For me this is what it's about and this is why I fear for the immediate future of the England squad.

The Germans do offer hope but we don't play football or coach youths in the same way as they do in Germany.

Mesut Özil went to the World Cup with only 4 caps but over 100 top flight appearances.

Manuel Neuer went to the World Cup with only 5 caps but over 100 top flight appearances.

Sami Khedira went to the World Cup with only 5 caps but four seasons of regular top flight football.

Thomas Müller went to the competition with only 2 caos had a good debut season with Bayern and was rewarded for his efforts by earning a place in the World Cup squad. His form continued into the summer. Joachim Löw wasn't taking a punt, he was applying common sense!

I could go on.

Add them to the mix of young yet veteran international footballers such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski and you've got yourself a team!

What Germany have done through Joachim Löw is no fluke. They have worked on this over the years and could win another World Cup or another European Championships as a result of it.

However, our national time have remained too loyal to it's big names. Now our big names are getting older and we're being forced to select players with minimal top flight experienced (unlike the Germans who look after their future by playing them regularly!)

You cannot compare our hopefuls to the quality of player that Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Germany and even the French can produce.

[Simon Pieman]

England's problem has always been playing as a team and having the right balance. It doesn't matter who plays if we can't get this right when it matters.

[Rich Pullen]

I agree Si Pie. As we all know, Jack Charlton didn't play in '66 because he was the best player, he played because he worked within Ramsey's plans.

However, our game isn't dictated by that sort of thinking. It's dictated by money-men and busybodies who insist on who plays or in many cases who don't play.

You could have Mourinho in charge but his hands would be tied. Just like the rest of them.

[Rich Pullen]

It's alright now. Carlton Cole has been drafted into the squad.

Phew

[jonny72]

I'm with Si Pie as well.

We never pick the best team, always the best players - the Gerrard and Lampard debate for example. We need a manager with the balls to stand up to the players and the media, who will pick the best team.

It's bollocks going on about Germany. They're happy to use foreign players and we're not. I don't think they're as good as people make out either, we'd have beaten them if that goal had been given - we were all over them at that point.

[Rich Pullen]

It's bollocks going on about Germany. They're happy to use foreign players and we're not. I don't think they're as good as people make out either, we'd have beaten them if that goal had been given - we were all over them at that point.

Without wishing to dwell on this I feel obliged to reply.

RE: Germany, I was going on media and fan talk. We had Germany on the ropes for about 5 minutes in the first half, that's it. We were woeful that day. Plus they've finished 3rd in the last two World Cups and were Runners-Up at the last Euros... Not too shabby.

I would argue that you're wrong regarding "They're happy to use foreign players and we're not".

Podolski, Trochowski and Marin all moved to Germany when they were toddlers and Klose when he was 7. I'd consider myself German too had I been brought up in the nation the overwhelming majority of my life.

For me Cacau was the only debatable figure in that squad as he only became a German citizen in 2009. But even he had played his entire football career in Germany.

In the next coming decades we're going to start seeing plenty of surnames in our national team that are not typically British but they'll be as English as you and me.

...the world game is always evolving so perhaps we should go with the flow for once?