Why I've given up on England FC

[Flexx]

Carrick and Lampard are both overrated and IMO not good enough for England.

Whatever McLaren says this is our strongest side when all fit:

Robinson

Neville Ferdinand Terry Cole

Beckham Gerrard Hargreaves Cole

Rooney Owen

[lildave3]

Carrick and Lampard are both overrated and IMO not good enough for England.

Whatever McLaren says this is our strongest side when all fit:

Robinson

Neville Ferdinand Terry Cole

Beckham Gerrard Hargreaves Cole

Rooney Owen

Don't give me this nonsense. Lennon is easily better than Beckham.

[Leonisco]

Don't give me this nonsense. Lennon is easily better than Beckham.

Well said.

Although he should still be in the squad, made no sense at all to drop him completely.

[Flexx]

Well if hes not in the team, then there's no point in him being in the squad.

We need the likes of Lennon to come on as an impact player, Beckham would make no impact at all coming on.

But i would still start him because of his crossing, free kicks, passing, corners and leadership. Scoring from set plays is pretty much the only way we can score. And btw is it not a coincidence how we havn't scored for ages since Beckham has been dropped?

[breadandcheese]

Indeed he was, and he won England player of the year 2004 I believe, short memories some people. When we were competing with the likes of france and whacking teams like Croatia and Switzerland 3-0 and 4-2 no one was saying Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can't play in midfield togther.

Lampard was again not great on Saturday but I thought he was better than Hargreaves or Gerrard he was just dropping two deep to recieve the ball, probabley because of Hargreves limited range of passing and the lack of space up top due to Isreal defending so deep.

I almost have sympathy for McLaren he did lack options on Saturday due to our rather impressive injury list. We still should be beating Isreal though <_<

We miss Paul Scholes badly.

This is where a good manager would drop Lampard to the bench to give him a different perspective and take some of the pressure off him. There is no doubt Lampard is a great player. He does it week in week out in the Premiership. Give him a little break and with the pressure off will hopefully return to form in an England top.

Personally I'm a believer in balance so against Andorra would rest Lampard, protect him from the flak and play a midfield of

Barry Hargreaves Gerrard Lennon

Barry would be more than adequate against Andorra and hopefully will have more desire and drive in an effort to prove himself in an England top.

[Durnerz]

No he didn't. If you watch Zidane's last-minute free kick for France, James was completely flat-footed and out of position. I think a better keeper could well have saved that shot. Also, when Gerrard's back-pass fell short to Henry, he hesitated first and then came out, giving Henry more time to control it. Then when Henry tried to take it past him, instead of trying to grab the ball with his arms he just turned his head and slid out on his knees, a position in which he had no hope of getting the ball.

Then, if you look at both Croatia's goals in the final group game, they both came from set-pieces into the box. He had no command of his area, that made the defence nervous, they didn't know what they were doing and Croatia got two goals from it.

Now onto Portugal's late equaliser in the quarter-finals. When Postiga headed the ball, if you watch James he was completely flat-footed and didn't even attempt to stop the ball going in.

He was shocking all the way through that tournament, but because none of his mistakes were glaringly obvious ones, like Robbo's in Croatia, no-one noticed.

When you consider the pace of Zidanes effort and with the wall not doing its job/the sheer class of Zidane (pick one of the two) its understandable James was beaten, it happens to the best goalkeepers. As for the penalty, surely thats down to Steven Gerrards atrocious backpass and James could do little else as Henry got to the ball first, although if James had stayed on his line you would have criticised him for that I assume also.

Surely the Croatia goal was down to simply poor marking at the far post on Kovac as I remember he had a more or less free header, i'd look at our defence of that goal and not make David James a scapegoat like you insist on doing.

As for Posiga's goal, the quality of the cross and the placement of the header were spot on, it doesnt matter who you are in goal you have a rare chance of saving those.

Now i'm not saying that I think David James deserves a recall or to be worthy of one in the future but his performance at Euro 2004 I thought was pretty much solid.

[Geo V]

The England management dont pick the team, the media does.

If they dislike David James, they print it in all papers and then he gets dropped. Next thing you know everyone rates him as he performs miracles for Pompey. They rip Becks apart, he gets dropped now they want him back. They ruined Gazza and also had a major pop at John Barnes and the idiot public seem to listen to these wannabe manager journo`s and start booing the players. They are trying to do the same to Frank Lampard as they love a scapegoat.

I just wish we had a coaching team that didnt give a fook and was brave to do what they want and not what the tabloids demand.

[Daggers]

The England management dont pick the team, the media does.

If they dislike David James, they print it in all papers and then he gets dropped. Next thing you know everyone rates him as he performs miracles for Pompey. They rip Becks apart, he gets dropped now they want him back. They ruined Gazza and also had a major pop at John Barnes and the idiot public seem to listen to these wannabe manager journo`s and start booing the players. They are trying to do the same to Frank Lampard as they love a scapegoat.

I just wish we had a coaching team that didnt give a fook and was brave to do what they want and not what the tabloids demand.

...but in this thread you said:

Wearing the International colours seems to be an over-rated experience for these donkeys.

So, whereas the "Media" go for a scapegoat you prefer to lambast the entire squad as donkeys?

As an aside, the media did not ruin Gascoigne - Gascoigne ruined himself and to try to lay blame elsewhere fails to understand the nature of alcoholism and depression.

Becks produced a moment of petulance to be sent off and was vilified for it - would you rather the papers simply applaud him for it? How about his run of bland performances prior to his dropping (and those of Lamps now) - you would prefer the media keeps shtum about it in the hope that no one notices?

Blaming the media is stupid. The fault lies with the FA: They cocked up the selection of a manager like they cocked up those before...like they cock up the management of the game...like they cock up the Wembley rebuild...get the point?

The tabloids may well go over the top on occaision but blaming them for the dire situation on the pitch is daft...if you can call the squad a bunch of donkeys then why can't they?

[Manwell Pablo]

I don't see how the media have blamed Lampard this time any way, every single paper I've picked up had him down as the second best player on the pitch, from what I've read it's Rooney, Gerrard, and AJ who are taking most of the flack this time.

[Joe.]

I don't see how the media have blamed Lampard this time any way, every single paper I've picked up had him down as the second best player on the pitch, from what I've read it's Rooney, Gerrard, and AJ who are taking most of the flack this time.

The players haven't been blamed at all. Mclaren seems to be taking all of the flack as every England manager does. The players need to stand up and be counted.

[Manwell Pablo]

The players haven't been blamed at all. Mclaren seems to be taking all of the flack as every England manager does. The players need to stand up and be counted.

I dunno, I've seen a couple of papers have a right swipe at Rooney. They do go on to say "but then again he had no service" however they then precced to give the whole of the Midfield 6/10 minimum with Fat Frank getting 7 and Lennon getting a whooping undeserved 8. Our papers are so full of shit.

McLaren still deserves everything he gets though <_< If I was PM I'd have him tarred and feathred and put in the stocks for day while Ken Dodd tickles his feet with his feather duster and tells him shit jokes.

[Geo V]

...but in this thread you said:

So, whereas the "Media" go for a scapegoat you prefer to lambast the entire squad as donkeys?

As an aside, the media did not ruin Gascoigne - Gascoigne ruined himself and to try to lay blame elsewhere fails to understand the nature of alcoholism and depression.

Becks produced a moment of petulance to be sent off and was vilified for it - would you rather the papers simply applaud him for it? How about his run of bland performances prior to his dropping (and those of Lamps now) - you would prefer the media keeps shtum about it in the hope that no one notices?

Blaming the media is stupid. The fault lies with the FA: They cocked up the selection of a manager like they cocked up those before...like they cock up the management of the game...like they cock up the Wembley rebuild...get the point?

The tabloids may well go over the top on occaision but blaming them for the dire situation on the pitch is daft...if you can call the squad a bunch of donkeys then why can't they?

The point is that the media build our players up to knock them down. You only have to tune into Jimmy Hills sunday supplement on a sunday morning to see the journos of the week talking about the game as there way is the only way and everyone else is wrong. The tabloid press are scummy sods who should be done for half the shite that goes to press that they get away with.

As for the players, they dont care either. They care more about there clubs sides than they do the national side. Combine our players attitudes with the media and that is why we are so bad that we have amazingly falied to qualify for some of the big tourneys in recent years and amy go the same way.

I agree that the FA have made some ropey decisions and they should get some of the blame but what can they do at times? Our best England managers have either thrown the towel in (Keegan) or said some dumb things that werent footy related to get sacked (Hoddle). Sven did OK if you look at the record books but the papers were too busy trying to get him that they even planted a fake arab to entice him into another job FFS! I honestly think that they dont want us to do well or at best would prefer a great scandal about the team ahead of there success.

Back to the team. We can have a pop at the coach, FA and media but at the end of the day the players that are picked dont really look like they are prepared to give all for there country, regardless of the positions they are picked to play. Nothing about us looks set up to succeed.

[Bryn]

Tbh we miss Beckham's work rate in the midfield. He drove us through qualifiers, tbh I now realise that he really loved playing for England and for the first time I think he was a good choice of captain. He never quite hit the heights of that game against Greece again but he gave a lot for England and took more stick than he deserved, from me included. He is a world-class player. As it is, the team is full of lazy ****ers who can't be arsed.

[Geo V]

Tbh we miss Beckham's work rate in the midfield. He drove us through qualifiers, tbh I now realise that he really loved playing for England and for the first time I think he was a good choice of captain. He never quite hit the heights of that game against Greece again but he gave a lot for England and took more stick than he deserved, from me included. He is a world-class player. As it is, the team is full of lazy ****ers who can't be arsed.

Becks carried us for years. He was our best player in loads of games that I can remember watching but beyond his footballing ability, it was his passion for the game that stood head and shoulders above the rest amd at times it seemed quite infectous on the other players. Its funny how the next best passionate England player is one born in Canada and raised there and Germany isnt it??!!

[Daggers]

Tbh we miss Beckham's work rate in the midfield. He drove us through qualifiers, tbh I now realise that he really loved playing for England and for the first time I think he was a good choice of captain. He never quite hit the heights of that game against Greece again but he gave a lot for England and took more stick than he deserved, from me included. He is a world-class player. As it is, the team is full of lazy ****ers who can't be arsed.

He was a dreadful captain and he never was world class.

His best game (Greece) involved him running about a lot - kids do that...League 2 players do that...world class players lay off killer balls.

He could bend a free kick, that was his talent.

He is now old, he has long since vanished up his arse and he is gone. Move on...Beckham was part of a sad and sorry past where England failed, failed and failed again, he is no part of any future.

[Manwell Pablo]

He was a dreadful captain and he never was world class.

His best game (Greece) involved him running about a lot - kids do that...League 2 players do that...world class players lay off killer balls.

He could bend a free kick, that was his talent.

He is now old, he has long since vanished up his arse and he is gone. Move on...Beckham was part of a sad and sorry past where England failed, failed and failed again, he is no part of any future.

Sorry Dave thats bollocks , David Beckham could hit a pass. If Kids and League 2 players can run about I'd like to know what the other nine internationals we're doing while Beckham was playing for England by himself against Grecce.

He's had his problems since but he makes a contribution, and like it or not his free kicks and crosses had an impact in the world cup. An impact that we now totally lack.

[Dr The Singh]

Sorry Dave thats bollocks , David Beckham could hit a pass. If Kids and League 2 players can run about I'd like to know what the other nine internationals we're doing while Beckham was playing for England by himself against Grecce.

He's had his problems since but he makes a contribution, and like it or not his free kicks and crosses had an impact in the world cup. An impact that we now totally lack.

I have to agree, if your good enough, your old enough and Beckham is still good enough to atleast be in the squad. His passing range has always been excellant and he never really had any pace to lose!!!

Just to add, McClaren really needs to do some soul searching, he can't please everyone and must make some tough decisions!!!

[Daggers]

Sorry Dave thats bollocks

No it's not.

His passing ability went downhill, his free kicks became inconsistent, his lack of pace nullified his ability to cross a ball and his presence in the squad caused (widely confirmed) dissension in the squad causing resentment, bitterness and (resulting in) a poor squad performance.

He was never ****ing world class - he was never the best selection for captain.

My point about his Greece game is that his finest hour had nothing more to it than "lots of running" and one free kick. That is not the mark of a world class player and I shall poo-poo any numbnut that says it is.

[filbertway]

No it's not.

His passing ability went downhill, his free kicks became inconsistent, his lack of pace nullified his ability to cross a ball and his presence in the squad caused (widely confirmed) dissension in the squad causing resentment, bitterness and (resulting in) a poor squad performance.

He was never ****ing world class - he was never the best selection for captain.

My point about his Greece game is that his finest hour had nothing more to it than "lots of running" and one free kick. That is not the mark of a world class player and I shall poo-poo any numbnut that says it is.

Well I dunno about you, but looking at the recent performances I would say they were using Beckham as a scapegoat?

[Daggers]

Well I dunno about you, but looking at the recent performances I would say they were using Beckham as a scapegoat?

There isn't an excuse they haven't used apart from "We're shit, sorry."

[Manwell Pablo]

No it's not.

His passing ability went downhill, his free kicks became inconsistent, his lack of pace nullified his ability to cross a ball and his presence in the squad caused (widely confirmed) dissension in the squad causing resentment, bitterness and (resulting in) a poor squad performance.

He was never ****ing world class - he was never the best selection for captain.

My point about his Greece game is that his finest hour had nothing more to it than "lots of running" and one free kick. That is not the mark of a world class player and I shall poo-poo any numbnut that says it is.

They aren't as good as they were in his mid twenties I'll admit

But I dunno about you mate but im starting to wonder what would of happened at the world cup if Beckham hadn't of whipped that wicked free kick in against paraguay, or found Crouch at the far post with a pin point cross and set Gerrard up with the space to shoot against T&T.

Beyond that I also wonder what would of happened had he not hit the back of the net against that Uruaguay.

I'm thinking something similar to the situation now.

[l444ry]

They aren't as good as they were in his mid twenties I'll admit

But I dunno about you mate but im starting to wonder what would of happened at the world cup if Beckham hadn't of whipped that wicked free kick in against paraguay, or found Crouch at the far post with a pin point cross and set Gerrard up with the space to shoot against T&T.

Beyond that I also wonder what would of happened had he not hit the back of the net against that Uruaguay.

I'm thinking something similar to the situation now.

100% correct Manwell!! Some people just criticise for criticisms sake.....

[Daggers]

100% correct Manwell!! Some people just criticise for criticisms sake.....

...I wonder if you will see the irony in your post?

[Geo V]

No it's not.

His passing ability went downhill, his free kicks became inconsistent, his lack of pace nullified his ability to cross a ball and his presence in the squad caused (widely confirmed) dissension in the squad causing resentment, bitterness and (resulting in) a poor squad performance.

He was never ****ing world class - he was never the best selection for captain.

My point about his Greece game is that his finest hour had nothing more to it than "lots of running" and one free kick. That is not the mark of a world class player and I shall poo-poo any numbnut that says it is.

Mate, do you watch La Liga and in particular Real Madrid??? The way that Becks runs up and down that flank and pings 60 yard passes and amazing crosses is a showcase to what he can really do on a football pitch. The fans love him too and the team started performing when Capello recalled him into the squad. I dont know why he is also the scapegoat, maybe its because he can make the rest of the team envious of his popularity and dropping him is the easiest way of saying "Im doing things my way". Its cost McClaren and nearly cost Capello his job.

Becks doesnt have to be the fastest player in the world but he does tackle back, is great at set-pieces (although I`d rotate with Gerrard who is also quality) and can make some great passes/assists. Whether he gets in for Lennon is open to debate but at the very least he should be in the squad.

BTW, I dont know what England games you have watched over the years but Beckham seemed at times to be the only player to give a toss!!