England v Montenegro and Poland.

[Bert]

Being Gerrard, Lampard and Terry's first choice is exactly why he shouldn't have got it. You need to phase the old guard out and blood some yoot, not pick them because they're your mates.

Not when one is your captain and the other the best centre back England have had for a while.

[marko]

Oh right, so you're referring to Hodgson picking a player who was in form for a friendly 7 months ago? Who also isn't in the squad now but you thought that was a good example because what, I'm a Liverpool fan? Good logic that, very good.

 

 Don't worry it was only a tongue in cheek jibe because I know how precious you can be over anti-Liverpool things. 

 

You call Hodgson for the inclusion of Milner and Cleverley in squads, but the sad reality is that there's not much choice in the matter as the cupboards are pretty bare in terms of quality.

[marko]

Being Gerrard, Lampard and Terry's first choice is exactly why he shouldn't have got it. You need to phase the old guard out and blood some yoot, not pick them because they're your mates.

 

Out of interest, as a neutral, who would you suggest he drops Gerrard and Lampard for?

[Finnegan]

Out of interest, as a neutral, who would you suggest he drops Gerrard and Lampard for?

 

Okay, so I'm not exactly suggesting you should immediately drop them now.

 

But you're going to have to make some tough choices over the next few years, blooding your younger players as an older generation expires. That may come down to requiring a manager with the hardness to shelf some of your more seasoned players before they consider themselves ready to retire.

[Bryn]

I don't think a reluctance to blood young players is at all something you can level at Hodgson, he seems keen too. The fact remains that some of the old guard are still our best players.

[Corky]

Can't remember Harry reaching any European finals either.

Hodgson is, has been and always will be better qualified to manage England than Redknapp.

He's:

Got international experience

Won more

Been more successful in European competition

Not got a cloud of corruption hovering over him at every turn.

Redknapp's a complete embarrassment.

 

And this:

 

[Guest ttfn]

And this:

.

Legend

[Uncle Albert]

 Don't worry it was only a tongue in cheek jibe because I know how precious you can be over anti-Liverpool things. 

 

You call Hodgson for the inclusion of Milner and Cleverley in squads, but the sad reality is that there's not much choice in the matter as the cupboards are pretty bare in terms of quality.

 

Ok, you're right but when Hodgson opts to use both of them ahead of Michael Carrick then I think questions need to be asked.

[Pride_Of_The_Midlands]

Can't remember Harry reaching any European finals either.

Hodgson is, has been and always will be better qualified to manage England than Redknapp.

He's:

Got international experience

Won more

Been more successful in European competition

Not got a cloud of corruption hovering over him at every turn.

Redknapp's a complete embarrassment.

 

What's Roy Hodgson's record like in the Champions League?

 

Oh yeah that's right he's never managed in it.

 

Meanwhile Harry Redknapp has got to the quarter-finals, the best ever performance by an English manager.

 

Redknapp would have done a much better job than Hodgson.

[Uncle Albert]

The fact of the matter is, neither Hodgson or Redknapp are good enough to manage England, to be a successful International manager, I think you need to be a pretty damn good coach too. Neither Hodgson or Redknapp are brilliant coaches, Hodgson I guess is more of a coach but his coaching in manual is from the 80's/90's. Hodgson really isn't up to date in the coaching world, hence how he sets England up to play.

 

Again this all boils down to this Country not able to produce good quality coaches, English managers who have been somewhat successful have seemed to have been good man managers.. No English manager has won the League title since the 1991-92 season, Howard Wilkinson I think? So what does that tell you, we can't even produce managers to win League titles in this country but we expect to produce good enough managers to lead us to International success? Not going to happen.

[Guest ttfn]

What's Roy Hodgson's record like in the Champions League?

Oh yeah that's right he's never managed in it.

Meanwhile Harry Redknapp has got to the quarter-finals, the best ever performance by an English manager.

Redknapp would have done a much better job than Hodgson.

Hodgson's never inherited a team with a recent history of finishing a gnat's pube from the Chanpions League.

Mental "point".

[Pride_Of_The_Midlands]

Hodgson's never inherited a team with a recent history of finishing a gnat's pube from the Chanpions League.

Mental "point".

 

Hodgson has managed Inter Milan and Liverpool, teams who have a recent history of WINNING THE WHOLE TOURNAMENT 

[Guest ttfn]

Hodgson has managed Inter Milan and Liverpool, teams who have a recent history of WINNING THE WHOLE TOURNAMENT

Youe comment seems to bear no relation to what is put. It's just that when Hodgson managed Inter, they'd not won the European Cup for 30 years. In fact, they finished 7th the season before he took over, as did Liverpool. Not a "gnat's pube" away at all.

Liverpool had sold most of their best players and had gone backwards under Benitez. As you know.

I'm less familiar with his time at Inter but the fact that he unproved their league standing from the previous year, reached the Uefa Cup Final and was so well respected he was later given an ambassadorial role should tell you everything you need to know. What's more, he lasted a whole season under Morratti, which is more than can be said for most managers in that time.

[Aus Fox]

Let's face it, at the minute it doesn't matter who is in charge we still have the exoectation I win the World Cup without th w quality of players. Our first choice starting 11 wouldn't not be in the top 8 in the world if all international teams put out their best 11. And we have next to nothing coming through changes need to be made at the top or very soon we will be on par with Scotland, Wales and Nothern ireland

[Corky]

Youe comment seems to bear no relation to what is put. It's just that when Hodgson managed Inter, they'd not won the European Cup for 30 years. In fact, they finished 7th the season before he took over, as did Liverpool. Not a "gnat's pube" away at all.

Liverpool had sold most of their best players and had gone backwards under Benitez. As you know.

I'm less familiar with his time at Inter but the fact that he unproved their league standing from the previous year, reached the Uefa Cup Final and was so well respected he was later given an ambassadorial role should tell you everything you need to know. What's more, he lasted a whole season under Morratti, which is more than can be said for most managers in that time.

 

He took over when Inter were bottom and took them up to 7th, then 3rd in the next season.

[Bert]

If we win Friday and Ukraine/Poland draw, we all but qualify.

 

in this scenario we would have to lose to Poland and hope Ukraine don't beat San Marino at least 8-0 pending our possible victory Friday.

[Guest MattP]

If we win Friday and Ukraine/Poland draw, we all but qualify.

 

in this scenario we would have to lose to Poland and hope Ukraine don't beat San Marino at least 8-0 pending our possible victory Friday.

 

Would be ideal.

 

Poland at home has banana skin written all over it, not to mention the historical connections from the 1973 WC qualifier as well.

[Bert]

Would be ideal.

 

Poland at home has banana skin written all over it, not to mention the historical connections from the 1973 WC qualifier as well.

Or, even better a Poland win in the Ukraine and a victory us will see us through as I can't see Poland beating us by 10 or more.

[Guest ttfn]

If we draw and Poland win on Friday then the final day will be mental

[Dan]

A small part of me wants it to happen simply because I'm sick of how dour England and everything about it is. This could seriously be the spark of something memorable.

[Uncle Albert]

Without the big loss of Ashley Cole I can see England starting like this:

 

Hart

 

Walker -- Cahill -- Jagielka -- Baines

 

Gerrard -- Lampard

 

Milner -- Rooney -- Welbeck

 

Sturridge

 

Or maybe him dropping Welbeck and going with Rooney on the left and Wilshire through the middle.

[escape2victory]

Would love us to try something a little different.

 

Our winger options are not the best with Walcott injured, and the likes of Townsend, Milner and Welbeck don't sound too inspiring, and the 3-4-1-2 can accommodate both Rooney and Sturridge upfront, without losing a midfield body. Could even put Carrick as 1 of the CB's in a libero type position, pushing on from CB and really flooding the midfield.

 

Roy will stick to the tried and tested in these qualifiers, but worth trying in up coming friendlies.

 

                     Hart

 

         Jones  Cahill  Jagielka

 

Walker   Carrick  Gerrard    Baines

 

                  Wilshere

 

             Rooney  Sturridge

[Charnwood Norris]

I think we'll draw 1-1 with Montenegro and lose 1-2 to Poland after being 1-0 up for 80 minutes.

 

We end up in the play offs and lose narrowly to Greece over 2 legs.  Roy loses his Job and Hoddle takes over.

[Uncle Albert]

I think we'll draw 1-1 with Montenegro and lose 1-2 to Poland after being 1-0 up for 80 minutes.

 

We end up in the play offs and lose narrowly to Greece over 2 legs.  Roy loses his Job and Hoddle takes over.

 

I can't help but think you're being serious with that post as well. Kudos if your prediction comes in though!

 

---

 

Are Montenegro missing a few players for this game, or am I imagining that?

 

I like the idea of that 3-4-1-2 formation as well, it's currently what Liverpool are playing at the minute to get the best out of both Sturridge and Suarez and it could easily work for England in getting the best of Rooney and Sturridge. I don't like the idea of Carrick playing as a centre half though, that wouldn't work. Come the World Cup, Johnson/Walker and Cole/Baines would be more than capable of playing the wing back role, gives us a more secure defence in the three centre backs, probably Jagielka, Cahill and Lescott. Gerrard, Lampard and Wilshire as the three and Rooney and Sturridge upfront. I can see that working but as soon as the qualifiers are over, it is a formation we would have to pursue with and try all the way up to the World Cup.

 

All being said, does Roy Hodgson know any other formations other than 4-3-3/4-5-1 or 4-4-2?

[Manwell Pablo]

England fans I mean critics really enjoy criticising England players Hart is the current target

 

Joe Hart is and always has been prone to a gaff. You wont have herd me saying he's the best keeper in the world, ever, best in England granted but miles behind the best in the world.