Next England Captain?

[Gym Beglin]

No they're not. Wellbeck spends half his time shuffling about in midfield or wide. Rooney's about 10 times better than either of them.

 

As a standalone player, definitely better. As a forward, as an international forward, I think Welbeck's pace and running offer the team more as a number 9 than Rooney does.

And I think Sturridge is infinitely better than either of them at doing it.

[fowler9]

if Welbeck played for any other club he wouldn't be considered for England, same for Cleverley and Jones, Welbecks done alright and has the potential to be a decent squad player for scum if he is content with that but he is nothing special at all

[IgorBiscan]

I remember in the World cup 2002 in Japan/S.Korea England were in a group with Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria. Even then I wanted Sweden to beat England. All the English media said how easy it would be for England and Argentina to go through. The fact was Sweden topped the group, putting Argentina out in the process, and England came second, not even being able to beat Sweden (again).I was`t half pleased. The media build England up every tournament it is hilarious. I hope in the Euros this year Sweden and France top the group.

[Major Tom]

And I think Sturridge is infinitely better than either of them at doing it.

 

Based on what? 8 games for Bolton? City youth team games? Chelsea reserve games? When have you seen Sturridge play as a 9 for a prolonged period at any level?

[Gym Beglin]

Based on what? 8 games for Bolton? City youth team games? Chelsea reserve games? When have you seen Sturridge play as a 9 for a prolonged period at any level?

 

Why do I have to see him for a prolonged period?

He's either got the materials to do it or he hasn't. Whether he keeps it up or not is down to injury or attitude, not ability.

 

He scored 8 in 12 for Bolton last year, and he's got 11 in 26 for Chelsea in all competitions so far this year, and many of them would be from the bench. What more do you want? You take whoever is in form, a footballer's life is a short one.

 

Should Torres go to the Euro's based on his 'prolonged' form? Ahead of Llorente, or Negredo, or Soldado, all with current form to their name?

 

This has been the problem with the England set-up for years, persisting with the likes of Heskey when we could have been milking form out of other strikers. Nothing wrong with that. I don't see Daniel Guiza making the Spain squad since Euro 2008 really, but he was on fire at the time, so they picked him.

 

I don't get the age or experience argument about football players. It's a game of football, either they're good enough or they ain't. Sturridge isn't 14, he's 20 and he's scoring goals and being a general nuisance for defences, he's more than able to play for this underachieving wanky nation at footyball.

[Major Tom]

Why do I have to see him for a prolonged period?

He's either got the materials to do it or he hasn't. Whether he keeps it up or not is down to injury or attitude, not ability.

 

He scored 8 in 12 for Bolton last year, and he's got 11 in 26 for Chelsea in all competitions so far this year, and many of them would be from the bench. What more do you want? You take whoever is in form, a footballer's life is a short one.

 

Should Torres go to the Euro's based on his 'prolonged' form? Ahead of Llorente, or Negredo, or Soldado, all with current form to their name?

 

This has been the problem with the England set-up for years, persisting with the likes of Heskey when we could have been milking form out of other strikers. Nothing wrong with that. I don't see Daniel Guiza making the Spain squad since Euro 2008 really, but he was on fire at the time, so they picked him.

 

I don't get the age or experience argument about football players. It's a game of football, either they're good enough or they ain't. Sturridge isn't 14, he's 20 and he's scoring goals and being a general nuisance for defences, he's more than able to play for this underachieving wanky nation at footyball.

 

You said he was infinitely better so I would have thought this was based on evidence rather than a hunch.

 

Time may prove you right of course but, for now and based on what we have seen, there is simply nothing to tell us that Sturridge is infinitely better at 9 than even Welbeck, let alone Rooney.

[Guest San Don]

Im a great fan of Gerrard's but Im really hacked off if he is injured and misses the arse game. WTF was he selected to play after having recently come back from injury and played 120 minutes in a cup final not much more than 72 hours previous!?

 

Add to that being humiliated at having parker selected as captain over him. Kinell, stevie lad, jib england off will you?

[dirk grout]

As a standalone player, definitely better. As a forward, as an international forward, I think Welbeck's pace and running offer the team more as a number 9 than Rooney does.

And I think Sturridge is infinitely better than either of them at doing it.

 

Utter, utter shite. I'm embarrassed for you.

[Anubis]

Captain Scotty Parker's Mission Report - SBNation.com

[Gym Beglin]

Utter, utter shite. I'm embarrassed for you.

 

The last World Cup suggests otherwise.

He drops too deep, he doesn't play on the shoulder of the last man, he doesn't close down for 90 minutes, and he doesn't have electric pace to burst clear of a quick defender.

 

He's scored 3 goals in his last 16 internationals, which isn't really a good sign for our primary striker.

Of the rest of his goals for England, you have to go back to 2006 to see him score a goal against a decent opponent, that being the Netherlands. Since then he's only hit the net in a hinterland of weak opponents which are (in order of goals scored 2006 - present), Estonia, Russia, Croatia, Kazakhstan (2), Belarus (2), Slovakia (2), Kazakhstan, Andorra (2), Croatia, Switzerland, Bulgaria (2).

 

The last time he scored a goal in a tournament was in 2004, in which he played well and ended with 4 goals. But we're talking about our prime number 9 not scoring a goal in an international tournament for 8 years, and he's also suspended for the first two fucking group games this time around.

 

Is it just me, or am I right to question his status as undisputed number 9 for the team?

[fowler9]

The last World Cup suggests otherwise.

He drops too deep, he doesn't play on the shoulder of the last man, he doesn't close down for 90 minutes, and he doesn't have electric pace to burst clear of a quick defender.

 

He's scored 3 goals in his last 16 internationals, which isn't really a good sign for our primary striker.

Of the rest of his goals for England, you have to go back to 2006 to see him score a goal against a decent opponent, that being the Netherlands. Since then he's only hit the net in a hinterland of weak opponents which are (in order of goals scored 2006 - present), Estonia, Russia, Croatia, Kazakhstan (2), Belarus (2), Slovakia (2), Kazakhstan, Andorra (2), Croatia, Switzerland, Bulgaria (2).

 

The last time he scored a goal in a tournament was in 2004, in which he played well and ended with 4 goals. But we're talking about our prime number 9 not scoring a goal in an international tournament for 8 years, and he's also suspended for the first two fucking group games this time around.

 

Is it just me, or am I right to question his status as undisputed number 9 for the team?

 

I agree with you on the whole, however the lack of options means there isn't really any other option, Sturridge is good enough to play as the second striker but not be first choice, Bent good goal scorer but other play not good enough, Carroll absolute beast on Newcastle form and has done well recently but over the course of the season so far not been good enough to be considered

 

then you have Welbeck, Campbell, Zamora and Davies etc who wouldn't be near a half decent England Squad and Defoe and Crouch who are decent enough back up

[Gym Beglin]

I think sometimes you've just got to take a leap of faith. On paper, no, there's no reason for the world to fear Welbeck, Sturridge, or Campbell, or Zamora, but that's ok, let them put their guard down.

 

Sometimes tournament football brings up an Ace, just for 6 weeks that player blossoms and then gets a big money move or pay increase, and then withers and dies, it's quite beautiful really. Think of Roger Milla, Toto Schillaci, Tomas Brolin, Milan Baros, Savo Milosevic, Cesar Sampaio, Marcelo Salas, Tomas Skuhravy, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Oliver Bierhoff, Luis Hernandez, Rob Rensenbrink, Daniel Amokachi, Gerry Armstrong, Florin Rãducioiu, Robert Vittek, Kennet Anderson, Martin Dahlin, Angelos Charisteas, Zlatko Zahovic, Hakin Yakin, Semih Senturk...these are all lads who have scored 3 or more goals at a major international tournament and then done very little else of note internationally, or even domestically in some cases. And that's what we want, to pick someone in form and take a chance on them.

[Guest TK-421]

I t could be a cunning plan . They'll be expecting Rooney, why not play Frazier Campbell?

[Gym Beglin]

When it's all about one person, you can mark fuck out of them. Barca learned that when they played us and Bob marked fuck out of Messi and they didn't have an answer.

 

Maybe those two games made them refine their system more, to share responsibility, it wouldn't surprise me.

 

The Argie's still don't learn come competition time and Messi just gets targeted, and they invariably don't have a Plan B.

 

I think the England team the other night was a lot better than I expected, though still shite, but the likes of Baines, Cahill, Parker, and Welbeck are that little bit better than the likes of Cole, Terry, Lampard and Defoe. But come tournament time it'll be Cole and Terry straight back in, despite a shocking season with Chelsea for the pair of them, and it'll likely be Gerrard or Lampard in the middle of the park with Parker, and then take your pick from the usual suspects of Young, Walcott, Downing, Lennon out wide, then Rooney and Defoe/Crouch/Bent.

We've got no imagination whatsoever, same old same old, and we'll be lucky to get out of that group. We may actually get out of it by luck, by being forced to play someone instead of Rooney for the first two games we may actually pick up a win.

[Code]

Rooney is shite, his best ability is that he is protected by the refs in the PL so he can basically do what he want.

[Code]

Rooney is a good allround player, he is not particulary a good striker though.

[razor]

Rooney is a good allround player, he is not particulary a good striker though.

 

I don't know. If the ball was bobbling about in the box and he was running onto it, you'd grimace with the anticipation it would hit the back of the net.

 

He rarely plays as an out and out striker; he drops deep, links play and makes late runs. If he did play striker, I'd back him to score with most chances.

 

He's one of the top players in the league, and certainly better than the "shite" you levelled at him earlier.

 

That said, it goes without saying I hate him.

[Koptimus Prime]

Looking forward to the media build up with arry in charge, golden generation, mongo draped in an england flag and the usual shite and then after theyve been put out in the groups or twated in the 2nd round the usual hate campaign and then it will be set up for big sam to save english football.

[Section_31]

Someone on here made a superb point about Rooney ages ago, saying that - contrary to the media's notion that he embodies the concept of 'bulldog spirit', he is actually the exact opposite. A temperamental and nonchalant, cowardly horrible little shithouse. The England elder statesmen are the most despicable group of footballers I can remember. Lampard, Terry, Ashley Cole, Rooney et al, even Gerrard rubs me up the wrong way when he's on England duty, and it's not because I think he's 'ours' and shouldn't be playing, he just seems to take on a different demeanour. If we get a less cunty breed of England footballer coming through, even if they're mostly shite, I might actually start watcing again.

[JozMan]

In one word: Gerrad.

[Major Tom]

In one word: Gerrad.

 

Jihad?

[JozMan]

Jihad?

 

Pardon?