World Cup 2018

Well the world cup is only 6 months away and I don't think there has ever been a weaker or inexperienced England squad available to the manager.

To be honest I would struggle to pick 23 players. There are probably 17 or 18 you could say are certainties, the rest are going to be youngsters there to put the cones out and to simply make the numbers up.

At work, based on what we have seen this season, we came up with a startling 11 for the first game: Pickford Walker Jones Stones Shaw Lingard Alli Ward-Prowse Dier Stirling Kane but then struggled to find 12 other players which we thought would go.

Some were obvious, Butland, Clyne, Rose, Smalling, Cahill, Vardy and Rashford. After that you are left with a choice of youngsters and underachievers.

I'm sure the usual hype will come in the weeks leading up, but boy are we going to struggle.

 

We've got some very very good young players breaking through right now and if the manager was brave enough then he could take a squad to get experience for a real challenge in 4 or 8 years time.

But he's a complete t**t so won't. Instead the usual players will go who we know aren't good enough.

 

Think that’s harsh. Southgate has already shown more willingness than most England managers to play young players.

But when it comes to a tournament situation, you will probably be right.

 

Unfortunately Henderson will be a nailed on starter. And I still think Hart might be as well.

 

Belgium have to have a chance imo.

 

It's not that bad, Southgate has already impressed me by not selecting Walcott & Wilshere early on. We have some decent players too.

GK: Pickford, Heaton, Butland
DF: Danny Rose, Luke Shaw, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Joe Gomez & Trent Arnold.
MF: Dier, Chambo, Lingard, Barkley, Chalobah, Will Hughes, Lallana, Alli & Sterling.
FW: Kane, Vardy, Rashford & Calvert Lewin.

That leaves Delph, Wilshere, Cahill, Henderson (who will go), Bertrand, Tarkowski, Smalling, Phil Jones, Walcott, Drinkwater, Winks, Loftus Cheek, Ashley Young, Antonio & Welbeck all at home.

Plenty of options IMO. Lacking a bit in the middle, hopefully Klopp can develop Oxlade Chamberlain there in the next 4 months.

 

In tougher games, swap Lallana for Alli as he'll never stop running and make some tackles but that teams good enough to save us from embarrassment I'd say and if Kane decides to turn up then you never know if SF's are doable.

 

I just don't see it with Oxslade- Chamberlin. He runs around a lot but produces very very little. Seems to have a touch of Capoues about him. If Henderson wasn't at Liverpool he would be no where near the squad. Always reminds me of a slight upgrade of Charlie Adam

Jones will go.

 

Anyone planning on going? I've applied for tickets for one group game but our allocations are smaller than previous tournaments.

 

As an Italian, I can categorically state there is no World Cup this year.

Just a cheap Intertoto type competition, with some minor nations taking part.

 

Apparently, Leon Bailey might choose to play for England ahead of the next World Cup.

That’s mad if true, he’s a fantastic talent.

 

I have followed his career a fair bit. I always thought the ego bloke that represents him is his step-dad who then adopted him? He is saying that his parents are English and thus he qualifies that way.

Does adoptive families give you qualification as well then? He is a great player, having a storming season, him and Rashford either side of Kane would be pretty decent. It is not as though Jamaicans haven't played for England before either, Luther and Barnes being two.

 

Looking forward to world class Dele Alli leading us to glory.

 

Not that any team will attempt to aggravate him,the cheeky little pixie!

 

Leon Bailey could be the most exciting German based player to choose our national team over Germany’s since Owen Hargreaves.

 

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said England manager Gareth Southgate told him Marcus Rashford will be in England's World Cup squad.

Speaking to 5 live Sport, the Portuguese said: "I spoke with Gareth Southgate a few weeks ago and Gareth told me it doesn’t matter if he plays or he doesn’t play.

"He trusts the kid and the kid goes to the World Cup, so he didn’t need to impress Gareth, Gareth knows what he is and Gareth knows that he can give us things at the World Cup."

Ah, so much for Gareth's much vaunted 'must be playing' rule.

Same old, same old.

 

Yes I am going, got all tickets, never thought I would get a Belgium one, you should be ok getting one of the other two group games. Never been to Russia and will be staying out of Moscow where possible, but nervous to be honest after Marseille in 2016, never seen anything like that after following Engkand for over 20 years but I think it may be one of those tournaments that end up being great, if Putin says no trouble there won't be any. I think the best we can hope for is a QF, book my flight back two days after that.

 

Why no mention of Sessegnon yet?

 

The only way Championship players would be called up is if Man Utd or Liverpool were in it.

 

****s sake. Southgate has recalled Wilshire for the upcoming friendlies. Joe Hart and Jake Livermore both picked too.

 

Called up for the U21's

 

Can't wait for England at the World Cup. No finer comedy.

 

I'll just repeat this post every now and again. An absolute f***ing joke.

 

Imagine being Leon Bailey choosing between England and Belgium and then seeing Jake Livermore in the ******* squad. I'd run a mile.

 

Having spent a day with quite a few of the England squad for work recently, Joe Hart is obviously a key figure in the group. Pretty sure he's there as a cheerleader more than anything else.

 

Danny Welbeck has started 2 games since October. Joe Hart is a number 2 for a relegation candidate. Jake Livermore has been in and out of the midfield of the worst team in the league. Adam Lallana has hardly played this season due to injury. Pope and Tarkowski are really championship players. Danny Rose has hardly played. Ashley Young is old and not good enough.

I am sure there is more wrong with that squad.

It's no wonder people don't give two hoots about the England team now.

 

Got the only game I applied for. I went to Moscow in 2007 for the qualifier (lost 2-1). The day of the game was proper scary. The place was so big we seemed to spend most of the time split apart from other England fans. Every time we came out of a subway station there were huge groups of blokes looking for a fight. After the game the organisation was great. They kept the home fans in the ground and there were buses waiting outside to take us all back directly to our hotels. Certainly saved us the danger of trying to cross Moscow at night on match day.

We had a full day in the city the next day and had a great time. Decent food and drink, a bit of sightseeing etc. People are miserable as f**k but were generally accommodating.

If all this crap with Russia continues it will be interesting to see if a) they still let us travel and b) what the feeling towards us will be. I'm sure there will be plenty of anti British propaganda before we go so it might not be a welcoming place.

 

The must-be-playing rule would work fine if it was a five-a-side tournament