Provisional England World Cup Squad

The Phantom

So unless you haven't seen it, here's Svens World Cup 23:

Goalkeepers
Robinson (Tottenham)
James (Manchester City)
Green (Norwich)

Defenders
G Neville (Manchester United),
Ferdinand (Manchester United),
Terry (Chelsea),
Cole (Arsenal),
Campbell (Arsenal),
Carragher (Liverpool),
Bridge (Chelsea),

Midfileders
Beckham (Real Madrid),
Carrick (Tottenham),
Lampard (Chelsea),
Gerrard (Liverpool),
Hargreaves (Bayern Munich),
Jenas (Tottenham),
Downing (Middlesbrough),
J Cole (Chelsea),
Lennon (Tottenham),

Strikers
Rooney (Manchester United),
Owen (Newcastle),
Crouch (Liverpool),
Walcott (Arsenal).

Standby
Carson (Liverpool),
Young (Charlton),
Reo-Coker (West Ham),
Defoe (Tottenham),
Johnson (Crystal Palace).

So Englishmen, what's your thoughts on this 23 man squad? Who would you have taken and left behind?

Tyler Durden

Walcott making the squad is scandolous.

He's never played in the Premiership (actually he may have played a few games last season maybe as they were relegated), played about 15 Championship games this season (and as a CPFC fan I'm fully aware of how piss poor that level is this season) and hasn't even played a first team competitive game since January. Sven is banking on Owen being fit and Walcott would be far too lightweight to go up front with Michael.

I don't understand why there are so many midfielders as opposed to the other sections of the team. Only 7 defenders and 4 forwards with 9 midfielders. Can only presume we're playing 4-5-1 until/if Rooney is fit.

Invictus

I can't understand why Darren Bent isn't in the team, but Walcott is. Walcott is gonna be a star in English football but not yet, he needs time and experience of which he hasn;t had a lot of either and neither has Andy Johnson but I'd take him over Walcott.

As for the rest of the team, Rooney isn't gonna play, if he does he will be substandard and will probably fuck his foot up even more. Its a shame get over it, he ain't playing. Ashely Cole has played like 3 games this seasons and is unfit, Sol Campbell and Rio Ferdinand have forgotten how to play football, i'm better than Owen Hargreaves and how jermaine Jenas keeps getting England caps I have no idea.

I do approve of Lennon and Downing though because they have the pace and the skill to make a difference and have at least a season under their bel

J-M

aaron lennon is gonna be the suprise package of the world cup...

defoe should of gone ahead of walcott...

The Phantom

The inclusion of Walcott is strange, and having Eriksson admit he's never seen the lad play is even stranger. I guess he's going along to gain experience for future World and European Championships.

I'm a bit puzzled as to why Jenas is going. He hasn't really done anything for me this season. I haven't seen much of Downing this season so I'm not really going to comment on him.

And as for Wayne Rooney... well. How can you take an injured player to the World Cup is beyond me. You need preparation, and you can't do that when your not sure if your number 1 striker is going to be fit or not. I say just leave him at home and concentrate on the players you've got. I think Defoe will end up going to Germany instead of Rooney.

A player that hasn't been mentioned in this thread, that I would have taken to the World Cup would have been Kieron Richardson. Yes it may be the Man Utd bias, but I think he's a good young player. He's versatile since he can play left midfield, left back and in central midfield. He's played a lot of Premiership games, and has had his fair share of Champions League games, so he's played against quality opposition, something the likes of Jenas and Walcott haven't done yet in their carers.

Tyler Durden

Richardson is a pretty good shout but is just another victim of playing for a big club. Just like Wright-Phillips.

Players think it's the dog's bollocks to get to a "big" club, but a lot of the time it isn't.

Wright-Phillips would have been better off staying at least one more season at Man City and Richardson was only previously picked for England on his form on loan for WBA last season.

The Phantom

That's a fair shout about the big club situation.

Wright Phillips was a shoe in this time last year. I do think he needs to move on. Arsenal would be a far better club for him in my opinion.

I believe Richarson will feature more for United next season. With Heinze back he won't be needed to cover the left back role and he'll be able to concentrate on getting into the team at left midfield.

Tyler Durden

The squad numbers (as in the amount of midfielders) tells you Sven want's to go 4-5-1, which is kind of strange in some ways.

It'll certainly help in terms of Gerrard, Lampard, Cole axis whereupon they'll all be able to play like they do impressively for their club sides.

However, the 1 up front would have to be Owen if he's fit, and Owen does not suit that style at all. He has improved with his back to goal, but he wouldn't suit the role of selfless hard working solo guy holding it up and feeding the midfield in at all.

Crouch actually suits that better, but there is no way Crouch should be picked ahead of Owen, is there? Not even if it suits the team better?

With the situation with Rooney, I've actually got severe worries about Crouch not being fit now? What happens if anything happens to him? Owen wouldn't suit the system and nor would any of the other midgets, Defoe, Walcott, AJ.

Having had a chance to calm down about Walcott's selection, I actually only think Sven has it wrong on one score but it's a major one (presuming Ledley King genuinely wasn't going to be fit enough). The lack of a 5th striker instead of Jenas or Hargreaves (only 1 of these surely is going to be needed) could cost us dear.