Surprise World Cup squad members

[Roy Race is God!]

Watching England's youth team play the USA got me thinking. Sven has said that he knows 18 of the players who, if fit, will be in his squad for the WC, (if and when we qualify), but that still leaves 5 places to be filled. Usually, in the lead up to a World Cup 1 or 2 players emerge from relative obscurity to take their place in the squad.If this happens this time around who will those players be? Richardson? Young? or someone else? Personally I think there are 2 players who have a chance of being in the WC squad despite the fact that they are hardly mentioned in terms of England at this moment in time, David Dunn and Tony Hibbert, anyone think of any more?

[The Potter]

Watching England's youth team play the USA got me thinking. Sven has said that he knows 18 of the players who, if fit, will be in his squad for the WC, (if and when we qualify), but that still leaves 5 places to be filled. Usually, in the lead up to a World Cup 1 or 2 players emerge from relative obscurity to take their place in the squad.If this happens this time around who will those players be? Richardson? Young? or someone else? Personally I think there are 2 players who have a chance of being in the WC squad despite the fact that they are hardly mentioned in terms of England at this moment in time, David Dunn and Tony Hibbert, anyone think of any more?


All I know is Phil Neville will get in there somehow :(

[blackpool fc mark]

I die inside just a little more everytime P Neville is named in an England Squad

[!Bob]

All I know is Phil Neville will get in there somehow :(

The shame....oh the shame :(

I think I'd rather play dead piece of wood than him! At least the dead wood doesn't make stupid back passes!

[Milos]

The shame....oh the shame :(

I think I'd rather play dead piece of wood than him! At least the dead wood doesn't make stupid back passes!

The dead wood is better looking as well.

[!Bob]

The dead wood is better looking as well.

HAHAHAHA.....in the words of Fat Tony (Simpsons for those who don't know); "its funny coz it true!"

[Pazarius]

The dead wood is better looking as well.

And has a better first touch than Phil Neville...

[The Potter]

Watching England's youth team play the USA got me thinking. Sven has said that he knows 18 of the players who, if fit, will be in his squad for the WC, (if and when we qualify), but that still leaves 5 places to be filled. Usually, in the lead up to a World Cup 1 or 2 players emerge from relative obscurity to take their place in the squad.If this happens this time around who will those players be? Richardson? Young? or someone else? Personally I think there are 2 players who have a chance of being in the WC squad despite the fact that they are hardly mentioned in terms of England at this moment in time, David Dunn and Tony Hibbert, anyone think of any more?


Well i think the 18 certs are

1.Robinson
2.James :(

3.G.Nev
4.Ferdinand
5.Terry
6.Campbell
7.A.Cole
8.Bridge

9.Gerrard
10.Lampard
11.Beckham
12.J.Cole
13.SWP
14.Hargreaves :rolleyes:
15.Downing??????????

16.Rooney
17.Owen
18.Defoe

So that would leave

one GK out of: Green, Kirkland, K.Davis, Carson
one RB out of:Charrager,Brown, G.Johnson
one CB out of:King,Woodgate, Upson
one Mf out of:Carrick,Dyer,Jenas, Pennent, Parker, Richardson
one At out of:Smith, A.Johnson,Hesky, Ashton, C.Cole

Big surprises

p.s i've left out P.Nev and Vassle because there sh1t :mad:

[sendorange]

Ledley King and Jamie Carragher will definitely be picked, and rightly so.

Alan Smith and Dyer are highly likely.

[gaijin]

Downing will do imo. He will get a little bit more exposure playing Europe - but main issue is if he can regain that form. Last season he looked really jaded towards the end of the season.

At Middlesbrough he is our star player and takes alot of that burden. I think we shall see by Xmas if he is still progressing as a good player or not. That said, only him and Richardson are the two decent left wingers to fill them spots. Unless a new talent emerges from nowhere in the space of 12 months of course.

I agree with sendorange, King and Carragher will be definites. King can play that holding role in midfield and is another option at the back. Carragher is also another option to play at the back and is versatile. And, if I might add, probbaly the most in-form defender in Europe right about now.

The aside from the expected. I think the other 5 or 6 will be based purely on current form going into the tournament.

[The Potter]

The reason I left King out,is because Woodgate is better imo.

[THFC1]

Yeah Woodgate played well last season :D I do like Woodgate alot but he is far too injury prone, at Leeds he was very good, they had Woodgate and Rio as their centre backs you can't get a much better pair than that. Ledley is durable he even played for Tottenham last season with injuries.

This is what i think would be Sven's 22 man squad would be if picked now:

Robinson
James
Green
-------
G.Neville
Campbell
Ferdinand
Terry
King
Carragher
A.Cole
Bridge
--------
Beckham
SWP
Gerrard
Lampard
Carrick
J.Cole
Hargreaves
---------
Owen
Rooney
Defoe
Crouch

[!Bob]

Big surprises

p.s i've left out P.Nev and Vassle because there sh1t :mad:

You should've put Heskey and James in this chategory as well!!! :(

After having so many amazing Keepers like Gordon Banks and Peter Schilton why is it that James is second (and for some crazy reason some people think 1st) choice keeper!!!!!! Robinson is alright but nothing amazing either.

[The Potter]

Robinson
James
Green
-------
G.Neville
Campbell
Ferdinand
Terry
King
Carragher
A.Cole
Bridge
--------
Beckham
SWP
Gerrard
Lampard
Carrick
J.Cole
Hargreaves
---------
Owen
Rooney
Defoe
Crouch


Don't even joke about that

[The Potter]

May I just clarify I didn't put King down as one of the 18 certs because if Woodgate get's fit he will probally be picked.

The 23 I have in a perfect world is

1.Robinson
2.Kirkland*
3.Green**

4.A.Cole
5.Bridge
6.Ferdinand
7.Terry
8.Campbell
9.Woodgate***
10.G.Neville
11.Charrager

12.J.Cole
13.Downing
14.Gerrard
15.Lampard
16.Hargreaves
17.Carrick
18.Beckham
19.SWP

20.Rooney
21.Owen
22.Defoe
23.Smith

*gets fit and starts (highly unlikely)
**Moves to a premiership club (very likely)
***Stay's fit the whole of next season (50/50)

[THFC1]

Don't even joke about that

Sorry about that, in place of Crouch would be Heskey :)

[Pazarius]

Don't even joke about that

This isn't a list of England's 23 best players. This is a potential World Cup squad. You've got to have different options off the bench; at least one forward who is good in the air is essential imho, even if he's only ever going to see the last 15 minutes of games.

[essie_majedi]

robinson
james
carson

terry
carragher
ferdinand
king
campbell
g. neville
bridge
a. cole

beckham
hargreaves
swp
lampard
j. cole
gerrad
jenas
dyer

owen
rooney
defoe
a. johnson

[Pazarius]

owen
rooney
defoe
a. johnson

Which illustrates my point precisely. Owen, Defoe and A. Johnson are all very similar players; You can't take all three of them, even if they did happen to be the top three forwards in the country. The value of substitutions is severely reduced if all you can do is bring on a slightly poorer version of the player who has gone off. You need to have players on the bench who can bring something different to the game. This is why Crouch, if he maintains his recent good form, is a serious candidate for a place in the squad.

[THFC1]

Exactly, we need to have the option of a big man upfront,