If we get to the Euro, which is a big if, and presuming everyone is healthy McSven would have a choice of Ashton, Bent and Owen, which is pretty good.
That's great to hear cause i don't wanna see the team enter Euro 08, if they make it, left short of strikers like SGE took the team to the world cup.
Here's another one to bump w/SA 2010 rapildy approaching, IMO. Any current thoughts on this topic regarding England fwds.?
We don't have too many IMO. Or at least many I can think of being worthy of the England team. 1. Rooney 2. Defoe 3. Crouch 4. Bent 5. Agbonlahor 6. Carlton Cole 7. Owen 8. Heskey
I agree with the above only Ashley Young could also be and should also be considered a forward as well. He's top class and the position he plays for Villa is mostly attacking with less tracking back, more of a forward/wing hybrid role.
True. I guess I was thinking of 09-10 Ashley Young instead of 08-09 Ashley Young. But for England I can see how he would be used as more of a winger.
Funny to see how many people were dismissing Heskey, basically cos of the media shitstorm following the France game in 2004 whch led to him not coming on against Portugal when he would have been a much better option that Vassell. I remember the abuse I got in 2005 for suggesting that both he and Hargeaves should feature, and also for apparently wanting to play a 4-5-1 which on paper looks identical to Capello's 4-2-3-1. How some people's views change
Heskey of 2006-2007 is not the mature holder up of the ball he is now. It was moving to Wigan and playing under Bruce which changed his game from attempting to be a striker to a pure support player. In the same token, how Heskey is used under Capello is not how he was being used under Sven or McSven.
Crouch is better than the bottom three. Abonglahor is all speed and very little else, Keiron Dyer MK2. Bent needs another opportunity.
Not at all. Heskey has always been unselfish and a team player first and foremost, even at Leicester He is more savvy now, certainly, but look back to Rooney's first International goal away to Macedonia for a fantastic knock down. Look back to Scholes breaking his barren spell away to Greece. For Liverpool he would often play as a destroyer in the oppositions half, not allowing deep midfielders time and space on the ball. He NEVER got the credit for the work rate, running of the channels and selfless play he showed then, and it took England's most turgid series of performances in my lifetime for people to finally realise what he brings to a side.
We do people still trot out this myth? Take two seconds to examine who Crouch has scored against, what type of game it is and then consider what his inclusion does for the rest of the side.
Capello will bring: Rooney, Heskey, Defoe , and either Crouch or Cole.. Capello seems to favour Crouch, so I would imagine that he would be first pick over C. Cole..
My pick would be: Wayne Rooney - by a country mile, let's be honest. Jermaine Defoe Emile Heskey Carlton Cole Michael Owen Darren Bent Peter Crouch Gabriel Agbonlahor Kevin Davies James Beattie. * I've not included Walcott, regardless of where his future might lie. It p!sses me off no-end that people trot out Crouch's record for England as evidence that he's worth a shout but as you said, there are two stand-out reasons that this is flawed. 1) who he actually scored against 2) what he does to the side when he plays. Crouch's scoring record for England might be "exceptional", but when you dig deeper than mere statistics and figures you realise that his scoring record is the bare minimum of what's expected given the utter drivel he's been pitted against through out the majority of his caps. Goals against Uruguay, Hungary, Jamaica, Andorra, Macedonia, Estonia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago account for 12 of his 18 international goals. Not a single decent footballing nation between them, Croatia apart Also, it's hard to ignore the fact that Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard turn in their best performances when Heskey is battling away ahead of them creating space and leaving defenders flat on their backs. Crouch does not bring the best out in our star players. Infact, on the contrary, he spoils the play of the whole side. He encourages players to play nedless long balls forward to him, by-passing our more creative players in the process, and forcing them to come deep in search of a ball which keeps getting pumped over their heads to "Crouchy". I'll cry if he makes the world cup squad because if he gets brought on as a solution against a top side, we can wave goodbye to any hopes of success.
agree with teso any decent defender stops crouch scoring in friendlies padded the hell out of his record, cole looks more mobile, stronger, better in the air and all round better
Whoa hold up. Both you and Teso need to realize that a goal is a goal and including jamaica in your list about is highly insulting. Serously the part of your post I want to address is above. I agree that Crouch is limited in a variety of ways. But if we are chasing a game with limited time to go you dont think he is a good option? Especailly if Beckham is on the field? Let's face it. He Beckham may make it and the pair could be the last roll of the dice. As I was typing this I realized something which I think is probably what you are thiking so help me understand - in the prem and when I can remember Endland chasing a game we resort to pumping the ball long looking for a knockdown defelction so some such. When Barca and other South American and top Euorpean teams are chasing I dont recall them doing the kick and hope thing as much. they pass the ball up the pitch even with the clock running out. maybe we have to change how we chase games in the dying moments. What do you think?
He nearly rescued Englands entire Euro2008 campaign against Croatia with a brilliant bit of improvisation for 2-2. He can score against most of the teams England will face. What does Heskey do other then Bounce off defenders, fall over and NEVER score?
wins the hollywood balls gerrard plays? holds up the ball anbd lets rooney in, creates space for others?
I don't buy what Heskey does for England at all. Compare him to Torres and Villa and it's a joke. We need a skillful striker who can actually score goals! If we need to rely on lumping long balls to Heskey to hold up our football has gone backwards.
Excellent target man who free's up other players to create and score goals, as evidenced by England being the scoring leaders in the qualifications.. Crouch is easily brushed aside by bigger centre backs. While he does score goals, he is best coming off the bench late in matches when nothing is working, and that's the way I would use him...