Hello new user here, looking forward to this game, as it should give a decent gauge of where we really are, beating Moldova didnt really tell us anything. However I hope England start with the same style and really press Ukraine high up the pitch,the injury to Terry could be a blessing in disguise because Cahill has more pace, and is less prone to high balls in behind. Although the ability (or inability) of Lescott to retain the ball is still very worrying
Im hearing lallana ,sterling and Livermore have been added into the squad after Walcott and Sturridge had to withdraw .
Am I the only one who thinks Sterling isn't that good? Why is he getting called up when better/more experienced players like Nathan Dyer and Routledge are performing every week in premier league?
If you don't think Sterling is very good, then you don't know much about Sterling. He is one of the brightest attacking hopes in English Youth football. He scored a couple against Leeds for the U18s two years ago when still 15. Dyer and Routledge are good players too, of course. Hodgson knows Sterling well. He played him in a pre-season friendly against BMG while LFC manager. Sterling was 15. I think this move is partly because Jamaica are all over Sterling trying to get him to play for them. Getting Sterling involved in the England camp reduces the chances of him opting for Jamaica, which I think is quite unlikely anyway. Losing Sterling to Jamaica would be a disaster though. Personally I think Sterling has not done enough to win a Cap yet, but Hodgson implies that he won't be playing unless some unlikely circumstances occur. Lallana is an interesting choice too. Hope that the illness in the England camp does not spread further. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...gland-squad-after-Theo-Walcott-falls-ill.html
Source? I think there are much better young players than Sterling like Ross Barkley, Jonjo Shelvy and Nick Powell, he looks like another one-dimensional winger to me. Aaron lennon burst onto the scene at 16 and people said he would go onto be great, yet he hasn't achieved all that much so far. At the end of the day Sterling is just 17, 5 appearences for Liverpool shouldn't earn him a place in the England squad at that age. If he had any intention to play for Jamaica he wouldn't agree to being called up by England. I think wingers should be managed a bit more conservatively because they have a tendancy to peak early in their careers and then dissapear. And after seeing some of the performances of Dyer and Routedge for Swansea it also dissapointing that they continue to get ignored by England
Well there is nothing wrong with being disappointed with Dyer and Routledge being overlooked. I also have said that Sterling has not done enough to earn an England cap yet. However Jamaica are sniffing around and we should lock Sterling in to England rather than not bother and make assumptions only to lose him. I think that is the main reason for the callup. If you don't rate Sterling that is up to you, as you say you are new around here (Bigsoccer). Here in the England Forum, we have some informed posters who follow Youth football very closely with more attention focused on England prospects. People who actually watch Youth football. Sterling has been talked about for years here along with other top English prospects. Did you watch the U17 World Cup? I am guessing not.
Can't believe Sterling is still only 17, surely he must be one of the youngest, if not the youngest players ever in an England squad? I seem to remember hearing his name a few years back and even last season some Liverpool fans wanted him in the team. I'm fine with him getting called up, of course I think Dyer is also worthy of a place, but hey it's better than under Capello when we were calling up SWP and the likes..
Ukraine will be after revenge for the Euro's. Hopefully we can do the job and get a win. Important match in the road to Brazil.
Happy about the beat down of Moldova, but it was MOLDOVA. Would love to see the lads put 5 past Ukraine, then everyone can actually say this is a side with a shot in Brazil. Prediction: 2-1 to England.
Despite Hodgson's denials, I think it is to warn off the Jamaicans more than anything. If we are up comfortably with 5 minutes to go, he can bring him on and settle the issue.
He needs to step up his game a bit before he's talked of in those terms. Mind you, you're comparing him to the one of the best midfielders of the past 20 years. Maybe not surprising if he's not reached those heights yet.
Laughable dive chalks a goal off. Great strike from Defoe . As if Defoe's slight hand off had enough power to send Yarmolenko flying to the turf.. ha!
Yarmalenko goes down like a sack of potatoes when touched on the chest denies us a perfectly good goal.