Who would be in the greatest England squad of all time? Charlton, Stiles, Rooney? The squad has to contain 66' players doesn't it? I don't believe that there should be much of the current squad in there especially the way there playing at the moment, not exactly consistent since Mclaren's takeover. Perhaps Rooney, Gerrard, Neville deserve a place?
Assuming the usual squad of 23 players, I'll select a starting 11 and a reserve 11 (plus spare keeper). Starting 11 ----------------- Greaves -------- Charlton Finney - Robson - Edwards - Matthews Pearce - Moore - Wright - Neville ------------- Banks Stronger and more defensive minded full-backs to take into account the attacking nature of the two wingers. It also allows Finney/Matthews to push foward and Charlton to fall back to make 4-3-3. Reserve 11 (plus spare keeper) --------- Lineker - Shearer ------------ Gascoigne --- Haynes ------------ Ince -------------- Stiles Wilson - Campbell - Adams - Armfield -------------- Shilton + Clemence Lack of wingers and problems with my memory/ability to make a decision means I went with the better overall full-backs in this side. Obviously you can interchange depending on the opposition. I really need help with wingers but you need an English fan to sort it out. lanman? help! I don't think Rooney gets in at the moment, as there are lots of great options to pick (Dean, etc). I suppose it depends on whether you want a withdrawn forward or not in your formation. With Gazza included in the last one, Rooney isn't required. Stiles is good but too specialised for my liking, although he was needed in the last formation.
Matthews and Finney really are head and shoulders above any other wingers we've ever had (and most wingers from any country). I would probably put John Barnes as the next best, but that's based more on club form than consistant international form, and I think he would be better suited to playing on the left of a front three.
Only players who actually delivered the goods playing for england can be considered. Barnesy was great as a club player but never did it for england.
Id have Chris Waddle in there somewhere, his shot against W Germany pissed all over Pele's much acclaimed effort against the Czechs. Waddle's goal on his England debut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idEPi1Q2HlE He was a legend for Marseille, famously scoring the winner against a Milan side laced with glittering stars in the Erupoen Cup QF http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGhgNWWdVjU
Yeah, a foul by Platt I think. Still, the trajectory on the strike was such that it forced Illgner to dive at full stretch. A sensational strike. Could do with seeing it again as im relying on a memory from 16 years ago!
Penalty miss ring a bell? Every player who ever put on an England shirt had their moments, even Downs Syndrome (Wobble) and Carlton Palmer, but lets face it, neither would get in todays side, let alone the best ever! Did you ever see Pele play? Obviously not!
As an England fan, is that some kind of sick joke? You d probably be ruling out a number of names had the 1966 final gone to penalties on that premise... Waddle's shot was better than Pele's forever referenced effort against the Czechs. Believe it or or not, I was nt claiming Waddle to be better than Pele
On a continuum, from zero to infinity, Wobble's miss in terms of importance, cannot be measured, other than to call him a cvnt for denying us our right.................... No it wasn't, Pele did it all the time, Wobble did it once in his lifetime - and thank you for confirming that you never saw Pele play and are a consumate numpty.................
Would have been difficult for the 1966 final to go to penalties. Replay would have been on the Tuesday.
Waddle's attempted lob against West Germany was a good lob but Pele's was better because he attempted from a further distance. Waddle may be remembered for that penalty miss but he was a fine player. He wouldn't make England's best ever team but he could make it into the third one.
Waddle's wasnt a lob, thats why I think it was better. To strike a rising shot from the half line and get it on target requires immense technique, which is why I prefer it to Pele's lobbed effort which went wide with the keeper off his line. Agreed.
Waddle's miss, in terms of importance, wasn't really that important. It just put forward the inevitable for 30-45 seconds. The miss that killed England was Stuart Pearce's miss, the fourth attempt, that left England trailing 4-3 after 4 rounds. Had Waddle made his shot to even it 4-4, Germany still had a 5th shot to win the shootout 5-4.
------------------------------Banks----------------------------------- ---Neville-------------Butcher-----------More----------------Pearce--- ---Finney--------------Ince-------------Gascoigne-----------Waddle--- ------------------------------Charlton--------------------------------- ------------------------------Greaves--------------------------------- 2nd team ------------------------------Shilton---------------------------------- ---Armfield-------------Campbell--------Adams--------------Cole---- ---Matthews------------Stiles-----------Hoddle-------------Barnes--- ------------------------Lineker----------Shearer--------------------- Couldn't think of anyone to put on the left so I just put Barnes, haven't thought if through totally but anyway.
Old thread but why not? Banks Cohen Moore Butcher Sansom Matthews Edwards Charlton Finney Greaves Haynes Finney is on the wrong wing but oh well.
Not really - he played all 5 forward positions for England and picked up the most caps on the left. He worked hard to make himself two footed from a young age.