Hodgson: let's see if his no Hammers policy is vindicated.

[warp]

If you're so certain they don't need as many why not call up smaller squads then?

cos i don't pull the strings...

2 friendlies, 20 players (+3 keepers). not all of them will see the pitch, why calling up another one?

[bobcar]

But we didn't and therefore didn't
Were lucky to get through vs Spain on penalties, and laboured against Switzerland and Scotland

Was a decent team, with a world class striker in his prime and the maverick that is Gazza, but nothing more IMHO.

We gave as good as we got against the resulting champs so hardly just the one decent game as you suggested. Yes we had some not so good games as well but just about every other team there could say the same.

[Joey00]

I'm reading that there is further worry into Wilshere's fitness.

Is it wrong for me to be getting my hopes up over a Noble call up, when in reality Mason will just get recalled?

:cry:

[Crouchend_Hammer]

5 homes games, 2 wins, 3 draws, not half as amazing as people make out and certainly not a patch on 66. Good song though.

Nail on head. It was only because 'El Tel' was the manager that this team was looked upon so fondly. The English public are a sucker for image, and his permatan, cheeky wideboy persona went down very well. In essence, we won less than half of our games despite them all being at home
Plus, of course, having Gazza and his 'wacky', 'krazy' antics,and Stuart Pearce helped folklerise (sic) this team far above their actual achievement

[carnage]

What has been described above is tournament football and it is a fine line between success and failure.

[Jumby]

cos i don't pull the strings...

2 friendlies, 20 players (+3 keepers). not all of them will see the pitch, why calling up another one?

That's my whole point, if a player gets injured and there's doesn't seem to be a need to replace him why call up so many in the first place, it just doesn't make sense to call up a replacement for Hart but not for Sterling, please don't take that as a question aimed at you like you did the last post, unless you're some old codger with a speech impediment who looks like an owl I'm aware you don't pull the strings!

For the record I think calling up 23 or whatever it is is useful, especially in friendlies when there is an opportunity to try everyone out over the course of two games.

He should have called up a replacement for Sterling, not doing that says that the others aren't good enough, which is wrong. It wouldn't have hurt Hodgson to call up Antonio or even Lennon, it would encourage them and send out a message that others are being watched to, there's no doubting that, after all, Hodgson said the England squad isn't a closed shop when asked if Mark Noble was in his thoughts. A few weeks later Noble is nominated for player of the month.................but he hadn't been called up for the recent friendlies. On that same day Hodgson talked about needing Wilshire back, who hasn't kicked a ball all season, and speaking to a young centre back, who has struggled of late, about playing in central midfield.

[warp]

^ let's assume i'm the manager.
i would only call 18 players, but i'm told i have to call up 24. oh well, they're paying my wage, i'll make them happy, 24 it is.
then if one of those 24 breaks down and i don't have to replace him, i won't! it doesn't mean i think the others aren't good enough, that's your interpretation, it just means i really don't need that many.
then if one of the keepers gets injured and i do replace him, it could mean i am an old codger with a speech impediment who looks like an owl among the other issues...

For the record I think calling up 23 or whatever it is is useful, especially in friendlies when there is an opportunity to try everyone out over the course of two games.

you don't really have that "opportunity".
i mean, technically yes, but what would that tell you? not much i'm afraid:
going to a tournament, you have a core of players you will definitely call up.
if you want to see if/how some outsiders would help the cause, you have to play a few of those with the core players.
playing a team of outsiders won't give you any indication on how they would interact with the squad you'll bring to the tournament, which is what you should be interested in.

[sendô]

Nail on head. It was only because 'El Tel' was the manager that this team was looked upon so fondly.

I've always remembered it fondly because they got to the semi and narrowly lost on penalties.

I don't remember many people saying they were world beaters etc.

Fine lines in tournament football, they did more or less what was asked of them.

[beckton]

What has been described above is tournament football and it is a fine line between success and failure.

Spot on.

And every team that wins one would have had lucky breaks along the way.

[Morocco Mole]

...and returning to the original point and Ray Wilkins utterly pointless article; the 96 England team would totally destroy this current one.

[Turns to Stone]

Never has one team been more massively over-hyped on the basis of one good performance than that England 96 team
Yes they beat a fairly average Holland team comprehensively, other than that they weren't that great

I would say that it was one of the greatest under-achievements in the history of International football.

I can't imagine an England manager will ever have the combination of an excellent squad playing against very, very low-quality opposition again. Ince, Gascoigne, Shearer, Sheringham, Adams, Seaman, Southgate. All International quality players, together at their peak with quality young players like Neville and Sol Campbell to call on.

The fact that Venables only really got one decent performance out of that group of players, and given how poor Spain and Germany performed against us is one of the biggest disappointments of my lifetime.

Venables ballsed that one up imo.

[ironsjh]

Bertrand out injured. No replacement

[Romford]

Safe journey for all those travelling

[thejackhammer]

Bertrand out injured. No replacement

Surprised Gibbs hasn't been called up.

Cresswell should be really.

[Claretdave]

I would say that it was one of the greatest under-achievements in the history of International football.

I can't imagine an England manager will ever have the combination of an excellent squad playing against very, very low-quality opposition again. Ince, Gascoigne, Shearer, Sheringham, Adams, Seaman, Southgate. All International quality players, together at their peak with quality young players like Neville and Sol Campbell to call on.

The fact that Venables only really got one decent performance out of that group of players, and given how poor Spain and Germany performed against us is one of the biggest disappointments of my lifetime.

Venables ballsed that one up imo.

I went to three games in that tournament. One, Holland, was by far the best England performance I have ever seen. The other two, Scotland and Spain, we were very average and quite lucky.

But I disagree about the quality if the squad. Gascoigne apart, there was little flair bad by that stage he was keen to take a 20 min breather each half. The front pair were very good, but they weren't well supported and although our centre backs were very solid, they never turned defence into attack.

We were a penalty shoot out away from the final, which I think we would have won. Not sure we underachieved.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Surprised Gibbs hasn't been called up.

Cresswell should be really.

Let's be fair. No point calling up a reserve LB for two friendlies is there?

[thejackhammer]

Let's be fair. No point calling up a reserve LB for two friendlies is there?

We he called up two, I'm assuming to run the rule over both of them for the Euros, you'd think given the opportunity to have a look at another option he'd choose to.

[EastLondonHammer]

[Colours never run]

Rubbish, that's just looking at stats through claret and blue glasses..


He's easily been one of the most consistent, high performing English midfielders all season long. Alli tops the lot but for me Nobles been the 2nd best. And that's not even taking into account any of his outstanding leadership this season as Captain.

What's even more impressive with his highest pass succession rate is the sheer volume of passes he's made. Something like 1500+. To put that into context, Alli has managed less than half that amount with 707 passes. That's a ridiculous amount by comparison.

[steveyrockstar]

Bertrand out injured. No replacement

The Cresswell situation is the one that perplexes me more than anything else, more than Noble (for which there are strong counter-arguments, as unlucky as Nobes is). With Cresswell, I'm intrigued to know what it is that Rose, Bertrand, Gibbs and Jeff Daniels have that Aaron doesn't...