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Slipperduke

The Camden Cad
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
4,333
Location
North London
With a rare swathe of midweek Premier League fixtures, the next few days represent the last chance for English footballers to worm their way into Fabio Capello’s affections. The Italian manager names his first England squad on Saturday after spending a month travelling up and down the country in search of the players who can repair the damage done by the Steve McClaren regime. Capello will also have watched the tapes of the ill-fated qualifying campaign and come to his own conclusions on why such a star-studded team played so ineptly on so many occasions. The question is, will he keep faith with these blundering Maclaticos or will he invite a new generation in to take their place?

Rumours suggest that David Beckham will be omitted from this first squad and denied the opportunity of a 100th international cap. If that’s the case, then it’s regrettable, but entirely understandable. Capello is not here to organise civic receptions. He hasn’t been employed by the FA to create a feel-good factor. He’s here to build a winning team for the future. Beckham is less culpable than most for the shame of non-qualification, but he must pay the price nevertheless. His semi-retirement on the PR roadshow in America should be profitable enough to compensate him for the loss of a century of caps and if he needs someone to blame, we all know where he should direct his fury.

Capello will surely know that England’s problems are psychological. It is a question of motivation, not talent. I defy anyone to stand up and convince me that, pound-for-pound, Russia’s players are more technically accomplished than the English. I challenge you to argue that, even though the Maclaticos finished level on points with Israel, that they are equal in standard. I hate to sound like a reactionary, old school football hack, but these under-performing, badly deployed millionaires, the so-called ‘Golden Generation,’ really just need an old-fashioned kick up the rear end.

If Capello wants to start his tenure with a bang, if he really intends to shake things up, he’ll go to that squad with an axe and start all over again. Personally, I don’t think he will. I think he’ll name the same old faces with a few young pretenders and ask everyone to prove themselves. Wouldn’t it be funny if he didn’t though?

Imagine the tantrums if he did what we all know needs to be done. Picture the scene as Steven Gerrard, who missed an open goal in Russia, finds out that he won’t be required at Wembley. Gerrard, who reacted to the Croatia defeat not with despair, but with the slightly aggrieved air of a man who had just put his pen down for a moment and now can’t find it anywhere. Imagine John Terry, who didn’t appear in the Croatia game because of an injury that, oddly, wasn’t severe enough to keep him out of the Chelsea side three days later. Imagine his face. Paul Robinson. Frank Lampard. Michael Owen. Imagine them all sat at home watching a younger, hungrier generation wearing the Three Lions. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Now, obviously I’m not arguing that they should never play for England again. That would be silly. I just want them to be taught a quick lesson in accountability. I want them to know how much they have let this country down. I want them to suffer, as we who watch them have suffered. Capello should do what McClaren would never dare to do. He should tell these five superstars, this quintet who consistently played beneath their best, that they are expendable.

Last year, Terry was all too eager to tell the press that his players had to take responsibility for the results, but the only person who ever did was McClaren. Is it too much to ask for Capello, just on this one occasion, to hang those failures out to dry?



Iain’s Fantasy Squad - What England would look like without the big-name failures

Scott Carson
Rob Green
David James
Wayne Bridge
Stephen Warnock
Micah Richards
Tony Hibbert
Matthew Upson
Ledley King
Wes Brown
Jamie Carragher
Shaun Wright-Phillips
David Bentley
Ashley Young
Joe Cole
Owen Hargreaves
Jermaine Jenas
Gareth Barry
Michael Carrick
Wayne Rooney
Peter Crouch
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Emile Heskey
 
brilliant piece Slipper! Dave Kitson is rumoured to be in the next squad, interesting!
 
Scott Carson
Rob Green
David James
Wayne Bridge
Stephen Warnock
Micah Richards
Tony Hibbert
Matthew Upson
Ledley King
Wes Brown
Jamie Carragher
Shaun Wright-Phillips
David Bentley
Ashley Young
Joe Cole
Owen Hargreaves
Jermaine Jenas
Gareth Barry
Michael Carrick
Wayne Rooney
Peter Crouch
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Emile Heskey

Carson isn't a big-name, but he was a failure. I suppose we are lacking replacements until Foster is fit, unless Kirkland is actually fit for once.

Carragher has shown himself not to be international class (eg Denmark 4-1 defeat) and I think that whilst ****s, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole haven't let England down on the pitch all that often. Warnock isn't international quality.

Wright-Phillips is definitely a big name, at least in scrabble terms if not in performances and is another that deserves to be dropped. Beckham was the big name sacrifice for McLaren and see where that got us.

Otherwise I'd go along with that.
 
Carson isn't a big-name, but he was a failure. I suppose we are lacking replacements until Foster is fit, unless Kirkland is actually fit for once.

Carragher has shown himself not to be international class (eg Denmark 4-1 defeat) and I think that whilst ****s, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole haven't let England down on the pitch all that often. Warnock isn't international quality.

Wright-Phillips is definitely a big name, at least in scrabble terms if not in performances and is another that deserves to be dropped. Beckham was the big name sacrifice for McLaren and see where that got us.

Otherwise I'd go along with that.


Carson was thrown in when he shouldn't have been, but definitely has the class to make it in the future.

Rio hasn't been as bad as the others, but he needs a slap regardless. He's a bit too showbiz at the moment. Cole hasn't actually played very well for a long, long time. He's out of shape, out of the team and he should be out of this squad.

I think little SWP has actually played really well in the last month and while you're right in saying that he wasn't at the races last year, he's probably played his way in on merit now.

Warnock, I'm not sure about. I've seen him put in some tremendous performances for Blackburn last season. He was on the bench for Liverpool and in the England squad, but he was ignored as soon as he got regular football. Weird. You might be right, he might not be good enough, but let's give him a chance.

With Beckham, he wasn't actually dropped because of his performances. He was dropped because McClaren wanted to disassociate himself with the Eriksson Era. Beckham got us through against Ecuador and made our goal against Paraguay. He might not have been at his peak, but he was **** sight better than SWP when he was cast off. The last 8 of a World Cup isn't as shameful as not qualifying for the Euros and it didn't warrant such a crule change. This latest failure warrants corporal punishement, but as we can't do that, public humiliation will have to do.
 
With any luck, Capello will realise that Gerrard and Lampard simply don't work together and will abandon all hope of trying to rectify the situation... unlike the previous two who have had an attempt. Gerrard is the better player in all fields, but the biggest question is if he can replicate his Liverpool form in an England shirt. Personally, I think you might see a rejuvenated Gerrard if he's given the free role he plays for Liverpool and doesn't have to worry about catering for Fat Lamps' inadequacies at the back.

As for that list, I'd agree we need a shake up, but some of those names mentioned shouldn't be let anywhere near an international stage. Carragher has lost a yard or two over the summer, hence he's catching people and not the ball this season and Wayne Bridge was nothing short of woeful against Croatia. One good performance doesn't warrant Emile Heskey a place in the team...

I watched every game of the U21 Tournament in the summer, and i haven't been so proud to collect myself with a hungrier, more talented bunch of footballers in a long time. Steven Taylor, Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and, although he didn't feature, David Bentley all need to feature in the full set up.
 
With any luck, Capello will realise that Gerrard and Lampard simply don't work together and will abandon all hope of trying to rectify the situation... unlike the previous two who have had an attempt. Gerrard is the better player in all fields, but the biggest question is if he can replicate his Liverpool form in an England shirt. Personally, I think you might see a rejuvenated Gerrard if he's given the free role he plays for Liverpool and doesn't have to worry about catering for Fat Lamps' inadequacies at the back.

As for that list, I'd agree we need a shake up, but some of those names mentioned shouldn't be let anywhere near an international stage. Carragher has lost a yard or two over the summer, hence he's catching people and not the ball this season and Wayne Bridge was nothing short of woeful against Croatia. One good performance doesn't warrant Emile Heskey a place in the team...

I watched every game of the U21 Tournament in the summer, and i haven't been so proud to collect myself with a hungrier, more talented bunch of footballers in a long time. Steven Taylor, Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and, although he didn't feature, David Bentley all need to feature in the full set up.

completely disagree to be honest... lampard and gerrard have the potential to work (just like tevez/rooney... fabregas/flamini or other partnerships that wouldn't seem to work on paper). yes they are similar players but the problem with them isn't tactical, it's personal. they are stubborn and have attitude problems and want to be the "star" in the midfield and aren't willing to help out each other and the team. they could work together if fabio bangs their heads together and they drop the attitude. world class players are good enough to fit into a formation and still have a significant impact, they just have to realise that to get the best for the team they have to work together as a pair, be organised and selfless
 
98% agree with the squad my friend, but a BIG no to Joe Cole and Tony Hibbert and also Jamie C doesnt want to play football for England so id say put Woodgate (if fit) in the squad or Micheal Dawson
 
completely disagree to be honest... lampard and gerrard have the potential to work (just like tevez/rooney... fabregas/flamini or other partnerships that wouldn't seem to work on paper). yes they are similar players but the problem with them isn't tactical, it's personal. they are stubborn and have attitude problems and want to be the "star" in the midfield and aren't willing to help out each other and the team. they could work together if fabio bangs their heads together and they drop the attitude. world class players are good enough to fit into a formation and still have a significant impact, they just have to realise that to get the best for the team they have to work together as a pair, be organised and selfless

Regardless, Capello won't play both in midfield. He's a massive fan of the "holding role" and will undoubtedly choose Hargreaves over one of them... It's simply a question of which one he chooses.

One of the best things to come out of this whole thing IMO will be the huge kick up the f*cking **** John Terry gets. For an England captain, his behaviour both on and off the pitch is disgraceful.
 
My team vs Switzerland

James
Richards
Ferdinand
King
A. Cole
SWP
Hargreaves
Gerrard
Barry
J Cole
Rooney
Agbonlahor
 
What is the hype about Joe Cole? he is s**t, start with Downing :D
 
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