The official guess the England 22 thread

[Hoop Blah]

There's a suggestion in todays Daily Mail that Terry might be set to miss out on the Euro's squad as Hodgson looks to take Ferdinand instead.

I can't imagine both players going but I thought Terry was possibly the one that would get the nod (despite him being the guilty party) because he's form was probably the better of the two. Rio seems to have picked up a bit lately whereas Terry's had a bit of a poor couple of weeks really.

I think Carroll might well have done enough over the last few weeks to nick that last forward spot too.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Nonsense, you have to take Terry. Best centre-half in the country.

[TBM]

Nonsense, you have to take Terry. Best centre-half in the country.

Guessing you didn't see him in the 2nd half of the cup final, or last night?

[Alan Partridge]

Hart
Foster
ideally Robinson but I think he's retired? So doesn't really matter they won't play anyway, Ruddy/Carson

K Walker
A Cole
G Cahill
J Lescott
R Ferdinand
G Johnson
P Jagielka
P Jones

F Lampard
S Parker
A Young
D Sturridge
A Lennon
P Scholes (ideally) more likely G Barry (shudders)
Milner

Rooney
Carroll
Welbeck
Walcott

Lot of winger/attackers in my squad I'm really struggling with central midfield. We have nothing inspiring to pick from with Wilshere and Cleverley being injured for the majority of the season.

Wouldn't take Gerrard as he's been injured for most of the season and hasn't impressed when he has played, Lampard has offered far more to Chelsea than Gerrard has to Liverpool so I'd rather take him. I'd try and get Scholes to go because he's still better than anything else we've got.

Left out A Johnson because he's simply not played enough and there are others that can do that job, I can't stand Gareth Barry but he'll go. I'd take Carroll instead of Crouch just because I think he'd be more effective if we go down the route 1 approach. Wouldn't take Terry because he's absolute dog eggs, will cause problems between him and Ferdinand and I prefer Rio. Only other decision is the extra right back G Johnson or M Richards and I've gone for G Johnson just but I'd be happy with Richards as back up to Walker.

[Handsome Man]

After the weekend I have changed my mind. Henderson doesn't quite look the part, but a few of the young English talent at Liverpool are hitting good form.

Hart +2 (I really have no idea - Foster, Ruddy)

Johnson
Walker
Gibbs
Cole
Jones
Richards
Cahill (Jagielka if not fit)
Lescott

MIlner
Parker
Barry
Lampard

Young
Downing
Walcott
Oxlade-C

Wellbeck
Sturridge
Carroll
Rooney

[winchester_royal]

Gk: Hart, Foster, Ruddy
RB: Walker, Johnson
CB: Lescott, Cahill, Ferdinand, Jagielka
LB: Cole, Gibbs
CM: Parker, Barry, Lampard, Milner
Wingers: Walcott, Sturridge, Johnson, Chamberlain
Strikers: Rooney, Carroll, Welbeck, Crouch

[Victor Meldrew]

Hart
Foster
ideally Robinson but I think he's retired? So doesn't really matter they won't play anyway, Ruddy/Carson

K Walker
A Cole
G Cahill
J Lescott
R Ferdinand
G Johnson
P Jagielka
P Jones

F Lampard
S Parker
A Young
D Sturridge
A Lennon
P Scholes (ideally) more likely G Barry (shudders)
Milner

Rooney
Carroll
Welbeck
Walcott

Lot of winger/attackers in my squad I'm really struggling with central midfield. We have nothing inspiring to pick from with Wilshere and Cleverley being injured for the majority of the season.

Wouldn't take Gerrard as he's been injured for most of the season and hasn't impressed when he has played, Lampard has offered far more to Chelsea than Gerrard has to Liverpool so I'd rather take him. I'd try and get Scholes to go because he's still better than anything else we've got.

Left out A Johnson because he's simply not played enough and there are others that can do that job, I can't stand Gareth Barry but he'll go. I'd take Carroll instead of Crouch just because I think he'd be more effective if we go down the route 1 approach. Wouldn't take Terry because he's absolute dog eggs, will cause problems between him and Ferdinand and I prefer Rio. Only other decision is the extra right back G Johnson or M Richards and I've gone for G Johnson just but I'd be happy with Richards as back up to Walker.

Who is your back-up left-back,is it Lescott who has been badly exposed there in the past?
As for the right-backs all 3 are poor defenders and if you play Jones there who is not a bad defender his distribution is dire.
There is no way Gerrard will be left behind.
Why would you take Scholes who looks totally knackered after playing half a season and doesn't want to play for England?
One contentious (?) suggestion-why not take Terry and leave Ferdinand with his ongoing fitness problems behind-that surely would provide an alternative answer to the anticipated friction between the two.

The more you look at the options,the more you think that we are there just make up the numbers.
Compare just the midfield options:-
Spain-Iniesta,Javi,Mata,Silva,Hernandez,Pedro,Hnuain,Xabi Alonso etc
Germany-Weinsteiger,Kedihra,Ozil etc.
Holland-De Jong,Van Bommell,Robben etc
But we have Scott Parker and Milner-yippeee.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Foster is retired.

Our goalkeeping options are very limited.

[Handsome Man]

People aren't putting Terry in their squads!

You are all getting my hopes up. Is there even a slight chance that Hodgson could leave him out?

[leww_rfc]

People aren't putting Terry in their squads!

You are all getting my hopes up. Is there even a slight chance that Hodgson could leave him out?

Yeah today media's hype is Rio going instead of Terry

[Extended-Phenotype]

F\/ck The Old Guard with a huge dildo made by melting all the cups they didn’t win together into a ribbed head of David Beckham.

Hart
Ruddy
Foster (if he don’t want out of retirement, er… Butland?!! Stockdale??)

Cole
Baines
Walker
Richards
Cahill
Lescott
Jagaileka
Smalling

Parker
Barry
Britton
Cleverly
Young
Walcott
Johnson
Lennon

Holt
Campbell
Sturridge
Wellbeck


Ok, it’s a sack full of risks, but surely there is enough in my squad to show England really don’t need to rely on the The Golden Generation to field a team that could make the quarter finals.

Should we be aiming higher? I’d say that England could fairly consider themselves a top eight nation, but top 4, 2 or 1 would be dreaming – yet who knows? Maybe the missing ingredient was desire and when it should be pressure – the old faces just don’t seem to be able to cope in a side where they meet scrutiny. And we all know that Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney et al are corrupted by unquestioning love from their club fans. Let’s give these new faces a shout before they fall the same way.

[leww_rfc]

Crouch has to go, Holt ahead of Crouch is foolish

[Hoop Blah]

Foster is retired.

Our goalkeeping options are very limited.

With Hodgson taking over there is a suspicion that he might be able to get Foster back out of international retirement. He quit because he didn't think playing second fiddle to Hart was doing him any good in kick starting his career and, I think, getting over the injuries that have hampered him a bit.

Gk: Hart, Foster, Ruddy
RB: Walker, Johnson
CB: Lescott, Cahill, Ferdinand, Jagielka
LB: Cole, Gibbs
CM: Parker, Barry, Lampard, Milner
Wingers: Walcott, Sturridge, Johnson, Chamberlain
Strikers: Rooney, Carroll, Welbeck, Crouch

You wouldn't take Ashley Young at all?

[RobRoyal]

I like it E-P, though you've got three right-sided wingers and one left-sided.

Having said that, given the amount of football he's played recently I suppose it's a bit academic to argue over which side Johnson is best on.

[Alan Partridge]

@VM

I prefer Rio to Terry as a player and a person to be honest and it's 1 or the other. He would still start for me and there is plenty of backup in the form of Jagielka, Cahill and Jones.

Backup to left back for me is Lescott, the likelihood is we won't need anyone else to play left back and I'd rather take an extra attacker and Lescott would be adequate as a stop gap.

Scholes is still better than all of our other central midfielders. We've been knackered by Wilshire and Cleverley being injured all season because it means any chance of a skilfull dynamic midfield are gone and we're going to be left with Lampard/Gerrard (whose been cack and injured all year)/Barry (say no more) and Parker in the centre. Frightening. So I would at least try and get Scholes in there so we have someone capable of passing the football to a team mate from more than 5 yards away. Ideally I wouldn't take Milner because he's another typical English versatile workhorse with little skill but looking at the lack of 'legs' in there especially if Carrick is the other alternative then we are almost forced into not just taking Milner but playing him.

[Victor Meldrew]

@VM

I prefer Rio to Terry as a player and a person to be honest and it's 1 or the other. He would still start for me and there is plenty of backup in the form of Jagielka, Cahill and Jones.

Backup to left back for me is Lescott, the likelihood is we won't need anyone else to play left back and I'd rather take an extra attacker and Lescott would be adequate as a stop gap.

Scholes is still better than all of our other central midfielders. We've been knackered by Wilshire and Cleverley being injured all season because it means any chance of a skilfull dynamic midfield are gone and we're going to be left with Lampard/Gerrard (whose been cack and injured all year)/Barry (say no more) and Parker in the centre. Frightening. So I would at least try and get Scholes in there so we have someone capable of passing the football to a team mate from more than 5 yards away. Ideally I wouldn't take Milner because he's another typical English versatile workhorse with little skill but looking at the lack of 'legs' in there especially if Carrick is the other alternative then we are almost forced into not just taking Milner but playing him.

Whichever way you look at though it's quite depressing isn't it?

[Extended-Phenotype]

I like it E-P, though you've got three right-sided wingers and one left-sided.

I'll have to play one of each at a time then.

[Hoop Blah]

AP, I quite like Milner. He's not in Scholes class but he is a tidy little player who, although not 'skillfull' as such, is capable of keeping the ball and passing it around a bit.

Althought I think Gerrard looked pretty decent when he first came back into the Liverpool team, I do agree he's not come back into form and his place in the squad would certainly be under threat if there was a bit more strength in depth for England there. As it stands though, I'd still take him. He probably wouldn't make my starting eleven anymore though, and I'd possibly play Lampard in there now instead.

[Alan Partridge]

@VM

I prefer Rio to Terry as a player and a person to be honest and it's 1 or the other. He would still start for me and there is plenty of backup in the form of Jagielka, Cahill and Jones.

Backup to left back for me is Lescott, the likelihood is we won't need anyone else to play left back and I'd rather take an extra attacker and Lescott would be adequate as a stop gap.

Scholes is still better than all of our other central midfielders. We've been knackered by Wilshire and Cleverley being injured all season because it means any chance of a skilfull dynamic midfield are gone and we're going to be left with Lampard/Gerrard (whose been cack and injured all year)/Barry (say no more) and Parker in the centre. Frightening. So I would at least try and get Scholes in there so we have someone capable of passing the football to a team mate from more than 5 yards away. Ideally I wouldn't take Milner because he's another typical English versatile workhorse with little skill but looking at the lack of 'legs' in there especially if Carrick is the other alternative then we are almost forced into not just taking Milner but playing him.

Whichever way you look at though it's quite depressing isn't it?

Agree 100%. Writing my 22 out was impossible when I got to the CM area as I was adament Barry and Carrick wouldn't get anywhere near it. Alternatives? 0

[Alan Partridge]

AP, I quite like Milner. He's not in Scholes class but he is a tidy little player who, although not 'skillfull' as such, is capable of keeping the ball and passing it around a bit.

Althought I think Gerrard looked pretty decent when he first came back into the Liverpool team, I do agree he's not come back into form and his place in the squad would certainly be under threat if there was a bit more strength in depth for England there. As it stands though, I'd still take him. He probably wouldn't make my starting eleven anymore though, and I'd possibly play Lampard in there now instead.

Proven quality is always in consideration but there comes a time where you have to look at the cold hard facts and Gerrard has been absent for most of the season. He's definitely not the player he was and I seriously don't think you could start him. Maybe as a squad player come on in games and you could see him perhaps changing a game. I wouldn't be against him going but if he starts it'll cause more problems for England rather than helping them.

I've never been much of a Lampard fan but when I have watched Chelsea this season I've genuinely thought he's been one of their best players and I thought he was immense against Barcelona.