What do we think. How rubbish were England??
Awful is not strong enough, but stand back and think from last nights fringe players getting an outing, what sort of team we could field if we were at strength.
I propose that a back 3 of Terry, Woodgate and Rio-the-camel-face, with Richards attacking down the right and Cole doing the same on the left, with Rooney and Lennon up front and a midfield of Lampard, Joe Cole and Gerrard has the makings of a hell of a team.
imagine the bench too. Carrick, Owen, Hargreaves, Wright-Phillips, Crouch and so many others.
All we would need then is a managaer who can inspire them.
What say the panel?

Like the sound of your team Alan - only change I would suggest would be Ashley Young for Joe Cole. Then I would make them play 2,3,5 with Woodgate and Rio at full back,Richards (who loooks very useful) Terry and A Cole in the middle and Lennon, Gerrard,Rooney, Lampard and Young up front. Gerrard/Lampard would have to work bloody hard back and forth, but primarily in attack and trust our defenders to get the ball and move it quickly forward. Might put the wind up a few sides - and much better to watch than the bore of last night.

I keep hearing Alan Hansen (who was a fairly useful defender) saying how pace terrifies defenders and we are blessed with increadible pace up front and in midfield, through Rooney, Wright-Philips, Lennon and Richards. Fantastic vision through the middle and out wide with gerrard, Cole, Lampard.
I was very lucky to see Woodgate and Ferdinand play together at Leeds and it was obvious then that they were top drawer together, but add Terry to them and you have a defence that need fear no-one.
Ashley cole given free reign on the left and richards (who terrified me and I wasn't playing) down the right and the team looks like a world beater, and very entertaining.
I just think the manager has a boring streak in him which will lead to boring 1-0 and 0-0 matches.
alan

Its time Mclaren resigned before its too late.

The chap to say the least is a bit thick. As soon as I saw his selections I knew we were onto a loser. Bringing Phil Nevile back at left back, I ask you. The bloke cant use his left foot and all evening he looked way out of it.

One man up front and that being Crouche. To me the lads not international class, ok as a shock tactic in the last 15 mins of a game but sorry not for me.

Its about time a England manager went back to basics last employed by Alf Ramsey and played the best available player at anyone position. All this changing of the system just doesnt work.

Get a full England 11 decide on the system and then use it game after game and bring in fresh men for injured ones.

Mclaren said he would use players where they play for their league teams, he just hasnt done that. We wont qualify for the finals and I predict Venables will take over, the only problem being venables looks also to be past his sell by date.

Ps, lampard and gerrard obviously cant play in the same team, we need pace in midfield which was evident during the World Cup.

Lennon is a must on the right, gerrard in the middle with hargreaves, and either Dyer or J Cole on the left, Rooney and Defoe up front. Id also bring Richards in at right back and would hope to bring Walcot into the team as some point in the next 12 months.

God help us.

The modern game, gf. Its all about pace, and we have it. I agree that P neville is about Sunday league standard and G Neville is way past it.
I don't think McLaren has worked that much out yet and is possibly a bit too close to the old (and failed) guard. Venebles is too.
Give me Big Sam anyday. Put out the best 11 and play to score goals.
Pace and skill are there in the team, but not in the management.
All the top teams have pace on their side and yet we seem determined to use those with tired old joints.
I forgot all about Walcott, but imagine being a defender trying to work out who the hell to mark with Walcott, Lennon and Rooney bearing dowm on you and Lampard, Cole and Gerrard waiting to pick up the scraps. Never mind Terry and Ferdinand getting up there if you don't clear quickly enough. They would be almost unplayable!!!

Carrick played like the shit united scum bag he is and McLaren showed his true colours - How could the FA hire such an inept manager?

Told you Micah is incredible, England captain in 5 years.
My team;

Goalie - No one is good enough to play for England
Ashely, Micah, JT, Rio/The Gate
Joey Cole, Stevie G, Frankie, Lennon/SWP
Wayne and Defoe/Daniel Sturridge.

I like that one GDP nobody is good enough for goalkeeper.

I agree and sadly I think come just a few years down the track we may get the same with other positions.

Im afraid no matter how colourfull and exciting it is to have all these foreign players in our league ultimately the International team will suffer and there are signs already of this eg, lack of cover for strikers.

Cricket whent the same way going back and then legislation was brought in and countys could only play I think one overseas player per game, it took a long time to recover discounting the present miserable tour.

We have to sit down around the table and decide once and for all what comes first either the National team or the National league.

My England team would be, BANKS, COHEN, WILSON, J CHARLTON, STYLES, MOORE, BALL, HURST, PETERS, R CHARLTON, HUNT. If they can't win the world cup, then nobody can.

Slater I agree with you for once pretty much on everything.

I disagree G Neville is past it, I still think he's one of the best and fittest full backs in the country, though Micah is the future.
P Neville is and never has been a full back, he plays centre mid for Everton and thats where he's best.

Lampard is the form player at the moment out of the central two.

GD Potts your obviously a typical bitter blue, how the hell can you suggest Daniel Sturrudge up front when he can't even catch upfront for the most impotent team in the Premiership?

McClaren never would have got the job had it not been for two very lucky cup results that coincided with Scolari turning down the job.
O'Neil for me, way ahead of anyone else, unless Scolari changes his mind.......

erm .... , it was only a meaningless friendly.

but i do like picking teams.

mine would be

foster,
g neville, woodgate, terry, a cole
gerrard, carrick, hargreaves, bridge
rooney, walcott

subs bench, (which, if you think about it, has become just as vital as the starting 11),

robinson,
richards, ferdinand, campbell, downing
lennon, , lampard, scholes, j cole
young, owen

Meaningless friendly?? Yes.
But if you are gonna put on that kind of shite, do it on the training pitch away from paying viewers. It was awful and whatever McLaren learned better have been worth it.
Lets see a bit of passion from the squad. Does anyone think Wenger / Ferguson / Jose would accept such low standards, even in a friendly?? I don't.
Get the team right and play it every time. Stop fiddling and get a team spirit going.

BTW, Bos. that midfield looks a bit plodding and defensive for my tastes. You been working with McLaren recently??
;-)
Alan

plodding!!!! ? defensive !!!? nay lad. the pace is upfront and on the flanks where it should be. the two lads in the middle can tackle, run and pass all day long. i'm particularly impressed with me subs bench; lots of quality and ability. feckin' easy this international manager lark, innit . don't know why they always say it's a hard job. i'll be telling macca that next time he calls me up for a chat about tactics ;)

Bring back the "grasscutter" Ray Wilkins!!

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

:-)

Dil: what was the result against Ireland (rugby, I mean)!

My suggestion is that we play a Premiership team which would include the so-called 'foreigners'! In other words, when you join a league you play for that country. Its difficult to even get a full 11 English out of the top four sides so players are not used to playing in a quality team.

Mind it would be worthwhile to pick Steve Taylor, Scott Parker, Milner and Dyer - we could also smuggle in Oba Martins. Now, where does he come from and - where do I come from?

At the end of the day McClaren is clueless but the resources he has at his disposal arent exactly amazing

GK - cant remember Eng having such a dearth of keepers, big part of the problem is how few English keepers are good enough to get a regular game in the prem

Fullbacks - Neville been a decent pro for years and Richards looks promising, Cole heavily over-rated imo tho Bridge decent enough cover, yet McClaren picks a guy who's played central midfield for the last few years rather than have a look at other options

Centre halfs - the one position where we have plenty of decent options yet McClaren still manages to bring Carragher on!!!

Midfield - an area where too many of the current players are over rated and England havent picked a balanced midfield for many a year. How many times do we need to see Lampard and Gerrard together to know it doesnt work. Both rely on a holding midfielder (or 2 in Lumpalards case at prem level) and looking woefully exposed without them

Strikers - Rooney the only one good enough a lot of very poor options otherwise, a lot of who cant get regular games in the prem (Crouch rotated by Lpool, Defoe in and out of Spurs side, Walcott? do me a favour - hes had a shocking 6 months and cant get in Arsenal team (yes im an arsenal fan), Young (the next over rated youngster whos proven nothing to get a massive transfer fee)

Ps i backed Spain last night :-)

Smug git ;-)
I think we have talent in abundance (keepers aside), but a serious lack of imagination. we always play with such rigid formations. Where are the attacking midfield runs, the centre halfs bringing it forward, the full backs who don't get a nose bleed when they have a shooting chance and the strikers who are not afraid to come back for the ball and create the space for the midfield or wingers to run into?
They are all there, but stifled badly by the strange notion that they have an area of the field to patrol and should not stray. Predictable and easy to defend against. A more fluid approach would bring out the best in some world class talent and surely a friendly is just the place to give them their head and let them play as they would like.
Just my opinion, but what a bloody shambles last night was.
Alan

Bosley - BRIDGE! Thats all I can say about that team.

Andy - 'Catch Upfront'? didnt quite get that one, if you mean play regularly then probably the fact that he's only just 17 and Pearce feels to embarassed not to play his 6million horse upfront (Samaras).
Now Andy, in 1 year he'll be running rings round neville on his wheelchair and powering it past that old boy in goal - maybe even the next derby.
But at least I can say we didnt waste as much as you on shit players like carrick, how he makes the england squad I dont know. He, when we are 1 nil down, stands in front of the 2 centre back and passes it around with them for as long as possible before attempting a pass above his skill level which subsequently finds the touch line. If we insist on playing the tosser that is G neville at Right back then play Micah where carrick plays, he's far stronger, quicker, has a better head and shot and could be far more useful. (Especially since he used to play there).
In one year you'll be admiring the talent of Daniel Sutrridge as the new England strike partner for Rooney, after all, Chelsea thought so much and tried to buy him this summer.

EW ... difference was even though we lost we went down fighting and the game was enjoyable for both sets of fans and neutrals ... we therefore did not feel the need to boo the team off the pitch :-)