england squad

[sfcfan]

another article that i found on the web - this one has proven to come true as well~!!!

 

Amid all the feverish furore over a possible international recall for Alan Shearer, the recurring theme was the glaring need for a traditional English centre-forward.

Of course if Shearer had declared himself available, then he should have been included. He is still the best around.

But in his absence, then surely the manager has to look for the next best option with similar qualities.

He has to look for a powerful targetman who is strong in the air with awesome work-rate to close down from the front and a proven goalscorer whose confidence is sky-high feeling he can score with every chance he gets.

Step forward... Francis Jeffers. Step forward... Darius Vassell. Stumble forward... Emile Heskey!

Excuse me, but am I missing something here? James Beattie is the leading scorer in the Premiership, the first player to reach 20 goals.

He is joint second in the race for UEFA's Golden Boot - only Christian Vieri has scored more league goals!

Beattie is not just a goalscorer though; he also sets the tone and tempo with his selfless running, chasing and closing down.

Watch him carefully and it is astonishing just how many times he clears the ball in his own box.

Yet he has been scandalously overlooked in favour of a string of players who cannot hold a candle to him this season.

No-one would argue against the inclusion of Michael Owen, who by the way would make the perfect foil for Beattie.

But Jeffers has scored just two league goals all season.

For all his undoubted promise, Wayne Rooney has been used only intermittently and has scored four.

Heskey, who was woeful against Celtic in the UEFA Cup, has five. Darius Vassell has seven - and one of those was a gift .

 

Beattie has scored more than the four of them put together!

Admittedly he is not yet the finished article - but then neither is Rooney who is barely old enough to stay up late enough to watch the highlights of a midweek game!

Jeffers scored a good goal against Australia but this season he has become best known for his perceived tendency to take a dive.

Heskey also goes down far too easily for a man of his size - but that is all over the pitch, not just in the box. And it does not necessarily require the intervention of an opponent!

Yet he is the only targetman in the England squad for the two vital Euro 2004 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Turkey.

If he gets yet another knock then it will leave only a posse of pint-sized poachers.

In their precarious position England are desperate for goals against the tiny principality both to boost their flagging morale and their goal difference.

Beattie might not be the first-choice to take on the technically-accomplished and more experienced Turks but he would frighten the life out of Liechtenstein.

Personally I would start with him, assuming the game goes ahead. But it is astonishing to think he will not at least be on the bench - if only to protect Sven Goran Eriksson from future flak.

Imagine the uproar if England struggle for goals against the part-timers - or unthinkably fail to beat them and Eriksson has left out the leading goalscorer in the Barclaycard Premiership who just happens to be English.

He would surely be dubbed Sven Go-Now Eriksson - and that would be no more than he deserves for this truly shocking and scandalous oversight.

 

[Steve]

Excellent performance by your England team. It seems they can play 'up' to as well as down to competition. You can all thank Arsenal for Rooney being in the squad. His performance against us got him the start. Turkey's manager was talking too much sh*t before the match. He was the Turkish equivalent of of Ferguson. I'm glad they still have yet to score against England.

 

sfcfan, I will agree that Beattie and not Vassell should have had the opportunity, even though the result was good.

 

Becks has to watch his temper, he's worse than Alan Smith at Leeds. lol. James was great in goal. I was surprised at his performance. The pitch invasion was unfortunate and the Turks crying about banning fans, etc. is legitimate to a certain extent but the statements were made out of bitterness of a loss. Not to mix politics and sports but that should teach them to deny our boys the bases and try to extort money for its use. Okay, politics over.

France had a scare which surprised me. I still think they will get to the finals though. Too much firepower. However, I think England can compete against Spain and Germany. Portugal are always a concern, but the Italians are in dissaray. They are very beatable. I think Holland may pose some problems also.

 

Is Owen out for the Man Utd/Liverpool game? Gerrard was unsportsmanlike after the game but I understand the emotional environment.

 

What about an England/U.S. friendly? You guys up for it? ::

[SiLeakHunt]

Says chocolat steve:

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What about an England/U.S. friendly? You guys up for it? ::

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So long as you promise not to do what the Aussies did.

 

Cheers

[sayjann]

'Becks has to watch his temper, he's worse than Alan Smith at Leeds'.

 

pppplllleeeeaaaaasssssssseeeeee.

Becks is worse than Smith?

both have been sent off whilst playing for England,but Becks record in the Premiership is like an angel compared to Smith,and he has been playing a lot longer.

and which of them is a regular performer for the national team?

 

Becks was fired up because of the bad press about the team.

he is so proud to be a part(and captain)of a team which has tradition.

he's not my favourite Utd player,but he loves his role as England captain,which important to him.

 

surprised at James's performance?

he has been doing this all season for West Ham,getting rave reviews.

but because he is playing for a team with no defence,he gets all the shit.

he has been one of the top keepers so far.

 

Turks banning fans for the return game?.

i hope so,there will be a lot of violence when they play again and i hope the English will stay away,but it will not happen.

 

e will still the normal English 'supporters' travel and get into fights and it will be in the news.

i would not go,i would watch it in the comfort of a nice bar.

 

Rooney playing because of his performances against the Arse?.

you are deluded CS.

English public and media demanded it and threw a challenge to Sven.

 

was he only picked because of a few minutes played against the Arse?,or the other games he has played this season?

 

it is easy to watch the games concerning your team,but there are many more to take into account.

 

[Steve]

Quote from Sven that appeared in that standard of ethical journalism, the Sun:

 

"I knew he could handle a game of such importance after watching him play for Everton against Arsenal.

"I thought then that, if this boy can perform like that against one of the best teams in Europe, then he can do it just as well at international level. "

 

I was joking about Becks' temper, he was fired up. I had a 'lol' after my Smith comment. I like his energy (and the girlie hair thing he wears too..haha...sorry Sayjann, had to do it)

 

Even with a shoddy defense I have seen some poor performances from James this year. But he stood out in the game and deserved the clean sheet. Fair play to him. He made saves Ol Safe Hands couldn't get to frankly.

 

Too bad the game wasn't at the Kop or OT and we could blame the hooliganism on the scousers or mancs. :hubba:,

but since everyone around the country comes to these matches Long Gun's mackems won't have to shoulder the blame.

 

I will say the one thing about these national games its the one time when Reds and Mancs, Arsenal and Spurs and Geordies and Mackems all live peacably at the pub. At least until Saturday.

 

So, will you make the finals? Or even semi finals?

 

 

[limbo]

I think Holland may pose some problems also.

 

Steve, I ask you..................

That's all my main man can think of

 

After an almost loss away at Moldavia (always difficult :doah:) we might be up for a good run. These players have something to make up for. (although you wouldn't say so looking at their results.)

 

England won't make it to either the finals or semi's. Second statement!!

 

An English/US friendly would be very interesting indeed.

[sayjann]

you are isolated in your little part of the good States CS.

Rooney has been idolised by the English press(and the public) for a longtime,not just The Sun.

Sven had no choice,HE HAD to play him against Turkey,he would have been slagged off if he did'nt play him.

media and public opinion MADE HIM play him.

24 hours before the game,Heskey was the preferred choice,but when he opened the papers he saw the public opinion and HAD to change his mind.

 

'ol safe hands' i take is a reference to man juice playing for the Arse?.

James has had a good season while playing for a crap team.

i may be wrong,but i think i have seen many more games he has been involved in then you have thhis season.

do you make a point of watching West Ham's games?

well i do and have seen many good things from him.

when have we seen James concede goals from players like Ronaldinho and Zola like Seaman has in the recent past.

i hope Arsenal sign Seaman for another 5 years,they will be fucked.

 

[limbo]

Says sayjann:

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i hope Arsenal sign Seaman for another 5 years,they will be fucked.

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Sayjann,

 

thanks, but no thanks.

[Steve]

From what I understand, we actually get more PL games here than the English do. I'll see 3 games this Saturday and 2 Sunday. There are also highlights from Sky Sports and Fox Sports has a couple EPL shows that go through each fixture and an 'expanded' highlights, with analysis, etc. (we also get Bundesliga, la Liga and SPL games also) One of my friends I hang with at the pub is a Hammer, and although I don't see them every week, I have seen them live several games good and bad, Cup games also. If James were put in the position of a Ronaldinho, we don't know how he'd do, but he seems like he'll get his chance. He played well, I concede that but I have seen bad games from him, even with his dodgy defense. I've seen bad games from Freidel (last 5 mins at Newcastle) and Cudicini (our FA cup replay) as well.

 

'ol safe hands' i take is a reference to man juice playing for the Arse?.

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Sayjann, you really should learn the history and the players of the top club in England. I may have to quiz you on your own club, What is Man Utd's nickname: A) Red Devils or Scum? Wrong! B, scum. haha. Had to get you upset before I leave the office.

 

If Sven really was listening to the people, that cart horse Heskey would not have been playing all this time. ::

 

He could have brought Rooney in off the substitutions bench after 20 mins or so, if he felt so much pressure to play Rooney.

 

Limbo, Its hard to support the Dutch team with Van Nistle-dive in it (joking), but I do wish them well also. Is Jimmy Floyd considered too old or is he on the outs with the manager?

 

I think a friendly between the U.S and England after the war is over later on would be good. I'd be very curious to see how we play.

 

 

[sayjann]

i'm sorry Steve.

if you had seen the intense media articles and the strong public opinion for the last few weeks about Rooney,you might understand a bit better.

 

and people have been saying for months that Heskey should not be an automatic choice and i think that Sven is slowly seeing his mistake.

when he substituted Owen,who came on,Heskey?,no.

in his own mind he knew Heskey was not the man to change the game.

 

as to West Ham.

i have seen every one of their games this season.

sad i know,but a little girlie friend of mine is a HUGE supporter and has every game sent to her on VDO and i am forced to watch them all.

why do i watch them?,because after them i get a VERY GOOD shag.

the things i have to do to get a little pleasure.

i once had to endure 4 games in a row,but one of them was the FA cup game which entertained me.

 

and i was pulling your plonker with the reference to 'man juice',of course i know it was refering to 'the old bloke with a stupid ponytail'........ ::

 

and you were incorrect in your question about Utd's nickname.

perhaps you should be the one to learn a bit of history..