View Full Version : [Soccer]England Team Announced For Friendly v Holland.
Andy Johnson and Stewart Downing have won their first call-ups to the England squad for the friendly with Holland.
Full squad:
Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur),
David James (Manchester City),
Robert Green (Norwich City),
Ashley Cole (Arsenal),
Matthew Upson (Birmingham City),
Wayne Bridge (Chelsea),
John Terry (Chelsea),
Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur),
Jamie Carragher (Liverpool),
Glen Johnson (Chelsea),
Gary Neville (Manchester United),
Kieron Dyer (Newcastle United),
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool),
Jermaine Jenas (Newcastle United),
David Beckham (Real Madrid),
Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich),
Joe Cole (Chelsea),
Frank Lampard (Chelsea),
Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough),
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)
Andrew Johnson (Crystal Palace),
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United),
Michael Owen (Real Madrid),
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
morleyian
05-02-2005, 20:31
No Rio?
dyer and jenas dont deserve a place in our side never mind the england team!!!!!
mathew upson to!!!!
sven hasnt got a clue
Pisces Iscariot
05-02-2005, 21:05
No Rio?
He picked up a 'hamstring injury' in today's game.
I wonder how many of the players picked will pick up an injury and therefore withdraw from the squad only to play for their clubs next weekend :suspect:
He picked up a 'hamstring injury' in today's game.
No doubt he will be fit for next weekends games.
Kieron Dyer - most overated player ever.
Crouching Tiger
05-02-2005, 21:20
Am I the only person who detests the word [Soccer] :doh:
Please change it to [Football] so I can sleep easy :thumbs:
unrealnils
05-02-2005, 21:26
I dunno Pro evo soccer sounds better then FIFA :D
simonmac
05-02-2005, 21:52
Am I the only person who detests the word [Soccer] :doh:
Please change it to [Football] so I can sleep easy :thumbs:
Here, Here. We ain't no yanks!
I hope Downing gets a good run (not just in one match, but a run of 3 or 4 games) he's a different class, and could solve your problem on the left.
Fans of the big clubs seem to resent seeing their players called up for the England squad, but as a Palace fan I am so pleased to see Andy Johnson get his place in the squad. If he plays, it will be the first full England appearance for a Palace player since Nigel Martyn in 1993, I think!
On the negative side, it probably means it's the beginning of the end for him in a Palace shirt and if he gets injured that's all hope of us staying up out of the window, but AJ deserves this so much! Here's hoping he gets his first England goal on Wednesday night - I've not been this interested in an England friendly for years.
pompeyfan
05-02-2005, 23:18
I wonder how many of the players picked will pick up an injury and therefore withdraw from the squad only to play for their clubs next weekend :suspect:
Yep, perhaps there should be a policy of 'if you don't play friendlies, you don'y play the others either' as it's got to be hurting the England side as rthere's not enough games for the players to gell as a side because of all the changes. I bet then the players would be fit enough to turn up as a) they wouldn't want to risk losing the sponsorship they gain by being an International and B) the clubs won't want their players transfer values to drop by not being internationals.
Yep, perhaps there should be a policy of 'if you don't play friendlies, you don'y play the others either' as it's got to be hurting the England side as rthere's not enough games for the players to gell as a side because of all the changes. I bet then the players would be fit enough to turn up as a) they wouldn't want to risk losing the sponsorship they gain by being an International and B) the clubs won't want their players transfer values to drop by not being internationals.
They was some talk about bringing a rule in about this a few years ago I seem to remember, but nothing came of it.
I'm sure I heard something about a 5-day rule, where players couldn't play for their clubs for 5 days after an international, if they were injured for that international.
BlueDwarf
06-02-2005, 11:02
Kieron Dyer (Newcastle United),
Jermaine Jenas (Newcastle United),
Andrew Johnson (Crystal Palace),
Good to see sven has a sense of humour...
And scrap the [Soccer] tag for god's sake - 1, it's Football, and 2, what other England team are playing Holland on Weds?
Andrew Johnson (Crystal Palace),
Good to see sven has a sense of humour...
Not watched much football this season then?
BlueDwarf
06-02-2005, 12:14
Not watched much football this season then?
Yeah, just don't see the point in putting one season wonders in the squad.
I take it Alan Smith is injured?
Yeah, just don't see the point in putting one season wonders in the squad.
I take it Alan Smith is injured?
So based on recent form Andrew Johnson isn't deserving of a place but Alan Smith is!?!?!?!/ :lol:
dyer and jenas dont deserve a place in our side never mind the england team!!!!!
mathew upson to!!!!
sven hasnt got a clue
So who else would you pick? I can't think of a centre half that should get in in front of Upson. As for Newcastle, you could say the same for the rest of their first 11 at the moment.
Yeah, just don't see the point in putting one season wonders in the squad.
I take it Alan Smith is injured?
One season wonder? He scored 32 goals last season and has clearly adapted to the Premiership. Smith has scored a goal every 291 mins in the Prem this season (in a good Man Utd team), and Johnson has scored one every 143 mins (in a struggling Palace team), but that is beside the point, to say he doesn't deserve a chance is just ludicrous.
Typical attitude of some big club supporters though. If he played for Liverpool I expect you would be baying to see him included.
Upson, King, Terry, Bridge all pulled out. Defence is going to be a nightmare!
D J Fryer
07-02-2005, 14:51
All our strikers are quite similar in stature - don't you think we should mix it up and have at least one target man? - forgetting the Smith/Johnson debate earlier - I think Smith is an excelllent 'holder upper' of the ball and is great in the air - alright he may not score as many goals but sometimes its that sort of play that creates so many more because he allows the midfield to get involved. Not sure who else there is that can do that job these days.......donk.......I mean Heskey used to but he seems out of favour, Beattie - again out of favour.........? Maybe there isn't anyone?
What's that? Bring back Shearer......... !!??
Upson, King, Terry, Bridge all pulled out. Defence is going to be a nightmare!
:lol:
And so it begins...
I read Terry is out with a bruised knee! :lol:
slideymoo
07-02-2005, 23:11
Gerrard and carragher need to pull out, the last thing liverpool need is more injuries.
The Bear
07-02-2005, 23:37
Doesn't this make you sick when you see so many players pulling out of England squads through 'injury'. Why aren't all called-up players subject to an independent England medical nowadays if they want to return to their club injured?
Looks like Neville, Johnson, Carragher, Cole as the back four then.
The last thing Palace need is Andy Johnson to get injured, but none of us at the club, from chairman and manager though to the supporters, would want to see him deprived of his chance. We look upon it as an honour to have an England squad player, not a hindrance to what we are trying to achieve. Shame that seems to be lost on most of the big clubs these days. We'll be repaid for this anyway - AJ's value will be higher as an England International, assuming he gets to play on Wednesday. Even if he doesn't, he'll benefit from the experience of training with top class players.
As for a striker that is good in the air and can hold up the ball, I think we are lacking in that department. Smith, Beattie and Heskey are probably the best available for the role, but I think that it would have been harsh to leave out any of the other strikers in the squad in favour of one of those. I'd like to see Beattie given more of a chance, though Heskey had his and was found wanting.
cheeseypuffs
08-02-2005, 13:54
My feeling is that the England team needs a stronger manager, someone who doesn't pander to the "stars", allowing them to drop out for the slightest "injury".
There are always going to be players who are head and shoulders better than their replacements, but there are also situations where there is real competition, but the manager does not seem to acknowlege it.
I think Terry and King have played very well for England, and it doesn't help that as soon as Rio and Sol are available Sven makes it clear that they are his favourites. As well as making it easy for the "first choice" players to drop out, knowing that they will get back in, it gives no incentive for the guys waiting in the wings to play in friendlies, as they know they will be dropped for the next competitive game anyway.
I can't help thinking that after Terry had a good run in the team, and did very well, Sven should have made it clear that he was the "man in possession" of the shirt, so that Rio would have to wait in the wings. I think you'd find both Terry and Ferdinand would be available for this friendly, as one wouldn't want to lose his place and the other would be wanting to win his back.
Competition for places is much better for the squad than complacancy.
xraystan
08-02-2005, 13:58
You know not all supports of so called bigger clubs think Andy Johnson shouldn't be in the England squad. As a NUFC fan(we used to be decent once, honest) I'm delighted for Johnson. His scoring record alone says he should be in the team. He's the top english scorer in the top english league FFS, what other justification do you need?
I've taken a keen interest in him this season, mainly because I'd never heard of him before and to see a Palace forward second only to Henry in the scoring charts is, with all due respect, a massive surprise.
I also think it's a big shame that some of the so called better players and their clubs and supports don't seem to think it's good that their player has been called to play for England.
I always look at the squad to see how many NUFC players have made it, as it means they are amongst the best in their position. The fans that think otherwise are probably the same type of fan who doesn't get behind their team even if they are losing. Roy Keans prawn sandwich brigade springs to mind. They don't just go to watch Man. U. you know. They are everywhere.
I can't speak for the others but I think Ledley King is really injured, it's nothing major but enough not to want to risk worsening it. The Engliand team doctors checked him out. Also it's not like he'd want to miss an opportunity to break into the team
D J Fryer
08-02-2005, 15:29
At the end of the day though footballers are employees and more and more english players now consider (whether through club pressure or otherwise) their clubs more important than playing for England - none would say as much publicly because they would be slated but some will be thinking that - especially for a friendly. You look at the relationship Terry & Mourhino seem to have - its the portuguese one wearing the trousers that's for certain, same with Keane & Ferguson. If either 'gaffer' asked them to have a rest they would take it seriously.
Winning the Champions League is what gets players the big money transfers and that happens every year unlike Euro/World cup competitions so players no longer need their country to get noticed abroad.
It's why England are a mediocre team full of great players
It's why England are a mediocre team full of great players
England's biggest problem is that Sven picks the "best" 11 English players, without much , if any, consideration to team balance, formation or players form. Whilst I like Beckham having him on the right unbalances the team, if you play him in the middle who do you drop Lampard or Gerrard? Pushing either of these two out wide is a waste so at least one of them needs to be dropped, and possibly two of the three if you need a more holding midfielder in there as well. Also Beckhams effectiveness as captain has worn off and it's time the armband was handed over to someone else.
Sven doesn't pick players to compliment the core of the team but prefers to play bigger names out of position and at International level I don't think that works. Also he rarely picks in form players for the squad, they might not be good enough to be part of the England set up for very long but an inform player with lots of confidence can make a differnce on the pitch and it can rub off on the others around them.
I just wish Sven would choose a formation that suits English football and pick players which best suit that formation regardless of whether they are big names or not.
BlueDwarf
09-02-2005, 20:34
So far a tactical shambles, and the over-rated Lumphard is playing his usual role as a ******* spectator.
Downing will be on in the 2nd half, in goal probably, knowing Sven.
Wright-Phillips should have had 2 or 3. Gerrard not having a great game.
I just wish Sven would choose a formation that suits English football and pick players which best suit that formation regardless of whether they are big names or not.
I thought everyone was playing in position today. Lampard widish left, as for Chelsea, Gerrard central as for Liverpool, Wright-Phillips right....
Not that it seems to be working particularly well.
Hargreaves for Lampard? Eh?
billyblockhead
09-02-2005, 21:35
utter tosh, the sooner they scrap these pointless friendlies the better. I
If Sven is not going to give these new squad members a decent run out then I really don't see the point in them.
:razz:
What a load of ********.
and people wonder why ive started not to care about friendlies.
Got to agree with some comments, Lampard wasnt up to much in first half.
Johnson, wide right? :lol:
Nothing went right for Owen, if we play the 433 (451) we cant use Owen as the lone striker as he is too easily bullied off the ball.
Gary Neville for that flick as the end. :notworthy :lol: :lol:
Spinning Plates
09-02-2005, 21:41
Sven prefers to let Owen get some match fitness instead of giving Johnson a proper go.
Says it all really.
thehumble
09-02-2005, 21:44
Yeah, just don't see the point in putting one season wonders in the squad.
I take it Alan Smith is injured?
no doubt your experience of football is probably match of the day or sky sports. I go and watch Palace every week AJ is class we will be very luckyif he is at palace next season. no doubt you thought Wright was a 1 season wonder when he was at Palace or Nigel Martyn. AJ is the top scoring english player in the Prem I believ he was the top socring english player over all divisons last season. Sven is a cock for playing him wide right and you know nothing about football !
pompeyfan
09-02-2005, 21:46
What a pointless exercise that was - the sooner Sven departs the better. IMO a friendly should be used to either give the first choice team a chance to play together or new players a run out to see how they do, but all Sven does is play his favorites and fit others in wherever he can and invariably out of position.
Sven is an overpaid clown and fans who pay
good money to see England play get mugged everytime.
Why bother playing players out of position for their debut?
Woeful. Lampard was anonymous in the first half, touch and control was second rate compared with the Dutch. Far too one dimensional across the board.
Cant believe I missed the Rotters Club for that. Redeeming features? Defence wasnt bad, but that hardly counts for anything, they are unlikely to play that combination again. Beckham looked keen. Downing did enough to deserve another chance.
What a pointless exercise that was - the sooner Sven departs the better. IMO a friendly should be used to either give the first choice team a chance to play together or new players a run out to see how they do, but all Sven does is play his favorites and fit others in wherever he can and invariably out of position.
Agreed. They won't be filling Wembley for friendlies at this rate.
cheeseypuffs
09-02-2005, 21:51
If Sven really thinks that was worthwhile, then we need a new manager asap :brickwall
When Garth asked him if it was worth playing Johnson wide right, he said "he was happy to play there."
What do you expect, "Andy, you can play wide right, or sit on the bench for 90 minutes, your call."
"I'll play wide right then boss, thanks" :cry:
And he was happy with Brown and Carragher at centre back, great, like they're ever going to get another go barring another pointless friendly :doh: :doh:
AdamBrunt
09-02-2005, 21:59
International friendlies have been worthless for years.
As for tonight's game ... I'm just glad that Gerrard and Carragher are returning to Anfield injury-free.
Anybody think we stand an earthly in the World Cup?
I only saw the last 10 minutes as I couldn't care less about these pointless friendless, it doesn't looked like I missed much.
BlueDwarf
09-02-2005, 22:10
no doubt your experience of football is probably match of the day or sky sports. I go and watch Palace every week AJ is class we will be very luckyif he is at palace next season. no doubt you thought Wright was a 1 season wonder when he was at Palace or Nigel Martyn. AJ is the top scoring english player in the Prem I believ he was the top socring english player over all divisons last season. Sven is a cock for playing him wide right and you know nothing about football !
Let's see him do it for more than 2/3 of a season in a decent league. Why do fans of smaller clubs have such a chip on their shoulder about their players?
Plenty of better players at better clubs have had better seasons and still not been England class - Cole, Beattie, Philips, Heskey, etc.
He's a good prem player of course (so far), just lacking that little bit extra which makes players international quality.
Sven is a cock for playing him on thr right though, what a ******* nause. :cuckoo:
By playing such a mess of a team he has made the case against friendlies stronger. As Hansen said, Downing on the left, Wright-Philips on the right, and Johnson up front with Owen or Rooney - then Sven could learn something.
I'm so angry about the treatment of AJ. The last manager who played him out right was Steve Kember, who was almost as tactically inept as Sven was tonight. He's not a right winger and there really was no point playing him there. If this is what England want him for I'd rather we just kept him for ourselves.
Oh and don't get me started on Owen Hargraves.
Apart from working hard has anyone seen any indications that
the bloke is international class?
But he plays for Bayern Munich so he MUST be good.
Christ I taped Law & Order so I could watch this - what a waste of time.
Sven's a very overated england coach if you ask me, bring back Venables and let's have a team that works
Sven's a very overated england coach if you ask me, bring back Venables and let's have a team that works
I agree. Apart from right back and left midfield we have world class players but we only ever look very average.
Oh and don't get me started on Owen Hargraves.
Apart from working hard has anyone seen any indications that
the bloke is international class?
But he plays for Bayern Munich so he MUST be good.
Yeah, I don't know how many more chances he needs. Maybe he will develop in a few years but he just isnt good enough right now. He is just a tenacious version of Phil Neville.
Was gutted for AJ tonight. Bloody Sven. I won't even waste my breath on the fool, I am really annoyed with him. How come everyone in the entire country, except for him, can see there is no point to using friendlies like he did tonight.
Was gutted for AJ tonight. Bloody Sven. I won't even waste my breath on the fool, I am really annoyed with him. How come everyone in the entire country, except for him, can see there is no point to using friendlies like he did tonight.
Maybe the reason is that Sven doesn't really want to do the England job - he just wants the cash that comes with it. I'm sure he'd rather we sacked him, he collected the pay off and went back to club football.
To be fair, I think AJ did better than you could expect out wide. He looked up with the pace of the game, tracked back well and put a couple of good through balls in. But what an utterly clueless decision by the manager. Still fuming here!!
Anyway, I didn't notice him picking up an injury and he'll come back to Palace still desperate to prove himself, so I don't think it's bad at all for us.
Turned off after 50 mins to carry on my Alias catch up marathon.
Andy Johnson playing wide right. :cuckoo: :cuckoo: :cuckoo:
Resign Sven.
4 Reasons to play friendlies;
1- money
2- practise
3- experimentation with team formation
4- try new players
In the first half we played a full strength team. Sven wanted to see how they coped in a 4-3-3 formation. I don't think it's wrong to experiment with formations.
Lampard didn't play well, so he took a look at Hargreaves after half time OK fair enough.
After that Sven loses me.
30 minutes for Johnson and Downing. Enough time ? Debatable. No point at all in playing Johnson out of position.
No point at all in Jenas and Dyer coming on for 10 minutes. The team loses its shape, meaning that Johnson and Downing only had 20 minutes of meaningfull time on the pitch. No point there either then.
To judge players, you need to give them a genuine run in the team. The second half proved nothing and achieved nothing.
To try a new formation, you need to give it several games so that players settle into their positions. A one off 45 minutes of the first team playing 4-3-3 achieved nothing and will only be worthwhile if followed up with more friendlies with the first team staying on the pitch for the bulk of the game.
Friendlies should be a useful tool for the manager, but Sven tries to do too much over 90 miutes and ends up achieving zilch.
Mandrill
09-02-2005, 23:17
Sven is overrated and I will be glad when he goes.I only saw the hi lights but it looked poor and AJ on the wing WTF ?????
I loved Sven's answer as to why AJ was played out right....."because he wanted to play" said Sven.
Expect to see Heskey in Goal for the next friendly then :nuts:
I loved Sven's answer as to why AJ was played out right....."because he wanted to play" said Sven.
Expect to see Heskey in Goal for the next friendly then :nuts:
:wave: Me too, me too, I'll get me boots.
He is just a tenacious version of Phil Neville.
There's no need for that. He might not be top class player, but likening him to Phil Neville in any way whatsoever is :nono: :nono:
I don't see Hargreaves going round messing absolutely everything up all the time. Nor would I say he's a dirty and especially nasty, talentless piece of work either.
Talking of the Neville brothers - anyone see Gary's silky skills at then end? Not only did he ruin one of England's best moves - it almost resulted in losing the game too. :lol: :lol: :brickwall
Crouching Tiger
10-02-2005, 00:18
I only saw the last 10 minutes as I couldn't care less about these pointless friendless, it doesn't looked like I missed much.I only watched about 5 minutes (during the adverts in the cricket I think) and I saw SWP miss 2 absolute sitters from about 7 and 3 yards out. :doh:
There's no need for that. He might not be top class player, but likening him to Phil Neville in any way whatsoever is :nono: :nono:
I don't see Hargreaves going round messing absolutely everything up all the time. Nor would I say he's a dirty and especially nasty, talentless piece of work either.
Talking of the Neville brothers - anyone see Gary's silky skills at then end? Not only did he ruin one of England's best moves - it almost resulted in losing the game too. :lol: :lol: :brickwall
No bias at all there... oh no...
Honestly, people who believe that Gary Neville should be anything other than England's first choice right back are insane. He's an excellent player, and has served his country well for nearly ten years.
As for the idea Phil Neville lacks any talent, I'll just refer you to the last time he got a real chance for United, and he made Patrick Vieira (aka Teh Best Midfielder Evar!!!) look like a Conference player.
I'll also refer you to the fact that at the time both Neville brothers broke into the United senior squad, it was widely thought among people who worked with them that Phil was the better player. The only thing which has held him back is the fact he's never been able to make one position his own, and as such gets shuffled all over the place as a utility man, and that makes it almost impossible for him to show what he can do.
Still, I'm sure you know much more than all the England managers who've consistently picked both of them 'N00N00'...
:brickwall
can't beleive last night. Sven = stupid sweedish muppet.
I've had enough of him now. Get somebody else in. He's been looking at Chelsea waaaaay too much this season and that's what the game stank of..... No ideas whatsoever.
Honestly I could cry.
Wright-Phillips was poor but I feel he let the pressure of the occasion get to him, so I would happily see him back. Downing was disappointing but I felt by the time he came on the team was so unorganised he wasn't sure where he was supposed to play. I feel he deserves a proper chance next time. Carragher and Brown were very stable and Neville and Cole did well. Playing Andy Johnson on the right was just pure madness. What the hell did anybody learn form that?
Beckham seems to be playing better than he has in recent months but what position did he play? He simply roamed about without much purpose at all. Hargreaves, why? Jenas, why? Dyer, why?
Marco Van Basten will leave feeling that he gave some young players a decent run out. He will be happy knowing that Castelen and Boulahrouz are worthy of their selection.
Sven will leave knowing that we are defensively sound, but he knew that anyway. Other than that he learnt bugger all. Please resign Sven. I'd rather we played exciting football and lose than grind out 0-0 draws.
yeh, downing came on and seemed to be playing a central left midfield role. Hell, the guy is an out and out left winger. He'll stick to the touchline like glue. England have been crying out for him for ages, so of course, it would be far too much to ask sven to actually play him in his correct position. He just didn't look comfortable at all.
thehumble
10-02-2005, 11:35
Let's see him do it for more than 2/3 of a season in a decent league. Why do fans of smaller clubs have such a chip on their shoulder about their players?
Plenty of better players at better clubs have had better seasons and still not been England class - Cole, Beattie, Philips, Heskey, etc.
He's a good prem player of course (so far), just lacking that little bit extra which makes players international quality.
Sven is a cock for playing him on thr right though, what a ******* nause. :cuckoo:
By playing such a mess of a team he has made the case against friendlies stronger. As Hansen said, Downing on the left, Wright-Philips on the right, and Johnson up front with Owen or Rooney - then Sven could learn something.
Rooney had one season and most of the that on the Bench before he was given a good chance for England Owen cam straight in. IMHO (and I watch loads of football) Aj is far better than Beattie, heskey and Phillips and I think better than COle but not at right wing. Totally agree with your last Paragraph.
incdentally I actually was not wanting AJ to play at all because injury tohim would be disaterous for Palace which is far more important to me than England. England win World Cup or Palace survive in Prem, Its Palace every day
Downing was also played out of position. Not as much as AJ, but he still wasn't in his normal position of left wing in a 4-4-2. 30 mins is not enough anyway.
Having not been to an England game in 17 years, I was looking forward to last nights match at Villa Park.
OMG, what a waste of time and money (£140 for 4 tickets). First half was ok, but nothing special. The second half was just a shambles. Johnson and Downing were a waste of space, although there was potential. I'll seriously have to think hard if I'll bother going to anymore England games.
The only decent England performance imho, was by Ashley Cole.
No bias at all there... oh no...
Honestly, people who believe that Gary Neville should be anything other than England's first choice right back are insane. He's an excellent player, and has served his country well for nearly ten years.
As for the idea Phil Neville lacks any talent, I'll just refer you to the last time he got a real chance for United, and he made Patrick Vieira (aka Teh Best Midfielder Evar!!!) look like a Conference player.
I'll also refer you to the fact that at the time both Neville brothers broke into the United senior squad, it was widely thought among people who worked with them that Phil was the better player. The only thing which has held him back is the fact he's never been able to make one position his own, and as such gets shuffled all over the place as a utility man, and that makes it almost impossible for him to show what he can do.
Still, I'm sure you know much more than all the England managers who've consistently picked both of them 'N00N00'...
:brickwall
Phile Neville constantly shows what he can do in an England shirt on a regular basis. He has had many, many chances and is a consistant performer at fouling people (or trying to but failing), giving away cheap free kicks, missing important tackles and conceeding penalties.
Gary is clearly the better of the two, and I never said he shoudn't be playing for England (though i probably wouldn't play him if i was the manager).
Just becasue someone is one of the better players in their postion in England doesn't automatically mean they are a top class player at all though. For example - David James is one of England's top goalkeepers - however he is clearly an average player when one considers the big picture.
Gary is pretty similar (albeit much more reliable). He can do a job, and won't let you down very often, but at the same time the opposition will be pretty pleased to be playing against someone of his ability rather than against a top class player (that is unless of course he decides to give them a good kicking).
The fact that Gary neville gets so many games for England tells you something about the lack of quality right backs we have in this country - it doesn't mean he remotely "excellent". Additionally - he's clearly a rather unpleasant and spineless individual too.
The fact that Phil Neville gets so many games tells you that the managers who play him clearly don't really know what they're doing. Most people know that Phil Neville isn't good enough to play for England. You are correct - on this one issue I clearly "know much more than all the England managers".
Though lets be honest - other than yourself - who doesn't? :clap:
balstino
11-02-2005, 15:47
Steve Bruce wants the England job, I'd like to see him manage Man U and be successful first. Fair play to him for being so upfront though...
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