BECKHAM GONE BYE BYE
So Beckham has been dropped by McClaren for his first squad. Do you all agree?
Also out is Campbell and James!!
There is some new blood and some old.
Here is the full squad.
Robinson (Tottenham), Kirkland (Liverpool), Foster (Man Utd); Bridge (Chelsea), Brown (Man Utd), Carragher (Liverpool), A Cole (Arsenal), Dawson (Tottenham), Ferdinand (Man Utd), G Neville (Man Utd), P Neville (Everton), Terry (capt, Chelsea), Young (Charlton); Downing (Middlesbrough), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Richardson (Man Utd), Wright-Phillips (Chelsea); Ashton (West Ham), Bent (Charlton), Crouch (Liverpool), Defoe (Tottenham).
posted by United We Stand @ 10:19 AM
6 Comments:
I just looked at my TV guide and England/Greece is live on FSC on Wednesday at 3 pm
Awesome! Thanks for posting this, as I was just about to.
On the whole, I like the squad. McClaren's got rid of some of the dead wood (Campbell and James). The Becks move may seem harsh and premature for a player just barely into his mid-thirties, but I see it as a bold move. Becks in the squad is a distraction at this point. Now, everyone can get on with the new regime. I still have issues with Lennon and SWP's distribution, but they'll certainly terrorize defenses with their pace.
I don't know Foster, but I assume he's a ManYoo kid. If that's the case, the focus is very much on youth, with Kirkland, Young, Downing, Lennon, SWP, Bent and Defoe all in the squad.
If I have any concerns, it's that the forward line is a bit thin. I assume that Owen and Roon would both make the squad if available and that Ashton and either Bent or Defoe would drop out. However, without them, the focus is more on midfield - as if was with Sven - and only Bent, Defoe and Crouchie are out and out strikers, and even Crouchie doesn't score a lot of goals. I might have another "sniffer" in there rather than Jenas or perhaps Ashton.
I agree with your Beckham comments but it is a shame that he is 6 caps short of a ton.
I don't see the love of Jenas. I don't rate him at all.
Do you think Owen will be recalled? He could be considered the same generation of Becks. I know he is younger but has too many injury problems. I am not sure if he will be an automatic.
Carrick and Rooney would be in the squad if not injured or banned. Who else is missing? Who would be dropped?
Jenas? P. Neville? Richardson?
As for Foster, he is on loan at Watford again this season. He should get a lot of practice with saves!!
There are a couple of differences between Owen and Becks. Although, they are part of the same generation, remember that wee Mikey is still only bloody 25! I know it seems as if he's been around forever, but remember that he was scoring in France '98 at the age of 17. Footballers are usually considered at their peak at 26, so if he does recover from this injury, he should be part of McClaren's plans through the next WC.
I'm with you - I don't rate Jenas. I have to think that he'd make way for Carrick. Also, remember that Joe Cole will return at some point - hopefully sooner rather than later. Phil Neville and Richardson are also on the bubble.
I assume that Foster is the 3rd keeper and if so, who cares. Are you expecting an AlQueda attack to take out two keepers in the Greek game? He'll never get a look.
I think it's an interesting squad that serves two purposes: Blooding newcomers and culling off no-hopers.
I'd like to see Brown, Dawson, Downing, and Jenas, exposed as simply not good enough to be considered the way Sven allowed Kevin Beatty to play his own way out of contention. I'm tired of Jenas, Brown, and Downing in particular just in squads to make up a quorom for the first team to train with. Dawson is no good at defending and is only dangerous on set pieces and the occasional overlap. Adding SWP to the squad also sends the stupid boy the wrong message. McLaren should have told him that he doesn't get in the squad until he starts 10 consecutive matches and stays on a minimum of 60-70 minutes. Before then, I don't want to know.
I like adding Ashton and Bent, and really like the addition of Luke Young who should have gone to Germany. I don't agree with Defoe's critics that he cannot do it at the top level so I'm hoping he'll come good. I've liked Richardson too, so I'm hoping he'll do well if selected. I'd like to see Lennon do well and maybe get some tactical experience. Everytime I've seen him start for Spurs, he's been gassed by the 65th minute. He's a kid so he should do something about that lack of fitness. Maybe he should watch the way Richardson handles his fitness.
The really interesting pick is Carrick because he's more of a Veron midfielder than a holding guy. Does this mean that McLaren is going to drop Lamps? And having snubbed Stevie for the skipper role, is he going to pile on by telling him to play the holding role? Or are we actually going with Hargreaves in the middle? That's really interesting.
Bob's right. Fit, Owen is still the man. And if Rooney shapes up his attitude, he's the guy to go with alongside. You would hope that Rooney is man enough to fix himself. Ferguson's just too feeble nowdays to put it to him plainly. I bet if he was still at Everton, Moyesy would have sorted his discipline issues out sharpish and Rooney would be a better man and player for it.
Yes, I think that Beckham could get a recall to the squad. I think I'd have left Jenas out and named Becks to take his place on the bench.
I reckon Hargreaves will play the holding position since Carrick is injured and thus didn't make the squad. You'd have to think that Phil Neville would make way for Carrick if fit for this match. Steven Cohen was speculating the other day that without Becks, McClaren will ask Stevie G. to play wide right. I'm intrigued by that idea because I don't think Lennon has the quality to provide the service required. He's still an interesting option off the bench, but I wouldn't start Aaron. That leaves Lamps running down the middle and someone replacing Joe Cole out left, perhaps someone more defensive than Joe like Bridge. Or if he's more adventurous, perhaps Richardson on the left. Up front? Defoe and Crouch would be my pick but I wouldn't be surprised if Bent started the match.
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