Who will you support in the World Cup?

[AZOffaly]

Fraser Foster
Ben Foster
Joe Hart

Leighton Baines
Gary Cahill
Phil Jagielka
Glen Johnson
Phil Jones
Luke Shaw
Chris Smalling

Ross Barkley
Steven Gerrard
Jordan Henderson
Adam Lallana
Frank Lampard
James Milner
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Jack Wilshere

Rickie Lambert
Wayne Rooney
Daniel Sturridge
Raheem Sterling
Danny Welbeck

[AQMP]

Fraser Foster
Ben Foster
Joe Hart

Leighton Baines
Gary Cahill
Phil Jagielka
Glen Johnson
Phil Jones
Luke Shaw
Chris Smalling

Ross Barkley
Steven Gerrard
Jordan Henderson
Adam Lallana
Frank Lampard
James Milner
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Jack Wilshere

Rickie Lambert
Wayne Rooney
Daniel Sturridge
Raheem Sterling
Danny Welbeck

Surprises??  Well Smalling...Lampard. 

This squad looks weak at the back and may find itself exploited by any half decent players it comes up against .  Hart hasn't been at his best either.

To be fair to Hodgson he does seem to have gone mostly for form players, Cahill, Lallana, Henderson, Sterling, Sturridge though he has still picked Rooney and Welbeck .  Oxlade and Wilshere have both been injured recently. 

On the plus side I think Barkley is going to be a really good player and Shaw has a lot of potential though you would think he'll be understudy to Baines at the WC.

In other news Pepe Mel gets the heave-ho from WBA

[magpie seanie]

I missed out on Milner. He goes and Kyle Walker doesn't. Only 7 defenders though I suppose Milner could fill in at right back in an emergency.

AQMP obviously was hoping for no United players to be picked (I'd be happy enough if they got the summer off too) but the 4 picked are well worth their places. People think Smalling is useless because his use of the ball is not so good, especially out wide, but he is an excellent defender with unreal pace.

[Bingo]

With Walkers injury and Johnsons form, RB is a problem area for them.

Johnson very lucky to make it, has had a very average season.

[AQMP]

I missed out on Milner. He goes and Kyle Walker doesn't. Only 7 defenders though I suppose Milner could fill in at right back in an emergency.

AQMP obviously was hoping for no United players to be picked (I'd be happy enough if they got the summer off too) but the 4 picked are well worth their places. People think Smalling is useless because his use of the ball is not so good, especially out wide, but he is an excellent defender with unreal pace.

Man Utd finished 7th in an average League.  Rooney was way off his best, Welbeck is a bona fide tube, Smalling is worse than Welbeck and Jones can do everything except defend.

On the other hand you would be justified in countering "Who else will he pick?".  I think that shows that this England squad is pretty thin.  I'd also include Lampard as a player who shouldn't be anywhere near the World Cup on current form.

For once the British media are down playing this, rightly so.

Trivia note:  The first England World Cup squad since 1954 not to contain a Tottenham Hotspur player

[magpie seanie]

They won the same average league by 11 points a year ago. Rooney clearly had a better season than last season and is England's best player. To suggest he shouldn't be picked is laughable. If the WC was last year should Gerrard have been dropped?

In a funny way the perceived lack of talent in the England squad and the consequent drop in expectations should help them. I think they still have a decent enough squad and with good managment could do ok. Hodgson has got teams well organised in the past and if he can do this there's always a chance they'll score from a set piece (Rooney, Gerrard direct or via good delivery) or a breakaway (Welbeck, Sterling, Sturridge, Ox - serious pace on the break). Just wonder can he get them solid enough defensively. As always it will be interesting.

[Walter Cronc]

Thats what I'd go for although I'd probably have went for Flanagan at RB. Rate him and he can defend.                       

                      Hart

Johnson  Cahill    Jagielka   Baines

            Gerrard       Barkley

       Ox           Lallana        Sterling

                     Sturridge


They have to go with pace and youth.

[screenexile]

Thats what I'd go for although I'd probably have went for Flanagan at RB. Rate him and he can defend.                       

                      Hart

Johnson  Cahill    Jagielka   Baines

            Gerrard       Barkley

       Ox           Lallana        Sterling

                     Sturridge


They have to go with pace and youth.

Sturridge will be shown up at the WC I think... playing alongside Suarez made him look much better than he is in my opinion!

[Walter Cronc]

Thats what I'd go for although I'd probably have went for Flanagan at RB. Rate him and he can defend.                       

                      Hart

Johnson  Cahill    Jagielka   Baines

            Gerrard       Barkley

       Ox           Lallana        Sterling

                     Sturridge


They have to go with pace and youth.

Sturridge will be shown up at the WC I think... playing alongside Suarez made him look much better than he is in my opinion!

True I just wouldnt go with Rooney. Over hyped tube. Perhaps Henderson beside Gerrard and Barkley for Lallana. Barkley could be very dangerous closer to goal.

[AZOffaly]

I see the winning 'slogans' that will be painted on the team buses at the world cup have been announced. (How did Roscommon miss that trick?) It's the usual sort of stuff, but Germany's made me double take. Was it on purpose I wonder?

EIN LAND, EINE MANNSCHAFT, EIN TRAUM

[J OGorman]

Thats what I'd go for although I'd probably have went for Flanagan at RB. Rate him and he can defend.                       

                      Hart

Johnson  Cahill    Jagielka   Baines

            Gerrard       Barkley

       Ox           Lallana        Sterling

                     Sturridge


They have to go with pace and youth.

Sturridge will be shown up at the WC I think... playing alongside Suarez made him look much better than he is in my opinion!

yeah, he was floundering at the start of the season alright during Suarez's suspension.

[Bingo]

Thats what I'd go for although I'd probably have went for Flanagan at RB. Rate him and he can defend.                       

                      Hart

Johnson  Cahill    Jagielka   Baines

            Gerrard       Barkley

       Ox           Lallana        Sterling

                     Sturridge


They have to go with pace and youth.

No way will Roy set out that team, he should, as he has nothing to lose. He can play down expectations in a tough group and say he is focused on the future and building a team.

The media will likely buy it as its an English manager and they'll call them Englands Lions or the like.

But I'll expect him to struggle to get a team, even of that set-up, to play off the cuff football with pace and invention. He loves a straight line.

[Canalman]

Pretty much nail on the head there Bingo.

Hodgson really must be rueing (sic) the injuries to Walcott and Walker.

Reckon that most of England wouldn't have been too fussed if he had decided to leave Rooney at home.

Have never seen a poorer "on paper" England WC squad than the one chosen tbh.

[magpie seanie]

Pretty much nail on the head there Bingo.

Hodgson really must be rueing (sic) the injuries to Walcott and Walker.

Reckon that most of England wouldn't have been too fussed if he had decided to leave Rooney at home.

Have never seen a poorer "on paper" England WC squad than the one chosen tbh.

People mightn't like him but he is still England's best player by a distance. He is their 5th highest goalscorer of all time (2 behind Michael Owen with same number of games played) and was instrumental in them qualifying (top scorer in qualifiers with 7). People are clearly on the wind up here but to suggest England do not start Rooney is plain ridiculous, never mind not bring him!!!! Give it up lads.

Walcott is a big loss alright, given the type of game England should play. There is a strong case too than Terry should have been picked but I can see why he was not.

[Bingo]

Pretty much nail on the head there Bingo.

Hodgson really must be rueing (sic) the injuries to Walcott and Walker.

Reckon that most of England wouldn't have been too fussed if he had decided to leave Rooney at home.

Have never seen a poorer "on paper" England WC squad than the one chosen tbh.

People mightn't like him but he is still England's best player by a distance. He is their 5th highest goalscorer of all time (2 behind Michael Owen with same number of games played) and was instrumental in them qualifying (top scorer in qualifiers with 7). People are clearly on the wind up here but to suggest England do not start Rooney is plain ridiculous, never mind not bring him!!!! Give it up lads.

Walcott is a big loss alright, given the type of game England should play. There is a strong case too than Terry should have been picked but I can see why he was not.

I'd largely agree on Rooney. When on form and fit, he is a huge player and will score goals. The worry is that, once again going into a tournament, he isn't fully fit. He has time to get ready and I don't think his fitness is a major concern, if United had off been playing for something in last 3 games, he'd likely have played. Apparently he taking a physio on holidays with him before they meet up.

For England, he needs to have a role and that should be closer to the goals. Don't think he needs to be tearing round the field and cover 15km a match for England, as they should have players to do that. If he is fit and plays in the final third, controlling his energy, he should have a decent world cup.