England - the future....

[Hoop Blah]

Milner goes as even if he's not a starter. Takes cares of the generally underrated/play anywhere in midfield/emergency cover at fullback/can take a penalty Owen Hargreaves role.

Henderson and Wilshere should probably miss out from not playing enough/at all.

Milner may be one that profits from Hendersons injury, but if you take Milner who are you leaving out from the central midfeilders? Ali, Dier, Wishire and Drinkwater would be my 4 now, unless Henderson miraculously regains fitness. Are you leaving one of those behind or taking 5?

[genome]

Wilshere? Why?

[Hoop Blah]

Wilshere? Why?

Because he has that x-factor and is the best passer we have, if fit. He was also man of the match in his last 3 or 4 England games and we'll be going into the tournament with a distinct lack of experience in the midfield so I think I'd take him.

The alternative is Milner or Carrick and I'd rather see Wilshire (if he can prove he's fit enough).

[YateleyRoyal]

So for me, the squad will be:

Hart
Forster
Heaton

Walker
Clyne
Baines
Rose
Cahill
Smalling
Stones
Jagielka

Alli
Dier
Lallana
Barkley
Milner
Wilshere
Carrick

Kane
Vardy
Welbeck
Sturridge
Rooney

[genome]

Would like to see
Hart, Walker, Cahill, Jagielka, Rose, Dier, Drinkwater, Alli, Welbeck, Vardy, Kane

Alli sitting in front of Dier+Drinkwater and Welbeck/Vardy as inside forwards

[6ft Kerplunk]

Milner goes as even if he's not a starter. Takes cares of the generally underrated/play anywhere in midfield/emergency cover at fullback/can take a penalty Owen Hargreaves role.

Henderson and Wilshere should probably miss out from not playing enough/at all.

Milner may be one that profits from Hendersons injury, but if you take Milner who are you leaving out from the central midfeilders? Ali, Dier, Wishire and Drinkwater would be my 4 now, unless Henderson miraculously regains fitness. Are you leaving one of those behind or taking 5?

Lallana hasn't really impressed me this season, and he's third in line for the creative midfielder role behind Alli and Barkley. I'd take Milner instead of him for the aforementioned underrated/covers lots of positions stuff. I think you need a bit of experience in there and Milner gives you that and the midfield would look a bit featherweight if Dier got injured.

[jd82]

Really con't understand the Wilshere love in going on here.. He's played about 6 minutes of first team football since August hasn't he. That and he's massively overrrated anyway

[YateleyRoyal]

Really con't understand the Wilshere love in going on here.. He's played about 6 minutes of first team football since August hasn't he. That and he's massively overrrated anyway

http://www.football.co.uk/england/roy-h ... aFm6tor.97

[Hoop Blah]

I don't think I'd go so far as to say there's a Wilshire love-in either. I've suggested I'd take him and that's about as far as it goes.

Hodgson will almost certainly take him if he can though, and that's because he really is one of the more talented England players and, more importantly, brings something that the likes of Drinkwater, Henderson and Delph don't, that eye for a pass and ability to do something out of the ordinary.

[Hoop Blah]

Lallana hasn't really impressed me this season, and he's third in line for the creative midfielder role behind Alli and Barkley. I'd take Milner instead of him for the aforementioned underrated/covers lots of positions stuff. I think you need a bit of experience in there and Milner gives you that and the midfield would look a bit featherweight if Dier got injured.

Yeah that's one way to do it I guess.

I'm not convinced we'll be playing with a creative midfielder as such, at least not in the way I'm interpreting it. Hodgson looks set on a 4-3-3 which to my mind means Lallana is basically a winger, as is Rooney in that formation.

If we're going along those lines then Dier probably sits in the middle of the 3 midfielders with Wilshire and Ali either side of him (it was Delph and Henderson either side of Wilshire for most of the qualifying). Drinkwater will go but perhaps you're right, we do need another midfielder as cover so that would have to be Milner really.

Kane is the main man through the middle with Rooney, Vardy, Sterling, Sturridge, Wellbeck and Lallana as those competing with him and/or filling those wide positions.

The alternative is that we end up playing 4-3-1-2, in which case Rooney or Barkley plays in behind Kane and Vardy/Sturridge with the same 3 in midfield behind them.

[jd82]

I don't think I'd go so far as to say there's a Wilshire love-in either. I've suggested I'd take him and that's about as far as it goes.

Hodgson will almost certainly take him if he can though, and that's because he really is one of the more talented England players and, more importantly, brings something that the likes of Drinkwater, Henderson and Delph don't, that eye for a pass and ability to do something out of the ordinary.

Fair enough - for me he gives the ball away far too much, can't tackle without snapping one of his legs and he seems like a oxf*rd belmont (admittedly based on practically nothing)

[Vision]

Lallana hasn't really impressed me this season, and he's third in line for the creative midfielder role behind Alli and Barkley. I'd take Milner instead of him for the aforementioned underrated/covers lots of positions stuff. I think you need a bit of experience in there and Milner gives you that and the midfield would look a bit featherweight if Dier got injured.

Yeah that's one way to do it I guess.

I'm not convinced we'll be playing with a creative midfielder as such, at least not in the way I'm interpreting it. Hodgson looks set on a 4-3-3 which to my mind means Lallana is basically a winger, as is Rooney in that formation.

If we're going along those lines then Dier probably sits in the middle of the 3 midfielders with Wilshire and Ali either side of him (it was Delph and Henderson either side of Wilshire for most of the qualifying). Drinkwater will go but perhaps you're right, we do need another midfielder as cover so that would have to be Milner really.

Kane is the main man through the middle with Rooney, Vardy, Sterling, Sturridge, Wellbeck and Lallana as those competing with him and/or filling those wide positions.

The alternative is that we end up playing 4-3-1-2, in which case Rooney or Barkley plays in behind Kane and Vardy/Sturridge with the same 3 in midfield behind them.

Can't see it myself but anyone think Andros Townsend still has an outside chance?

He's finishing the season in form and has performed well for Hodgson before.

[6ft Kerplunk]

Can't see it myself but anyone think Andros Townsend still has an outside chance?

He's finishing the season in form and has performed well for Hodgson before.

Please god no. The only thing he offers is pace and the ability to cut inside and hoof it into the stand on a regular basis. He's had half a good game since he went to Newcastle in January.

[Hoop Blah]

Can't see it myself but anyone think Andros Townsend still has an outside chance?

He's finishing the season in form and has performed well for Hodgson before.

I wouldn't have thought so as, like Milner, I'm not sure who he'd leave out to squeeze him in. There are a lot of options for those attacking positions, however, Hodgson does like to stay loyal to those who've performed for him and Townsend has certainly done that.

I could see Townsend going ahead of Walcott, and maybe Oxlade-Chamberlain for that matter, but I'd imagine Wellbeck, Sturridge, Vardy, Rooney, Sterling, Lallana and Barkley are all ahead of him due to form and previous performances.

[jd82]

Can't see it myself but anyone think Andros Townsend still has an outside chance?

He's finishing the season in form and has performed well for Hodgson before.

Please god no. The only thing he offers is pace and the ability to cut inside and hoof it into the stand on a regular basis. He's had half a good game since he went to Newcastle in January.

A twitter search for 'Townsend over the bar' is generally pretty fruitful when he's playing

[Hoop Blah]

At least he's willing to try though. Too many England players play far too safe and I think that's why Townsend surprised people so much when he came into the side, he took a risk.

3 goals in 10 caps isn't too shabby either so he could make a useful alternative to the other options he takes.

[Sanguine]

Quite. Beating two defenders and twatting it into the stand is preferable to running to the by-line, doing a step over and losing the ball (the Walcott) and failing to beat your man, nutmegging yourself and looking like an orc (the Milner).

[6ft Kerplunk]

The problem is when he has the option of beating two players and taking a shot or beating one player and playing a good pass/cross for someone else to score you know that 95% of the time the crowd are chucking back to the keeper. He may well score 1% of the time but its still not enough to warrant always trying it. He's had enough time to develop his game but just hasn't or Spurs wouldn't have shipped him out.

[George_]

My starting 11 for the Russia game:

Hart

Clyne Cahill Smalling Rose

Dier Wilshere

Lallana Rooney Alli

Kane


Vardy - Sturridge - Barkley off the bench could be lethal if needing a goal.

[Hoop Blah]

Milner did his cause no harm last night with a cracking performance. Perhaps I'll change my mind and say we should make room for him amongst the inexperienced midfielders.