BCB England football team thread

[borofan]

GLEN JOHNSON? GLEN JOHNSON?

Fortunately he has invoked his traditional sicknote. Michael Keane of Burnley called up as replacement.

Rumors Chelsea are after him to replace cahil.

Hope they get him. Maybe that would stop them sniffing around Ben Gibson.

[Penk!]

A glorious and memorable performance!

Before people start getting too down on England, let's remember that the population of Malta is actually higher than that of Iceland, so this represents a big step forwards.

[Lord Rother]

Nothing changes.

[Diamond Dog]

Rooney attempts 153 passes - YAY!
25 of those lost possession- BOO!

[the masked man]

What a terrible performance. And how Rooney managed to avoid getting sent off after going in to a tackle with studs showing, I'll never know. Repeat that performance against Slovenia and England will get hammered, and deservedly so.

[Penk!]

Oh give it a rest. Repeat that performance against Slovenia and they will win 1-0. They weren't appalling yesterday, just tediously and familiarly blunt. And one imagines they will set up a bit differently with Dier in for eg Lingard, and that Slovenia will be a bit more adventurous than Malta which will play to England's more counter-attacking strengths.

[Lord Rother]

The manager can't do much about the inherent lack of intelligence in the ranks but he could make a start by selecting the right players.

Rooney. FFS.

3 on the trot have selected him when he is clearly past it, has no chance of being effective in 2018, is keeping other better younger players out of the team thus denying them important experience which is an essential part of the bedding in process.

Now it seems as if they believe he can be our Pirlo. Laughable really if it wasn't just so fucking infuriating.

[KeithPratt]

The Masked Man in hysterical post about England shocker

[...]

The manager can't do much about the inherent lack of intelligence in the ranks but he could make a start by selecting the right players.

Rooney. FFS.

3 on the trot have selected him when he is clearly past it, has no chance of being effective in 2018, is keeping other better younger players out of the team thus denying them important experience which is an essential part of the bedding in process.

Now it seems as if they believe he can be our Pirlo. Laughable really if it wasn't just so fucking infuriating.

Given Rooney's awful display against Iceland, he should never have been picked for England again. While Fat Sam obviously didn't have the guts to drop him for his one game in charge, it's a real smack in the gob that GS hasn't grabbed the chance to earn himself an enormous amount of public goodwill (and a head start in the race to be England manager) by doing so. Not only that, but he's continuing to pick him in a midfield role to which even someone as tactically clueless as me can see he's totally unsuited

[Diamond Dog]

The key thing is that Dele Ali had a fine game in the number ten role - the position he plays for his club- and really should now be considered as established in that role (at least until he does something to warrant him being moved from it). That's the only potential place I could see Rooney playing - or should be considered- because he absolutely is not a holding midfield player and can't cut it as a number 9 anymore.

But we all know on Tuesday that Rooney will be there and Ali will be moved to a wide position to accommodate him.

[KeithPratt]

There's obviously something about the inner workings of the England set up that we don't know about facilitating the manager's decisions.

Because at the moment I see no reason why he is there apart from the fact that he is experienced.

[KeithPratt]

Well he's on the bench for the Slovenia match.

[Diamond Dog]

Maybe he has the balls to stick with it, no matter what happens this game.

Fair play to him.

[Rayge]

The key thing is that Dele Ali had a fine game in the number ten role - the position he plays for his club- and really should now be considered as established in that role (at least until he does something to warrant him being moved from it). That's the only potential place I could see Rooney playing - or should be considered- because he absolutely is not a holding midfield player and can't cut it as a number 9 anymore.

While 10 is the position Alli prefers, he plays all across the attacking midfield three for Spurs. Eriksen lines up more often as the 10, although part of the plan appears to be that all three are comfortable playing centre and on the wing, and he and Eriksen in particular switch during matches.
Not that this invalidates anything you say, especially as England don't have anyone of the creative quality as any of those playing with Alli for Spurs. Although Marcus Edwards is on his way

[Diamond Dog]

I think Lallana certainly qualifies as as talented as anyone at Spurs at present.

But, broadly, I agree with your post. My point is, Rooney could not now (or any time in the future) be considered a better bet in that position than Alli.

[Dr Markus]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12016/10612236/axed-wayne-rooney-to-face-media-ahead-of-england-slovenia-world-cup-qualifier

[Diamond Dog]

To give Rooney his due, I think he handled the decision and resultant Press Conference impeccably yesterday.

[...]

To give Rooney his due, I think he handled the decision and resultant Press Conference impeccably yesterday.

Maybe the blazers at the FA should make him player manager*....

* In the unlikely event that anyone from the FA is actually reading this, the above remark is just a joke and not a serious suggestion

[Dr Markus]

Maybe the blazers at the FA should make him player manager*....

* In the unlikely event that anyone from the FA is actually reading this, the above remark is just a joke and not a serious suggestion

While a joke, this would be funny to see.

[...]

Maybe the blazers at the FA should make him player manager*....

* In the unlikely event that anyone from the FA is actually reading this, the above remark is just a joke and not a serious suggestion

While a joke, this would be funny to see.

As someone said on another thread, just when you think you've completed your descent down the ladder into hell, you discover someone's added another rung.