World cup squad

[Dan]

 

How many Bayern Munich games have you seen this season Gazza?

[Gazza]

I answered that in my previous post Dan.....

How many have you seen?

[Fenners]

All you need to do is see him starting against Liechenstein a couple of years ago

[Dan]

I'm just intrigued as to how you can criticise a player you haven't really paid any attention to.

In response to the question "what has Hargreaves ever done in an England shirt", well if you are expecting him to make Joe Cole-style showboats, Gerrard-mimicking surging runs through the middle or deliver a Rooney-esque match-winning miracle, well I'm sorry but you just don't understand football. Owen Hargreaves' game is a technical one, one of excellent passing ability (something most England players seem to lack on occasion), one of slow build-up play - in fact exactly the style of play most often seen in international football. In a similar vein you could retort "what has Reo-Coker ever done in an England shirt" in which case the answer would be far less than Hargreaves as he has neither the experience nor versatility required for the demands of tournament football.

Experience - not only has Owen H amassed over 40 caps and played his part in the last World Cup but he also is the proud owner of a nice Champions League medal. One of only five squad players with one I believe. Not bad work for a "donkey"!

Versatility - Owen H has been a fixture in Bayern Munich's line-up for six years (yes, Bayern Munich! one of the genuine European giants and not a club any old "donkey" will play for) and has done so in various positions, from right-back to holding midfielder, to a winger on either side. This is a quality absolutely essential to our squad given that there are a fair few players still struggling to get fully fit for one game let alone potentially seven. With Hargreaves' experience at right-back he can ably cover Gary Neville, for instance if you replace Hargreaves with Reo-Coker then you need Luke Young too, so who else do you lose?

The problem is, it's easy to slate a player who's plying his trade in your blind spot - this is why as soon as Beckham went to Spain everyone was clamouring for him to be dropped even though he was still playing well for Real Madrid. Fortunately Sven doesn't have this problem - my newspaper today reports that Eriksson watched an in-form Hargreaves have an excellent game for new German champions Bayern Munich including setting up a goal.

Anyway, I'm done - here's to a great World Cup for England.

[Gazza]

Likewise, I'm intrigued as to how you can praise a player you haven't really paid any attention to.....

You say that we lack, on occasions, excellent passing ability. Have you never seen Lampard, Gerrard and Beckham ping 40-yard passes from one side of the pitch to the other - they do it regularly and with success I might add.

You also comment re slow build-up play. It is obvious that Sven has gone for pace if you look at his squad. Pace is everything in the modern game. From Ryman Div 1 level up to World Cup standards, pace is an extremely valuable asset to have.

One thing I do agree with you on is his versatility, it's great to have a player that can play in three or four positions but we've got more than enough strength in depth in this squad. We have two right backs in thw squad in Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, two of the most reliable and consistent performers at the top level for many years. Even David Beckham has played in a right wing-back role before so to say that his versatility in that position is necessary isn't exactly true.

Here's to a brilliant World Cup too....

[oldnownewangel]

hey hey the close season is two days old and the bickering has started.

what happened to the peace n love of saturday ?

[Gazza]

Not bickering at all! I happened to think it was a healthy debate....

[Dan]

It was a very interesting debate with good points raised all round. No one is calling anyone a pikey on this forum! 

Gaz, on my part it wasn't particularly praise for a player I haven't seen, more the defence based on factual evidence of a good player who has earned his place in this squad, after you had labelled him (unfairly in my view) a donkey. As for your point about pace, well then if Sven has chosen a pace-orientated squad then I'm sure you will agree it is an excellent idea to bring a player in who offers something different to the existing options. 

[Gazza]

......and another interesting decision is the exclusion of Ledley King. Sven's point for not putting him into the provisional squad is because he has already enough cover in defence and he is injured. Well, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen are injured and Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole aren't exactly 100% fit so I find it a strange one. I think Ledley King has proven to everyone he's more than able to adapt and slot in nicely in the defensive midfield positions, where he performed excellently during Euro 2004 and in several friendlies since.

Why no Darren Bent? Scored 18 goals (I think) in the Premiership this season and is the leading English goalscorer.Yet he has been overlooked for the untried Theo Walcott, an out of sorts Jermain Defoe and a Championship striker in Andy Johnson. The poor lad must be gutted and wondering what more he has to do.

[Dan]

I personally don't think Darren Bent is good enough, although in fairness he hasn't had as much of a look at this season for England as he perhaps deserved. Interesting stats over on the Ryman forum - Bent failed to score from open play against any of the top defences bar two goals against Spurs, perhaps stats aren't as clear cut as you think sometimes.

Yes AJ is a Championship striker in name but he is Premiership ability as we all know from last season's impressive goal tally.

You have to assume Sven knows his players better than anyone - although I would certainly not have left out Defoe who has proved himself at international level in the qualifying campaign - more than can be said for Bent, Johnson and Walcott.