England's 23 man squad

[drummindefender]

Profondo Rosso

Think about all of Englands best performances in the last ten years-Germany 5-1, Argentina in World Cup 2002, Russia in Euro 08 qualifiers, Croatia 2010 qualifiers I bet you at least 90% Heskey has started. Not a coincidence.

Real football fans understand his value You're just like the shit pundits on Sky Sports who either are "cheeky" cockneys who wank over london clubs (Tony Gayle and his love for Carlton Cole), or supposedly more talented players, who never played for England and are just jealous (Le Tissier, Merson)

 

[Darth Vodka]

Profondo Rosso

Think about all of Englands best performances in the last ten years-Germany 5-1, Argentina in World Cup 2002, Russia in Euro 08 qualifiers, Croatia 2010 qualifiers I bet you at least 90% Heskey has started. Not a coincidence.

did he also play when we lost to Portugal? lost to Croatia? drew in Russia? (i don't actually know...but i guess he did play )

you're cherry picking

besides, ten years.... even if he has played in a few big games we won, it doesn't follow that he is the same player as he was

when at his best, he was at least getting a game for a premiership team every week

 

[drummindefender]

did he also play when we lost to Portugal? lost to Croatia? drew in Russia? (i don't actually know...but i guess he did play )

you're cherry picking

besides, ten years.... even if he has played in a few big games we won, it doesn't follow that he is the same player as he was

when at his best, he was at least getting a game for a premiership team every week

No he didnt play in the games against Croatia we lost, or the game in Russia we lost (as far as i can remember). And there not good perfomances. He did play against Portugal in 2004 but not 2006.

But anyway, the point of my post surely is to cherry pick the best England performances , and the fact Heskey was involved in them.

Hes not Englands second best striker in terms of ability, but he brings out the best in Rooney and those around him. I dont think he should start every game, but he will be suited for some more than others and has to be there.

 

[jb5000]

Nearly announced, here's the squad I'd name - I do think Carrick and Walcott have been poor most season, while Parker really should have got a run out in the friendlys, he's the most natural replacement for Barry/Hargreaves

Robert Green
Joe Hart
David James

Leighton Baines
Jamie Carragher
Ashley Cole
Michael Dawson
Rio Ferdinand
Glen Johnson
Ledley King
John Terry
Matthew Upson
Stephen Warnock

Gareth Barry
Michael Carrick
Joe Cole
Steven Gerrard
Tom Huddlestone
Adam Johnson
Frank Lampard
Aaron Lennon
James Milner
Scott Parker
Theo Walcott
Shaun Wright-Phillips

Darren Bent
Peter Crouch
Jermain Defoe
Emile Heskey
Wayne Rooney

 

[Graz]

I'd leave Warnock, Dawson, Adam Johnson, SWP, Huddlestone, Carrick and maybe Matt Upson. Take all 5 strikers. Otherwise keep Upson and leave Bent behind.


BBC reporting Barry's passed his fitness test and will be in the squad. Great news if he is actually fit enough.

 

[drummindefender]

Stephane Guivarc'h; 14 caps, 1 goal. World Cup winner...

 

[Han]

did he also play when we lost to Portugal? lost to Croatia? drew in Russia? (i don't actually know...but i guess he did play )

you're cherry picking

besides, ten years.... even if he has played in a few big games we won, it doesn't follow that he is the same player as he was

when at his best, he was at least getting a game for a premiership team every week

Stats here for his competitive FIFA games...

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=177656/

In all, played 18, won 13, drew 3, lost 2 (Brazil in 2002 WC & Ukraine last year)


That's about as much research i can be arsed to find at the mo...

 

[Han]

according to This Website Heskey has played in 26 competitive matches since we started qualifying for the 2002 world cup. We have only lost three of those (add France in Euro 2004 to Brazil & Ukraine). Won 18 and drew 5. Scored 58 and conceded 17.


I'll leave it to someone else to find out what we have done without him...

And a quote from BBC (via somewhere else) Live Text...

Rooney's last 10 England games with Heskey - 9 goals. Rooney's last 10 England games without Heskey - 2 goals

 

[Graz]

Theo is out!

But apparently so are SWP and Adam Johnson! And Darren Bent

Joe Cole and Michael Carrick are both apparently in.

 

[enderby fox]

looks like walcott has been omitted according to the bbc as has bent and there reporting adam johnson is out too.

Reporting that wright-phillips and joe cole are in

Interesting............

 

[Han]

Theo is out!

But apparently so are SWP and Adam Johnson! And Darren Bent

Joe Cole and Michael Carrick are both apparently in.

BBC (via NOTW) reckon SWP is in?

 

[Graz]

BBC (via NOTW) reckon SWP is in?

I might have misread it, but I swear just now they said he was out. Maybe they changed it. Or I read it wrong


Suprised, and a bit gutted by Theo!

 

[Han]

We can confirm that Theo Walcott has been omitted by Fabio Capello. Meanwhile the plot thickens below as the Northern Echo suggest Manchester City winger Adam Johnson is not in the squad either, while NOTW's Neil Ashton is now saying Shaun Wright-Phillips has made the final 23.

then...

Where are we: At this moment in time, Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott and Darren Bent are the players to miss out. That means we're still waiting for four names.

 

[Han]

Rumours have it that Baines is out, Warnock in.

Also King out, Dawson in.

 

[Harbro-Fox]

Warnock and Baines are as bad as each other tbf.

WTF King is better than Dawson.

 

[Lako42]

WTF King is better than Dawson.

At keeping a physio in a job?

 

[Han]

Warnock and Baines are as bad as each other tbf.

WTF King is better than Dawson.

Just rumours

 

[Harbro-Fox]

At keeping a physio in a job?

Just rumours

Why would he play King and not Dawson in a friendly if he was to take King.

Ok mate.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

Real football fans understand his value You're just like the shit pundits on Sky Sports who either are "cheeky" cockneys who wank over london clubs (Tony Gayle and his love for Carlton Cole), or supposedly more talented players, who never played for England and are just jealous (Le Tissier, Merson)

I think you'll find that Sky Sports pundits absolutely cream over Heskey and are the ones who always go on about what he brings to the table. :icon_wink

Maybe I'm biased, I just find the target man to be a completely redundant position in modern football and England are about 20 years behind the rest of the world in terms of their tactics.

Having said that there's no question in my mind that Heskey has been absolutely awful at club level for 5 years or so now and it's a sad indictment of our attacking quality when players who sit on the bench for a mid table side and were considered shit by a relegation struggler like Wigan, should be getting in the England squad.

 

[Han]

Why would he play King and not Dawson in a friendly if he was to take King.

Ok mate.

Maybe to test his fitness and recovery time? Capello may have made his mind up due to the fact King could not play in the second game due to his fitness.


Latest on the BBC...

1415: How thick can this plot get? The News of the World's Neil Ashton reckons Ledley King is NOT going to South Africa. Unbelievable drama.

1411: BBC sports news correspondent Dan Roan says he has it on good authority that Ledley King is IN the England World Cup squad.

Unbelievable, Jeff!