The General England Euro 2016 Thread

[Liam_SWFC]

I'm pleased with the squad chosen, pleasantly surprised with Marcus Rashford's inclusion, highly doubt he'll make the 23 but it's great experience for him to play in the warm up games and be in and around the squad pre-tournament. Must say I'm surprised Wilshere has been chosen, he might be a good player but lack of game time is a concern for me, he might be fit but match fitness is something that doesn't always come from a couple of friendlies. I expect Marcus Rashford, Andros Townsend and Fabian Delph to all be left at home, Delph's move to Manchester City has had the failed impact on his international career and his injuries have not helped.

The team is actually really hard to choose, it's been a long time since we've had so many good options and it's looking like we could actually have a real chance of being successful this summer. The striking and midfield options are impressive, it's just the defence which lets us down in my opinion.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Apart from being fit, nothing. If Delph was replaced with someone else, everyone would be OK with it. But Wilshere hasn't been playing for a long time, it's too much of a risk to take such a player when every game is massively important. Wilshere shouldn't be in the team.

Which CM in the squad performs at a higher level than Wilshere?

 

[Stevencc]

The players I'd have down as must-starters would be Hart, Clyne, Smalling, Rose, Dier, Alli and Kane.

I'd probably go for Cahill over Stones because Stones has had the misfortune of being part of a defence managed by Martinez this season and has subsequently forgotten half of what he knew about defending.

Dier is our only proper defensive midfielder so he's straight in there, his performances this season have warranted a guaranteed start anyway. I'm not sure who completes the midfield with him, though. I'm not a Wilshere fan when he is fit let alone when he's missed most of yet another season with his leg hanging off. Delph is average. Drinkwater has had a good season but I prefer Barkley. I'm a bigger fan of Henderson than most so I wouldn't be worried if he started either. Milner is...alright. Alli as the 10 or most attacking centre mid. The midfield overall is tough to call.

Sterling has had a poor season but he still pisses all over Townsend so he starts by default. Lallana will probably start on the other side but I'm not heartened by that.

Kane up front or partnered with Sturridge/Vardy if Roy fancies going two up front.

Anyway - scrap all that, Rooney will definitely start and throw everything into chaos anyway.

 

[Pagnell]

Which CM in the squad performs at a higher level than Wilshere?

At this moment in time there is no way of knowing. Because he's played twice this season. His inclusion is ridiculous.

 

[Mustard]

By the time the tournament comes around he will have played 3 or 4 games with our U21's, 2 with the first team and 3 warm up games. Around 8 or 9 games in total. That is essentially a pre-season, a long one, he should be fresher than anybody else in the team, if anything.

 

[George Reilly's Hairpiece]

I'd take Wilshere. He's so important to England and there are enough warm up matches to get him up to speed.

 

[Krazy8]

Fuck winter breaks and long seasons, this could be the first tournament where the media blame our early exit on our players being too fresh.

 

[Pagnell]

By the time the tournament comes around he will have played 3 or 4 games with our U21's, 2 with the first team and 3 warm up games. Around 8 or 9 games in total. That is essentially a pre-season, a long one, he should be fresher than anybody else in the team, if anything.

Being included in the squad for a major tournament should be first a foremost based upon form from the concluding season, not hoping he will complete a handful of games between now and then without his leg falling off. Taking someone who's played 2 games in the last 9 months is questionable at best.

Personally, I'm with Stevencc, I've never really understood the big deal with Wilshere, so his inclusion when he's fit is up for debate. But after barely playing? No, he shouldn't have been on the list.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Wilshere will most likely be injured in the warm up games. Good player but an absolute crock which is holding him back.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

I don't necessarily mind taking A player of questionable fitness in the squad and having a look at him in training, especially at this point when we'll have to send a few home. I think you can justify taking a punt at this stage. But to take Henderson and Wilshere and Delph, all 3 of which you'd question how close to full fitness they can be, that seems strange to me.

 

[Mustard]

Being included in the squad for a major tournament should be first a foremost based upon form from the concluding season, not hoping he will complete a handful of games between now and then without his leg falling off. Taking someone who's played 2 games in the last 9 months is questionable at best.

Personally, I'm with Stevencc, I've never really understood the big deal with Wilshere, so his inclusion when he's fit is up for debate. But after barely playing? No, he shouldn't have been on the list.

His record for England in the qualifiers speaks for itself, his inclusion in the first team shouldn't be up for debate. Who would replace him? Drinkwater, Milner, Noble, Henderson and Delph are all pretty much the same player - high work rate but lacking technically. We aren't in a position where we can go leaving creative players at home, we struggle as it is.

I disagree it should be about form over a arbitrary time period. Wilshere's form, when he plays, is very good, his quality isn't in doubt, only his fitness. If a player is fit, which he is (and if his leg does fall off, he'll be cut from the 26), and has the quality, which he shown on plenty of occasions, he should go.

 

[Pagnell]

Funny, you could easily be talking about Rooney there and I don't think he should be going either.

 

[Art Morte]

I'm with Pagnell, WIlshere shouldn't be in the team because there's no way of knowing what his form is. You have to get your team selection right at the first try at the Euros, you shouldn't be taking players who've been out for the last 9 months.

 

[Mustard]

Funny, you could easily be talking about Rooney there and I don't think he should be going either.

Difference is Rooney has actually played and been poor. When Wilshere has played, he's been good. We also have much better options in attack than midfield.

 

[Pagnell]

Difference is Rooney has actually played and been poor. When Wilshere has played, he's been good. We also have much better options in attack than midfield.

When you say when Wilshere has played, what are you referring to? His previous England games? He hasn't played in an England shirt for getting on for 12 months has he?

 

[Art Morte]

When did Wilshere become a prime Scholes anyway? Some people banging on about how good Wilshere is way too much. He's never reached the supposed potential that's there. Statistically his best PL season has been when he got 3 goals and 4 assists. Mark Noble has bettered that five times in his career, to put things in perspective.

 

[Mustard]

When you say when Wilshere has played, what are you referring to? His previous England games? He hasn't played in an England shirt for getting on for 12 months has he?

Clearly. He's never struggled for form when coming back from injury previously, don't see why this time should be any different. I get the feeling some people think he's going to return like a league 2 clogger.

Art, Iniesta got 1 goal and 2 assists this season. Bit shit, ain't he? Wilshere is England's best midfielder, perhaps that's saying something about the state of English football more than anything when we used to have Scholes, Lampard, Gerrard and Beckham.

 

[JimJams]

To be honest I don't think we have that great a set of options in midfield and I don't mind Wilshere being taken in a provisional side. I do think he is overhyped to the hilt though and I think that's due to him being an Arsenal lad at his home club so he's elevated to a level I'm yet to be convinced he's at. The same applied to Noble for me for a long time. But Wilshere is good enough for the starting 11 if he's fit and ready and that's what we'll see in the warm ups.
A mid of:

Dier
Wilshere - DrinkVodka
Alli​

With width provided by fullbacks that's a solid mid. Dier provides the main defensive cover and Wilshere and Drinkwater can play box to box leaving Alli to link up with the strikers. Drinkwater would also give Wilshere licence to move further forward if the game needs it as he can cover defensive duties with Dier himself. I expect we'll see Alli dropped in in place of the Leicester man though with Rooney falling back to spearhead the midfield diamond.

 

[JimJams]

Art, Iniesta got 1 goal and 2 assists this season. Bit shit, ain't he?

Is that statistically Iniestas best season though?

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Out of the squad picked, that would be my starting XI personally. Toyed with the idea of a 4-4-2 with Dier missing out in favour of Vardy, but there was not enough steel in midfield in that team, so shored it up a bit...

 

[Mustard]

Is that statistically Iniestas best season though?

No, but he's the archetype creative world class midfielder who doesn't actually get a lot of goals/assists most seasons, and in a team with the likes of Messi, Villa, Eto'o, Suarez, Neymar, Ibrahimovic, Henry etc over the years. He's the master of the 'hockey' assist though, the pass before the the assist linking midfield and attack, and I think Wilshere is a similar style of player, especially in their current roles with Iniesta playing a little deeper.

 

[JimJams]

 

[JimJams]

Walker looks a righ fat c*** in that pic.

 

[G-Dragon]

Wilshere over Noble, and Rashford over Defoe is a disgrace imo. Fuck is Delph doing there anyway!

 

[Reaper]

Im almost certain it will be 3 of Henderson, Drinkwater, Delph and Rashford to not make the final 23, id favour towards Henderson just getting in ahead of the other 3, Rashford wont be in for certain.

 

[Super_horns]

Hopefully avoid the Pre-tournament injury curse as I think generally its a good encouraging squad although with some of the players picked that might be doubtful!

 

[smat]

Seriously?

 

[mowgli]

Wilshere will most likely be injured in the warm up games. Good player but an absolute crock which is holding him back.

You beat me to it.

 

[Renegade]

Wilshere at 50% is a far better player than Mark Noble, why bring a guy that will certainly get no playing time? It's worth bringing Wilshere, even though he's wrestling with fitness, he's actually fresh in another way having not played football all season. He's the the best option to play alongside Dier when fit, he probably still will be at 80% when the tournament begins.

A lot of the proposed teams in this thread are very narrow, lack any sort of plan B. One of Harry Kane's great strengths is his ability in the air, why play a side with Dier, Alli, Drinkwater and Wilshere only to nullify this threat? I don't think you need Drinkwater and Wilshere in the same team. A 4-2-3-1 with some ability on the wings makes far more sense and I think that's what Hodgson will ultimately go for. As great as Vardy and Kane are up front, starting both of them as strikers would screw up the dynamic of a team that's played pretty well in friendlies. I would go for:

Hart
Walker Smalling Cahill Rose
Dier Wilshere
Vardy Alli Lallana
Kane

But I expect Vardy would be replaced with Rooney come tournament time and Lallana maybe replaced by Sterling. Vardy is an absolutely devastating substitute to bring on, I like the idea of him coming on against tired legs in the second half if he isn't starting.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

That would be mine as well.