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The Ox starts tonight! Bold but nothing to lose as everyone already think we are out!

Feel sorry for Downing after the great season he has had!!

Oh damn, forgot about Chamberlain, scrap Lennon!

Can't say I disagree with most of that, Luke.

I doubt Scholesy will be going to Brazil though

If I had my way we would have installed Stuart Pearce as manager and given him a remit to only use the players he managed at U21 level. Sure we would have bombed at this tournament but the players would have gained invaluable experience of big tournaments and been far more prepared for bigger things to come. We never build for the future in this country and it pisses me off.

You would only take 2 out and out strikers? Interesting, crouch for me would come instead of cleverley, terry for smalling too. That's thinking of now, not 2014.

I was thinking to replace Scholes with Barry but with the potential for any other breakthrough youth player to have a place. Preferably a more defensive minded player, Muamba probably would've had a good chance before his heart attack.

Y4L - Walcott could also play up top but I've basically gone for 2 players in each position apart from GK which has to have 3.

Barry? Oh please no. Get the youngsters in and blood them.

Who else then? Players who are ready to step up now. Not the types who are mid twenties, had a few mediocre seasons then one good one and end up getting 3 caps and never any more.

EDIT: Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Tom Huddlestone given a go. Might be a bit slow for International football but could also score a couple important belters from 30 yards for us.

Now you're thinking correctly. Get the kids in and groom them for the future. I'd rather fail with youngsters than get my hopes up about tossers like Terry, Cole, Gerrard etc

I would of taken Grant Holt for a Start... then maybe a couple of wildcards like Lallana or Howsen, then i'd of taken smalling, micah richards, joe cole, definetly wouldnt of taken Downing or Milner... only pick players on form so they can perform, not players who hit there pack last season or the season before... and tbh I dont think downing has ever hit his peak... definetly prefer adam johnson

cambgull wrote:Who else then? Players who are ready to step up now. Not the types who are mid twenties, had a few mediocre seasons then one good one and end up getting 3 caps and never any more.

EDIT: Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Tom Huddlestone given a go. Might be a bit slow for International football but could also score a couple important belters from 30 yards for us.

Livingstone at Spurs? Is he English? He could play that role if so.

Edit - Livermore is the boy not Livingstone and yes he is English!

Huddlestone

Grant Holt? Don't be daft. He's a carthorse.

Now Adam Johnson is a player that excites me when he gets the ball.

Southampton Gull wrote:If I had my way we would have installed Stuart Pearce as manager and given him a remit to only use the players he managed at U21 level. Sure we would have bombed at this tournament but the players would have gained invaluable experience of big tournaments and been far more prepared for bigger things to come. We never build for the future in this country and it pisses me off.

I would never have Pearce as manager. He's useless. I don't care that he's managed the U-21s. If you've seen them play they also play the same boring style that the senior team have done, and indeed it's similar down all of the age groups. The coaching in England is still light years behind that in the more advanced countries (although to be fair that is changing) - you see it when you have physical players with an ounce of skill like Connor Wickham who tear it up in the age groups only to get found out against players who aren't physically inferior.

Your point about building for the future is fair, but to get the players to anywhere near the standard required would take 10 years. The English - particularly the media - haven't got the patience for that. Look at France - they won in 1998, almost exactly 10 years after opening Clairefontaine. The media would freak if we said "Hey, you guys, we're writing off the next decade...but you'd better watch out in Qatar!"

You're a Yank so your opinion is invalid.

Southampton Gull wrote:You're a Yank so your opinion is invalid.

My passport says otherwise.