The Official World Cup 2010 Thread

[Bulldog]

Originally Posted by wickedlk

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham).

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa).

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Scott Parker (West Ham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).

Forwards: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

Fairly solid squad there. As for who should stay home, if Bainsey and Cashley Cole are there, I see no reason for Warnock to come along. Ledley King would injure himself getting off the bus, so I wouldn't rely on him getting through the finals match-fit. Gareth Barry shouldn't really be there, although I guess it's worth testing his sharpness in the warm-up games, and Heskey's not really the kinda striker I'd take to the world cup.

As for the lineup I'd like to see up against the US of A...

James

A Cole
Terry
Ferdinand
Carragher

Milner
Huddlestone
Lampard
Lennon

Rooney
Crouch

I'm with Mojo that James has bags of experience, and that's exactly what we're gonna need. As far as I can remember, the last howler I've seen him pull in an England shirt was against Austria in the last round of WC qualifiers a good five or six years ago, so I'd feel safer with him in goal than, say, Paul Robinson. Joe Hart's perfectly good but, gain, lacks James' experience.

The back four explains itself really. I'm not really the biggest Glen Johnson fan, and Carragher's proven himself a lot more as a full-back in my eyes. He's the closest to a replacement for Gary Neville we're gonna get by my reckoning.

Milner on the left (he can take all our penalties too!), Lennon's had a great season, Lampard's been phenomenal and the same goes for Tommy Hudlestone. Stevie G's just been far too poor this last season to warrant a start.

Rooney's just...Rooney. I think Crouchey'd be a good foil up front for his talents too, not to mention his knack for holding up play and that. He's always a danger in the box, so having him start's a bit of a no-brainer for me.