[JDWest_Brom]

In the Metro today they compared Fabian Delph to Carlton Palmer. I know he's not world class but he's not that bad, he can at least play a bit.

[geoff]

Croatia v England u21

http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=284971&part=sports

http://www.firstrows.eu/

[Norfolk Baggie]

Croatia v England u21

http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=284971&part=sports

http://www.firstrows.eu/

Thanks for this.  Really looking forward to this tonight.  Have to say for me U21s is more interesting than the full team at the moment.

[TheJacko2000]

Thanks for this.  Really looking forward to this tonight.  Have to say for me U21s is more interesting than the full team at the moment.

Don't think there would be much interest here if it wasn't for Berahino.

[ronnie_allen]

Don't think there would be much interest here if it wasn't for Berahino.

Very much true I believe. Similarly why I am more interested in Northern Ireland with McAuley, Baird, Brunt than in my native Republic of Ireland this qualifying campaign.

[Dan]

Southgate's done an absolutely brilliant job with the under 21's. Pick's the players who want to be there, has them playing a really nice possession style of football, and has really developed a lot of the players since they've been with him. In particular Tom Carroll, James Ward-Prowse, and Will Hughes seem better for Southgate than at club level. Also kept going with Berahino in his rough patch and is in no small part helping his resurgence.

A good u-21 final tournament and he should be the main contender if Hodgson steps down after 2016. Someone who actually understands the national team, develops the players, get's them playing a progressive style and by all accounts seems to have a great rapport with the team. You don't need to have a great club track record to be a good international manager.

Unfortunately, he's really not getting the credit he deserves for doing such a wonderful job thus far.

[Morany]

On the flipside of that, I was dissapointed to see Berahino wasted on the wide left. He looked lost and annoyed out there

[BAGGIES4LIFE]

On the flipside of that, I was dissapointed to see Berahino wasted on the wide left. He looked lost and annoyed out there

Reminds me of when Tony Brown played his only international, stuck him on the left wing,didnt get a touch, took off after 70 minutes for Allan Clarke (Leeds) who immediately went up front! - still grates me!

[WBAinDEVON]

Anyone going to the Scotland game

[Floydy]

EA Sports pick 23-man England squad based on official Performance Data

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2822384/Wayne-Rooney-Joe-Hart-DROPPED-England-Charlie-Austin-Fraser-Forster-according-EA-data.html#ixzz3IHCxEzBW


Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart should be omitted from Roy Hodgson's England XI to face Slovenia - according to the Premier League's official player ranking index provided by EA Sports.

Taking into account every second of every English player's performances in the Premier League this season, EA have provided a balanced squad of the 23 most in-form players, and from that a best XI.

Rooney and Hart - the only representatives from the Manchester clubs - make the squad but do not make the XI.

The index has instead Southampton's Fraser Forster starting ahead of Manchester City's Hart, while QPR's Charlie Austin and West Brom's Saido Berahino are preferred to Manchester United's Rooney up front.

Berahino - the highest-rated player in the squad - is one of three West Brom players picked, making them the joint-most represented club along with Southampton and West Ham.

City and United, meanwhile, have the same number of representatives in the squad (1) as Crystal Palace, Hull, QPR and Stoke.

Just nine of England's World Cup squad make the 23, but the centre back pairing from Brazil of Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka are retained in the XI.

Of Hodgson's last starting XI, who played Estonia last month, only four make the EA XI.

Raheem Sterling, who came off the bench in that match, is one star name who does make the cut, as does his Liverpool team-mate Jordan Henderson.

There is no place in the squad for Jack Wilshere, with West Ham's Mark Noble starting in midfield alongside Henderson.

This squad will surely be widely different from Hodgson's - named on Thursday for the qualifier on Novermber 15 - but it certainly raises some interesting questions regarding selection.

Fraser Forster Southampton Goalkeeper 119
Joe Hart Manchester City Goalkeeper 97
Ben Foster West Brom Goalkeeper 89
Leighton Baines Everton Full back 186
Ryan Bertrand Southampton Full back 171
Nathaniel Clyne Southampton Full back 160
Aaron Cresswell West Ham Full back 155
Gary Cahill  Chelsea Centre back 149
Phil Jagielka Everton Centre back 146
Ryan Shawcross Stoke City Centre back 132
Craig Dawson West Brom Centre back 118
Jordan Henderson Liverpool Central midfield 150
Mark Noble West Ham Central midfield 144
Gareth Barry Everton Central midfield 124
Tom Huddlestone Hull City Central midfield 121
Raheem Sterling Liverpool Winger 211
Stewart Downing West Ham Winger 207
Nathan Dyer Swansea City Winger 131
Wayne Routledge Swansea City Winger 122
Saido Berahino West Brom Striker 235
Charlie Austin QPR Striker 156
Fraizer Campbell Crystal Palace Striker 137
Wayne Rooney Manchester United Striker 127

[kris_boing]

Cheers for that Floydy.  Very interesting.


Heaven forbid the England manager picks players based on their performances.

[Mister AT]

Can almost guarantee Lambert will be in the squad yet has hardly kicked a ball all season.

Got a funny feeling Theo Walcott will make the squad too despite playing 30 minutes of football.

[WBASPE77]

Ricky Lambert has done nothing this season he doesn't deserve to be picked. I bet Theo Waclott will be picked which will please Arsene Wegner.

[tommcneill]

If Lambert gets picked ahead of Berahino then I give up on England

[WBASPE77]

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster, Ben Foster and Joe Hart

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Calum Chambers, Nathaniel Clyne, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling.

Midfielders: Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott.

Forwards: Rickie Lambert, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Welbeck and Saido Berahino.

I would have had Austin in for Lambet, Townsend hasnt done a great deal this season, Carrick and Walcott have hardly played at all this season. 

[kris_boing]

I dont know how Chris Smalling gets in these squads.

[BB74]

I dont know how Chris Smalling gets in these squads.

I do. He plays for Man Utd.

[MarkW]

So happy for Berahino getting into the squad. Hopefully Slovenia will give up a decent fight and not just sit back.

If Dawson continues his impressive form, then maybe we could see him on the fringes, but I think he's not quite good enough to be a starting centre back for England. He could be in the future, but not right now.

[Silver Thostle]

On the up, COYB!!!!

Now we have Foster and Saido in the FULL England squad, well done lads. 

Who next?

[Dan]

Well Hodgon's manager, and Ashworth is England's technical director.

By all rights Lescott should really be in the squad ahead of Smalling too who's done nothing other than get sent off in his last match.

[tommcneill]

Id have Lescott over Smalling all day long..

Smalling is a poor poor player

[dan7heman]

Brilliant stuff, let's hope Dawson is next.

[WBAinDEVON]

Bomber would walk into this current team and so would Statham and Batson.
Competiton in the 70s didnt help. for Bomber only to get one cap there must have been some footballer out there.

[dangerman]

Bomber would walk into this current team and so would Statham and Batson.
Competiton in the 70s didnt help. for Bomber only to get one cap there must have been some footballer out there.

I think there is an element of that but also the club wasn't fashionable. Players who played here wasn't generally picked for England.

Bryan Robson's England career didn't really get going until he moved to Utd and Jeff Astle certainly should have had a lot more caps and the same goes for Bomber.

I'm not sure which players were picked over Bomber, but regardless of that he should have had a lot more England caps than 1, that is for sure.

[WBAinDEVON]

This game should have been taken to the fans, have you seen the pitch it's a disgrace . Obviously NFL more important to the money men