Rooney will be finished long before then. His lifestyle choices will see to that.
Sturridge should be our main man up front, Rooney just behind. We do need another top quality striker though, Welbeck isn't that man, I know his record is good but would you feel confident with him closing down on goal, 0-0 last minute vs Germany, semi-final of a World Cup... are you confident he'd put it away? I wouldn't be.
Maybe Walcott can be the answer as I've always thought he could play as a striker and he wants to as well. His finishing is good, pace is good. Why not? Secretly I've always been a bit pissed off at Wenger for sticking him out on the wing.
Just done some Wikipedia scouting , Chuba Akpom has a good record for the u19's, any Arsenal fans seen him play? What do you make of him?
Rooney is the Ricky Hatton of football and I very much doubt he will be one of England's better players come 2018.
Welbeck is OK, but I always try to think about what a player like him would add to a team like Stoke or Fulham and I don't think he would add a great deal.
I agree with you about Sturridge, too, but I'm not sold on Walcott as a striker. His finishing can be good, but he misses good chances too often and he has just never looked 'natural' in that position, if that makes any sense.
Chuba Akpom is a very exciting prospect and has been the best in his age group for a good while now.
They should changed the premier league rules so that it is 19 clubs + the 20th team would be "Club England"
Clubs can develop English players but then "Club England" can unilaterally buy the English players from the clubs (with a price determined by an independent commission relative to the equivalent of the foreign/other players).
Players would be given a set wage as determined by Club England (to be at market value).
It would mean the English players would get enough league experience and gel together consistently. The prices/wages of English players would fall as the 8 home grown player rule in squad would be dropped.
Players can be sold by Club England to other teams as most clubs would be able to.
They could play all their home games at Wembley which would raise lots of money and it would be a hugely supported team too.
I kind of agree. The situation at QPR was ridiculous, could see the players who joined were there just to collect a pay check. Just no soul or grit in that team what so ever.
Is anyone else hoping for some glorious crash and burn?
I can't decide how I want the punishment to take place for the Hodge
Do I want him to A) get absolutely hammered in both games B) continue his unbelievingly mediocre streak of drawing with everyone who isn't San Marino C) do just enough to get through to the qualifiers but then get knocked out playing dour, defensive, horrific 4-4-2 football
Either way, I know I want England out and for the Liverpool players to get a rest in the summer
It's kind of funny, after Capello everyone was crying out for an English coach English this English that. Then it turns out Roy Hodgson has been very average, he's so boring to listen to.
Is anyone else hoping for some glorious crash and burn?
No?
It's ****ing terrible when people born and raised in this country start wanting England to lose or are cheering for other teams against their common folk.
England team VS Montenegro: Hart; Walker Jagielka Cahill Baines; Gerrard Lampard; Townsend Rooney Welbeck; Sturridge.
Gerrard and Lampard. 4-4-2
more of a 4-2-3-1, Rooney will be playing behind Sturridge like at Utd. Gerrard and Lampard didn't work in the past because they both wanted to get forward. Nowadays they are both more willing to sit back, particularly Gerrard. I don't think it's the best combination we could have had in CM, but it's not that bad either.
It's ****ing terrible when people born and raised in this country start wanting England to lose or are cheering for other teams against their common folk.
Sort it out!
Agreed, it's ridiculous. I don't want Hodgson as our manager but I'll still get behind the team and support them no matter what.
It's kind of funny, after Capello everyone was crying out for an English coach English this English that. Then it turns out Roy Hodgson has been very average, he's so boring to listen to.
well a good manager represents their team . In that respect roy is spot on : england are boring to watch.
thats if they face crappy competition. Pit them against ANY above - par side and wont even reach quarters.
Under Hodgson some of the teams we've beaten (I've listed teams that could go as far as England in a World Cup or further, so knockouts onward) are Brazil, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Ukraine and Spain, drew with Brazil in Rio, drew with Italy, drew with France.
Lost one game, against Sweden, thanks to a masterclass from Ibrahimovic.
Hodgson has made us very hard to beat. I don't think we'll go particularly far if we qualify, but I reckon we could troll our way to a win against a top side in a World Cup.