No news as yet??

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Answers

A Possible delay??

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Keown?

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

...and Joe Cole.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Seaman (Arsenal), Martyn (Leeds), James (West Ham), Ferdinand (Leeds), Campbell (Arsenal), Southgate (Middlesbrough), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Bridge (Southampton), Mills (Leeds), Brown (Man Utd), Keown (Arsenal), Beckham (Man Utd), Scholes (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Dyer (Newcastle), Butt (Man Utd), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Joe Cole (West Ham), Owen (Liverpool), Heskey (Liverpool), Vassell (Aston Villa), Fowler (Leeds), Sheringham (Tottenham). On standby: Murphy (Liverpool)

Meanwhile, striker Andy Cole has quit international football after being left out of the England squad.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

D Seaman D James N Martyn

R Ferdinand G Southgate S Campbell W Bridge A Cole D Mills M Keown W Brown

D Beckham S Gerrard P Scholes K Dyer J Cole O Hargreaves N Butt

M Owen R Fowler E Heskey E Sheringham D Vassell

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Just announced. Dyer, Joe Cole, Keown, and Wes Brown included. Danny Murphy on stand-by.

Excluded: Carragher, Ehiogu, Jansen, Phil Neville.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

" Meanwhile, striker Andy Cole has quit international football after being left out of the England squad" ... surely not HIS choice!

I would have taken him

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Bobby Robson writes in today's Times about the World Cup and chosing the squad. One comment he makes is about player character, when on a tournament, saying like it's going to war and you have to be prepared to leave behind loved ones and friends. Is Cole's omission due purely to his ability (or perceived lack of it) or character?

PS Jenas and Ameobi are both in the U21quad.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Five CB's! Presumably, SGE sees Wes Brown as a RB? I wonder if he has residual concerns about Ferdinand's fitness. Murhpy must be on standby for Nicky Butt who has a medial ligament knee injury.

I worry about our FB's, especially defensively - a pairing of Phsyco Mills and Ashley bloody Cole doesn't fill me with confidence. I'm not convinced Dyer is the answer on the LW either, and frankly, I might play Bridge at LB and Ashley Cole on the LW.

We don't look all that strong up front, and there is an awful lot of pressure on YMO to get the goals for us.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

I think Cole could've been included but suffers from not not having a suitable partner, no Yorke or Beardsley.

Are there 23 better English players that Mcmanaman

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Heskey. The most over rated lump of lard in the Premiership. Vassell. How many goals has he scored this season? Sheringham. Living off last year's swansong. I'd deffo have taken Andy Cole, in fact I think even the munchkin would've been a better bet.

We've got no chance.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Cheats shouldn't prosper yet I see the names of Ashley Cole and Danny Mills on this list. Integrity my arse.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Blimey I hadn't even noticed Mills sneaking in, how depressing. I think I might root for Seamus and Andy instead.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

I'd just like to smile smugly. Back in January Blue Square bookies offered Keiron Dyer at evens to be in the squad, my £50 hit their books. (A bet on whether he'd be fit or not) While on their site I noticed Joe Cole at 4-1, £40 of that please sir. A profit of £210 winging its way to Dunfermline :0)))

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Nicky Butt? Am I missing something here? I'm not a keen observer of the game beyond the goings on at SJP, but I'm surprised he is considered one of the 22 or so best players around.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Bridge is a better midfielder than FB. I can see Ashley Cole being a massive weakness (poor temperement, I'll wager he concedes penalties). I'd play Bridge ahead of Dyer on the left

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Piss poor striker selection....haha just as well I don't support the cnuts!

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

thank goodness that neither of the Nevilles were selected!

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Jonno.....U need to get out more. Nicky Butt THIS season has been fantastic. Other seasons he's been mediocre and I can accept your sentiments on that basis. This season he has had to stand up..and he's had to count...he's done both. He's deputised for Keane and he's backed-up Veron's absence on many occasions. Worthy of his place IMHO.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Thanks for the Butt update LR. I did ask if I'm missing something and if you're right then obviously I am. The times I have seen him (which are very few) he has looked nothing special.

Mind I don't feel the need to get out more - the activities at SJP are all the football I need although I may take a passing interest in the World Cup depending how I feel at the time.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

I tend to agree with you, LR, re Butt. Scholes' hasn't been the player of previous seasons though...

If we're to do anything in this tournament, some of the younger players will have to come of age big time. I think Ashley Cole could do a good job. And Hargreaves too, possibly at right back. It's a fairly predictable selection - based on who's available I don't see that Sven could have done much better.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Jonno....I bet..........and I'm shit at winning bets :-)...I bet U are more interested in the world cup than I am!! :-)

"Argentina..Argentina"

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

I don't understand this not caring about England thing. Obviously it's not the same as supporting the Toon but... it's your country for god's sake! And it's the only football for months! It's that or go for days out with the missus!

Engerland, Engerland, Engerland...:)

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

I don't think there was a great deal of option at the back and would go along with most of the choices...Struggling with that animal Mills who is great when he plays football but too often looses his head totally unnecessarily. and Keown is getting on but can't think of anyone better.

Up front SGE and me are miles apart..Heskey is IMHO highly overrated, Fowler who I used to think was great has been playing like a pudding lately. And while Sheringham might be good for a few minutes he is well past being able to sustain 90 minutes of top class football let alone all of the games necessary to win the world cup in a couple of weeks. Rightly so Andy Cole should be pissed off as he is way better than all of these at the moment..Vassell hasn't done that much this season for Villa and 1 good game for England I'm not sure warrants the place, hopefully he will prove to be a real star in the England shirt.

Smith at Leeds (Dirty little B*****D) I think is better than some of those chosen.

We seem to be relying an awful lot on Young Owen! Neither wonder most people (Outside of us lot) are screaming for Shearer to come back Cos he is still definately better than the Rest.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

I think everyone is under-rating Vassel.

He has played pretty well for Villa I reckon, and more importantly he is virtually a direct replacement for Owen - nobody else comes close.

Although he's not as good as Owen by any means, he is pacy and a strong powerful finisher. His off the ball movement is also good and I bet a lot of managers don't know a lot about him and won't know how to handle him.

Heskey I think had to go as he is the only one that works alongside Owen. Shearer would have been better, but him nor I want to see him play for England. The media and the majority of England fans were glad when he retired - why should he return for them?

In the end, I can't really argue with many of the selections. Carragher would have maybe been better than Mills, but apparently he is having an operation otherwise he would've been picked according to SGE.

McManaman would probably have been in my team, but only as a backup for Beckham. However, SGE knows Gerrard and Dyer can both play well on the right wing so he has his reasons.

Andy Cole should not have gone IMO. He has played a big pile of international games and flattered to decieve in most of them. Only when he made his debut for England as an NUFC player and came on and smacked the crossbar has he made a real impact.

The one player I have a really bad feeling about is Ashley Cole. He is either going to be sent off for play-acting or he'll give away a penalty. There is something about him that I don't like and don't want to see in an England team. It's not just going down easily to win free kicks, it's going down trying to con the ref so the other team gets bookings and red cards. He is also an utterly crap left back (but good going forward). I would have picked Le Saux ahead of him.

When everyone is fit, we have a pretty strong midfield and a potentially world class centre back pairing. Seaman is good enough in goal and in Owen we have one of the best strikers in the world. Questions lie over the full backs and Owen's partner, but I honestly don't think we'll be embarrased over in Japan / Korea.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Thoughts:

I can't understand why Carragher is not in the squad. He's versatile and can play anywhere across the back 4. He is also far more likely to stay on the field than Mills and far less likely to score own goals like Brown - strange decision IMHO.
Why do we need 4 centre halves (5 if you include Brown)?
7 midfielders? Of which 2 are currently injured and 2 are injury prone. Imagine a midfield of Heskey Cole Scholes Hargreaves to play the argies with NO Midfielder on the bench. I can't believe that selection.

Butt, Gerrard and Scholes will get suspended during the World Cup. Tough tacklers always do. If Scholes does a tackle like he did on Wednesday he would be banned for three games. I see the lack of midfielders as being a major problem.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2002

Not thrilled with the strikeforce, especially if Owen were to get injured. I`m pleased to see some good combinations of team mates picked though. That always seems to help with the stability of the team. Hasn`t Shearer left a big gap? There is not a striker in the team that comes anywhere near filling his shoes. However, much as I would love to see him there, I`m pleased he won`t be - playing for England is like putting your head in a bear trap.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002

Kegsy, Carragher isn't in the squad 'cos he rang Sven and withdrew at the 11th hour as he is having an operation in the summer to cure an injury.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002

Just because he's injured doesn't mean he can't be in the squad. Look at Beckham, Butt, Gerrard, Dyer and Owen.......

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002

Oh aye, did he by any chance sound like he had a French accent when he telephoned the Dark Horse?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002