whats your england team, all being fit??

[The Baron]

Bridge has gone on loan to fulham and I agree is an excellent player

the chances of him playing in a first choice team ahead of ashley cole are zero, quite rightly

I agree. Cole is the best left back in the world after Carlos. He's kept Ronaldo, Joaquin, Figo and others quiet in recent years. He's improved immensely. I used to think Bridge was better but he's not even close now. Cole is on another level.

[onespeedo]

Best in world after Carlos? Have you not seen Djimi Traore?

Anyway, England :

GK  Robinson

RB  Neville (unfortunately)
LB  Cole
CB  Terry
CB  Carragher

RM  Gerrard
LM  Cole
CM  Lampard
CM  King

CF  Rooney
CF  Owen

But has Sven got the balls to drop Beckham?

[Ironside]

But has Sven got the balls to drop Beckham?

no chance as it would ruin his chances with posh

[Nem]

Bridge has gone on loan to fulham and I agree is an excellent player

the chances of him playing in a first choice team ahead of ashley cole are zero, quite rightly

I agree. Cole is the best left back in the world after Carlos. He's kept Ronaldo, Joaquin, Figo and others quiet in recent years. He's improved immensely. I used to think Bridge was better but he's not even close now. Cole is on another level.

Carlos is finished now, I would rate Cole as the best.

Beckham, Gerrard and Lampard have to be played in midfield at the same time. If Eriksson wants to play Ledley King in the centre of midfield at a World cup, well he needs his head seeing to. King plays in the central of defence at Spurs not midfield. Carrick is excellent for Spurs but at the same time he can be very frustrating and lazy. (maybe he will play better for England)  I think it is a choice of either Scott Parker or Michael Carrick, they are England's best defensive midfielders (Joey Barton's not that bad either) but unfortunately, Eriksson doesn't rate either Parker or Carrick.

[BlueWolf]

Gk Robinson
RB Carragher (better than neville and its his natural position apparently)
LB Bridge
CB Terry
CB Campbell
MF Gerrard
MF Lampard
RW Beckham (although swap for SWP or pennant at )
LW Ashley Cole (would overlap well with bridge and its his prefered position, why sven tried this only once i dont know)
St Owen
St Rooney (playing slightly deeper than Owen)

whole formation depends on wether gerrard and lamps can operate properly together if not push becks inside and play either pennant or SWP out wide or bring in scott parker

also like to see Stuart Downing or Matty Etherington given a run out on the left

[Nem]

Players need to be played in the positions that they play for their clubs, week in, week out. Although I don't really like Neville's attitude, he is by far the best RB in the country and definitely the best English one. Playing Carragher oop as right back would be a HUGE mistake, espcially as he has as much pace as a 3 legged Jack Russell.

[Pokerron]

...................................Robinson


................Carragher.........Terry.............Ferdinand


...............................King

Beckham........................................................................Cole


..................Gerrard.........Lampard.........Cole


................Rooney

................................................Owen

[Nem]

...................................Robinson


................Carragher.........Terry.............Ferdinand


...............................King

Beckham........................................................................Cole


..................Gerrard.........Lampard.........Cole


................Rooney

................................................Owen

I would drop Carragher for King and put either Parker or Carrick in the DMF position. But your formation is well balanced. A great choice Pokerrom.

[Triple X]

4-4-2

Robinson
Neville
A Cole
Terry
Ferdinand
Beckham
Lampard
Gerrard
J Cole
Owen
Rooney

4-5-1 for when he gets inevitably defensive around the QF stages

Robinson
Neville
A Cole
Ferdinand
Terry

Ledley King in the holding role

Beckham
Gerrard
Lampard all strung across the middle

and Rooney in the hole behind

Owen

100% right Tight End - cannot see the England team being any different than this and to be honest, I actually agree>  England's best 11 picks itself.

Its up to Eriksson to motivate and coach them into champions now - but we all know he cant do it.

Everything about Eriksson is so predictable i reckon with 4 months to go i probably could name the substitutions that he makes during the group games as well!!!

Tight-End - i think you are right that if we play France or Argentina in the later stages he will probably bottle it and bring in King for Cole.  Not necessarily a bad thing but i would prefer Parker in this role

[AndrewT]

I don't agree with going more defensively once we get to the later stages. For once we have a huge advantage over all our opponents (with maybe the exception of Brazil) in that they are absolutely terrified of Rooney, Lampard and Gerrard. They've seen what these players have done in the Premiership and Champions League and it scares them stiff.

Sven should pick a team which maximises the attacking capabilities of these three players - we don't have to go defensive because our opponents will do that - they would want us to, for example, play Rooney on the left. Therefore we shouldn't do it.

[SKIPPYSKIP]

4-4-2

Robinson
Neville
A Cole
Terry
Ferdinand
Beckham
Lampard
Gerrard
J Cole
Owen
Rooney


LEDLEY KING ARE YOU LOT HAVING A JOKE >:?

[matt674]

GK:  James
RB:  Phil Neville
LB:  Le Saux
CB:  Ehiogu
CB:  Southgate
RM: Heskey
LM: Pennant
CM: Ince
CM: Wise
CF: Crouch
CF: Fowler

An easy choice - with a central core of experience, two centre halves who play together on a regular basis and plenty of experience in the centre of midfield.

[AdamM]

4-4-2

Robinson
Neville
A Cole
Terry
Ferdinand
Beckham
Lampard
Gerrard
J Cole
Owen
Rooney

4-5-1 for when he gets inevitably defensive around the QF stages

Robinson
Neville
A Cole
Ferdinand
Terry

Ledley King in the holding role

Beckham
Gerrard
Lampard all strung across the middle

and Rooney in the hole behind

Owen

tightend has hit the two main formations squarely on the head. I did like the Kieran Richardson suggestion early on in the thread but not in time for this competition. now he's back at Man Utd after being away on loan he's being groomed to take over from Giggs on the left and I think is the answer to the long standing 'left side' problem.

[bobby1]

This probably wont be THE team but its mine

Robinson
Neville G
Ferdinand
Terry
Cole A
Lampard
Beckham
SWP right wing
Cole Joe
Owen
Rooney


I was feeling creative so I also did my Scotland eleven for their first World cup match.
































thanks

[TightEnd]

Two points

a) I chose King in the 4-5-1 formation because I think Sven will go that way. I may personally prefer Carrick or Parker...after all they are better midfielders...but it is unrealistic to suggest Sven will throw them in in the WCup

b) Defensive around the QF's?....I refer you to Portugal in Euro 2004....get an early goal against Portugal and then try to hold on for 80 minutes...a grave error of tactics

I don't agree with it, but you know it's going to happen.....