So with Gary Cahill now out as well as Barry and Lampard and Parker/Terry both looking shaky (and of course not forgetting John Ruddy!) what chance do we have?? Roy's called up Martin Kelly and Jordan Henderson in some apparent continual streak of loyalty to Liverpool despite their dismal season. Granted we were never going to win, semis would have been a push but has this team got what it takes to even get out the group stage??
I still think we can make the quarters but any more than that and Roy should get some sort of medal.
Additionally talking of the likes of Lampard I've put a blog together about the older generation who have their last chance at Euro 2012 to succeed in a major international tournament, lemme know your thoughts !
http://blog.oddslife.com/2012/06/euro-2012-last-chance-saloon/ There's an older generation of gems for whom Euro 2012 will be their last international tournament. Who'll make the most of it????
Comments
Where's Rio??!?!?!
So we will have Parker and Gerrard as the centre mid partnership that will do for me. Ashley Young and Welbeck are relatively fresh and in form. Milner is also fresh. Judas has a point to prove and so does Oxlade-Chamberlain.
All in all I think we have a decent chance.
Don't care about Henderson or Kelly. They are not going to get a game anyway.
As for Ferdinand, he is not fit enough, and having taken Terry, he really couldn't be picked.
Richards ruled himself out.
Hopefully he wont get on the pitch though.
Look at people like Danny Mills, Trevor Sinclair and Nicky Butt, came into tournaments in the squad and because of injuries got to play a big part.
If I was Carrick I would have done exactly the same - you cannot really blame him after all that.
I rather consider the teams in the competition as in three groups:
A. The real contenders: Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France
B. The possibles: Czech Republic, Croatia, Ukraine, Poland, Portugal, Russia
C. The outsiders: Denmark, Greece, England, Republic of Ireland, Sweden
I don't fancy our chances much but we are better than Poland, Ukraine and poor Czech Republicand Croatia sides. On a par with Portugal, Russia and even Italy I'd say - Portugal and Italy won't pull up any trees.
However, I think the other 4 in 'A' will be there or thereabouts.
Players like Henderson, Kelly, Butland and Welbeck are the future of English football.
I think you should only be asked once if you want to be part of the England side. If you say no, then that's a lack of loyalty to your nation and you shouldn't be considered at all (which is what he's done with Richards).
Don't forget how many injured English players we have higher up than Liverpool e.g Wilshire Walker, Bent and Lennon's been out for a lot of the season.
The main factors against England winning anything are:
1. that we have idiots in the team who are likely to have a hot flush at any minute and get themselves sent off
2. we have bullish players like Carroll who don't fit in with the European way and so are pulled up for challenging for the ball too heavily
3. our players are simply not good enough
Factors 1 & 2 have proven to be our downfall in past tournaments. Number 3 is a new one I've added to the list since 2006.