Who Should Start Against Germany?

November 17th, 2008 | by: Daryl |

I’ll bet it’s hard work picking a team for an England friendly. Because there’s more at stake than just winning the game. It’s about getting some important players for the future a necessary taste of the action too.

The current squad (after the recent dropouts and callups) and my favoured starting XI below…

The squad:

Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)
Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), John Terry (Chelsea), Curtis Davies (Aston Villa), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Michael Mancienne (Chelsea), Micah Richards (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jimmy Bullard (Fulham), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Scott Parker (West Ham), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa).

My starting XI:

– — – — – — – — Carson — – — – — – —
– Johnson — – Terry — – Davies — – Bridge –
– Walcott — – Jenas — – Barry — – Young –
– — – — – — Bent — – Defoe — – — – — –

– — – — – — – — Carson — – — – — – —
– Johnson — – Terry — – Davies — – Bridge –
– Walcott — – Carrick — – Barry — – Young –
– — – — – — Bent — – Defoe — – — – — –

It’s going to look experimental whatever happens, with so many senior players missing. I think it’s important for a couple of genuine first-choicers like Terry, Barry and Walcott to be in there.

Carson needs a chance to get over the Croatia debacle, which I’m sure scarred him for life. ~~Jenas deserves a start after waiting around for so long.~~ Except he’s not in the squad, see below. Definitely Carrick deserves a start, for similar reasons.

The experience of Terry gives Davies a nice opportunity to play alongside an England regular. Micah Richards could come on at centre back or right back. Mancienne… honestly he doesn’t need to play. He’s had about as much Premier League experience as I have.

Going forward, I just love the idea of an England team with Walcott and Young on the wings. Possibly with one of them being replaced by SWP later in the game. Bent deserves a start, as does Defoe. Gabi Agbonlahor could conceivably replace either of them at some point.

Agree/disagree? Who would you like to see in the starting XI?

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miele

Why do you hate Michael Carrick?
Ebrahim

Is Jenas even in the squad? Cos he’s not there above…

I’d put Crouch up front with defoe/bent alongside as defoe and bent are too similar. Personally, I would also haved loved to have seen Ledley King back but in his absence, i’d go for Richards at centre back – bit too early for Davies to be starting.

Ashley Young now deserves to be a regular squad member
http://www.theoffside.com daryl

OK, so apparently I’m an idiot. Jenas isn’t in the squad, which would make pretty difficult for him to start the game.
miele

So Carrick is in and all is well. Wait, is it only because Jenas isnt in? Dang.
http://www.theoffside.com daryl

I have nothing against Carrick, he’s a fine fine player. It’s more that I see him as fairly similar to Barry, in that neither of them are what you’d call attacking mids who get in the box.

If anything Carrick’s arguably a better player than Barry, because his passing is that much better, but I prefer Barry because he’s been a recent England regular, which are in short supply in this squad.
Jules

I have to say that Capello hasn`t really had a true test of his managerial qualities. When England can beat world cup winning teams then he can be applauded as changing the direction of a continually misfiring England team. My opinion is……….he won`t come close to winning anything.
miele

Daryl, Carrick as AMF? Rewind to the 7-1 demolitioon of Roma. Plus, it’s not his fault he’s never been picked as a squad regular despite playing well in huge games for his club, right?

Not trying to pick a fight with u here, I swear. Just have a chip on me shoulder, especially with the Scholes / England experience.

All in all good win / learning experience.
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

He’s a class act, no disputing that. But he’s not an attacking mid in the “run at players” way that you expect an AM to. The fact that you have to rewind to a CL game two season ago for an example sort of proves that.

So I’d definitely dispute just how much of an attacking mid he is, but would agree that he deseves to play for England much more regularly.