U21 European Championships - June 17th-30th 2015

[mistermagic]

Getting in the mood for this for some reason even though France aren't in it. AGAIN!

Hopefully England will do better than in Israel.

 

[Dazza]

Getting in the mood for this for some reason even though France aren't in it. AGAIN!

Hopefully England will do better than in Israel.

Who is hosting it?

 

[HarvSFC]

Who is hosting it?

Czech Republic.

 

[Skinner]

Hopefully England will do better than in Israel.

We have a competent manager now

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

He sounds like he doesn't want to bring many players in though which is annoying. Would be daft if Barkley and Stones didn't didn't go IMO.

 

[HarvSFC]

Plus Shaw, AOC and Sterling. Give them some experience of an international tournament and get them playing with players we'd hope they'll be playing with in the national team for years. The other countries do it.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

He sounds like he doesn't want to bring many players in though which is annoying. Would be daft if Barkley and Stones didn't didn't go IMO.

Stones will probably be first choice alongside Cahill in the next senior game though. I wouldn't take Sterling, I think it would be better for him to have the rest.

 

[JJ1532]

Don't take Sterling. The lad was a regular at the last WC, don't see what he'd learn from this tournament, let him have a rest ahead of the Euros in 16 months time. AOC, Barkley, Stones and Shaw have all had broken seasons so I'd be happy to take them.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

It's strange how every now and again you get an age group with a seemingly massive (for England anyway) volume of players at a good standard. This bracket is roughly the one that won the U17 Euros in 2010, and the group that won it last year similarly has a big number of players doing quite well. A lot of decent eligibles...

Jack Butland
Jonathan Bond
Marcus Bettinelli
Sam Johnston
Jamal Blackman
George Long

John Stones
Phil Jones
Calum Chambers
Eric Dier
Nathaniel Chalobah
Andre Wisom
Michael Keane
Jon Flanagan
Carl Jenkinson
Liam Moore
Luke Shaw
Luke Garbutt
Tyler Blackett

Will Hughes
Ross Barkley
Jack Wilshere
Jonjo Shelvey
Ravel Morrison
Tom Carroll
James Ward-Prowse
Jake Forster-Caskey
Alex Pritchard
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Jesse Lingard
Nick Powell
Harrison Reed

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Raheem Sterling
Nathan Redmond
Wilfried Zaha
Jordon Ibe
Tom Ince
Rolando Aarons

Harry Kane
Saido Berahino
Danny Ings
Patrick Bamford
James Wilson
Chuba Akpom
Connor Wickham
Benik Afobe
Will Keane

 

[Leewilson]

I did post my ideal squad back on TFF.

I can't remember exactly what it was but I know it included a few of the senior set up. I'd definitely take the likes of Shaw, Barkley, Chambers and Berahino as tournament football would surely benefit them. I'm not sure whether taking Kane would be the right move now as I think a break in then summer could do him good. There's going to be a lot of pressure on his shoulders which must be a mental weight.

 

[Leewilson]

Oh, stuff it, I'm bored, here we are:

Butland
Bond
Bettinelli

Keane
Moore
Stones
Dier
Chambers
Jenkinson
Shaw

Chalobah
Reed
Ward Prowse
Carroll
Barkley
Redmond
Hughes
Ince
Zaha

Kane
Berahino
Ings
Can't decide on my 4th striker

There's a fair bit of versatility in that squad with players able to cover injuries.

Line up something like this:

------------------------Butland

Jenkinson----Stones-----Keane-----Shaw

-----------------Reed-------Ward-Prowse------

Ince/Zaha---------Barkley-------------Redmond

---------------------Kane------------------------------

 

[Destruction]

Build the team around the best player - Ravel.

 

[ArmchairDiehard]

I can see why some people would want to take as many eligible players as possible - the argument that tournament football would benefit the players is certainly one that I would agree with.

The only negative is that it's a bit of a slap in the face to the players who actually got us there in the first place.

It's a damned if we do and damned if we don't scenario.

 

[mente captus]

i hear all the time ' tournament experience is so important for them' and the best example is always the german under 21 squad which had won the 2009 EC and 5 years later the world cup, but they forget that the Germany under 21 squad for the 2011 Euros missed to qualify and finished 3rd in their group behind the czechs and Island and the only wins in this group came vs San Marino. players in this team were: Toni Kroos, Marco Reus, Holger Badstuber, Mats Hummels, Thomas Müller, Marcel Schmelzer, Andree Schürrle, Mario Götze, Lewis Holtby, Lars Bender, Sven Bender

 

[Merger most horrid]

So the normal " don't take my player he will be tired "crap comes out again.Pochitino...please don't take Kane.Martinez...please don't take Barkley.Why don't you both just fuck off .The same happened with Wiltshere last time and he eventually pulled out thanks to Wenger's pressure...Why bother Qualifying if the best players aren't allowed to go by their clubs.Wiltshere got rested and then spent most of the season injured and I for one laughed at the irony.You don't want these players to get hurt but a certain amount of serves you right came back to bite Arsenal in the arse and he hasn't been the same player since

 

[mistermagic]

Who the hell is Wiltshere?

 

[ArmchairDiehard]

So the normal " don't take my player he will be tired "crap comes out again.Pochitino...please don't take Kane.Martinez...please don't take Barkley.Why don't you both just fuck off .The same happened with Wiltshere last time and he eventually pulled out thanks to Wenger's pressure...Why bother Qualifying if the best players aren't allowed to go by their clubs.Wiltshere got rested and then spent most of the season injured and I for one laughed at the irony.You don't want these players to get hurt but a certain amount of serves you right came back to bite Arsenal in the arse and he hasn't been the same player since

The other side of the argument is this... Why bother qualifying if you're going to leave out some of the players who helped you to qualify and replace them with players who spent the qualifying process getting splinters in their backsides at Wembley?

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I'm not sure what one has to do with the other. We take players to the tournament to give them tournament experience, not as a reward for slogging through a qualification campaign. Will the senior side profit from taking Forster-Caskey, Robinson, or Woodrow to an U21 tournament? I suspect not.

 

[Leewilson]

After the international friendlies, I'd amend my squad to this:

Butland
Bond
Bettinelli

Keane
Moore
Stones
Dier
Chambers
Jenkinson
Shaw

Chalobah
Reed
Ward Prowse
Carroll
Barkley
Redmond
Hughes
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Lingaard

Kane
Afobe
Ings
Bamford

Since Ince has pulled out, I'd bring the Ox in. Sterling needs a rest this summer. He's had so much go on in the last year and needs to recharge. The Ox hasn't played as much football and I think he'd benefit from another international tournament.
Up front, Berahino seems a bit disruptive and also seems to think he is above this level, so I'd bin him. Go with Afobe who is in shit hot form and is a different type of striker to Kane/Ings. Also I'd put Bamford in as my 4th choice. He's an intelligent striker, seems a nice guy and likely a good influence on the squad as well.

Starting line up wise, I'd probably go:

-----------------------Butland

Jenkinson--------Stones------Dier-------Shaw

-----------------Reed-----------Ward-Prowse

AOC------------------Barkley-------------Redmond

--------------------Kane-----------------------------

I get the impression Reed won't even get a call up but he should in my opinion. It'd be good having the two Saints players who are familiar with each other in midfield. Can always put Ox in the Barkley role if need be and get Zaha wide etc. I can see Southgate going for Forster Caskey and co though.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I don't see how you can leave Berahino out for being disruptive (apparently?) but put Zaha back in. The reason Zaha hasn't been getting called up is because of his attitude. Berahino wouldn't be near the squad if he had a bad one too, Southgate doesn't mess about in that regard.

 

[Leewilson]

I don't see how you can leave Berahino out for being disruptive (apparently?) but put Zaha back in. The reason Zaha hasn't been getting called up is because of his attitude. Berahino wouldn't be near the squad if he had a bad one too, Southgate doesn't mess about in that regard.

If that's the case with Zaha, then leave him out also for Lingard. Edited.

 

[Super_horns]

Zaha won't be going as he is having a toe op according to the Telegraph..

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

LVG wants to stop Shaw from going to the tournament.

Twat.

 

[Bottega Don]

England's squad has just been announced

 

[Luke_1884]

LVG wants to stop Shaw from going to the tournament.

Twat.

Does sound like he genuinely does have injury problems though.

Strong squad, attacking line up looks tasty.

 

[Super_horns]

Like the look of that attack and a few players who have been in good form for their clubs.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Good squad that! Look forward to following the tournament through the dull summer months. Has to be better than, say, going outside in the sunshine or god forbid, going shopping.

Maybe quietly relieved that Callum Wilson gets a clear summer, although it would have been nice to see us represented. Certainly some high quality competition for the attacking spots.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

RLC has no business being in this squad. Someone like Reed or Ibe deserve it much more.

Does sound like he genuinely does have injury problems though.

The position he was in is no different to when he went away for the play-offs against Croatia, if fact then he'd just come back from a real injury at least, while this time he's only out after a bang to the head. LVG talking about him needing a rest is pure bollocks and I'm annoyed to see Southgate has caved. The lad has barely played this season.

 

[HarvSFC]

Who cares? We've produced another new left back in the team now. Hopefully Targett gets some game time.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Because Shaw looks an absolute beast at this level, as has Jenkinson to be fair. Garbutt just isn't there yet. He panics are hoofs it up the line when he gets boxed in and it's infuriating to watch.