
still terry.Originally posted by I-like-flings(m):who will be the captain?![]()
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why?? sighz.... hope he can win something in spain... maybe in euro 2008 too... he's a nice guy what....Originally posted by omgukilledkenny:still terry.
X2. I highly doubt that England would perform if the central midfield pairing is still Lamps and Stevie G.Originally posted by ErikaChioBu:if England lose to Estonia , the media sure push everything to Beckham.
transfer of stress from mcclaren to beckham
Hahaha! True.Originally posted by CKeer:X2. I highly doubt that England would perform if the central midfield pairing is still Lamps and Stevie G.
Cheers.
CK
Took the words right outta my mouthOriginally posted by CKeer:X2. I highly doubt that England would perform if the central midfield pairing is still Lamps and Stevie G.
Cheers.
CK
Originally posted by zocoss:look at the list. all the players are from english clubs except for beckham (spain)...
[b]Steve McClaren has denied David Beckham's England recall is a panic measure and revealed that but for injury the Real Madrid winger would have been in the squad for the past two internationals, against Israel and Andorra. Poor performances in those games brought abuse from supporters and accusations that McClaren was stubbornly refusing to consider the former captain he dropped last summer, but the coach now says he began to rethink his plans drastically after the friendly defeat by Spain at Old Trafford in February.
McClaren dropped Beckham on the grounds that he wanted a change of direction and thought he had plenty of younger, quicker alternatives. Recalling him now looks like a panic measure to get fans back onside and help win what has become a make-or-break qualifier in Estonia a week on Wednesday, not to mention creating extra interest in the friendly against Brazil at Wembley on Friday. But McClaren insists he changed his mind on Beckham three months ago, after the 1-0 defeat by Spain.
'This is certainly not a panic measure because David would have come into contention for the last two games but for his knee injury,' McClaren said. 'The Spain game was a big disappointment, the get-together and the whole week was disappointing, and we had a major reassessment of where we where. It was clear things needed changing and David came into the reckoning then.'
This explanation sounds reasonable, yet plenty of questions arise. When McClaren says 'we' he means himself and his assistant, yet Terry Venables is understood to have reservations about bringing Beckham back. Some of the senior England players are believed to think the same, while the younger set will interpret the U-turn as an indication that they have failed. but McClaren simply has no need to think of the future. He believes Beckham can help the team win in Estonia and on the evidence of performances without him he could well be right.
'You can't talk about the future because you can't think beyond Estonia,' McClaren said. 'The situation we are in is that I need to pick a team to win in. Estonia and I know David can help us do that. There's no point looking any further ahead. I still think my decision [to drop him] was the right one at the time and I wouldn't go back on it, but I always said I wouldn't close the door on anyone. 'I haven't been able to see David play live, but I've monitored his progress. He's fit and strong and playing well, he has shown great appetite since the New Year, and I believe he will strengthen the team. I met him about 10 days ago, had a chat, he was passionate about playing and that's what we need. Michael Owen and Alan Smith are just the same.'
With 32-year-old Beckham on the right and Joe Cole on the left, and presumably Owen partnering Peter Crouch up front (Wayne Rooney is suspended), the absence of the injured Owen Hargreaves brings up another dilemma for McClaren, the return of the Steve Gerrard-Frank Lampard question. He can play the pair together if he wishes, but history suggests he might be better ditching one of them and bringing in Michael Carrick. Lampard missed out in the last game while Gerrard scored two goals and was credited with turning the game around, so it looks as if the Liverpool captain is here to stay. And in his preferred central role.
'Initially we had Stevie G on the right, but I've looked at things and I now see him as a focal figure in the middle of the park,' McClaren said. There will of course, only be one focal figure in England's next two games, and it will not be Gerrard. If nothing else, McClaren must be hoping Beckham's return and England's performances spare him from the ferocious abuse he received in Barcelona two months ago.
'That was a bad night, but sometimes you have to go through adversity,' he said. 'The criticism we took after Andorra made me even more determined to get it right and give the fans a team to be proud of. I'm not looking for sympathy, there's no head in the sand from me, we have got to get better and we know that. I was pleased with the response from the players against Andorra, people really stepped forward in that second half. It wasn't a pleasant experience but I'm hoping it was a watershed, and we can now start pulling together and getting results.'
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Should be bah, 7 is a lucky numberOriginally posted by stellazio:will he wear no.7?
Originally posted by zocoss:because Pennat, you did not perform.
[b]FLYING PENNANT CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY HE'S BEEN SNUBBED
JERMAINE Pennant wants to know from England boss Steve McClaren just what more he has to achieve to claim a senior international call-up. The Liverpool winger had been hoping to be involved in this weekÂ’s friendly against Brazil, and the European Championship qualifier against Estonia the following week.
It would have completed a remarkable 12 months for the one-time Arsenal youngster who ended last season being relegated with Birmingham City. “For me personally it has been a real turnaround,” he said. “To play in the Champions League final and to finish third in the Premiership, I couldn’t have expected any more.
“After losing in the Champions League final, it would have been a great pick up to be selected by England. “I hope I am knocking on the England door. If you are not knocking on the door playing in a Champions League final for Liverpool, then there must be something wrong. “The Champions League has been good for me as a player. I wasn’t fazed to play in the final.”
Now Liverpool and Pennant must attempt to translate their Champions League form into more Premiership points to place the heat on Manchester United and Chelsea next season. Pennant believes the Reds lost their way against the lower sides. He said: “When you are playing the lower teams, they make it difficult for you, and maybe we don’t show as much respect for them as we should have. You get a bit complacent.
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but hargreaves currently using it right?Originally posted by sand king:Should be bah, 7 is a lucky number![]()
Yea, and they will blame Beck's inclusion into the squad as well.Originally posted by used:mcclaren is now a laughing stock. if this move still fails england, then the FA might actually fire mcclaren

oh, i didnt know haha, ehh put becks at 7!!Originally posted by stellazio:but hargreaves currently using it right?
He can't even make it to the England B team how to make it in the first team...Originally posted by The man who was death:would rather see james milner called up