Best England 11

[LudlamBlade]

He ended up with the goalscoring record just because he stuck around for so long.

The record that he achieved in 12 years, when he was still only 28?

And maybe he "stuck around for so long" because he was the best in the country?

Perhaps Andy Carroll or Rickie Lambert should have been getting picked instead...

When we needed him to perform in major tournaments he was nowhere to be seen.

Should this thread be based entirely on contributions during major tournaments then? Are we including qualifying in that?

every tournament after that he was woeful.

Could say the same for 98% of the players picked during his peak years

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

The record that he achieved in 12 years, when he was still only 28?

And maybe he "stuck around for so long" because he was the best in the country?

Perhaps Andy Carroll or Rickie Lambert should have been getting picked instead...



Should this thread be based entirely on contributions during major tournaments then? Are we including qualifying in that?



Could say the same for 98% of the players picked during his peak years

He played for England in 15 different calendar years and ended up with 53 goals.

To achieve that he had to score an average of 3.5 goals a year.

Yeah, applaud him for his longevity but he was hardly setting the world alight.

And no, his dreadful performances at World Cups wasn't all his fault by any stretch but he was still rubbish.

Harry Kane has scored 8 goals at World Cups for England and he still isn't finished yet.

Rooney scored one in his entire career.

 

[Back post bob]

Banks
Wilson Moore Charlton Cohen
Hurst Ball Stiles Peters
Charlton Hunt

Makes me wonder if they would have won anything ?.

 

[SB_90]

53 goals in 120 matches.

England player of the year 4 times in 7 years.

Was the all time record scorer for 8 years.

All under the "expert leadership" of Eriksson, Mclaren, Capello & Hodgson...

after euro 2004. he scored 3 goals in 5 major tournaments. & maybe that he was a huge part of the most disappointing england era goes against him

Not sure how people are managing to leave Kane out, who is one of the best centre forwards of his era and England leading goal scorer by a distance of 26 goals…

i want to put him in. but ive spent most last few tournaments screaming at him to stay up front. instead dropping so deep its like we are playing without a striker

 

[GrunkyPeep]

Is it possible to make a full 11 of players with only 1 cap?

 

[Bell4]

Is it possible to make a full 11 of players with only 1 cap?

That's a good shout tbh

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

after euro 2004. he scored 3 goals in 5 major tournaments. & maybe that he was a huge part of the most disappointing england era goes against him


i want to put him in. but ive spent most last few tournaments screaming at him to stay up front. instead dropping so deep its like we are playing without a striker

Rooney went missing in every major tournament he played in after Euro 2004.

Lineker, Shearer, Owen and Kane never did.

That's why it's hard to include Rooney in a greatest ever England team.

 

[Old Programme seller]

I can’t get past Cole as left back,I’m a big Gerrard fan, apart from Banks we’ve not had a ‘world class GK, I’m so divided with the rest depending on if we’re going the old fashioned 442, in Kevin Keegans autobiography he put his favourite team together of players he’d played with or against but he added that with all of the talent to score goals he didn’t know how they were going to get it in the first place so getting the balance right is imperative a bit like playing Gazza next to David Batty to even things. Still undecided…

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Ashley Cole is the best left back I've ever seen in my life.

When you consider a left back is primarily a defensive position, there was nobody better at it than him.

He was so good.

He's such an underrated player.

Cristiano Ronaldo said he was the best defender he ever played against in his career.

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

Ashley Cole is the best left back I've ever seen in my life.

When you consider a left back is primarily a defensive position, there was nobody better at it than him.

He was so good.

He's such an underrated player.

Cristiano Ronaldo said he was the best defender he ever played against in his career.

Amazing player, but not ahead of Maldini.

 

[raul]

Ashley Cole is the best left back I've ever seen in my life.

When you consider a left back is primarily a defensive position, there was nobody better at it than him.

He was so good.

He's such an underrated player.

Cristiano Ronaldo said he was the best defender he ever played against in his career.

Kenny Sansom.

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

Kenny Sansom.

Well nobody would get past him these days!