Lita for England.....ever !?!?!?

[Blue and White Toucan]

More of an observation really but after seeing Leroy perform very well for the Under 21's in the summer it does seem a bit strange once you step up to full international level we seem to overlook any of the previous Under 21 team.

Whilst I take the point that Leroy has not exactly been in sparkling form the current England Squad has Rooney (obviously) then Ashton, Johnson, Owen (all inj) then Smith (who has played in midfield for Newcastle - 0 goals), Crouch (1 goal) and Defoe (2 goals) (who are mostly on the bench as is Lita (1 goal)).

I haven't been sad enough to see how many minutes of football they have actually played this season.

Surely to include some of the now Over 21's in the full squad training would be better that having an injured Owen there 'because he adds experiance!!'

Does anyone actually think that Lita will make a full England International???

[refwinter]

Lita is nowhere near in the same class as Owen yet. Owen doesn't just add experience,you are almost guaranteed he will score in two games if he plays and he seems fit enough to play and score for Newcastle on Sunday.

Lita is a bit hit and miss, he shouldn't be considered for the England team yet until he shows consistantly good form for a season. From the ones you have listed and aren't injured i would say Defoe,Crouch and Smith are better than Lita at this moment in time. Maybe one day he may make the England team but it won't be this season.

[Y21_Royal]

More to the point, why has Kitson not been included or even mentioned. England desperatly need a striker to hold the ball and play in the pacy forwards, hence why Heskey and Crouch are there. Kitson is doing this job quite brilliantly at the moment (when he gets the ball on the floor) and some of his touches are world class.

As for Lita, he is far too similar to Owen, Defoe, Bent, Walcott, Johnson et al to get a mention or be much use

[Royal Rother]

Although arrogance is almost a pre-requisite of top sportsmen these days there are measures that are acceptable and that is usually in direct relationship to the measure of talent.

At present Lita has got the balance of Arrogance to Talent completely fcuked up and certainly won't get a look in for the full squad until that is sorted.

[refwinter]

Although arrogance is almost a pre-requisite of top sportsmen these days there are measures that are acceptable and that is usually in direct relationship to the measure of talent.

At present Lita has got the balance of Arrogance to Talent completely fcuked up and certainly won't get a look in for the full squad until that is sorted.

Good shout,nicely said

[RobRoyal]

Although arrogance is almost a pre-requisite of top sportsmen these days there are measures that are acceptable and that is usually in direct relationship to the measure of talent.

At present Lita has got the balance of Arrogance to Talent completely fcuked up and certainly won't get a look in for the full squad until that is sorted.

Ok, we all know your opinions on Lita and you're free to them, fair enough. But can you point to a player that has missed out on an England place because of their arrogance? If you're good enough, you're in. Do you actually think McClaren has enough breathing room to pick his team based on which he'd like to share a pint with?

[Coppelled Streets]

A one cap wonder at best, and that's if Leroy has an above average season in the Premiership and England are short of strikers.

[Coppell's Right Footed 11]

A one cap wonder at best, and that's if Leroy has an above average season in the Premiership and England are short of strikers.

But he scored on the tele, surely he can't be overlooked for international games

[Behindu]

A one cap wonder at best, and that's if Leroy has an above average season in the Premiership and England are short of strikers.

How can you know that !!

The same was said of Shorey, who has gone on to achieve double the number of caps that were predicted...

[londinium]

I don't see what is happening with Lita at the moment. He has only played 3 league games for us this season (subbed each time) and one cup game which I thought he played fairly well in.

I am wondering if it is an attitude thing that Coppell hasn't played him as Doyle was hardly firing on all cylinders and Kits was only just coming back from a suspension and Lita still didnt get in the team.

I like the bloke and think he is a good striker that brings us something different to both Doyle and Kits but hopefully the only reason he wont get much of a look in now is because Kits is on great form and Doyle might start finding the net again after his first one on Saturday.

[Wycombe Royal]

Coppell has said that of the strikers Kitosn is the only one, if fit, who is almost guaranteed a start. The other three are fighting it our for the other place.

[Dirk Gently]

And I think SC is doing what he did last season. He kept Lita on the bench for most of the first few months - maybe to remind him who he was and calm the "attitude" down a bit.

But when he did get his chance he was so hungry that he made a real impact.

[Scarface]

Coppell is punishing Lita (again) for breaching club discipline, hopefully it will have the same effect as last year.

As for being close to the full England squad, well that's a joke he's miles away.

[Katie Marsden]

Lita's arrogance is totally unfounded. He needs to take a reality check, turning down a new contract when he's not even our second choice striker when everyones fit.

[Hoop Blah]

Coppell is punishing Lita (again) for breaching club discipline, hopefully it will have the same effect as last year.

As for being close to the full England squad, well that's a joke he's miles away.

Interesting to note that Lita was on the bench ahead of Long this weekend after Coppell had decided that Long was the more effective sub not so long ago.

Was Long injured or was Lita just having his knuckles wrapped the other week?

[Royal Rother]

Coppell is punishing Lita (again) for breaching club discipline, hopefully it will have the same effect as last year.

As for being close to the full England squad, well that's a joke he's miles away.

The sad thing is that if he had come back this season with the same attitude he showed in the 2nd half of last season, (and continued to improve) with all the injuries English strikers have suffered recently he actually might have been very close to the squad.

It's like the U21 experience set him back 6 months as it got him thinking he had made it. Hopefully (and the evidence of his performance against Liverpool supports this) Coppell is close to getting him back on course again.

[Coppelled Streets]

A one cap wonder at best, and that's if Leroy has an above average season in the Premiership and England are short of strikers.

How can you know that !!

The same was said of Shorey, who has gone on to achieve double the number of caps that were predicted...

It was a wild stab in the dark, what can I say?

He would have to improve a hell of a lot to make any England team, in my opinion of course. He's way off currently.

[SpaceCruiser]

Coppell is punishing Lita (again) for breaching club discipline, hopefully it will have the same effect as last year.

As for being close to the full England squad, well that's a joke he's miles away.

What indiscipline is he supposed to have done now? He hasn't broken any club discipline as far I can see.

[Hoop Blah]

Coppell is punishing Lita (again) for breaching club discipline, hopefully it will have the same effect as last year.

As for being close to the full England squad, well that's a joke he's miles away.

What indiscipline is he supposed to have done now? He hasn't broken any club discipline as far I can see.

Had he broken a club rule the last time when Coppell and Hammond publically said he's had a ticking off and warned about his future conduct?

[Skin]

Coppell is punishing Lita (again) for breaching club discipline

Sorry but HOW do you actually know this to be a 100% factually correct statement?

I'm here to be shot down so please prove this is the case.