Euro Qualifiers

[Maguire]

England play Montenegro at Wembley on Tues 12th October.

Ben Foster (Birmingham City), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin Davies (Bolton Wanderers), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

So, Kevin Davies will be the big news story I guess. His middle name is Cyril. If he plays then I guess he'll be removd from that old quiz question about players who have been transferred for over 7 million but never played for England.

[Big Foot]

So, Kevin Davies will be the big news story I guess. His middle name is Cyril. If he plays then I guess he'll be removd from that old quiz question about players who have been transferred for over 7 million but never played for England.

A sad day

Are England not playing on Saturday? I thought that's when this game was...

[Stranded]

No internationals on Saturdays anymore - Friday's & Tuesdays. England play Tuesday.

[Big Foot]

So what starting XI would you play?

Hart

Cole
Lescott
Jagielka
Johnson

Barry
Gerrard
Huddlestone

Young
Crouch
Johnson

Also, why hasn't Milner been included - did he get injured over the weekend?

[Big Foot]

No internationals on Saturdays anymore - Friday's & Tuesdays. England play Tuesday.

Bonus, going to London Zoo on Saturday and wasn't looking forward to the prospect of a packed Bakerloo line tube full of pure pcunters loaded up on shite beer from The Globe or other establishment

[readingbedding]

Be on the Jubilee mostly.

[Archie's penalty]

Very happy Big Kev has been called up. Totally deserves it imho. Playing brilliantly at the moment for Bolscum.

[TBM]

Also, why hasn't Milner been included - did he get injured over the weekend?

Didn't he get 2 yellows in the previous games, so is suspended?

[Big Foot]

Be on the Jubilee mostly.

I'm more of a Wembley Central chap.

[Kitson12]

So what starting XI would you play?

Hart

Cole
Lescott
Jagielka
Johnson

Barry
Gerrard
Huddlestone

Young
Crouch
Johnson

Also, why hasn't Milner been included - did he get injured over the weekend?

Lescott? Are you taking the piss?
It's got to be Ferdinand and Jagielka.
I also I'd like to see Wilshere in instead of Huddlestone.

[TBM]

LOL @ not playing John Terry........he's one of the best headers of the ball we've got

[bobbybottler]

So, Kevin Davies will be the big news story I guess. His middle name is Cyril. If he plays then I guess he'll be removd from that old quiz question about players who have been transferred for over 7 million but never played for England.

A sad day

Agreed, but his middle name is pretty unusual and may feature in future quizzes, alongside Eric Lazenby Gates and the patrioticly named Gary Winston Lineker.

[Big Foot]

LOL @ not playing John Terry........he's one of the best headers of the ball we've got

Jagielka and Lescott played well together last time out and played together at Everton. I think the meritocracy people are crying out for after the WC shambles dictates that they should keep their places.

[Big Foot]

So what starting XI would you play?

Hart

Cole
Lescott
Jagielka
Johnson

Barry
Gerrard
Huddlestone

Young
Crouch
Johnson

Also, why hasn't Milner been included - did he get injured over the weekend?

Lescott? Are you taking the piss?
It's got to be Ferdinand and Jagielka.
I also I'd like to see Wilshere in instead of Huddlestone.

Ferdinand who's played what 3 games since returning from injury?

Wilshere would be too attacking in a midfield 3 with Gerrard & Barry IMO.

[Kitson12]

Ferdinand > Lescott every day of the week.

[Big Foot]

Ferdinand > Lescott every day of the week.

Individually, yes

But if as a national side we are to progress, we need to learn that the TEAM is what's more important than the individuals within that team.

As I said, Lescott and Jagielka provide a good, balanced defence and are 2 players who've played together in the past and are both hungry to succeed to keep their place in the starting XI

[prostak]

Germany are without Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marcell Jansen for the forthcoming games in Turkey and Kazachstan, with Großkreutz also doubtful. Alternatives for Schweini could be Kroos or Träsch, but he in particular is a big loss for Jogi. You can see evidence of a mild injury crisis with the chosen strikers, too - all three from the two lowest-scoring teams in the league. Nonetheless, they should beat the Kazachs, but Turkey are of course a bigger problem.

Goal: René Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Defence: Holger Badstuber (Bayern München), Jerome Boateng (Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Bayern München), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Sascha Riether (VfL Wolfsburg), Heiko Westermann (Hamburger SV)

Midfield: Kevin Großkreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern München), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Thomas Müller (Bayern München), Mesut Özil (Real Madrid), Lukas Podolski (1. FC Köln), Christian Träsch (VfB Stuttgart)

Attack: Cacau (VfB Stuttgart), Mario Gomez (Bayern München), Miroslav Klose (Bayern München)

[LUX]

Lux at home to Belarus, who won in France recently. Lux have gone backwards recently and will no doubt lose again. Next week, though, it's France away, just over the border in Metz. Hopefully, as it's their Cup final, the Red Lions will pull something out of the fire.

Trying to get tickets, but no joy.

[Big Foot]

Germany are without Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marcell Jansen for the forthcoming games in Turkey and Kazachstan, with Großkreutz also doubtful. Alternatives for Schweini could be Kroos or Träsch, but he in particular is a big loss for Jogi. You can see evidence of a mild injury crisis with the chosen strikers, too - all three from the two lowest-scoring teams in the league. Nonetheless, they should beat the Kazachs, but Turkey are of course a bigger problem.

Goal: René Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Defence: Holger Badstuber (Bayern München), Jerome Boateng (Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Bayern München), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Sascha Riether (VfL Wolfsburg), Heiko Westermann (Hamburger SV)

Midfield: Kevin Großkreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern München), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Thomas Müller (Bayern München), Mesut Özil (Real Madrid), Lukas Podolski (1. FC Köln), Christian Träsch (VfB Stuttgart)

Attack: Cacau (VfB Stuttgart), Mario Gomez (Bayern München), Miroslav Klose (Bayern München)

One interesting thing to note - bar Ozil, Khedira & Boateng who'ce all transferred this Summer - is that like England, their squad all play in their home league.

[prostak]

Isn't that fairly commonplace for the big European nations?

I'd say a bigger story is that Jogi has chosen not to call up Lewis Holtby. That's in spite of having watched his excellent performance against Hoffenheim at the weekend, claiming Holtby's first assist was "worth the entrance money by itself". I imagine November's international friendlies will see his footballing nationality decided.