To stop the Premier League thread going off topic I'll post this up.

The provisional Belgian and Spain squads are up and they look good. Should be two formidable sides this summer

Belgium have always had a great squad on paper, never been able to do much with it though.

Spain look awesome and even left out Isco and Soldado - Uruguay's looks quite good too. (I would have not taken Torres and taken another upcoming Striker) Paco Alcacer

GKs:
Casillas
Reina
De Gea

Defenders:
Azpilicueta
Pique
Ramos
Alba
Moreno
Martinez
Albiol
Juanfran
Carvajal

Midfielders:
Busquets
Alonso
Koke
Iturraspe
Xavi
Thiago
Pedro
Navas
Silva
Fabregas
Mata
Cazorla
Iniesta

Forwards:
Costa
Villa
Torres
Negredo
Llorente

LOL^^^^^^^ WHY ARE WE GOING???

ALL I CAN SAY IS: OUCH ^^^^

Ours looks more like a schoolboy team compared to the calibre of players Spain have. Dread to see Brazil's lol.

Thank God the Demon Head master Daniel Levy has nothing do with England FC

Edited at 16:12 Tue 13/05/14 (BST)

Torres is worth a punt in the provisional squad because of what he is capable of. Never really looked motivated at international level, probably because he never had the chance to be the star player with the talent they have.

It's tough to pick a starting XI from the Spain team. Any of the keepers are a worthy choice. I'd pick:

4-2-3-1
De Gea
Juanfran, Ramos, Pique, Alba
Busquets, Alonso
Silva, Fabregas, Iniesta
Costa

But there's just so much you can do with that squad

I'd Pick:

4-5-1

Casillas

Azpilicueta, Pique, Ramos , Alba

Navas, Silva, Alonso, Mata, Iniesta

Villa

Their team is soooo much better than ours.

Villa? I wouldn't have picked him, he's not had a great season.

Costa has been good all season, simple enough

Negredo was a beast the first half but has gone missing since his injury, but scored a good number of goals in all competitions

Llorente has scored a decent amount of goals in a league based on good defences and has scored in the Champions League

Torres has been fairly poor in the league for what he should be as usual, though he's been decent in the champions league for goals.

Villa has been better than Torres in the league, with a decent goal tally. But the quality of the defence means he should be getting more. No goals in the Champions League is awful too.

Villa or Torres will be dropped for the 23 man squad word is.

My bets on costa rica to win the whole thing

Spain will flop in the group stage
neymar gets injured and they go out quater finals
england lose in semi finals
germany out in finals

damn im good at guessing

serious note.

Whag do you guys think about no experience at the back for england? No colde , no terry , will we flop?

Johnson has World Cup experience, the whole back line has general experience

Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines

That isn't a young back four, should be a decent one though.

Good point but I mean a leader , someone like terry who controls the back 4 and helps the younger generation like luke shaw .

sterling , llalana , heskey. Oh wait heskey didnt get picked but the other two , are they going to be like owen when he was 18?

Yeah, I'd be happier with Terry going even though he's pretty old now. Though, Baines is a captain so he should be a leader at the back.

I think the attackers with no experience will do well, they should be fearless without the expectation to lose beaten into them. Don't think some teams will expect the on the ball brilliance of Sterling and Barkley. I can see those two in particular having a big impact. All in all (it's probably said every time), I'm happy with the 11 that *should* start, and we should be able to give a good go of it. My heart says Italy won't make it out of the group, my head says Uruguay will fall short. Not even thinking of the possibility of England being the ones to fall short

Very true , I think another person that will shine in the world cup has got to be costa with him moving to chelsea and all he will be pumped up

I put him in the Spanish first XI, they've needed a world class striker in his prime to be the complete package and now they have one.

Our defence will get ripped to shreds but Italy, Uruguay and then Costa Rica, good job they aint got Paolo Wanchope lol (from Derby years back)

Take a tent fans cheaper than a hotel and easier and quicker to pack up after group stages.

Our Defence:

Glen Johnson - Useless, gives the ball away too often.
Phil Jones - What is his rightful position, DR, DC, DMC?
Gary Cahill - Only decent defender we have
Phil Jagielka - Been injured a while, no match fitness and sharpness
Chris Smalling - Why he's been selected God only knows and I'm an Atheist...so that's saying something.
Leighton Baines - A very good player but more a Wing back than a Left Defender - he would appreciate being confined to defence and when goes forward opposition will exploit the space left.
Luke Shaw - Very good upcoming player, just not ready yet.
On Standby - John Stones - I'm not being funny but who the hell is this kid?
John Flanagan - Everything I turn on MOTD I see him booked or fouling someone, not a player I rate @ all.

We have NO PLAYERS who will make the opposition think ooo we'd better watch him. Unlike Spain, Brazil, Germany, Argentina even Belgium's team looks stronger than ours. Also no real LEADER - Captain should be a Defender. Let Gerard focus on his game and with nothing to hold him back, quality player mind.

IMO

I pretty much disagree with everything you've said there, but most of all the captaincy. Without Gerrard as captain we wouldn't have made it out the groups last time. His leadership will be the driving force behind anything we achieve.

If you think we have no players ask Kompany what he thought of Sterling when he made him look like a conference defender.

Or the City midfield that Barkley powered through several times.

Or Suarez, on how good some of Gerrards deliveries have been.


England have plenty of players to watch, any team that goes into a match thinking the opposition have no players they better watch deserves the thrashing they'll inevitably get.

Johnson - Very experienced, great going forward, can beat a player and put the ball in the box. Will need help though from the winger on his side.
Phil Jones - Originally a DC but being as versatile as he is, well worth taking even if to just cover for injuries.
Cahill - A good leader in defence, confident on the ball good header of the ball and good distribution.
Jagielka - Pretty much the same as Cahill, will be a great partnership IMO.
Smalling - Great potential just not filled it yet, reckon the pressure of having to fill Ferdinand's and Vidic's boots has got to him. Be a lot better in a team like Arsenal.
Baines - Best left back we have had for a few decades, far better than Cole was, but hey that's just my opinion. I never rated cole as a player much, I can only really recall him having a handful of good games. Back to Baines, awesome going forward great distribution, brilliant from set pieces, but like Johnson will require a lot of help from Left mid/winger.
Shaw - Great backup option to Baines and offers most of what Baines does plus his added speed which is a great help.
John Stones - Give his chance at Everton and took it well, great up and comer but don't think he is ready, although deserves to be there on current form.
Flanagan - 2 Yellow cards in the premier league all season and 1 in the Fa Cup. Only Jagielka had less out of the other defenders I believe.

I said we have NO DEFENCE and not really any players which jump out at you and think ooo wow watch him. Barkley if gets the opportunity but with no defence no point attacking.

Be good to see Lallana and Lambert in the team, Rooney has been a let down in previous tournaments so wont get hopes up.

Captain should be in Defence, even you said it yourself,

Yeah, I'd be happier with Terry going even though he's pretty old now. Though, Baines is a captain so he should be a leader at the back.

Baines ain't no leader, he's a free spirit up and down the flanks, that's it.

Going onto leaders.

Gerrard
Rooney
Baines
Jagielka
Cahill
Lallana and Lambert are captain and vice for Southampton
Barkley
Lampard

Could make arguments for Jones and probably Milner too.

And whoever said Milner is overrated on the other thread is talking a load of rubbish.

City 2-0 down to Liverpool bring him on he transforms the game for them, he attacks, beats men, defends, gives his all for the team, assists crosses can score.

It took a great team to bring his confidence and skill out but he is there on pure merit, ability and form.

That's his job... to get up the flank maybe beat a man or two whip a ball in an cause trouble, and also to track back when needed, that's what he is good at.

No players that jump out at you?

You mad?

Sterling
Gerrard
Lallana
Rooney
Henderson
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Milner (at times)
Shaw
Baines
Barkley

Everyone of them can wow you at anytime of a game.

Your problem Ash is that you are going off the media a lot, you said before you only seen some of them on MOTD, dunno who Stones is despite him playing 20+ times for Everton this season.

A lot of what you think you know isn't even true, Flanagan getting booked everytime you see him on MOTD despite MOTD only being able to show 2 bookings of his all season?

You are probably sub consciously comparing the team to the media's darlings which is Spain and Germany. You know what take them for what and who they are and what they can do and don't write them off before they get a chance.

Compared to other teams not as much no.


England Player - Other teams: Which one would i look forward to watching more?

Sterling - Duarte Bernard
Gerrard - Hernanes
Lallana - Fabregas
Rooney - Falcao
Henderson - Thiago Alcantara
Oxlade-Chamberlain - Eden Hazard
Milner (at times) - G. Wijnaldum
Shaw - Joel Veltman
Baines - Alba or Coentrao
Barkley - Tony Vilhena or Lucas Biglia

Apart from Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Oxlade- Chamberlain, no one really to get excited about compared to other teams, stronger, more dynamic and a lot better technically gifted.

I'd love England do well but with our team selection - i fear not.

Wont Beat Italy & Uruguay - will probably win versus Costa Rica -

Good to next get hopes up coz then can't be dashed when IF we fail to perform once again.