Goalkeepers - Hart, Foster

Defenders - Brown, Cahill, A.Cole, Dawson, Gibbs, Jagielka, G.Johnson, Terry

Midfielders - Barry, Gerrard, A.Johnson, Lampard, Milner, Young, Walcott, Wilshere

Strikers - Bent, C.Cole, Rooney, Zamora

Paul Robinson was brought back in but he has withdrawn and retired as he does not want to be 3rd choice.

I always find friendlies a bit pointless but this one may be different as he is using it for what we should always do and test out some different players, I can't say I'm too impressed with the forwards but what can he do when he has no talent to choose from.

In terms of strikers, he has finally included the 2nd best England striker and i'd go as far as saying that if Bent played for Man Utd he would outscore Rooney.

Shame its 3 months too late.

I don't know about him outscoring Rooney but he certainly deserved a place at the world cup and Fabio should be ashamed of ignoring players like Bent in favour of picking his favourites who went on to badly let him down.

To experiment I'd pick the following team to start

--------------Hart-----------------
Johnson Jagielka Terry Gibbs
-------------Barry-----------------
------Gerrard----Wilshere------
Walcott-----------------Johnson
--------------Bent-----------------

Micky Quinn was on the radio saying how Carroll should be given a run out to see what he can do. Strange that the FA wont call in a replacement for Robinson, Harper would probably be happy to get a call up.

Yeah but there's probably a few players ahead of Harper on that list

James is out because hes gone to bristol
Green wont get called up due to the WC

Theres 2 out

James won't get called up because he's old. Capello is looking for a younger squad now. It's the only reason Wilshere, Gibbs and Walcott got called up. None of them should be near the England squad.

Theres Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson also, both ahead of Harper in the pecking order

Neither of them should be though, Harper has shown more quality through his career than either of them.

Harper will have to prove that this season though but I fear that the age factor will put Capello off anyway.

I don't think he would outscore Rooney if they both played together for Man Utd, but I struggle to see how anyone can score 24 goals in a Premier League season in a mid-table side and not be good enough for England. I know he hasn't set the world alight in his few chances for England but it's a bit ridiculous he's deemed 'not international class' when strikers who score far fewer goals are. Not that 'international class' isn't a stupid phrase anyway.

Wes Brown has also apparently pulled out and retired - no great loss but think its a bit discraceful really these players "retiring" from selection simply because they are not first choice and cant get a game.

Certainly no longer seems to be an honour to be called up by your country

Oh no its the biggest loss to English football Wes Brown has thrown his dummy out of the pram

I guess with the England squad, there's just no pleasing everyone, after the world cup, everyone is baying for blood and demanding some players never grace the shirt again, then as soon as they are dropped, people ask "where are they?", "why pick them?" like i've seen on some message boards and talksport phone-ins today, some people have really short memories.

And with the likes of Brown and Robinson, their reasons for making these decisions I think are similar, being selected now when many from the world cup squad still available have been left out and with age not on their side sort of confirmed in their eyes that Capello only picked them to "make up the numbers"

Its of course no great loss but I think it highlights a major problem with the national team in that a lot of players just seem to see playing for their country as a chore.

I agree with you on players attitude. I dont think itll be the last.

Could at least wait until after the match, instead of making things a bit more annoying for Capello.

Brown and Robinson especially were more than fringe players as they weren't picked for the England squad, so I can understand them pulling out and it's no big loss really. Does however sum up the attitudes of many English footballers these days, not seeing representing their country as an honour etc.

Wes Brown has just spent 6 weeks training and not playing for England, and seeing Carragher and Matthew fuckin Upson being consdered a better player...

Robinson didnt even make the squad and similarly had to put up with 3 others of questionable ability being seen as a safer pair of hands.

Both know they will never be first choice. Both are young millionaires with very likely more and better things to do than training for games they know they'll never play in.

There aren't many Stuart Pearces or David Beckhams around nowadays. Can't say I blame these two for chucking the towel in.

More to the point I'm surprised and disappointed that Capello didnt take the oppurtunity to once and for all kick John Terry into touch...past his best and a fuckin troublemaker

A very small part of me can understand it with these two in that they were not in the World Cup squad and certainly in Browns case I would have been slightly peeved if that shite scouser got called out of retirement to go ahead of me but saying that I would expect most players to take that on the chin and if selected in the future then put in the performances top make sure you keep getting picked.

Like you say just seems very annoying the way they have done it, waiting to get called up then retiring.

If there are any other petty bastards out there who cant be arsed to represent their country then they might as well just all come out now and say it and we can at least have players playing that generally want to.

Give over man

He's not a poor player by any means, but he peaked a few years ago for me. Will he even be as good as he is now come the Euros in 2 years? He's also a piss poor teamate and a treacherous two faced bastard who,in view of these fine qualities, must cause a division or two in the camp at a major tournament. Get rid now.

Play Gary Cahill or Chris Smalling...Germany weren't shy about promoting young players. I'd rather give these lads a shot than stick with an old guard proven to be shot to fuckin bits by virtue of their own selfish fuckin egos.

John Terry is still England's best CB so he's not gonna get dropped.

I still think he is the best centre half in the country, i just think he has had a bad season which a lot was probably down to the off field stuff.

Still think he has a good 3 or 4 years left at the top level.

Im all for giving youngsters a chance but I dont think you have to discard all the older players, you ideally want a good mix of youth and experience really.

If the experienced players are past it then sure get rid but id have to say that I dont think Terry is anywhere near past it yet. Id say Rio was closer to that situation out of the two.

Isn't it strange how Brown can accept not being first choice at Man Utd for all these years, but he knows he can sit on the bench or in the physio room and still pick up his whopping weekly wage for them.

I'm glad these players are retiring if that's how they feel about an England call up whether they are first choice or not it should be something they are proud to do, and let's face it who are Wes Brown and Paul Robinson to be expecting to be first choice they aren't even very good.

Agreed mate

Now Darren Bent is out, in his case though he's injured himself and is also a doubt for the mackem's game with Birmingham.

The difference is that Germany could play some of their young players because they're good.

Against the evidence he presented in the summer when it really counted then I'd have to disagree. Easy to play in a good side like Chelsea, but failed when the going got tough when he shouldve been showing Upson the way and setting an example.

He's shot,but sadly so is Rio, which is why he'll still be playing in the qualifiers.

And I'd have either Parker or (tin hat time) Cattermole in the squad too...do you think that Fritz would've run past the Beast of the Boro like he did Gareth Barry?...and before the predictable negative comments about a deeply upopular player would someone like to point out the major differences between LC and World Cup winner Genarro Guttuso?...before he got injured last season he was the best player in England in that posistion and wouldve made an England squad or two in the run up to the WC...

Is this the same hacking cunt that's injured a few lads in the prem, yet it would be ok if he did it at international level? You're scraping the barrel there man. You had Terry Butcher in 86, didn't do much good...

If i was picking an England team now, i'd go for this:


-----------------Hart------------------

Johnson--Shawcross-Terry----Cole

---------------Barry-------------------

-------Lampard-------Milner-------

-Walcott--------------------Johnson-

--------------Bent---------------------

Out with the majority of the underperformers of the World Cup side, in (for the most part) with the players who we hope will be Englands future, Hart, Walcott, Johnson, Shawcross & Milner

I wouldn't close the door on the likes of Gerrard, Ferdinand, Rooney, Joe Cole or even Beckham but these players shouldn't be automatic selections either.

I hope for the sake of the country that Rooney can produce the form he shows for Man Utd for England at a major tournament but so far, we are yet to see it.

I know he's had trouble with injuries etc, but it's a shame his best form in a major tournament by far (even if that's not saying much) was in Euro 2004, when he was 18.

I agree with the sentiment of getting rid of the underperfroming shite and giving others a chance but leaving Rooney out for Darren Bent you surely cant be fecking serious?

Why? Would you just keep with Rooney, who despite being fit was absolutely shit in the World Cup.

Whether he was fit or not only he knows. Either way he was shite you are right but he is still one of our only World Class players.

Bent has had a few chances for England and has looked totally out of his depth.

Im not saying Rooney is undroppable but i dont think a bad tournament means he should suddenly be discarded especially not if the alternative is Darren Bent!

Now it looks like Capello may be forced to call up another keeper. SSN are saying that now Ben Foster has been forced to withdraw.

Meh, it's only a bloody friendly. I really can't see the point in even noticing it.

I'd like to point out that I too am also out for this friendly.

Fucking hell. I didn't realise the future was so bleak

And he's chosen Rovers' 4th choice keeper Frankie Fielding!
I wonder what message that is supposed to send to Paul Robinson.

That hes fucking shit

Is this the same Paul Robinson who has retired from Intl football?

After the shocking decision not to allow Lampard's goal against Germany, England now concede a goal that did not appear to cross the line, not quite as clear cut as the Lampard decision but still should not have been given.

Nice to see the lineman has a sense of irony.

Quality goals from Gerrard that we know he's capable of. Shows it really meant something to him by the way he celebrated.

Shame Cappello didn't show even any change of emotion on his face as Gerrard's 1st goal was scored just stayed there in his seat with the same expression on his face, and we wonder why the players don't seem to show enough passion.

Yeah I don't think it's very helpful that he shows a complete lack of emotion. Peacefully celebrating a great goal isn't getting carried away and he should be showing passion if he wants his players to.

I know commentators don't tend to criticise managers too much, but Townsend was right when he said he needs to make up for it after having a 'shocker' in South Africa. Let's see how he fares in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Gerrard scored two quality goals and johnson and walcott looks like a great left and right wing combination, just need a predator in the box like defoe and we have the makings of a good team.

Ahead of Rooney?

yes, still dont rate/like rooney, keeps tracking back when he should be in box attacking the ball.

Not liking him is fair enough but not rating him, you having a laugh?