'Who's got the most annoying face in the premier league?' is a perfectly valid question.
Jack Wilshere | I should be in the England squad
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Nothing wrong with that tweet. Southgate won’t have a problem with it either
He is better than all the English centre mids that have been chosen. None of the others have any creativity what so ever.
With him or without him though, the team will get knocked out in the last 16 anyway.
With him or without him though, the team will get knocked out in the last 16 anyway.
Probably wouldn't make that much of a difference but he is literally the only ball playing midfielder england have so I don't see why the manager wouldn't take him just to offer the chance for some creativity in midfield.
Is he though? Wilshere has created less than Henderson and Loftus Cheek per 90 mins as well as avg per game. Wilshere is all style little substance. The most overrated English player in a long while. Not crucial to any squad he is in, including Arsenal and Bournemouth. Did any sides even offer a contract when it was expiring? yet you want him to play for our national team? no thanks.
http://www.squawka.com/comparison-m...les_won/successful_take_ons/total_duels_%#avg
I've no opinion of whether Wilshere should go or not, can't say I've been paying attention to him this season. In the past I'd say he's a better player than Delph. Thing is, this version of t Delph has been playing left back this season. That puts any comparison of possession and dispossession stats on extremely shaky ground, even more than normal.
At best, when comparing 2 players in the same position with different teams they can't take into account managerial instructions as one team might be told to get forward more quickly than another and take more risks, nor do they take into account that teammates may move better off the ball giving someone more, better or safer passing options. Throw in the different position factor (LB v CM) on top of that and I'm not sure what is gained from it at all.
Delph got into the England squad as a CM when City 1st signed him as he was playing well at the time. Now he has shown he can play LB. Thats versatility which we can do with. We can do without Wilshere.
He is probably better than what we have but that' not saying much.
To be fair, he's better than any of those "midfielders" in the squad. I can see England struggling to get out of the group stages.
If comparative ability is about level you might as well leave the biggest bellend at home, innit?
I can understand him not being in or Lallana (as he is just coming back from a bad injury and you don't want him breaking down), but to not pick Shelvey just leaves us with sod all creativity in there. Yet if the squad has been picked with peoples injury records in mind, why pick Jones?
Panama & Tunisia? I know we're not much cop but y'know...
, really?Quarter Finals they reckon, Raheem's Mum & Spurs-embedded media folk.
People say we should get through the group, yet it is the likes of Panama and Tunisia we will struggle against, yet turn up against Belgium. We should know that from previous World Cups.
Lets be honest he probably should be there, that England squad on paper is fecking garbage.
Easily the worst squad (and probably manager...) we've taken to a world cup in my time.
Easily the worst squad (and probably manager...) we've taken to a world cup in my time.
He’s so good that Bournemouth refused to sign him...
One of Wilshire, Shelvey or Lallana should have gone, they're the most creative players ffs. (i would have taken two personally)
He should have been called up IMO, but Wilshire is embarrassing himself by publicly coming out with that.
He should have been called up IMO, but Wilshire is embarrassing himself by publicly coming out with that.
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I agree with Jack. Not that he's at his best anymore but he's still one of Englands best players (as damning as that is) and, for the football Southgate wants us to play in possession, he's still probably the best English player at playing this style.
He should've been a certain and I think Lewis Cook should've gone, too. That is If Southgate is so intent on picking the players who are best on the ball which he obviously is doing as he hasn't called up Smalling, which I don't disagree with for what it's worth.
He should've been a certain and I think Lewis Cook should've gone, too. That is If Southgate is so intent on picking the players who are best on the ball which he obviously is doing as he hasn't called up Smalling, which I don't disagree with for what it's worth.
It's a fair point on the position but that also counts for Delph, in that he covers two slots.
Position and system aside, Delph is a better passer and ball retainer than Wilshere.
Yes and no. He's won 3 of his 9 caps since signing for City, although none of it was really because of anything he did in a City shirt. He was barely playing for City from the get go. Those 3 caps came off the back of 4 sub appearances for City totaling 32 minutes. He was already in and around the squad because of what he did at Villa, although if we want to bring it back to Wilshere, Delph was solidly behind him in the pecking order.
Versatility is good, and @Classical Mechanic was talking along the same lines. It could well be why Young made the squad ahead of Bertrand. He could play RB or either wing if need be. I suppose the difference is that Young will primarily be going as an LB, the position he's been playing recently whereas Delph wil be going as a CM where he hasn't. Delph has started around 12 games in CM since leaving Villa, that's got to be a worry of sorts. If we were talking about often injured players (like Wilshere funnily enough) it would be, so I don't think this should be that different. Nobody really knows how good a CM Delph is right now.
And that was at a time where Wilshere was playing his best football
I wouldn't say he's a better passer. Delph hasn't really played in midfield much all season so I'd be worried to play him there.
In what world is what he has said embarrassing? What is wrong with English people, God forbid a player actually rates himself. He's said he thinks he should have been picked and is really disappointed but respects the manager's choice and will be cheering the team on. Nothing wrong with what he's said.
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Yeah this is much ado about nothing, deliberately leaving out his follow up tweet where he respects the managers decision is a simple attempt to make him look bad.
if he's spelled everything right, it won't be him anyway,
Could you think of a more overrated, overhyped performance than Wilshere against Barcelona? He wasn't that great.
It's been seven years since and they still go on about it. Walcott's performance the year before was 10x better considering he came on and changed the game. Very fact Pep and Messi were complimentary of him said it all.
The question is why did he even feel the need to tweet about it. Attention seeking much ?
Probably not very popular but on form I would have taken Shelvy, at least over delph.
Didn't Delph play as a full back this season?
Like over half of the positions in our squad I think it's a total much of a muchness.
The skillset Wilshere can bring - tight dribbling, respectable length of pass etc. at its best is better than traits some of the other players bring. And he probably deserves a spot.
But I really don't see how including - or removing - Wilshere from this squad makes such a significant difference. This is a player who really didn't stand out at Bournemouth, after all.
The skillset Wilshere can bring - tight dribbling, respectable length of pass etc. at its best is better than traits some of the other players bring. And he probably deserves a spot.
But I really don't see how including - or removing - Wilshere from this squad makes such a significant difference. This is a player who really didn't stand out at Bournemouth, after all.
What do we think of Wilshere? Shit
What do we think of shit? Wilshere
Thank you
That’s alright
What do we think of shit? Wilshere
Thank you
That’s alright
Which was my thinking as well but we have to remember that he was called up for two friendlies and pulled out through injuries again.
You can see the headlines now if Southgate took a chance on him, only to pull up in the first half an hour and be out for the tournament. Stupid Southgate, why did he risk him, we could have taken a young lad and given them some experience!!!!!!
He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, I for one am pleased he's got rid of Hart and Wilshere. They've done nowt for England so far.
Don't rate Wilshere that highly, even when he's fit but he's certainly got a bit more about him than Jordan Fecking Henderson and the like.
Don't think it's too controversial to suggest he could have gone.
Others have more or less covered the components of my opinion, but I'll adumbrate it nonetheless.
In and of themselves, in isolation, I don't have any issues with the individual decisions not to take Wilshere, Lallana or Shelvey. The first's form this season, even without being crippled by injuries as he's often been, has been merely serviceable overall; the second, despite really starting to come in to his own for England in 2016-17, has barely played this term; and the third has major issues with discipline and isn't as consistent as his talents merit.
BUT - while these are fair enough decisions in a vacuum, they appear a little off-base when you look at England's overall situation. We have next to nothing in our midfield options in the form of passing creativity and one-touch vision. Alli and Lingard have got goals in them, and have got the legs to their game to drive at defenders, but they aren't generally players who can split a defence with a pass or play the kind of quick passing, one-touch stuff that prizes open the most stubborn defences. Now perhaps Southgate is going to set us up to play pacey, counter-attacking football with a bit more width, but ideally you still need that plan B option to give yourself the best chance of success. Given our lack of options elsewhere, Wilshere's steady rather than spectacular form, Lallana's rustiness or Shelvey's hot-headed inclinations appear, to me at least, to be a risk worth taking and a small price to pay to try and make up for that shortfall.
Individually, there are reasons why you might leave any three of them out - but not all three of them at the same time. Personally, I'd have taken Shelvey as he's got his act together in the last few weeks and, while he's a bit of a helmet at times, there's no doubting his quality and passing ability. I do applaud Southgate for approaching his selection with an independent mind and not pandering to the tabloids, but I think he's over-stacked the squad with defenders, and would have been better off leaving one or two of them at home (particularly any of Cahill, Delph - don't like 'utility man' inclusions - or Trippier) to make some space for at least one of Wilshere, Lallana or Shelvey.
In and of themselves, in isolation, I don't have any issues with the individual decisions not to take Wilshere, Lallana or Shelvey. The first's form this season, even without being crippled by injuries as he's often been, has been merely serviceable overall; the second, despite really starting to come in to his own for England in 2016-17, has barely played this term; and the third has major issues with discipline and isn't as consistent as his talents merit.
BUT - while these are fair enough decisions in a vacuum, they appear a little off-base when you look at England's overall situation. We have next to nothing in our midfield options in the form of passing creativity and one-touch vision. Alli and Lingard have got goals in them, and have got the legs to their game to drive at defenders, but they aren't generally players who can split a defence with a pass or play the kind of quick passing, one-touch stuff that prizes open the most stubborn defences. Now perhaps Southgate is going to set us up to play pacey, counter-attacking football with a bit more width, but ideally you still need that plan B option to give yourself the best chance of success. Given our lack of options elsewhere, Wilshere's steady rather than spectacular form, Lallana's rustiness or Shelvey's hot-headed inclinations appear, to me at least, to be a risk worth taking and a small price to pay to try and make up for that shortfall.
Individually, there are reasons why you might leave any three of them out - but not all three of them at the same time. Personally, I'd have taken Shelvey as he's got his act together in the last few weeks and, while he's a bit of a helmet at times, there's no doubting his quality and passing ability. I do applaud Southgate for approaching his selection with an independent mind and not pandering to the tabloids, but I think he's over-stacked the squad with defenders, and would have been better off leaving one or two of them at home (particularly any of Cahill, Delph - don't like 'utility man' inclusions - or Trippier) to make some space for at least one of Wilshere, Lallana or Shelvey.
@Wishbone Ash
Agreed. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is the only CM in the squad who's comfortable on the ball and it's asking a lot of him to step up and control a game. I can see why he was included because he played well in friendlies, but surely someone like Welbeck could have stayed at home instead.
Agreed. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is the only CM in the squad who's comfortable on the ball and it's asking a lot of him to step up and control a game. I can see why he was included because he played well in friendlies, but surely someone like Welbeck could have stayed at home instead.
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Agree completely. Southgate seemed to not care what fans/media says and not afraid to drop players playing for big clubs. This sends a good message to players that they should be playing more or show they can contribute. And the players playing for smaller clubs have good chance if they show they can contribute.
I think Southgate is going to make Jordan Henderson the Xabi Alonso of the team, while Dier will play a more conservative holding role.
Delle Ali will play in front of them, and I think there is no place for Wilshere since he won't be able to spray the long passes.
Delle Ali will play in front of them, and I think there is no place for Wilshere since he won't be able to spray the long passes.
Jack's upset but lets see how Southgate does. I admire him for making decisions and standing by them. He'll live or die by the performances and results.
Wilshere is a media creation. His stats over the years are extremely underwhelming. He's the personification of Wenger's post-2004 Arsenal: a flashy player with very little end product who screams at referees constantly because he believes his artistry is too important to be interrupted by something as dour as a tackle.
I quite like him taking on the Sunday Supplement tools.Tweet
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