Pick a "Great Britain" World Cup Squad

[Walrus]

As topic, with all the World Cup media storm and hype building up now, and some of the recent threads about the England squad and who should be in/out...what if hypothetically it was a GB team rather than the home nations individually, who would make the cut?

Perhaps more realistically, who from the other home nations (and maybe even Ireland, because without wanting to cause any offence - i can never remember for the life of me which players are from Northern Ireland and which from the Republic).


So aside from the usual suspects who can we include?

From the United squad - JOS and Fletcher would surely be definites, perhaps Evans as well?

Robbie Keane could be in with a shout, Stephen Ireland possibly, Cahill? Dunne?

 

[FortBoyard]

Hate to be a pedant but Republic of Ireland players wouldn't qualify as GB.

Cahill is declared Australian, so probably only Evans and Fletcher at present truthfully.

edit: upon re-reading I see you mentioned the difference between the Irelands, but It's useless speculation surely placing ROI players in, seeming as a real GB team may happen at future Olympics

 

[Alilaw]

As a rule of thumb, anyone who is even half good and not called 'Jonny Evans' is from the Republic. Which is as much a part of Great Britain as France and Germany.

I'm sure you could persuade Giggs to come out of retirement for a world cup. And along with Fletcher, that'd probably be it.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

Southern and Republic are the same. Anyway from outside of England the players that are a certainty to make the squad are Evans, Gordon, Fletcher, Bellamy, Bale and Giggs if you can persuade him to come out of retirement. Ramsey would also be one possibly.

This is of course if you're assuming GB is an abbreviated for GB and NI.

 

[kietotheworld]

Northern Ireland isn't part of Great Britain, it's part of the UK.

 

[surf]

Fletcher and Giggs would go straight into the team.

Given too if you really think Eire is part of Great Britain.

Some other Celts might make the squad.

 

[Walrus]

Southern and Republic are the same. Anyway from outside of England the players that are a certainty to make the squad are Evans, Gordon, Fletcher, Bellamy, Bale and Giggs if you can persuade him to come out of retirement. Ramsey would also be one possibly.

This is of course if you're assuming GB is an abbreviated for GB and NI.

whoops, fixed!

 

[rednev]

As topic, with all the World Cup media storm and hype building up now, and some of the recent threads about the England squad and who should be in/out...what if hypothetically it was a GB team rather than the home nations individually, who would make the cut?

Perhaps more realistically, who from the other home nations (and maybe even Ireland, because without wanting to cause any offence - i can never remember for the life of me which players are from Southern Ireland and which from the Republic).


So aside from the usual suspects who can we include?

From the United squad - JOS and Fletcher would surely be definites, perhaps Evans as well?

Robbie Keane could be in with a shout, Stephen Ireland possibly, Cahill? Dunne?

You mean Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

And Great Britain is the name of the island consisting of Wales, Scotland and England, so it doesn't include Northern Ireland. Although oddly, it is in a sporting context sometimes used to refer to the United Kingdom (which obviously would include NI) as a whole, eg The GB Olympic team.

Calling it a UK World Cup squad might make it less confusing if you want to include NI as well. Or a British Isles squad if you want to include the Republic of Ireland, although that might not go down well with some of the Irish posters on here who object to the term British Isles including the RoI, even though it is factually correct.

 

[Myxomatosis]

Fletcher. That's about it, and I'm not 100% sure you'd start him. I probably wouldn't have Evans over Upson, Woodgate, Lescott etc.. right now although in the future I think he'll surpass their current level.

 

[711]

Sell Wales, Buy Eire.

 

[FortBoyard]

I think Evans has already surpassed any eligible English centre back behind Terry and Ferdinand. He definitely has more experience against top level opponents, in top level matches than the others.

 

[Georgie Best]

Craig Gordon would certainly be among the top candidates for goalkeeper. Darren Fletcher would probably be in it. Ryan Giggs could still be good enough to be part of the squad, and Ramsey and Bale could possibly get in there as they get older, Evans too is a good shout, probably not ready yet but he can become world class when he gets a bit more experience.

 

[rednev]

Giggs, Fletcher, Ramsey (if he wasn't injured, obviously), Evans and Bale would all make a WC squad, in my view. And if we're including the Republic, Given would be a dead cert for the number 1 spot. Steven Ireland would come into consideration, too.

 

[Rowem]

Fletcher would start. He is a million times better than Barry. Possibly Gordon - no other Scots.

Johnny Evans would make the squad ahead of England's fairly poor backup centre backs.

A few of the Welsh players would be in with a shout...Bellamy, Bale, Giggs, Ramsey.

 

[rednev]

Fletcher would start. He is a million times better than Barry. Possibly Gordon - no other Scots.

Johnny Evans would make the squad ahead of England's fairly poor backup centre backs.

A few of the Welsh players would be in with a shout...Bellamy, Bale, Giggs, Ramsey.

Ah, forgot about Bellamy. Yeah, he would be in it.

 

[bergen]

Evans, Fletcher, Giggs.... Amazingly, all from United.

Craig Gordon? He's probably better than Robert Green...

Only half decent players I can think of in addition to those are Bellamy and Bale.

Oh and Ramsey.

 

[Rowem]

I reckon Bellamy would even start. Either left wing/forward or alongside Rooney.

 

[bergen]

Great, everyone had been mentioned when I finished writing my post

 

[FortBoyard]

I don't think Ramsey would be ready for the current squad (obviously without injury), certainly though from onwards.

Think certain names like James McCarthy, Ramsey and the likes would be future contenders in this hypothesis.

 

[Tony7]

you can't have republic players you may as well invade spain make it a province of great britain have casillas in goal torres upfront and silva for that problem left wing position

 

[FlawlessThaw]

Mikel Arteta is eligible for British citizenship so maybe he ought to be considered as well. He technically could play for any of the Home nations despite the fact that he has never lived in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

 

[Ramshock]

lol i swear to feck people start these threads on purpose to get a barney going about the republic of ireland thing

 

[Rowem]

Mikel Arteta is eligible for British citizenship so maybe he ought to be considered as well. He technically could play for any of the Home nations despite the fact that he has never lived in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

He played for Rangers I believe.

It is interesting though.

 

[Raees]

Hypothetically if everyone was injury free.. I'd pick the following Squad.. and I'm picking a British and Irish Lions team

Goalkeepers:
Given
Hart
Gordon

Defenders

O.Hargreaves
Johnson
Rio
Terry
Evans
Brown
A.Cole
G.Bale

Midfielders:
Lennon
A.Johnson
D.Fletcher
J.Milner
A.Ramsey
A.Mcgeady
J.Cole
S.Gerrard
F.Lampard

Forwards:
W.Rooney
P.Crouch
C.Cole
C.Bellamy


Starting X1:

Given
Hargreaves Rio Terry Cole
Fletcher Milner
A.Ramsey
Lennon Rooney C.Bellamy​

 

[FlawlessThaw]

He played for Rangers I believe.

It is interesting though.

Ah yeah sorry scratch the Scotland part. I should have said Almunia who could also play for any of the 4 countries and not lived anywhere other than England.

 

[Laphroaig]

I probably wouldn't have Evans over Upson, Woodgate, Lescott etc..

Bloody hell!

And if Giggs is included then so should Scholes be.

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

although that might not go down well with some of the Irish posters on here who object to the term British Isles including the RoI, even though it is factually correct.

You remember the ructions that past thread caused too huh.



The way Dunne's been doing at Villa since his move, and this is purely hypthetical, but i think Fabio would have him under consideration, particularly when compared to Upson as is.

 

[Top]

I see your weak GB team and raise you with this cracking Scandinavian team!

Bendtner - Zlatan
M. Gamsten - C. Poulsen - Kallstrom - S. Larsson
Riise - Agger - Kjær - Jacobsen
Sørensen​

Bench:
Hangeland
Carew
Rosenberg
Nilsson
Kahlenberg
Wendt
Isaksson

 

[Raees]

I see your weak GB team and raise you with this cracking Scandinavian team!

Bendtner - Zlatan
M. Gamsten - C. Poulsen - Kallstrom - S. Larsson
Riise - Agger - Kjær - Jacobsen
Sørensen​

Bench:
Hangeland
Carew
Rosenberg
Nilsson
Kahlenberg
Wendt
Isaksson

not bad.. banking on your strikers to have a tiff though

 

[bergen]

Bloody hell!

And if Giggs is included then so should Scholes be.

Different Situations — Giggs would kill for a shot at a World Cup, while Scholes could be there right now if he wanted to but he doesn't.

 

[Berlinknives]

not bad.. banking on your strikers to have a tiff though

I'd stick Carew, Zaltan, Bendtner,Gudjohnnsen and Shefki Kuqi all upfront and just play long ball.

 

[Raees]

I'd stick Carew, Zaltan, Bendtner,Gudjohnnsen and Shefki Kuqi all upfront and just play long ball.

Big Sam's dream job

 

[Berlinknives]

Fletcher and Giggs would go straight into the team.

Given too if you really think Eire is part of Great Britain.

Some other Celts might make the squad.

But you don't need Scots, Welsh, Manx and Irish/all UK and Ireland team to include Celts ... are not Rooney, Carrick, Hargreaves, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Hart, Gerrard, Gary Cahill, Ryan Shawcross, Michael Owen, Gabriel Agbonlahor etc ... all somewhat "celtic", a few of them (obviously not Agbonlahor) even have Celtic surnames!

The irony is If you want to see an all UK and Ireland team, watch the Republic of Ireland, as well as Northern Irish born players you got Scotish born and English born, all you need is a Welsh born player, think Kevin Sheedy was Welsh born.

 

[Berlinknives]

Big Sam's dream job

What's more the Faroese striker Rógvi Jacobsen is 6 foot 4 1/2 ...

 

[Laphroaig]

I see your weak GB team and raise you with this cracking Scandinavian team!

Bendtner - Zlatan
M. Gamsten - C. Poulsen - Kallstrom - S. Larsson
Riise - Agger - Kjær - Jacobsen
Sørensen​

Bench:
Hangeland
Carew
Rosenberg
Nilsson
Kahlenberg
Wendt
Isaksson

That's shockingly poor to be honest. Compare it to a similar team from 15-20 years back.

 

[Name Changed]

Obviously Ireland is not part of Great Britain but if you do include Ireland, Shay Given and John O'Shea would probably get in. Richard Dunne wouldn't be far off. A very outside bet would be Damien Duff as there are feck all out and out left wingers.

Darren Fletcher would definitely get in. If Giggs came out of international retirement, he'd have to be included. I don't think Evans would.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

If all were fit and in form:

Keepers:
Craig Gordon
Joe Harte
David James

Fullbacks: Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson, Hargreaves, Gareth Bale,

Center backs: Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Johnny Evans, King

Midfielders: Darren Fletcher, Aaron Ramsey, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, David Beckham,

Wide men: Craig Bellamy, Joe Cole, Theo Walcott,

Forwards : Wayne Rooney, Carlton Cole, Steven Gerard


First xi:
4-2-3-1

Gordon

Hargreaves
Rio
Terry
Cole


Fletcher
Carrick

Gerard
Lampard
Bellamy

Rooney

 

[Crustanoid]

To make it more interesting. At least 3 and no more than 8 players from each of the five countries...

 

[gaffs]

The only non English players that would get into my team is Given & Fletch. A few more would get into the squad.

 

[rednev]

What about an all time UK and Ire XI, then?

-------------------Banks-------------------

Neville? ---- Charles ---- Moore ---- Pearce

Best ------ Charlton ----- Keane ------ Giggs?

---------------------------Dalglish---------
-------------Rush/Law