[marty davidson]

Fabio Capello has included Fulham's Jimmy Bullard in his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

England are set to begin the road to South Africa with a double-header against Andorra and Croatia on 6th and 10th September respectively.

Bullard has never previously been mentioned as an international midfield option but, with established stars such as Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Manchester United duo Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick sidelined, he has been handed a shock opportunity to prove what he is capable of.

There is no place in the 23-man party for Newcastle's Michael Owen despite his goal scoring exploits this term, while Portsmouth's Peter Crouch is another who misses out.

Wigan's Emile Heskey retains his place in the squad and West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green returns from the international wilderness.

England in full:

Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson (Blackburn), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham)

Defenders: Joleon Lescott (Everton), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Matthew Upson (West Ham)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Jimmy Bullard (Fulham), David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), David Bentley (Tottenham), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham)

Forwards: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Emile Heskey (Wigan).

 

[owenrooneyruud]

dont know why capello again turned down. micah richards (he is in the u-21 squad but deserves to be in the senior squad), ashley young and gabriel agbonlahor, even SWP deserves to be in there

 

[piazza]

Way to go Cabbage man.

You'll get your 3 points in Andorra, you'll get none in Zagreb.

This would be my England squad:

------------------------------------Stepney
Neville----------------Pallister--------------Bruce----------------Stiles

Beckham-----------------------Charlton-----------------------Robson
-----------------------------------Scholes
-----------------------------Andy Cole--------Viollet

 

[CROoney]

yeeeeees ! lescott ' s there ! i hope he plays for the entire match - they' will soooo go down ...he was directly to blame for 2 out of 3 goals everton conceeded this weekend

 

[reddwarf]

I was surprised Micah Richards, Owen and Crouch were not in the squad.

I've always liked Jimmy Bullard - he has a lot of quality. Although I certainly wasn't expecting him to be called up for England!

It'll be interesting to see if SWP can work his way back into the England squad now he's back at City. It'd be good if Lennon could provide some competition too because after a promising World Cup in 2006 he has been quite poor since.

 

[Jazz 16]

I think Bullard is a great call up. He has a lot about him and offers soemthing
very different. Anyway, he only got in cos a load of midfielders are out.
Carrick, Hargo and Stevie G.

 

[eoininho]

I was surprised Micah Richards, Owen and Crouch were not in the squad.

I've always liked Jimmy Bullard - he has a lot of quality. Although I certainly wasn't expecting him to be called up for England!

It'll be interesting to see if SWP can work his way back into the England squad now he's back at City. It'd be good if Lennon could provide some competition too because after a promising World Cup in 2006 he has been quite poor since.

i think bullard could be the player you lot need in the centre of midfied! ever since sven ****ed about scholesy you havent had a central midfieder who can genuinely dominate and dictate the game, ideally you'd get scholes back but thats unlikely... real managers set the formation first and not try to fit ppl in, particularly if its poster boy showboats like Lampard and Gerrard... they should both be dropped!
put the players in to a formation that works for your team!

step one get a goalkeeper who isnt an idiot

defence is ok , standard back four

beckham/gerrard ... Bullard ... Hargreaves ... j cole

rooney ... crouch/owen

 

[CROoney]

Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson (Blackburn), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham)

Defenders: Joleon Lescott (Everton), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Matthew Upson (West Ham)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Jimmy Bullard (Fulham), David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), David Bentley (Tottenham), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham)

Forwards: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Emile Heskey (Wigan).

when i see those red highlighted players i stop wondering why you always underperform...they are ordinary players...they are hard working players who will work their socks off, but there's no technically gifted player there...too many ordinary players, and the class of lampard,gerrard,rooney and co.gets smothered by incapability and PREDICTABILITY of those stated...predictability is your main problem imo...block gerrards' shot and becks' crosses and you've done 90 percent of work...

 

[marty davidson]

Heskey not good enough to play international football Agbonlahor should be in the squad

 

[eoininho]

Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson (Blackburn), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham)

Defenders: Joleon Lescott (Everton), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Matthew Upson (West Ham)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Jimmy Bullard (Fulham), David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), David Bentley (Tottenham), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham)

Forwards: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Emile Heskey (Wigan).

when i see those red highlighted players i stop wondering why you always underperform...they are ordinary players...they are hard working players who will work their socks off, but there's no technically gifted player there...too many ordinary players, and the class of lampard,gerrard,rooney and co.gets smothered by incapability and PREDICTABILITY of those stated...predictability is your main problem imo...block gerrards' shot and becks' crosses and you've done 90 percent of work...

you're dead right!!! even the mediocre players that are produced in croatia, and throughout europe are very v gifted on the ball and good at keeping posession, compared to the mediocre players that you have highlighted in England that are nothing more than donkey's! Engand are finished as an international team.. not enough players who can keep the ball!!

 

[mather23]

i think bullard could be the player you lot need in the centre of midfied! ever since sven ****ed about scholesy you havent had a central midfieder who can genuinely dominate and dictate the game, ideally you'd get scholes back but thats unlikely... real managers set the formation first and not try to fit ppl in, particularly if its poster boy showboats like Lampard and Gerrard... they should both be dropped!
put the players in to a formation that works for your team!

step one get a goalkeeper who isnt an idiot

defence is ok , standard back four

beckham/gerrard ... Bullard ... Hargreaves ... j cole

rooney ... crouch/owen

Bullard ahead of Carrick, are you joking!

 

[mather23]

you're dead right!!! even the mediocre players that are produced in croatia, and throughout europe are very v gifted on the ball and good at keeping posession, compared to the mediocre players that you have highlighted in England that are nothing more than donkey's! Engand are finished as an international team.. not enough players who can keep the ball!!

So you're sayin Wes Brown is a donkey?

 

[CROoney]

So you're sayin Wes Brown is a donkey?

i wouldn't call him a donkey but incapable of holding on to a ball and making a difference

 

[United_OG]

Even when we keep possession of the ball, it is so predictable at times its like not having the ball. Its not like we are making the oppositiin tired and think alot when we have the ball because its never in dangerous areas or something unpredictable which will keep them guessing and also therefore result in fatigue...

Ohwell, regardless i think england will not have a better chance in recent times than under capello, he'll get the best out of england, whatever that is!

I think we will qualify, how we do it does not matter to me and its about being at the major tournaments and then peaking at the right time!

Just bloody qualify!

pz

 

[CROoney]

the difference between england and croatia - simple - IVAN KLASNIC....IVAN KLASNIC on the one side and JAMIE CARRAGHER AND PAUL SCHOLES on the other... Klasnic is ready to sacrifice his haelth by playing with a transplanted kidney for Croatia, while Carragher refuses to play and Scholes says - "i never enjoyed it.not one bit "...it says it all really

 

[Jazz 16]

the difference between england and croatia - simple - IVAN KLASNIC....IVAN KLASNIC on the one side and JAMIE CARRAGHER AND PAUL SCHOLES on the other... Klasnic is ready to sacrifice his haelth by playing with a transplanted kidney for Croatia, while Carragher refuses to play and Scholes says - "i never enjoyed it.not one bit "...it says it all really

I know its off topic but do you know how Klasnic is getting on at Nantes? His performances, goals etc.
Thanks Croo

 

[FozzyBear]

As long as we qualify then there is no worry, 1 point away at croatia will be good indeed...i cant see why ppl expect us to go and whip evry1 around the park...we havent got a wide man and we havent got a top class out and out striker...so why do we think we are amazing.
Football today is about pace and england have only got walcott..
if we qualify for 2010, in 2032 we wont be lookin back thinkin...what a great qualifying campaign we had for the 2010 world cup will we??
get the points and play proper in the real tourno. it sounds bad but do what we need to do
by 2010 im hoping the team will look like this anyway...with pace!!

Foster/James

Brown-----RIO---JT----A.Cole

----------Hargreaves---------------

Wallcott-----Gerrard----A.Young

----Crouch---Rooney----

Subs:

Foster/James
M.Richard
Carrick
Barry
Defoe

 

[FozzyBear]

when i see those red highlighted players i stop wondering why you always underperform...they are ordinary players...they are hard working players who will work their socks off, but there's no technically gifted player there...too many ordinary players, and the class of lampard,gerrard,rooney and co.gets smothered by incapability and PREDICTABILITY of those stated...predictability is your main problem imo...block gerrards' shot and becks' crosses and you've done 90 percent of work...

the bit in bold mate.....NAIL ON THE HEAD THERE.....we need interplay, fast players, quick passing...walcott was brill against andorra and he better play v croatia or i wont watch the match(...mayb i still will lol)

 

[CROoney]

I know its off topic but do you know how Klasnic is getting on at Nantes? His performances, goals etc.
Thanks Croo

he's doing alright...i'm not sure if he's scored already, but he put some very good performances and had 1 or 2 assists...but it'sa NANTES...not such a great club - he left Werder only because he suied the club's docotrs for ruining his health and stuff....

 

[owenrooneyruud]

Roo - We need to protect Theo

Wayne Rooney believes England need to continue playing as a team and resist the urge to depend too heavily on Theo Walcott.

The Arsenal youngster came of age on Wednesday with a fine hat-trick in The Three Lions' 4-1 impressive success over Croatia.

However, Rooney knows that with expectation now high on youngster, his strike partner thinks it is important for the team to try and protect him where possible.

"Too many times players get made out to be the saviour of England," said the Manchester United ace.

Help him
"We need to keep working as a team, that is the main thing. If we can help him then that'll be great. Hopefully he can help us win."

Walcott was thrust into the limelight when he was named in England's 2006 World Cup squad under then manager Sven Goran Eriksson without having played a single Premier League game.

Rooney acknowledges it must have been difficult for the ex-Southampton starlet, but that extra time developing has only served to strengthen his character.

"From getting thrown into the World Cup without playing in the Premier League, then not playing, it was obviously going to be difficult," he continued.

"After that so much was expected of him. He's had a couple of years to get ready and you see in his games for Arsenal that he's playing well and against Andorra he showed glimpses of what he can do. Against Croatia he was brilliant."