Seaman - Why? He's still the best.
Campbell - Germans are scared of him.
Keown - Always solid
Adams - Experience and Aerial superiority.
Wise - Will close down left side
Ince - Will cover anything in the middle
McManaman - Will get a lot of attention
Beckham - nuff said. needs to step up now.
Scholes - Star of the tournament?
Owen - Germans are scared of him.
Shearer - Still a great striker.

Redknapp is my wild card, if fit, fully fit he may take one of my starters squad positions in midfield, yes he's that good. Heskey could become dangerous too, supersub, maybe. Fowler won't make the trip, nor will Cole. Parlour is in trouble too and Barmby can forget it. Sorry James, home time, you don't mess up in the cup final.
What does everyone think. Be nice and what are your alternatives.

Answers on a post card, anybody going to Belgium or Holland?

Well I personally would put Nigel Martyn in nets but I think there is a ? over his fintness isn't there? I am not sure but if fit I think he is better than Seaman.

3-5-2 formation
forgot that.
Doh!

Keegan will not play a 3-5-2 because he rates Beckham too much as a forward player and knows that if he plays him as a wingback the press will kill him if we don't do well. In an ideal world, he would play the 3-5-2 like this:

Martyn or James in goal (James has been the best English keeper in the Premiership over this season, but unfortunately the Cup Final incident will hang over his head til the day he dies)

Back Three:
Campbell
Adams
Southgate

Left Wing Back:
Steve Guppy (unbelievably left out of the 28)

Right Wing Back:
David Beckham (He has the talent to fill this position, but a question mark would hang over his workrate and ability to get back)

Central Midfield:
Paul Scholes
Jamie Redknapp

Free Role:
Steve McManaman

Strikers:
Alan Shearer
Michael Owen

Bench:
Seaman
Keown
Barry
Wise
Ince
Heskey
Phillips

Fowler has to make the squad because he needs to get a championship under his belt soon. Send Andy Cole home - he just isn't as good as any of the other strikers in the squad.

Would this team win Euro 2000? No, of course not, but they'd do a darn sight better than the real team will do in the real championships (Out in the group stages? Oh yes.)

3-5-2

Keeper:
Martyn

Defence:
Campbell
Adams
Keown

Left Wing Back:
Guppy

Right Wing Back:
Beckham

Centre Midfield:
Scholes
Wise

Free Role:
Macca

Strikers:
Shearer
Owen

Rest of the squad:
Seaman
Wright
Barry
Ferdinand
Redknapp
Gerrard
Southgate
Phillips
Fowler
Heskey
Dyer


In a perfect world, Becks would be able to play in the middle, so that the amazing Kerion Dyer could play as our right wing back - but then again, that'd mean we'd have to drop Scholes and that wouldn't be so great...

Almost same team as me http://www.soccergaming.com/ubb/smile.gif

Thats not a bad plan, but if we dropped Wise instead of Scholes and then tell the two midfield players to run forward from deeper positions while Dyer gives support on the right.

Can we stop putting Guppy in the side and start picking the team that IS going to start. Hopefully.

We're already picking the players that should have gone and Euro 2000 hasn't started yet. Call me an optimist but I think England have a chance.

Macca Scholes Beckham thats a lot of talent.

Don't think the rest of Europe aren't worrying about that.

Take the rose-tinted glasses off, if we make it to the knockout stages we should be celebrating. Great midfield trios?

Germany:
Jeremies
Hamann
Matthaus

Holland:
Davids
Zenden
Seedorf

And thats to name two of the weaker midfield sides at Euro 2000. Even Slovenia have a midfield genius (the name Zahovic will be on everyones lips when they reach the quarter finals).

I think Holland will be the team to beat, but don't count out the World Champs -
they won the World Cup two years ago with Guivach upfront (remember he could have had a hatrick in the final) - now they'll have Anelka and Henry upfront - truely frightening IMO.

A kinda agree with Drinky - our group is very tough, everyone talks about Germany but look at Portugal, they're not exactly a walkover. I think we can get to the quarterfinals - if everyone comes to play, but it'll be tough - Macca can be our ace in the hole if he's alowed his free role.

Rose tinted glasses?

Hamman Jeremies Matthaus (how old is he now?)
I read Hasler has been brought in.

Seedorf Zenden Davids? Thier second favorites I beleive behind Petit DeChamps Zidane and Karambu or Viera of France who I don't think can be beaten.

I'll give you Jermies, ill give you Davids but the rest can't make the England team right now. Can we play as a team is the big question and which Beckham shows up. He disappeared against Brazil, a bad sign.

Scholes looked real good though. Seedorf has been promising and promising to finally deliver at this level and it has never happened. Scholes had a good world cup (better than Seedorf) and he is fast becoming Englands most dangerous player, ask Scotland. Macca has regained his form and with Ince and Wise anchoring them. Yes I wish it was Batty and Redknapp too, even Gerrard Guppy or Lampard either way those three can put anybody in that 5 man midfield with them. Lets hope Keegan doesn't do what Hoddle did and leave Macca out and Beckham. Fancy leaving Owen out against Romania, he came on and scored if you remember. Thats when we should have realiized hoddle was an idiot. We beat ourselves against Argentina. Ince you bastard or do we all still blame Beckham?

Rose tinted glasses? I,m talking potential and its up to Keegan to bring it out, like Venables did in 96.

5-3-2

Goalie: Seaman (come on he's simply experienced internationnaly enough)

Sweeper:
Adams

two centre backs :
Campbell
Keown

Sidebacks:
Gary Neville
Phil Neville

Holding Role:
Ince (more experience than Wise)

Play Makers:
Beckham
McManaman

Strikers:
Owen
Shearer

England will only do well if Beckham performs up to what he is capable of. We also need Macca to lift his game (as he did in the Champions League Final for example), and Owen to be on song and scaring defences. I think we also need Dyer playing. He was great in his last few games. When Keegan names his 22 he should drop Wright from GKs, Ferdinand and P. Neville from defence, Parlour and Barmby from midfield, and Cole from upfront.

3-5-2 for me

Goalie - Martyn
Defenders - Keown , Adams , Campbell
Central - Parlour, Wise
Wide - Beckham Mcmanaman
Free role - Scholes
Strikers - Shearer Owen

How can anybody think Ince is going to cope with Portugal or Germany ? Why the heck don't they get Gazza in there as well then ? I'd much rather have a more capable inexperienced player ( Gerrard ) than an old hasbeen who can only half tackle and can't create d!ck.
4-4-2 might be an option too, no difference cept for parlour and ferdinand
Goalie- Martyn
Defenders-Ferdinand,Keown,Adams , Campbell
Central - Scholes Wise
Wide - Beckham Mcmanaman
Strikers Shearer Owen