|2-My England |2-XI Seaman (Arsenal) Barton Le Saux (Newcastle) Pallister Adams (BlackBurn) (Man Utd) (Arsenal) Platt Ince McManaman (Sampdoria) (Inter Milan) Gascoigne (Liverpool) (Rangers) | Le Tissier | (Southampton) | V Shearer (Blackburn) SUBS Flowers (Blackburn) Jones (Liverpool) Beardsley (Newcastle) Cole (Man Utd) Ferdinand (Newcastle) SQUAD MEMBERS Here are the squad members along for the ride, experience etc: James (Liverpool) Scales (Liverpool) Fowler (Liverpool) Sutton (Blackburn) Sherwood (Blackburn) Hinchcliffe (Everton) |1-The explainion You can tell me if you agree of disagree with that selection or any other in later issues of The Word if you dare.... I would play Le Tissier to play behind Shearer in a free role. McManaman and Le Saux to attack down the left, with McManaman to cross the balls into the box, as he is one of the best crossers in the game today. He also has the ability to take on defenders and has pace. All defenders hate pacy wingers running at them, no matter how good they are. Platt to make his late runs into the box on the far side undetected for his ariel ability also. He has great skill to make those late runs that he does so well also with Gazza to pass and run as well as making those runs as he does. When it comes off he is untouchable. Ince would be the key man in as much as he would hold the midfield together and would add stability to this formation. The 2 full backs to play as cover and also get the odd run in on overlaps. Shearer to do plenty of shielding and off the ball runs which he is brilliant at as well as get a yard in the box with the midfield arriving at speed. Le Tissier would be a key player in linking midfield and attack. His awareness and passing is a joy to watch, and he scores goals from just about anywhere. He is not the lazy inconsistant player that he was tagged in his earlier career, he now has the responsibility at Southampton as captain and plays more maturely nowadays. As most countries play with only 1 or 2 strikers there has to be some invention and running from midfield and the full backs to take that space left by the attacking midfielders. Pallister is a very good ball player and doesn't feel uncomfortable on the ball (as Adams does) so I would get him to fill the space vacated by the attacking midfielders also and thus not depleting the midfield strength too much. He is also fairly pacy for a defender and an excellent tackler and header. Adams would play the cover man in defence. I could see a problem with the long ball with this tactic against us as Adams is not too fast on the ground, but the rest of the defence is. The man I haven't mentioned yet is the last line in the defence, the goalkeeper. We have always been a nation that supplies good goalkeepers and this crop of goalies are no exception. With David Seaman you know that he is not going to let you down. Everyone slated him after the Cup Winners Cup final with Nayim's 50 yard shot. That was a once in a lifetime event and Nayim couldn't do that again if he had 100 goes at it. Let's not forget that only 2 weeks previous Seaman had kept them in the competition with 3 penalty saves against Sampdoria. An excellent keeper and has always produced the good at international level. |1-Gooooooaaaaaaalllll.... Also one of England's best points with this formation and side is that we would be a very dangerous team at dead ball situations. With Gascoigne and Le Tissier taking the free kicks and corners and plenty of players that are well known for being good headers. For example Adams or Pallister to flick on near post corners and Shearer and Platt to head them in, or have all four in for free kicks and that would give the defence something to think about. Or failing that Le Tissier of Gazza could just score direct, simple eh? This is a very attacking side I know and it will occasionally get caught out. I think that the side will create more problems for the opposing team than create problems for itself. The attacking nature will make coaches think twice about things. I have also included the other players that would make my squad, and have placed them into 2 catagories. The substitutes that would be on the bench for my match in charge, and the other squad members, a total of 22 in total. Here is the table of teams that I have picked from, I don't know if it means anything, but I have printed it anyway. Liverpool 5 players Blackburn 5 Players Newcastle 3 Players Manchester Utd 2 Players Arsenal 2 Players Sampdoria 1 Player Inter Milan 1 Player Rangers 1 Player Southampton 1 Player Everton 1 Player Well that about wraps up another article from me, I would just like to say that I would love some feedback on this and any other articles I do. Come on lads and lasses football is a passionate game with millions of different views. Who dares to challenge me view on this one. Everyone has his own England XI really. That's what makes this the greatest game on earth, the views, opinions and downright gut feelings that you know that you are right. |2- Pex le Sex/QuI |1-Cheers