Tag: England

Sam Allardyce wants and needs more English stars

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Sam Allardyce replaced Roy Hodgson as the head coach of the England national football team and now he has the responsibility of guiding the England national side to victory in their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches.


England has a qualifying match scheduled to take place on September 4 as they face off with Slovakia and Sam Allardyce has already voiced his concerns in relation to certain issues revolving his new squad.

The biggest issue that England has to resolve or find a way to improve is regarding the amount of national players that are being developed which seems to be decreasing as each year passes by.

Out of the entire Premier League, only 34% of them are actually eligible to perform and represent England at the international stage and this is something that seriously affects the chances of the English side to compete at the same level as other nations as they simply do not have so many options compared to other national sides. (more…)

DANIEL STURRIDGE MAKES RETURN TO ENGLAND TRAINING CAMP

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Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge makes his return to the training camp of England ahead of their Euro 2016 campaign, where they are seen among the favourites aside France, Germany and Spain.


The player didn’t join the warm up matches ahead of the continental tournament. He even missed the second successive warm up game of Three Lions when they defeated Australia on Friday by 2-1, having earlier defeated Turkey by the same margin.

The 26-year-old England international missed the games due to his calf injury concerns he sustained during the loss to Spanish opposition, Sevilla in the Europa League final. The head coach Roy Hodgson named the forward in his 26-man provisional team list that will prosecute the tournament much earlier this month after the final round of the Premier League matches. The tactician hoped to name his final pick on the 12th of May but eventually postponed it.

The list was eventually cut by one when Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph was moved to the standby list after picking up an injury. Two players are also due to be removed to meet the final 23-man squad to play the tournament. The two players would likely be any of Jack Wilshere – mostly due to fitness concerns though he has done well in the warm up games, Marcus Rashford – despite his goal against Australia as there are enough options up front, Ross Barkley – due to a little drop in form, Andros Townsend and Danny Drinkwater – as there are options, aside Sturridge himself.  (more…)

ENGLAND COACH PLAYS DOWN CARROLL’S CHANCES

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Head coach of the English team, Roy Hodgson, has downplayed the chances of West Ham striker Andy Carroll featuring for the Three Lions in the Euro tournament in France this summer.
The striker has been linked with a call to the English final squad due to make France later in the year due to his recent performance for The Hammers.


Andy Carroll has seven goals in 26 appearances for West Ham this season. The 27-year old striker received wide acclaim for his superior aerial strength that helped him put three goals at the back of the net in the crucial encounter against The Gunners.

“Every time someone scores a goal and he’s English it is ‘why is he not playing for England?’

“I’m certainly not going to pick him on the basis that he scored a hat-trick, so therefore has to be in the England team,” Hodgson said.

Carroll has not played for the national team since October 2012. He has two goals credited to him from nine appearances. (more…)

Raheem Sterling and Hart left out of England squad

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Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling are going to miss the next England games due to injury. Both players have been injured during the Manchester derby on Sunday. Raheem Sterling suffers from a groin injury while Joe Hart is suffering from a calf problem. Both players are expected to be absent for four weeks.

On the other hand, Danny Drinkwater is reaping the benefits of Leicester surprising season and has earned his first selection with the England team. Aged 26, the former Manchester United youth team player is set to compete with the likes of Dele Alli, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley and Adam Lallana for a place in midfield.

Roy Hodgson has been impressed by Drinkwater’s contribution to the rise of Leicester and is set to give him some playing time in one of the two games. The England manager wants to see whether Drinkwater will be able to replicate his Leicester performance with the England team.

With Carrick likely to miss the Euro finals and with Wilshere still injured, Danny Drinkwater has an excellent chance to make it to the Euros provided he can maintain the form that he has been showing so far this season. This would be a formidable reward for a player that has given everything for Leicester this campaign. (more…)

Alan Pardew believes that England manager Roy Hodgson should use his winger Wilfried Zaha

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Alan Pardew believes that England manager Roy Hodgson should use his winger Wilfried Zaha as his wild card option at the Euro 2016.

England go into the competition flush with confidence, which has been acquired after a brilliant qualification campaign. However, there is a fear of England being found out in this major competition as has been the situation in recent decades. After going into major tournaments as favourites, England have flattered to deceive. They have failed to get past the quarter final stage of any major tournament in the last two decades.

This time around, the presence of many new faces ensures that there is a hint of unpredictability surrounding England. Other teams, however, will be able to learn about the players by looking at the qualification campaign. Pardew says that England should have a wild card in the squad and this element of surprise is important in such a big event. The Crystal Palace manager has identified Wilfried Zaha as the perfect choice for this job. Even though Zaha has been a winger in his career, Pardew says that the former Manchester United man has the ability to make a big impact while playing through the middle. Ironically, this is where England appear to be the strongest. (more…)

Mark Hughes claims that defender Ryan Shawcross may have to start performing

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Stoke City manager Mark Hughes claims that defender Ryan Shawcross may have to start performing for club before thinking about international action under Roy Hodgson.

Shawcross made his debut for England three years ago, but his international appearances have been restricted despite his impressive performances at club level. He does not appear to have quite convinced the manager Roy Hodgson especially in the face of competition that includes players like Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill. These are players representing top clubs and Shawcross will find it difficult to get into the England team right now according to Hughes.

The impressive performances of Shawcross cannot be more aptly demonstrated by the fact that the club are chasing a fourth consecutive clean sheet when they take Sunderland this weekend. Stoke City have been unable to make huge inroads into the league table largely because of their troubles upfront. The club has averaged less than a goal per game. This is significantly lower than several teams around them. However, they have also conceded less than a goal per game. This is actually one of the better records in the Premier League with only the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United being capable of a better record. (more…)

Roy Hodgson believes that new Manchester City signing Raheem Sterling is Good for Success

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England manager Roy Hodgson believes that new Manchester City signing Raheem Sterling has what it takes to become a success for his new club and that he can live up to his £ 49 million transfer fee.

The former Liverpool winger has antagonised a lot of his supporters at his previous club mainly because of his desire to join City. The move, however, was not a smooth one since Liverpool were not interested in selling him. Sterling had to force his way out of Anfield and this meant a lot of public interviews against the club. As a result, the 20-year-old found himself at the backlash of many fans during the pre-season tour.

Hodgson, though, says that Sterling has enough quality to cope with the pressure that comes with a massive transfer fee his shoulders. The England international has become the most expensive player in City’s history – surpassing the likes of Sergio Aguero and Yaya Touré – and he has a lot to live up to. Sterling reportedly turned down a £ 100,000 per week offer from Liverpool in order to join City. His decision appears to have been made with the prospect of winning titles in mind. The massive wealth allows City to challenge for all trophies. (more…)

HODGSON WILL STAY

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Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says that his England counterpart Roy Hodgson is still likely to be the national team boss of the Three Lions. Redknapp appears to be still aggrieved at the fact that he did not get the job despite being branded as the overwhelming favourite a few years ago.

Redknapp and Hodgson were direct contention for the England job just a few weeks after Fabio Capello had left the team in a dire state. The Italian left the role just a few months before the start of the Euro 2012. This meant that Hodgson, who became the eventual successor, did not have enough preparation time. (more…)

WALCOTT STILL BELIEVES

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Theo Walcott says that he is confident Arsenal will be able to bring back the glory days of the Invincibles. Arsenal remain as the only team in Premier League history to have won the league title without suffering even a single defeat over the season. A number of clubs have come close to matching this achievement.

Chelsea are probably the closest club to have come close to beating the record since the 2003-04 season. The Blues suffered only three league defeats throughout last season and ended up being the champions. Arsenal finished 12 points adrift of Chelsea, but Walcott is confident that the gunners will reclaim the title once again. (more…)

BAINES RULED OUT

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Everton will be without defender Leighton Baines for much of the pre-season tour of the Far East after the club revealed that the left back had undergone an ankle surgery. Roberto Martinez has already stated that Baines has been suffering from an injury to his left ankle for several years.

However, he has been unable to correct them due to a consistent run of matches for club and the international team. Baines went under the knife towards the end of last season. This forced him to miss the last two games of the league, while also being unavailable for England duty during the Euro 2016 qualifying game against Slovenia. (more…)