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Just read an artice that Reece Oxford was blocked from going to the U17 World Cup in Chile as WH thought his development would be better served at the club. This strike anyone else as strange?
Now over the years my interest in the National team has waned considerably what with favourite clubs and players being central to the set up and form merely a four letter word in the dictionary. However with the enhanced depth within the squad at WH and Reece not having featured since the home game with Leicester, would this not have been a great opportunity for him to get some match fitness and increase England's chances of success?
What's behind it?
Think he has been playing a
Think he has been playing a lot in the U21s (which is a higher level). Also not sure about the truth that the club has stopped him going: I'm not sure they have the power to do that, and if he said he was desperate to go they couldn't have stopped him without his agreement. BUT if they did it was probably because they consider he is far above the U17 level.
I think it's a sh1t stirring article, and the club needs to put their side out there ASAP.
West Ham have not explained
West Ham have not explained their reasons for refusing Oxford permission to take part, although the club's senior players have been constantly overlooked by manager Roy Hodgson.
Is this the reason? Petty? Justified? Stuart Pearce ain't impressed. I agree with his comments too. An experiance like this would be better than U-21 games.
I think the club has been too
I think the club has been too slow reacting to this. But does the club really have the ability to stop Oxford going if he wants to? What will they do, hide his passport? Or threaten to sack him if he goes? They sure as Hell won't do that! So what is the mechanism involved in him not going? Surely in the final analysis it's down to him and his parents. Just maybe he has decided, or been convinced, that a schoolboy tournament at this moment in time is not in his best interest? Maybe the club are protecting him and taking the flak for him? But until the club's PR department gets their act together we don't really know the facts.
Agree, the club should have
Agree, the club should have said something when the decision was made, but then again why should they have to? It seems that nothing is allowed to be considered private anymore and every decision needs to be scrutinised by the media to pass the sniff test.
Which senior players have
Which senior players have been "overlooked" Moore?
Personally the fact they
Personally the fact they still want him in th u17s and not the u21s is an insult to the lad. That should be well below his standard
Open to interpretation, but
Open to interpretation, but Noble probably should have been given at least one cap to assess his capabilities at that level, but recently I think Cresswell has been shafted. Roy selected a Spud left back that had played 3 games for them lately in his first season. I think that's a big insult to him.
Respect your opinion but
Respect your opinion but personally I see both of them as currently 2 of the weakest links in what is becoming a very very strong West Ham team and think exposure to the international stage would only expose their weaknesses further.
I don't see Noble holding his
I don't see Noble holding his place week in week out once Song is back but imo that could actually aid both his and our seasons by keeping him fresher. Is you comment on Cresswell tongue in cheek? Compared to some of the other LB's being gifted England caps at the moment he's the only one that has played in their teams' games, and when your team is sitting 3rd in the table you ain't a weak link! Add to that his ability to get forward, I think he should be a shoe in for the next squad. Read this elsewhere, "Kieran Gibbs, a man with no starts and only 18 minutes of Premier League football this season, started against Lithuania" Big club bias written all over it.
Not "tongue in cheek" at all
Not "tongue in cheek" at all mate.
i just dont happen to rate Cresswell very highly on his DEFENSIVE DUTIES.
Im afraid anything full backs offer "attacking wise" is abonus for me.
Perhaps im just "old school" but I really like my players to do "what it says on the tin".
Ie if your a defender you defend,if your a CF you score goals.
I know the game has evolved (and believe it or not so has my thinking) BUT I still firmly believe that THE JOB YOU WERE SIGNED FOR should contain your strongest attribute(s).
It is of course "conjecture" that he is not good at the defensive side of the game.
That is simply my opinion of him.
As for "Keiran Gibbs plays at LB for England" I would suggest that Gibbs (albeit maybe not recently) has stood toe to toe with some of the worlds finest in Champs League games etc and come out favourably (again im not going to profess to know as I havent obviously watched all of Arsenals games on that stage) against them due to his DEFENSIVE ABILITIES?!
Oh dear, oh dear, I'm gona
Oh dear, oh dear, I'm gona get the reputation of agreeing with Spurs far too much! Totally agree his defending is at best mediocre. If Slav can't improve that side of him I'd easily sell him for 15 mill at the end of the season for a couple of defenders who can defend. As far as centre forwards are concerned I can't agree. Due to the fact football has evolved. Ok yes it's important he scores from time to time but with the different formations used he has to bring other players into the game and create space just as importantly. Take sakho away and Lanzini and Payet will suffer
Its only guys who dont know
Its only guys who dont know about the game like DITM that dont agree with me Red.
With the really switched on ones like your good self its entirely different.
but like you mentioned, Gibbs
but like you mentioned, Gibbs performed well against champs league teams in the past. Hodgson should wait until he is back playing week in week out for arsenal before selecting him over current in form left backs, IMO, especially for a game against part timers
Its the "in form" thats in
Its the "in form" thats in question surely?
You feel he defended against Leicester and Bournmouth the way you would want to see an International defender play?!
I hear you, and agree to a
I hear you, and agree to a certain extent. I played full back myself and rarely bombed forward (most of the time we were defending anyway) but as the game has evolved so have players positions. I miss the old sweeper role which appears to have gone the same way as the dodo. Remember when wingers played on their preferred wings? T'other way round now so they can cut in and shoot rather than cross to the big man, that also is not as prevelant as he used to be. Times change and players do too. I happen to think cresswell is not too bad a defender. Sure he has made some errors, happens to us all, but it's not like he can't improve this side of his game as time moves on.
Your last paragraph pretty much get's to the heart of my original post. Simply because you happened to have a few good games in the past and are signed on with a big club should nt automatically mean you're guaranteed an England cap. too many players in the past have made international squads for this reason alone and is one of the reasons we suffer so badly. Form has to count for something as your confidence is sky high.
How about Tomkins at CB. Let's face it Jagielka and Cahill doesn't cut it for me. Of course there's others but why not a chance?
For me Moore the difference
For me Moore the difference is "Cresswell hasnt done it".
There are many other "who think he has" and thats where its all about opinions.
I have never said "he cannot improve" and indeed have stated many a time thats my hope.
BUT FOR NOW I stand by my original thoughts.
If you feel "hes due an international call up" simply because West Ham have selected him for a certain amount of games (and yes I know he has played every minute since signing for us" I just simply feel he doesnt have enough (at the moment) in his locker to be considered for an international call up (despite the dearth of talent in his position)!!
Love the old throwback to the sweeper system.
Like yourself played full back and loved the way the sweeper covered if you got caught upfield or if you were skinned not that I ever was mind) and he moved out and you slipped into the sweeper position to cover.
Heady days.
It's a double edged sword for
It's a double edged sword for me. I personaly don't care if they play for England or not as intl football from an English point of view has been piss poor for an age now and if it continues doesn't really bother me as much as it probably did 15-20yrs ago. Sure I'd love to see us win something but we're flooded with too much Intl footbal nowadays, we have another break in a few weeks impacting the Premiership. My 2 fears with them not being selected are one, they get injured and it is detrimental to WH and two they see that the only way to get into the team is to play their football elsewhere or if affects their confidence.
Great little conversation
Great little conversation hidden away here. With cresswell it's clear he is a good player but things are not simple. It very much depends on how you are looking at it. Me personally? I look at how West Ham are playing and what direction I think Slav is moving in and take it from there. If I'm right then cresswell has to improve his defending to stay part of the ride. He looks to me like a frustrated wide midfielder. Last season he was quite important and was a key part in SAMs team. Under Sam we were set up to be difficult to beat no flair or real width in midfield so jenks and cresswell were imperative for our width and crosses and we were less exposed at the back due to our unease at getting forward. Cresswells strengths are his crossing, striking of the ball and his speed. None of those are imperative at left back but ARE far more important as either left midfield or wing back. As a left back he isn't England player but as a wing back or left midfield then there is more of an argument trouble is England won't select for either role for 2 reasons 1 we don't play 3 centre halves and 2 he won't be selected in a position he has yet to play in. As far as England are concerned Tonka played well last season and doing well this season so he should really be pushing for an international call.
Good points Red Neck. I
Good points Red Neck. I suppose for Cresswell it's about getting the balance right and I'm sure that wil come. Last season with our other manager it was set stall out to defend the 0-0 and go from there. If we won, great, if we didn't concede and drew, even better as that was the man's mindset. Cresswell showed flashes of what he could do going forwards and as yu say, the defence compsated. now he seems to have been playing almost with a free role to get forward and the defending has lapsed a bit. I'm sure with a former CB as manager and former left back on coaching staff these issues should be ironed out quickly.
Funny your left wing comment for England as there a re quie a few players who have been tried out in positions they haven't played before and been found wanting. Some even got more than one shot at failing, think Emile Heskey on the left wing!!! There was a more recent one too, but I can't remember. It was a defender played in midfield.
I suppose the overall positive is we have players that we can discuss potentially getting International recognitioin as opposed to not wanting some of our players over the last couple of seasons being recognised wearing our colours :)