So another England squad has been named by Roy Hodgson, and again there’s a sense of injustice when it comes to the exclusion of West Ham’s better English performers.
It’s an ongoing problem within the England set up, where consistently good performers in the Premier League, not just at West Ham, are overlooked by the national team manager as players either warming the bench or with less consistency are picked ahead of them purely on the basis that they represent one of the ‘big four or five’ clubs in the top flight.
Anyone who knows me and reads this site often will know that I have always banged the Noble for England drum, I will continue to do so for many, many reasons. That’s not to say that I think he’s ever been good enough to occupy a regular first team spot for the Three Lions, because he simply isn’t. But that doesn’t mean to say he hasn’t ever deserved a call up, because he has.
When a player captains the U21s for a number of years he should then expect to be offered the chance to prove himself for the first team but, in Noble’s case, that has never happened. Put it this way, there would be outrage in Germany if that’d happened to one of their youth prospects. They built a world cup winning team by nurturing players in their U21 team before promoting them.
Again, that’s not to say Noble could’ve or would’ve gone on to help England win a world cup, the sheer fact that he’s been denied a chance to prove himself with the first team after being handed the honour and responsibility of wearing the armband for the very team that’s technically designed to help develop young, international hopefuls is a complete and utter farce.
Recently I’ve given up on the hope of seeing Noble finally get the call up he has always deserved, as I’m sure he has as well, but recent statistics suggest he should’ve made the recent England side, too…
Deli Alli!? Is Roy Hodgson winding us all up?
There’s no arguing against the fact that Dele Alli is an exciting prospect, but he’s only had two, maybe three, good games for Spurs so far this season. And he’s only played TWICE for England’s U21s. Noble made 20 (TWENTY) appearances for the young Lions. What ever happened to nurturing young talent until they’re ready to play at the very top of the game, which is international level?
Well, the fact the likes of Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend have been picked for England recently, despite hardly ever playing for Tottenham, suggests anyone with aspirations for playing for England should sign for Tottenham. Sad, really.
Anyway, moving on to Aaron Cresswell, who’s exclusion must have really disappointing the man himself more than anyone else.
Luke Shaw’s unfortunate injury had opened up the left-back position for England, but with no one really performing consistently, or even playing at all, meant Cresswell’s chances of a well deserved call up should’ve been nailed on.
Instead, Ryan Bertrand and Kieran Gibbs are called up instead. They’ve played just over one Premier League game between them so far this term. Meanwhile, Cressy has played every minute of every Premier League game since the beginning of last term…
Can anyone explain that? Gibbs can’t even get in to the Arsenal team and Bertrand has been injured.
Agreed that Cresswell hasn’t been as good as he was last season so far, but I’d still argue that he’s only really had one bad game for us this term.
But that’s not really relevant when you consider Hodgson’s insistence that he picks his team based on form. Well, clearly not.
I’ve never claimed that either player are good enough to play for England regularly. But nor are the likes of Gibbs, Mason, Vardy, Ings, Townsend, etc. Yet they’ve been given their chance to show what they can do on an international level. So what’s wrong with giving our boys a crack?
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Take your claret & blue specs off please. NEITHER of them are good enough
I don’t think Cresswell’s has had only one bad game. I think he has been woeful in several games I’ve watched in terms of defending, leaving huge expanses of space on our left when the opposition has counter-attacked and he’s been stranded upfield. Plus it wasn’t just the Bournemouth game where his passing and clearing in defence have been extremely ropey.
On Noble, I love him for his effort and commitment but he isn’t and never has been good enough for England. He was responsible for both Norwich goals last week and he just can’t think quickly enough to play with Payet
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