As for Scott Parker, I just want to roll about on the floor laughing. If ever there was a stronger signal that the southern mafia are back in full control of the Ingerlund set up then this is it. Stinks of Redknapp's involvement. I mean, who else would you want leading your team - a 31 year old with 89 caps, a CL winners medal and a host of other achievements over a glittering career, or a 31 year old with 10 caps, largely overlooked by the national team over his career and who has won the Intertoto cup and precisely dick all else? While we're at it, as Thommo would say, lay your medals on the table Pearce, what the fuck have you done over your career except shake your fist during a game 15 years ago?
The guy who might not start after playing 120 minutes during the weekend or the guy who will probably start? I know I like my captain for the game to actually be on the pitch from the start but that's just me.
Now if Gerrard starts, there are many reasons I can think of for Liverpool fans to be furoius but shouldn't we wait to see who starts before we criticize not making Gerrard captain?
Being the best U21 manager we have had since David Sexton and pushing for reform?
You make some good points but I don't think there's been many in the media who are actively calling for the exclusion of those players, more calling for the inclusion of others, such as Walker or Cleverly, the latter, who being heavily feted by the media for being young, English and playing for a big club naturally leads to calls for international recognition (the same thing has happened with Smalling and Jones). Which leads to the likes of Crouch and Defoe who aren't that popular anymore either playing for an unfashionable club or not playing at all and I can't recall much clamour for their inclusion. Frazier Campbell has at least youth on his side but he's also played for Man Utd, which may sound like paranoid LFC bias, but all the same, the examples of other players in that boat being picked in England squads is difficult to ignore.
To be honest, I think the press have ignored this game up till the squad was announced and don't really care at the moment. I don't think there were calls for players in or out due to that, just some puzzlement for a few (like Campbell). Usually, we would have had massive calls for Richards to be picked after his Capello exile but there hasn't been the usual press demands/debate. I agree there were calls for Walker awhile ago but not as loud as for Richards, I don't think Walker's inclusion was considered an issue for this one, it was generally expected to happen. Cleverly? Nobody seemed to predict. Or even want. Had he been fit for a month and this been a game anyone cared about, there might well have been calls.
Every England manager is supposedly under the press thumb. Usually because people disagree with their choice and think the player is a media favourite. While somehow that fan's clubs own players never get counted as such but anyone anyway linked with rivals do. Apparently Sven, McClaren (ok he was awed by the press), Capello the well known weakling and now Pearce all left their independence outside, despite different temperaments, belief's and backgrounds and became under the thumb of the media. Even when they make surprise choices or pick players the press have long turned against.
