If You Could Pick One English Player...

[Marky]

Obviously, Rooney & Lennon would be great but are not realistic.
Others to consider who are more realistic would include SWP, Downing, Reo Coker, & Huddleston at Spurs.

Why isn't Lennon realistic? Rooney for sure but not Lennon imo.

[Nic83]

That you wanted us to sign in January, within the budget of course, who would you pick?

Personally, i'd choose between Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan.

One of those or SWP.

[Sir Bob]

Why isn't Lennon realistic? Rooney for sure but not Lennon imo.

Well how much do you reckon Lennon would cost, at least £18 or so, probably more. We can't afford that much. If he leaves it will be to Chelsea for about £25m.

[SouthAfricaRed]

That you wanted us to sign in January, within the budget of course, who would you pick?

Personally, i'd choose between Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan.

Steven Gerrard to extend his Contract by 5yrs

[Redspin]

Nope, he's a Red.

Last time he was on Sky they wittered on about him being a lifelong Everton fan - that's all I know

[Redspin]

Yes but he's an English player isn't he?

No he's a Canadian player who plays for England - something to do with his mum being Welsh, so he could have played for any of the home nations.

I am personally dead set against players not born in a country playing for that country - but that's another argument

[Redspin]

Yes he is. He has a British passport and has only ever played for England so he counts as English.

In reality he's opted to sail under the English flag of convenience. Canada are never going to do much on the world football stage. It's not the hardest thing in the world to qualify for a British passport. They're handed out like lollipops.

[Redspin]

Interview from Four Four Two Magazine:

As a boy I supported... Liverpool. As a local lad I used to watch from The Kop when Robbie Fowler was making his name. I started out at Liverpool's Centre of Excellence and although it was disappointing when nothing came of it, I was lucky that both Wigan and Wolves wanted to sign me.

I spend my cash on... My son. He's only 11 months old, so I make sure he never goes without. I haven't bought him a mini Liverpool kit. Yet!

No Bluenose to me

Well that's a relief. I shan't waste any more negative vibes on him - I have an irrational innate hatred of bluenose players

[Redspin]

Obviously, Rooney & Lennon would be great but are not realistic.
Others to consider who are more realistic would include SWP, Downing, Reo Coker, & Huddleston at Spurs.

After another Rooney non-show last night - like in 80% of Man Ure's games this season (not to mention his lousy England performances) - we should be able to pick up Fatboy in part exchange for Salif Diao and a bag of sherbert lemons

[knockers]

Micah Richards or Lennon for me too. Richards is a monster of a player he could play anywhere down the right or centre mid. Having him and Momo in the team and the opposition wouldn't have any time on the ball what-so-ever as others have said at 18 eben a fee of £8-10 mil wouldn't seem much in the long run. On the other hand Lennon looks like he will be a top notch player in years to come, his control at hi speed is very impressive. He looks to have good composure and a very tidy shot to boot. How much did Spurs pay Leeds for him?

[Red_Polo]

I am personally dead set against players not born in a country playing for that country - but that's another argument

Is that because you believe that the land you were born in has some mystical hold over you for your entire life, such that it doesn't matter what culture you were brought up in and even what language you speak? Are people who were born in aeroplanes or at sea actually aeroplanese/searanian and they just don't know it, the daft buggers? Perhaps you should tell them, after all they clearly can't work out their identity themselves based on their own set of circumstances.

[Red_Polo]

In reality he's opted to sail under the English flag of convenience. Canada are never going to do much on the world football stage. It's not the hardest thing in the world to qualify for a British passport. They're handed out like lollipops.

He could've qualified to play for Germany - a far more successful international team - having lived there since he was quite young, but he grew up wanting to play for England, stemming from the fact his father played in England for WBA and another club (I think) but never managed to play for England. What's the problem with that?

[dww]

After another Rooney non-show last night - like in 80% of Man Ure's games this season (not to mention his lousy England performances) - we should be able to pick up Fatboy in part exchange for Salif Diao and a bag of sherbert lemons

Bollocks. He hasn't had his best run of form this season but he has stil linked play neatly in most games and been integral in a very good start to the season by United. He did have a poor game against Southend, but the whole team looked directionless and in need of a leader.

[Redspin]

Is that because you believe that the land you were born in has some mystical hold over you for your entire life, such that it doesn't matter what culture you were brought up in and even what language you speak? Are people who were born in aeroplanes or at sea actually aeroplanese/searanian and they just don't know it, the daft buggers? Perhaps you should tell them, after all they clearly can't work out their identity themselves based on their own set of circumstances.

Er...no, it's because if you are born in a country - let's say England - then you are indisputably of that country and there's no argument about your right of qualification. You appear to believe a player can be born anywhere and do a nationality Pick 'n' Mix for the most tenuous of reasons.

Players like Hargreaves, to whom England is a place on a map over 5,000 miles away, to opt for that country when he can realistically have no idea what it means to be English, makes a nonsense of calling him "English". By coincidence, my girlfriend is from his home town - the apparently translocated English city of Calgary, Alberta. She loves England and lives over here by choice (unlike Hargreaves) and has done for years and years, but has never taken citizenship and travels on a Canadian passport. Her links with England are immeasurably stronger than Hargreaves', but she just doesn't feel "English" (though she had an English mother).

Our very own Craig Johnston was born in S Africa, grew up in Australia where he took citizenship, but qualified for, apart from those two countries, England, Scotland, Wales, N Ireland and the Irish Republic, because his parents were British. How daft is that? Or the case of Alfredo di Stefano who, before the rules were changed, swapped nationalities (in the way you seem to favour) and played at full international level for Colombia, Argentina and Spain. Makes a mockery of international competition.

I also think you'll find that one's home country does have a mystical hold over the majority of people for their entire lives.

[Redspin]

He could've qualified to play for Germany - a far more successful international team - having lived there since he was quite young, but he grew up wanting to play for England, stemming from the fact his father played in England for WBA and another club (I think) but never managed to play for England. What's the problem with that?

He only went to Germany when he was 16 or so I believe, possibly a couple of years later, having been spotted by Bayern scouts in junior football. It's not like his folks emigrated to Germany when he was a nipper and he had citizenship. He could only have qualified for Germany if he'd adopted their nationality but for lucky old us he'd opted for our flag of convenience instead