2011 UEFA U-21 Football Championship (June 11 - 26)

Post #2 » by **5DOM** » Sat May 7, 2011 12:06 am

Hoping to see lots of Sturridge, Bertrand and McEachran. Not sure if Mancienne and Cork will still be Chelsea players by then.

treiz · Post #3 » by **treiz** » Sat May 7, 2011 12:09 am

^IMO they shouldn't be, just don't see them breaking the subs bench let alone the 1st team.

Anyway, England should at least get to the final, this tournament looks really poor, Spain is the only other team I see contending. Of course, I hope I'm wrong.

Post #4 » by **LittleOzzy** » Mon May 16, 2011 4:51 pm

Pearce counts down to Denmark

Stuart Pearce said he was looking forward to an "exciting summer" after selecting a strong provisional squad featuring six senior internationals for the finals in Denmark.

Arsenal FC midfielder Jack Wilshere and Liverpool FC striker Andy Carroll are among the big names in Stuart Pearce's provisional England squad for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals in Denmark.

Wilshere has shone in the Arsenal midfield this season, while Carroll became the most expensive British player of all time when he left Newcastle United FC for Liverpool FC in a €40.25m deal in January.

The pair are two of six players to have senior international caps, the others being Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, Micah Richards and Kieran Gibbs. Richards and Gibbs have plenty of experience at this level, however, having been part of the England team that lost the 2009 final to Germany in Sweden.

Former England defender Pearce is excited about what lies ahead at the finals, where his side will face Spain, Ukraine and the Czech Republic in Group B. "The countdown's well and truly on," he said. "It will be quite an exciting summer. The last two tournaments I've been involved in have been brilliant. The exposure in the tournament is getting bigger and bigger, so it's fantastic to be involved.

Provisional England squad
Goalkeepers: Frankie Fielding (Blackburn Rovers FC), Scott Loach (Watford FC), Jason Steele (Middlesbrough FC), Alex McCarthy (Reading FC).

Defenders: Joe Bennett (Middlesbrough FC), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea FC), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal FC), Phil Jones (Blackburn Rovers FC), Michael Mancienne (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Ben Mee (Leicester City FC), Kyle Naughton (Leicester City FC), Micah Richards (Manchester City FC), Chris Smalling (Manchester United FC), James Tomkins (West Ham United FC), Kieran Trippier (Barnsley FC), Kyle Walker (Aston Villa FC).

Midfielders: Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa FC), Jack Cork (Burnley FC), Tom Cleverley (Wigan Athletic FC), Adam Hammill (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland AFC), Jonathan Howson (Leeds United AFC), Adam Lallana (Southampton FC), Henri Lansbury (Norwich City FC), Josh McEachran (Chelsea FC), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton Wanderers FC), Jack Rodwell (Everton FC), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Scott Sinclair (Swansea City FC), Jay Spearing (Liverpool FC), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal FC).

Forwards: Andy Carroll (Liverpool FC), Nathan Delfouneso (Burnley FC), Gary Hooper (Celtic FC), Jay Rodriguez (Burnley FC), Freddie Sears (West Ham United FC), Daniel Sturridge (Bolton Wanderers FC), James Vaughan (Crystal Palace FC), Danny Welbeck (Sunderland AFC), Connor Wickham (Ipswich Town FC).

http://www.uefa.com/under21/news/newsid=1626795.html

Post #5 » by **5DOM** » Mon May 16, 2011 4:54 pm

Josh isn't going to make the cut

IronChef · Post #6 » by **IronChef** » Mon May 16, 2011 4:57 pm

Stuart Pearce is a fool and a moron. He should win this tourney with the talent he has available, but doubt he will.

treiz · Post #7 » by **treiz** » Mon May 16, 2011 6:24 pm

Nice to see Josh, Sturridge, Bertrand there.

Also Jonny Howson of Leeds, really hope he makes the cut.

treiz · Post #8 » by **treiz** » Mon May 16, 2011 6:25 pm

IronChef wrote:Stuart Pearce is a fool and a moron. He should win this tourney with the talent he has available, but doubt he will.

He should win this tourney based on the lack of talent from the opposition alone. I think only Spain is considered contenders.

BC_ · Post #9 » by **BC_** » Tue May 17, 2011 7:47 am

If Lansbury plays I might actually watch a game or three.

Post #10 » by **5DOM** » Mon May 23, 2011 3:06 pm

ENGLAND

GOALKEEPERS
Frankie Fielding (Derby County), Jason Steele (Middlesbrough), Alex McCarthy (Reading),

DEFENDERS
Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jones (Blackburn Rovers), Michael Mancienne (Chelsea), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

MIDFIELDERS
Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Jack Cork (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland), Henri Lansbury (Arsenal), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton Wanderers), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Scott Sinclair (Swansea City)

FORWARDS
Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Connor Wickham (Ipswich Town)

That's a very strong team

Post #11 » by **Slava** » Mon May 23, 2011 3:16 pm

treiz wrote:
IronChef wrote:Stuart Pearce is a fool and a moron. He should win this tourney with the talent he has available, but doubt he will.

He should win this tourney based on the lack of talent from the opposition alone. I think only Spain is considered contenders.

I wouldn't say that, some of the Eastern European teams might field some good squads.

BC_ · Post #12 » by **BC_** » Mon May 23, 2011 3:23 pm

Sanity prevails, Wilshere excluded :thumbsup:

Post #13 » by **5DOM** » Mon May 23, 2011 3:29 pm

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:
treiz wrote:
IronChef wrote:Stuart Pearce is a fool and a moron. He should win this tourney with the talent he has available, but doubt he will.

He should win this tourney based on the lack of talent from the opposition alone. I think only Spain is considered contenders.

I wouldn't say that, some of the Eastern European teams might field some good squads.

Like who?

If you lose this tournament (that no one even cares about) with a team of Sturridge, Welbeck, Rodwell, Henderson, Albrighton, Smalling, Richards, Jones, Gibbs, Walker etc., you have to be banned from coaching.

Post #14 » by **Slava** » Mon May 23, 2011 3:33 pm

I can't name one but really do we know the Welbeck's and Sturridges of a squad from Ukraine or Czech? Unless you've followed them regularly you cannot and these kind of tournaments produce some really good players previously unknown to most of Europe.

Post #15 » by **5DOM** » Mon May 23, 2011 3:39 pm

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:I can't name one but really do we know the Welbeck's and Sturridges of a squad from Ukraine or Czech? Unless you've followed them regularly you cannot and these kind of tournaments produce some really good players previously unknown to most of Europe.

This is 2011. Most top youngsters play abroad, and we almost always hear/know about the good ones - especially the U21's. Now, of course Ukraine and Czech might have some gems in their teams, but this England team has way too many players who are already contributing in the PL. Some could/should have actually made the senior team.

Post #16 » by **Slava** » Mon May 23, 2011 4:25 pm

Forget about Ukraine and Czech Republic but how many people outside Germany knew Ozil and Khedira before the world cup frindlies? Would they have scared an opposition fan with his name on the team sheet?

IronChef · Post #17 » by **IronChef** » Mon May 23, 2011 4:33 pm

I'd seen them for a few years, I normally watch the U-21, and U-20's tournaments. That group from Germany had been together on a youth level for years and were well known. They beat England in the finals of the U-21's before the World Cup, but England looked the best side during that tournament.

There are some decent sides, (Denmark, Switzerland, Spain) but England should be heavy favourites. I'm surprised Belgium hasn't done better as they should be able to field a very strong side with the Hazards, Lukakus, Witsel, Alderwield, Mignonelet, Defour. But, some of those players have moved on to the senior side due to their weakness (Hazard, Defour, Witsel, Mignolet).

Post #18 » by **5DOM** » Mon May 23, 2011 4:52 pm

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:Forget about Ukraine and Czech Republic but how many people outside Germany knew Ozil and Khedira before the world cup frindlies? Would they have scared an opposition fan with his name on the team sheet?

But you specifically said that some of the Eastern European teams could field some good squads. Do Ukraine and Czech U21 teams have as much talent as England or Germany a couple of years ago? I highly doubt it. In fact, I am sure they don't, because I know that most of the players in England's best XI are already contributing in big leagues. This year's England team is a lot closer to that German team than the East European teams are to the German team.

Just look at the Czech team

Provisional Czech Republic squad
Goalkeepers: Jan Hanuš (SK Slavia Praha), Marek Štěch (West Ham United FC), Tomáš Vaclík (FK Viktoria Žižkov).

Defenders: Ondřej Čelůstka (SK Slavia Praha), Pavel Čmovš (BV Veendam), Jan Hošek (FK Teplice), Jan Lecjaks (RSC Anderlecht), Ondřej Mazuch (RSC Anderlecht), Radim Řezník (FC Baník Ostrava), Marek Suchý (FC Spartak Moskva), Lukáš Vácha (FC Slovan Liberec).

Midfielders: Milan Černý (SK Slavia Praha), Bořek Dočkal (FC Slovan Liberec), Marcel Gecov (FC Slovan Liberec), Adam Hloušek (1. FC Kaiserslautern), Tomáš Hořava (SK Sigma Olomouc), Jan Kovařík (FK Jablonec), Lukáš Mareček (RSC Anderlecht), Jan Morávek (1. FC Kaiserslautern), Zdeněk Šmejkal (FC Baník Ostrava).

Forwards: Jan Chramosta (FK Mladá Boleslav), Václav Kadlec (AC Sparta Praha), Libor Kozák (S.S. Lazio), Tomáš Pekhart (1. FC Nürnberg), Jan Vošahlík (FK Jablonec).

I think most people, even experts, would tell you that England has more talent. Obviously there are odd cases like Hernandez here and there, but someone of Sturridge's or Welbeck's caliber doesn't usually stay in Prague till he's 20-21 these days.

IronChef · Post #19 » by **IronChef** » Mon May 23, 2011 5:21 pm

manchild wrote:Sanity prevails, Wilshere excluded

Great news. Someone in the FA grew a brain!

Post #20 » by **5DOM** » Thu May 26, 2011 10:40 am

Juan Mata's going to play in this tournament. Didn't expect that