[Tiste Simeon]

He HAS to be better than David James...

I wonder if he became the England keeper, might we win a few more games, due to his superior keeping skillz? Could happen! Where's our resident cockney and ARSEnal fan? I imagine he would have a few things to say on the matter.

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 01 May 2009 - 04:35 PM

[Thelomen Toblerone]

I say go for it. While he's not a world-class keeper, he's better than the dross England currently have to choose from.

David James, ancient and with the nickname "Calamity" is first choice. Almunia is 1st choice keeper for one of the top 10 sides in Europe, has played in a CL final and has regular CL experience. He's arguably better than any other option, and unarguably at the very least 3rd best of all the options so worthy of inclusion in the squad.

People make a deal about him being Spanish, but look at other top nations - Spain have Senna, Croatia have Eduardo, Portugal have Pepe, Germany have Klose and Podolski, half of the French team are naturalized citizens, etc etc. If he feels British (and you'd hope he does if he's applying for citizenship) then he's just as entitled as anyone else, in fact it'd show he actually wants to play for England, something half the squad dont appear to.

[Cougar]

I don't rate him - he looks too much like a gay German nihlist, like he should be in kraftwerk. I don't have any objection for him turning out for England, but I don't think he wil hold it down long term. If Foster could get some game time he would walk into the position I think

[Thelomen Toblerone]

It always remind me of lemon curd when I see him for some reason.

I agree he wont hold it down long-term, but he's 31 and so (for a keeper) in his prime, and so fills a need until Hart, Foster etc can develop and gain a starting role. In principle Im against players being picked for England when they cant hold down a starting place for their team, I think it shows either A) the player isnt good enough at present, or they lack desire. Not in all cases obviously, but it's disconcerting I think. It really pisses me off when a player like Kevin Davies has been in consistently good form for the last few months, and is pushed behind players who routinely sit on the bench and have been perforimg worse than him in the pecking order.

EDIT: I've just heard a radio commentator say "I'm sorry, but if you're not born here you shouldnt play for England." What a load of biggoted shit. Little Englanders piss me off, and the fact most England fans seem to share these views is depressing. What about a kid whose parents are both English and move abroad for a year for work so the child is born in, say, Greece, and then the family moves back to the UK a year later. That kid, by this logic, shouldnt be allowed to play for England. Genius.

This post has been edited by Thelomen Toblerone: 02 May 2009 - 01:58 PM