Team GB want Villa stars - McLeish

[pedro25]

Villanation, I have to ask, are you a Scouser?

That's a strange one, no, born and breed in the inter land somewhere between Oxfordshire's and the and West Mids borders, reared on Villa, played at Villa park, played against Villa and beating the side at that time, and still play golf with one of the lads from that side we beat and an 80's legend for the club.

Is this a covert way of saying Warwickshire as there is no border between West Mids and Oxon?

[James]

The olympics, though, are meant to be for amateur sports aren't they? So they should be selecting their team from non-league amateurs not trying to cash in on the professional game, ditto tennis. Then again, everything exists only for money these days, and the olympics are costing £12bn this year! Ridiculous in the current climate, ludricous in fact! You might even say criminal!

[Dave]

Beckham will bring in the crowds, the sponsors and the merchandising, who the fuck wants to watch Aaron Lennon?

We should pick the strongest possible side XI.

So ten English players plus Gareth Bale then?

Very representative of Great Britain.

Yes because English players are British you know...

That's like saying we should have a quota of Northerners, Southerners and Midlanders in the England team.

Or perhaps a quota of white players, black players and Asian players?

The best players should get picked.

If the best players are mostly English then so be it.

The best players will be at Euro 2012.

Shall I remind you which countries won't be at Euro 2012?

[paul_e]

The olympics, though, are meant to be for amateur sports aren't they? So they should be selecting their team from non-league amateurs not trying to cash in on the professional game, ditto tennis. Then again, everything exists only for money these days, and the olympics are costing £12bn this year! Ridiculous in the current climate, ludricous in fact! You might even say criminal!

You can't really use this argument anymore, I'm fairly certain that there won't be a single medal won that this olympics by a guy (or girl) who do their sport as a hobby around a full-time job.  The reality is you can't compete at the top level of any olympic sport if you don't train 5-6days a week for years on end.  The real difference between someone like usain bolt and david beckham is that the vast majority of bolt's money (not including advertising for either) comes from winning things whereas beckham could lose his prize money down the side of the sofa and not care.

[saunders_heroes]

The olympics, though, are meant to be for amateur sports aren't they? So they should be selecting their team from non-league amateurs not trying to cash in on the professional game, ditto tennis. Then again, everything exists only for money these days, and the olympics are costing £12bn this year! Ridiculous in the current climate, ludricous in fact! You might even say criminal!

You can't really use this argument anymore, I'm fairly certain that there won't be a single medal won that this olympics by a guy (or girl) who do their sport as a hobby around a full-time job.  The reality is you can't compete at the top level of any olympic sport if you don't train 5-6days a week for years on end.  The real difference between someone like usain bolt and david beckham is that the vast majority of bolt's money (not including advertising for either) comes from winning things whereas beckham could lose his prize money down the side of the sofa and not care.

And Bolt like most other athletes at the Olympics trains every day for 4 years just to appear at the Olympic games, where as footballers think, "I've got 2 weeks spare this summer, let's play at the Olympics".
That's another reason why football should have no place at the Olympic games.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Beckham will bring in the crowds, the sponsors and the merchandising, who the fuck wants to watch Aaron Lennon?

We should pick the strongest possible side XI.

So ten English players plus Gareth Bale then?

Very representative of Great Britain.

Yes because English players are British you know...

That's like saying we should have a quota of Northerners, Southerners and Midlanders in the England team.

Or perhaps a quota of white players, black players and Asian players?

The best players should get picked.

If the best players are mostly English then so be it.

The best players will be at Euro 2012.

Shall I remind you which countries won't be at Euro 2012?

I know.

Excluding those players though, England still have the best players.

Therefore it only makes sense that the majority of the squad is English/

[cdbearsfan]

You're an expert on Scottish/Welsh and Northern Irish under-23 football I assume?

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

You're an expert on Scottish/Welsh and Northern Irish under-23 football I assume?

Nope.

Everyone knows that England are the strongest of the British nations.

[TheSandman]

The way I see it Forrest, Bale and Ramsey should definitely make the team if they are willing. Anyone else from outside England?

[cdbearsfan]

Is Rhodes under-23? I assume he'd be in if so.

[cdbearsfan]

You're an expert on Scottish/Welsh and Northern Irish under-23 football I assume?

Nope.

Everyone knows that England are the strongest of the British nations.

Maybe, but that doesn't mean that their under-23 players (excluding those good enough to get in the European Championships squad) are better than any celtic counterparts, especially when they could pick the likes of Bale as an over-23 player as he won't have played in Euro 2012.

[Dave]

You're an expert on Scottish/Welsh and Northern Irish under-23 football I assume?

Nope.

Everyone knows that England are the strongest of the British nations.

Maybe, but that doesn't mean that their under-23 players (excluding those good enough to get in the European Championships squad) are better than any celtic counterparts, especially when they could pick the likes of Bale as an over-23 player as he won't have played in Euro 2012.

Wouldn't Bale be picked as an under-23 player?

[cdbearsfan]

Is he still that young? Bugger.

[Somniloquism]

Yep, monkey face is still 22 and the cutoff date is 1st jan 89. Only three players can be born before then.

I think that is why it is a mistake to compare this football with the Euros or the world cup. It should be compared to the U21 competitions. And I think it is better as the younger players will be playing competitively against teams around the world, and not just in Europe.

[The Laughing Policeman]

Just heard on 5Live that Bent, Hutton & Collins are on  Pearce's provisional list of overage players for the Olympics.