There Is Only One Sinnacle

Let me be the first to say even representing your once should be an honour one can be proud of but with the decade coming to a close I’m still going to poke alittle fun at some of the worse players capped by England.

Coach

Steve Mclaren – Could only be one coach to lead this All-Turd team and sadly for Steve Mclaren he will be remembered as the only coach not to qualify England for a major tournament this decade.   Kevin Keegan got a head start on this position by walking out on the England job after losing to Germany in the last match played at the Old Wembley stadium.  Caretaker coach Peter Taylor did lose his only game in charge against Italy but he did hand David Beckham the captians arm band so Taylor did something right.  Few people can point to Mclaren and say he did anything right in his time in charge of the England National Team.

Goalie

Scott Carson – Could of gone with Ian Walker or Richard Wright in this spot but few England fans will forget Scott Carson blunder against Croatia so he makes the list. Putting Carson in net against Croatia must be one of the many moves Steve Mclaren would do over again if he could. Not only did it get him fired from the England job, Carson himself has never been the same goalie as he is currently about to head into the Championship with West Brom.

Defenders

Danny Mills – The answer to the trivia question as to which player has played the most caps for England without every playing in Wembley stadium.  Also part of the running theme with Leeds United players coming up in the first half of the decade who have flopped after showing early promise.  Currently out of football at age 31 at Manchester City couldn’t find another club to loan Mills out too after his spell at Derby County was cut short due to injury in 2008.

Ugo Ehiogu – You think with the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Sol Campbell playing centre half that it would of been tough to find an All Turd defender but Ehiogu made it that much easier for me.  Ehiogu had his last cap for England in 2002 against England but unlike a couple of players on this list has had a long workerman like career still playing for Sheffield United at age 36.

Anthony Gardner – While Gardner may of replaced Sol Campbell at Tottenham he could not replace Campbell within the National team set up earning one cap against Sweden in 2004.  After eight years of wating Tottenham finally decided that Gardner wasn’t able to take the next step and moved him on to Hull City in 2008 where he is currently their third choice central defender.

Michael Ball – (You try finding a Michael Ball England picture online) Ball made his one and only England appearance in Sven Goran Erickson first match coaching England where Sven must of decided he has seen enough of Michael to know he isn’t National team quality.

Taken from the English FA website.

Article

I won’t be a one-cap wonder

By James Wright – Wednesday, 16 April, 2003

TheFA.com Exclusive: England’s forgotten man, Michael Ball, earned rave reviews on his England debut. Since then he has been out of the public gaze because of a serious knee injury. But now he is back and raring to go as he tells TheFA.com

Fast forward to 2009 where Michael Ball is still holding firm at one cap which the last major news of note in his career was being suspended for stomping Cristiano Ronaldo near the end of the 2006-2007 season.

Midfeilders

Joey Barton – Could of gone with Gavin McCann in this spot but it was just more enjoyable to place Joey Barton here.  Another stroke of brillance by Steve Mclaren calling Joey Barton into National team set up to face Spain in February 2007 and giving kids another reason to be proud of the players who wear the England shirt.  Currently on the bench at Newcastle possibly preparing for life in the Championship next young.

Lee Bowyer – The second Leeds United player to make this list as Bowyer got his only England call up just after the 2002 World Cup in a friendly against Portugal.  After two stints with West Ham currently Gianfranco Zola has been enough of Bowyer to let him join Birmingham on loan for the rest of this season

Seth Johnson – A hat trick of sorts for Leeds United players as Seth Johnson is another player who wasn’t able to fulfill his early promise after earning his only England cpa in 2000 while still playing for Derby County.  Sold to Leeds back in 2001 where he spent four years only to make his return to Derby County in 2005.  Currently out of football at age 30 after helping Derby get promoted to the Premier League back in 2007.

Francis Jeffers – Meet the reason why Arsene Wenger no longer buys English players.  Jeffers rewarded Arsenal’s 8 million pound investment with 4 EPL goals in three years before bouncing around the likes of Charlton, Rangers, Blackburn, Ispwich and current club Sheffield Wednesday. Did score in his only apperance for England as a second half sub against Australia back in 2003.

David Nugent – Another striker with a goal in his only England cap.  Then agian it was against Andorra who are not exactly a fortress at the back.  Nugent is a rare player who earned an England cap while scoring in the Championship with Preston North End.  As a result of his play for Preston North End, Harry Redknapp and Portsmouth came calling taking Nugent up to the Premier League.  Redknapp must of had second thoughts right away as he was nailed to the bench during the 2007-2008 season.  Just now seeing a consistent run of games under current Portsmouth coach Paul Hart.

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