Full Tweet W*nkers: Spain pain for Hendo as midfield search goes on

The Nations League is a new competion, but, as the tweets make clear, the same old problems cropped for England in their debut against Spain....

By / Football News / 6 years ago

Jordan Henderson should be afraid. Very afraid.

Not only have Liverpool packed their squad with midfield options this summer which call into doubt the Reds captain’s long-term future on Merseyside, he’s also had to endure a predictable chasing while being outnumbered in England’s centre-mid against the remnants of Spain’s tiki-taka tormentors.

And now, worst of all, there are troubling signs this week he’s starting to be damned with the faintest praise possible for a midfielder.

Take it away Danny Gabbidon:

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If anyone is suddenly having flashbacks to the mid-to-late-noughties, when “Michael Carrick doesn’t get the credit for all the stuff he does” somehow curdled into him being the Andrea Pirlo England never picked, then apologies, but for Hendo’s sake we want to raise the issue now, before anyone gets hurt.

If this opinion spreads any further we could see the Liverpool skipper suddenly disappear from Southgate’s squads completely, and who knows, maybe Stevie G and Lamps’ll pull back on the white shirt – Gareth Barry’s still playing isn’t he? – and we’ll all have to live with the “Jordan could’ve been Gerson to Kyle Walker’s Carlos Alberto” takes for the rest of our lives.

Football – England v Scotland – International Friendly – Wembley Stadium – 14/8/13
England’s Steven Gerrard (R) gives the captians armband to Frank Lampard as he is substituted
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine
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Not that everyone’s falling into the trap.

The England press corps reacted to the defeat with an insight that was fresh about 25 years ago.

‘We wonder if Southgate’s looked down the back of the sofa – you can find the strangest things down there – or had a look at the City youth team?

What England don’t lack is exciting, pacey attackers, but they really must do better:

It really is a pity that Rashford isn’t getting the kind of abuse his England team mate’s got, isn’t it?

Hmmm, perhaps not.

If only Harry Kane found himself in goal scoring positions to miss chances, maybe he’d be getting the stick instead?

Though the lasting memory we’ll take from the evening is Danny Welbeck being denied a goal for a routine infringement that results in free-kicks being awarded every single time it happens.

While a playmaker may still be missing, there’s always a ref to blame.

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