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Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co)
It increases to susprise me that various players despite playing in the top leagues, performing very well, being transferred for large fees are not considered good enough to play for their international teams.
I have a few examples of where players have done well but haven't even been called up to the squad. Here are a few examples.
The most obvious example is Billy Sharp. He has regularly scored goals in the premiership for Sheffield United, bagging 30+ a lot of the time. Sheffield United continued to finish in mid table, he has now moved to Arsenal and done well there. Sheffield United have now been relegated the same season Billy left. Despite all of this Billy Sharp has not made a single squad, all picked by Steve McLaren, this is about 8 seasons in.
The next prime example is Edison Cavani, one of the most deadliest strikers of his time. He's done it in Serie A and now after a big money transfer he is doing it in Spain where Athletico have won 3 of the last 4 titles. Still the lad can't get a callup for Uruguay even those the strikers who are regularly picked are well below his standard.
These examples are not quite as extreme but still should probably be considered for international selection.
Menez, big money transfers, does well in Serie A yet hasn't been called up to the international squad in years, the only 2 times he was when he was having a poor season.
Ben Arfa, regularly playing for Barcelona, done well for Lyon before that, been there a long time now and still not a callup for France. His only cap came IRL and was already included in the game.
There are a lot of other good examples but its fairly time consuming and I think this shows enough that perhaps too much is based on reputation perhaps or maybe CA when international squads are picked. It defintely does not seem to take into account current form.
What are other peoples views? I know others have noticed Billy Sharp doing well yet never being selected above the likes of Bent, Ashton and Defoe, all of whom don't always perform that well for England.
01-21-2008, 09:47 PM
Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co) Post #2
maybe countrys pick depended on CA rather than performance. where as clubs are more likely to look for performance just as much? what are the actual PA/CA of these players you've detailed.
01-21-2008, 10:03 PM
Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co) Post #4
Look at their stats though is Billy Sharp really better than the likes of Rooney I agree someone playing that well would get into the squad at least but I Think this game just looks at their attributes not form if Rooney is playing terrible game in game out but Sharp is kicking bum it will still pick Rooney because he is the best player in the AI's eyes.
01-21-2008, 10:17 PM
Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co) Post #5
But what I'm trying to say is that IRL players do not have a CA and PA that managers pay attention to, they pureley pick players on what they may have done in the past to a large extent but also will pick players on current form, at least in the squad.
So in the game the players with great form over a long period should at least be included in the international squads. How could anyone argue with Billy Sharps record at the highest level?
01-21-2008, 10:33 PM
Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co) Post #6
Obviously I don't know but my general feeling is that it sorts it three ways.
1) First call up all the guys with lots of caps, irrespective of how old they are.
2) Then call up all the guys with high reputations, ignoring how well they are playing.
3) Then call up some random scrubs for experience.
The guys like Billy Sharp are great, but don't cover the first two options and are too good for option three. So they languish in uncapped mediocrity.
Anyone who's ever been an international manager and picked the team for a few years, go on holiday during the next team pick and surprise yourself at the players the AI call up. They'll cover the above points lovely.
The AI seems to have the talent spotting ability of Souness on the phone to someones cousin. (When they aren't using the ability to spot the next Ronaldinho even though he plays in the Faroe Islands and has never had a game in his life, obviously)
VB
01-21-2008, 10:48 PM
Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co) Post #7
it can't be a problem with ca, because there can't be four or five uruguayan strikers with a better ca than cavani keeping him out of the squad.
likewise, if reputation is being calculated correctly then surely the big money moves some of these players have been involved in should catapult them into the national side?
01-21-2008, 10:51 PM
Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co) Post #8
Okay, just wasn't sure, I remember him being amazing in my FM game in 2007, but think I signed him from Harchester at one point when I accidentally had that team loaded on the game.
Why are these players not selected for international duty? (Billy Sharp and co) 
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