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Why was Gazza not picked for World Cup 98?


Gaz52

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Is it because he played in Scotland with us? Did Hoddle not want to give him a second look because the league he was playing in?

I was a young boy at the time so I don't remember the season, but wiki says Gazza didn't have the best season, was this Hoddle's reasoning for not picking him?

Crazy to think you'd leave a guy of that quality out of a World Cup squad, even if he did have an iffy season, he was still world class. 

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1 minute ago, Gaz52 said:

Is it because he played in Scotland with us? Did Hoddle not want to give him a second look because the league he was playing in?

I was a young boy at the time so I don't remember the season, but wiki says Gazza didn't have the best season, was this Hoddle's reasoning for not picking him?

Crazy to think you'd leave a guy of that quality out of a World Cup squad, even if he did have an iffy season, he was still world class. 

He was badly out of shape. Missed a lot of games for us, if I remember correctly he came back and played one or two then was sold. He didn't play in scotland by the time the World Cup came around.

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1 minute ago, Gaz52 said:

Is it because he played in Scotland with us? Did Hoddle not want to give him a second look because the league he was playing in?

I was a young boy at the time so I don't remember the season, but wiki says Gazza didn't have the best season, was this Hoddle's reasoning for not picking him?

Crazy to think you'd leave a guy of that quality out of a World Cup squad, even if he did have an iffy season, he was still world class. 

He was moved on during the season because of the incident with his missus at Gleneagles.

I think Hoddle thought long & hard about leaving him out, although a night out with Chris Evans before the final cut may have been the last straw.

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Venables built the team around him but Hoddle had ince and Batty at CM wiyh Scholes I think. I don't think Beckham started the 1st two games. 

He def should've went even as a squad player. He could've used the first two weeks to get fit and would've made an impact against Argentina. Certainly would've made a better job of the pens than ince and batty. 

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2 minutes ago, HG5 said:

He was moved on during the season because of the incident with his missus at Gleneagles.

I think Hoddle thought long & hard about leaving him out, although a night out with Chris Evans before the final cut may have been the last straw.

The incident with his wife happened the season before , was just about the time he was sent off away to Ajax in the CL . 

Murray saw the chance to get most of his cash back from middlesbrough and gambled that we would still win 10 without him . 

On his day he could still be top class but Hoddle preferred to play safe and one kebab and night out with chris evans & danny baker too much gave him the ideal get out without admitting he didn't know how to handle gazza . His performance against italy to clinch the place in France was probably his last great game . 

Privileged to see him ( and Laudrup ) in a Rangers team , Happy days .

The fact Hoddle was a bit of a religious nutter with some warped views on life wouldn't have helped .

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He was injured a lot that season and there was some story in the News of the World with him drunk and eating kebabs. 

He probably spent a lot of his career that way but Hoddle was an uber-professional and went for other players who fitted that mould more. 

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2 minutes ago, DrLaudrup said:

He was injured a lot that season and there was some story in the News of the World with him drunk and eating kebabs. 

He probably spent a lot of his career that way but Hoddle was an uber-professional and went for other players who fitted that mould more. 

Paul Merson tells a story about the "faith healer" that Hoddle employed for england , Eileen Drewery . Seemingly Ray Parlour went into see her and she put her hands on his head and asked him how she could help and he asked for a short back and sides . Hoddle never picked him in his squad again . Can see from that how Gazza would've been out of place .

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Living Gazza's lifestyle, it is amazing he managed to play top level until his 30's. He was the last an era, a world class player who isn't uber professional with regards to lifestyle. You simply won't get guys like that in the modern game - it's too athletic and well drilled now to allow slackers with talent to excel.

However as others have said, he was overweight, out of form, and out of favour. That period marked the beginning of the end for Gazza, and the path he eventually went down.

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36 minutes ago, Badger said:

Living Gazza's lifestyle, it is amazing he managed to play top level until his 30's. He was the last an era, a world class player who isn't uber professional with regards to lifestyle. You simply won't get guys like that in the modern game - it's too athletic and well drilled now to allow slackers with talent to excel.

However as others have said, he was overweight, out of form, and out of favour. That period marked the beginning of the end for Gazza, and the path he eventually went down.

Yeah, I dont agree with those slating Hoddle over the decision. At the time I was disappointed and wished he'd been picked. But looking back on it it was a marginal call from the England manager. With the players at Hoddles disposal, and Gazza quickly going downhill, Hoddle probably made the correct call. If it wasn't the correct call it certainly wasn't a travesty or a disgrace Gazza was left out.

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