Andros Townsend Waves Hi To Media Hater After Great International Goal

Andros Townsend isn't a great player, but then again, England aren't a great team, so it isn't too much of a surprise that the Spurs winger was called up during this international break, nor that he managed to blast home the tying goal in today's 1-1 draw against Italy. Well, not a surprise to us. Former player and current pundit Paul Merson will be dining on a big helping of crow, served up by Townsend himself.

Leading up to the international fixtures, Merson wrote on Sky Sports that Townsend's presence in the England squad despite not featuring much for Tottenham was evidence that manager Roy Hodgson was erring in his selection. In the process, he used some pretty harsh language:

This is the problem I have with England. You don't even have to really play for your club any more to play for England. When I played, if you weren't playing for your club you had no chance of playing for your country, absolutely no chance.

If Andros Townsend can get in then it opens it up for anybody. We are not picking players who are playing well for their clubs – he got taken off after 30 minutes the other week against United.

The England manager is there watching the game and he still gets picked. Townsend and Kyle Walker were the worst two players on the pitch.

How can you tell me that a manager goes and watches Man United against Tottenham, the winger gets taken off after 30 minutes, the winger from the other team absolutely rinses the full-back for England and Ashley Young doesn't get in the squad?

Now, Townsend could point to the fact that he has actually been playing pretty regularly, even starting over Spurs' record signing Érik Lamela for the past couple months, and hasn't been too shabby, either. Again, not great, but it's only England.

Instead, Townsend let his feet do the talking. Soon after today's match ended with him solidifying his country's point in the friendly, he tweeted this:

I'm not sure what kind of seasoning makes crow go down easier, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing better than whipping up a dish of it, sitting back, and sipping on a nice refreshing tea.

[ Sky Sports]