An overwhelming response to a Facebook status message made be realize that there were so many supporting the English at the World Cup in South Africa. I have always been an England supporter and at most times been the lonely one. England has always been a team of superstars who have under achieved for ages now. We would need to go back to 1966 to cherish an English world cup triumph. Bad selection of managers, overly cautious play has cost the English dear over the last decade. We would all remember the courage or the lack of it I must say from Sven-Goran Eriksson at the world Cup in 2002 and 2006. Of course many might say England were unlucky in WC 2006 losing to Portugal in the penalty shoot-outs. But as any football expert will tell you, England were overly defensive and invited pressure at most times.
The European Championships were a disaster as England was knocked out at the qualifying rounds. A loss to Russia on a cold wintry evening at Moscow put an end to England's hopes. But we must not forget the manager who was at the helm. Steve McLaren, a former manager of Middlesbrough FC was given an assignment that was way past his ability. I still remember what Sir Alex had to say about the appointment. He said, English don't have a wealth of management talent but he was the best among them. The English FA acted so prematurely that the appointment came even before England team left to the WC in Germany. They had time on their hands to pick and choose a manager capable of bringing the best of the star studded players England had. The strange thing about the appointment was that McLaren was the only interviewed candidate for the position. Anyway an appointment that came with low expectations ended with heartache for English supporters.
The misery of not qualifying for Euro 2008 was probably the best thing that could have happened for team England. The FA started to look for a manager with proven credentials. In Capello, they got a tactician, a winner and most importantly a man who would not accept any nonsense from his players. Soon the England team became Capello's team. Rooney's meteoric rise coinciding with Capello's regime comes as no surprise. England's professional attitude saw them qualify for WC 2010 without any trouble.
Everything seemed smooth and comfortable for England until the John Terry saga. Suddenly team England had been rocked again but Capello again handled it brilliantly, moving John Terry out of the limelight. It still remains to be seen how team England are going to cope with the latest setback. To make matters worse, Ashley Cole breaks his foot forcing Wayne Bridge, the other gentleman dragged into this saga to play alongside Terry in defense. All eyes will be on the pair during the friendly against Egypt. It was this status message that overwhelmed me with responses about the England team selection. So I decided to go ahead and come up with this blog about the 23 men who will represent England in South Africa coming June.
Let’s start from the goal keeper of the England squad. Unfortunately, England doesn’t have the talent some of their European counterparts have in this department. Spain and Italy have a wealth of goal keeping talent. Victor Valdes, Barcelona's Mr. Consistent might not be on the flight to South Africa. England doesn’t yet have a number one. David James at 40, is supposedly to be England's first choice. We all know about how brilliant he can be on one day and how poor he can be on the other. Coupled with injuries and the plight of Pompey this season, there will be question marks about him. But nevertheless, he is a certainty in the squad. The second and third choice gets really interesting. Robert Green, Cris Kirkland, Paul Robinson, Joe Hart and Ben Foster will all make their claims to be on that flight to SA. But anyone who is an ardent Premier League fan probably knows none of them come close to the likes of Pepe Reina or Victor Valdes who are Spain's likely second and third choice. Hmmm... Capello has a real headache that he needs to sort out quickly. Having seen Capello selection in the past, Robert Green and Ben Foster might make the final cut. The friendly against Egypt will give us a clear picture.
The defense is another area that Capello might have decisions to make. Injuries to key defenders around the league are another big problem for Capello. Rio Ferdinand's injury woes and dip in club form are well known. But having been named the captain, he and John Terry will continue at the heart of the defense. The form of Wes Brown along with his capabilities to play at right back makes him a certainty. The fourth defender could be tricky. Mathew Upson has been in good form for West Ham and has played a fair bit in the Capello regime. It certainly gives him an edge but Jolean Lescott back from injury, with his areal presence at both ends of the field could prove to be a real competitor for the final spot at the center of defense. Coming to full-back, Ashley Cole is probably the best left back in the game at the moment and should be a certainty to make the squad. But breaking a foot which effectively rules him out for 3 months might keep Capello on his toes. It could be a race against time for him. Capello would be hoping he plays for Chelsea again this season. The second choice of left back gets us back to the John Terry saga. Wayne Bridge was probably a certainty and probably still is to occupy that spot. But with John Terry's affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend, the situation is far from being straightforward. Capello stripping the captaincy from Terry has certainly helped the squad and Bridge in particular. Nevertheless, the speculation of unrest in the dressing room if both players are selected refuses to go away and names likes Leighton Baines and Steven Warnock have been thrown in. However, knowing Capello, It’s hard to imagine him naming a new left back for such a prestigious event. Glen Johnson has made the right back position his own even though doubts still remain over his defensive skills. It remains to be seen if Capello will indeed pick someone as cover for Johnson. With Wes Brown in the squad, Capello has the flexibility not to include another right back. Brown is equally effective at right back as he is at the center of defense. If Capello decides to take a back up right back, it remains to be seen who is in pole position to occupy that spot.
The mid-field pose far less questions for Capello as most personnel pick themselves. Gerrard, Lampard, Barry and Carrick are obvious choices at the heart of mid-field. Capello plays Gerrard on the left, with Barry and Lampard at the center. Lennon with his current form is the first choice right winger. The 3 other mid-field spots open bring with it intense competition. Joe Cole would have been a certainty but for his injury prone season. Having recovered from knee damage, Cole has yet to hit top form at Chelsea. Ancelotti is doing no good to Cole’s cause by not picking him in the starting eleven. This has made completion for the spot of left winger intense. Stewart Downing has occupied this position for England in the past but he too is feeling his way back to full fitness from a long injury layoff. This has given Ashley Young an opportunity but being a right footed winger playing on the left might prove a major pitfall for the young England international. With Gerrard playing on the left, Capello might want a left winger who is left footed. It will be interesting to see who gets picked. Moving to the other wing, Lennon will be the first choice with 3 other names fighting to get picked as the second choice. Walcott, with his pace and guile will certainly pressure defenses but a long layoff due to injury and a dip in form has virtually put him out of reckoning. The other diminutive right winger would be Shaun-Wright Phillips. SWP like Lennon and Walcott is a bundle of energy and has great speed and guile. But the final delivery into the box might lack that extra bit of quality at times. This is where probably David Beckham would outscore the three others. His free-kicks need no description and may be these factors along with his 100 plus caps could prove too much for Capello to leave him out. It would be unfair if I don’t mention James Milner in this discussion. Capello has heaped praise on this Aston Villa youngster for his ability to play anywhere in mid-field.
The last but most important department would be the strike force. Capello must be delighted with the way Rooney has been scoring for Manchester United. His play has certainly lifted the expectation of the English supporters and in my opinion will be carrying England’s hopes on his young shoulders. Emile Heskey has probably won the heart of Capello with his work rate and is likely to partner Rooney. However, his finishing requires a lot to be desired. This puts additional pressure on Rooney to score. It also brings the question whether he should start an important game where chances might be few and far between. Crouch and Defoe have been good for Tottenham this season but have unproven records at international level. Defoe has all the skills required but is erratic at times and lacks composure during important phases of the game. Crouch gives something different to England with his height. However, the lack of a proven goal scorer apart from Rooney might support Micheal Owen’s inclusion. However, his injury record and his lack of playing time at Manchester United may prove to be his disadvantage. Calls for Owen to be included will continue because of his predatory instincts which might be essential in an important game. I personally feel taking the 5th striker will do England no harm and might prove the difference in a tight game. With Wes Brown more than capable at playing right back, Capello can take that risk of not naming a 2nd right back and including Owen in the squad.
England has been the perennial under-achievers and will be hoping Capello’s magic can help shed this tag. As with so many of the previous England squads, there is no shortage of quality but whether this squad can show character that previous squads have lacked remains to be seen. There are a few months to go to the world cup and English fans will have their fingers crossed when it comes to injuries to key players. I can’t wait for the World Cup to start and hope to be cheering England to glory this time around.
My Probable Squad:
Goal Keeper: David James, Robert Green and Joe Hart
Defenders: Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Wes Brown, Mathew Upson, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge
Mid-Fielders: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry, Aaron Lennon, David Beckham, James Milner and Joe Cole
Strikers: Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe, Michael Owen
The European Championships were a disaster as England was knocked out at the qualifying rounds. A loss to Russia on a cold wintry evening at Moscow put an end to England's hopes. But we must not forget the manager who was at the helm. Steve McLaren, a former manager of Middlesbrough FC was given an assignment that was way past his ability. I still remember what Sir Alex had to say about the appointment. He said, English don't have a wealth of management talent but he was the best among them. The English FA acted so prematurely that the appointment came even before England team left to the WC in Germany. They had time on their hands to pick and choose a manager capable of bringing the best of the star studded players England had. The strange thing about the appointment was that McLaren was the only interviewed candidate for the position. Anyway an appointment that came with low expectations ended with heartache for English supporters.
The misery of not qualifying for Euro 2008 was probably the best thing that could have happened for team England. The FA started to look for a manager with proven credentials. In Capello, they got a tactician, a winner and most importantly a man who would not accept any nonsense from his players. Soon the England team became Capello's team. Rooney's meteoric rise coinciding with Capello's regime comes as no surprise. England's professional attitude saw them qualify for WC 2010 without any trouble.
Everything seemed smooth and comfortable for England until the John Terry saga. Suddenly team England had been rocked again but Capello again handled it brilliantly, moving John Terry out of the limelight. It still remains to be seen how team England are going to cope with the latest setback. To make matters worse, Ashley Cole breaks his foot forcing Wayne Bridge, the other gentleman dragged into this saga to play alongside Terry in defense. All eyes will be on the pair during the friendly against Egypt. It was this status message that overwhelmed me with responses about the England team selection. So I decided to go ahead and come up with this blog about the 23 men who will represent England in South Africa coming June.
Let’s start from the goal keeper of the England squad. Unfortunately, England doesn’t have the talent some of their European counterparts have in this department. Spain and Italy have a wealth of goal keeping talent. Victor Valdes, Barcelona's Mr. Consistent might not be on the flight to South Africa. England doesn’t yet have a number one. David James at 40, is supposedly to be England's first choice. We all know about how brilliant he can be on one day and how poor he can be on the other. Coupled with injuries and the plight of Pompey this season, there will be question marks about him. But nevertheless, he is a certainty in the squad. The second and third choice gets really interesting. Robert Green, Cris Kirkland, Paul Robinson, Joe Hart and Ben Foster will all make their claims to be on that flight to SA. But anyone who is an ardent Premier League fan probably knows none of them come close to the likes of Pepe Reina or Victor Valdes who are Spain's likely second and third choice. Hmmm... Capello has a real headache that he needs to sort out quickly. Having seen Capello selection in the past, Robert Green and Ben Foster might make the final cut. The friendly against Egypt will give us a clear picture.
The defense is another area that Capello might have decisions to make. Injuries to key defenders around the league are another big problem for Capello. Rio Ferdinand's injury woes and dip in club form are well known. But having been named the captain, he and John Terry will continue at the heart of the defense. The form of Wes Brown along with his capabilities to play at right back makes him a certainty. The fourth defender could be tricky. Mathew Upson has been in good form for West Ham and has played a fair bit in the Capello regime. It certainly gives him an edge but Jolean Lescott back from injury, with his areal presence at both ends of the field could prove to be a real competitor for the final spot at the center of defense. Coming to full-back, Ashley Cole is probably the best left back in the game at the moment and should be a certainty to make the squad. But breaking a foot which effectively rules him out for 3 months might keep Capello on his toes. It could be a race against time for him. Capello would be hoping he plays for Chelsea again this season. The second choice of left back gets us back to the John Terry saga. Wayne Bridge was probably a certainty and probably still is to occupy that spot. But with John Terry's affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend, the situation is far from being straightforward. Capello stripping the captaincy from Terry has certainly helped the squad and Bridge in particular. Nevertheless, the speculation of unrest in the dressing room if both players are selected refuses to go away and names likes Leighton Baines and Steven Warnock have been thrown in. However, knowing Capello, It’s hard to imagine him naming a new left back for such a prestigious event. Glen Johnson has made the right back position his own even though doubts still remain over his defensive skills. It remains to be seen if Capello will indeed pick someone as cover for Johnson. With Wes Brown in the squad, Capello has the flexibility not to include another right back. Brown is equally effective at right back as he is at the center of defense. If Capello decides to take a back up right back, it remains to be seen who is in pole position to occupy that spot.
The mid-field pose far less questions for Capello as most personnel pick themselves. Gerrard, Lampard, Barry and Carrick are obvious choices at the heart of mid-field. Capello plays Gerrard on the left, with Barry and Lampard at the center. Lennon with his current form is the first choice right winger. The 3 other mid-field spots open bring with it intense competition. Joe Cole would have been a certainty but for his injury prone season. Having recovered from knee damage, Cole has yet to hit top form at Chelsea. Ancelotti is doing no good to Cole’s cause by not picking him in the starting eleven. This has made completion for the spot of left winger intense. Stewart Downing has occupied this position for England in the past but he too is feeling his way back to full fitness from a long injury layoff. This has given Ashley Young an opportunity but being a right footed winger playing on the left might prove a major pitfall for the young England international. With Gerrard playing on the left, Capello might want a left winger who is left footed. It will be interesting to see who gets picked. Moving to the other wing, Lennon will be the first choice with 3 other names fighting to get picked as the second choice. Walcott, with his pace and guile will certainly pressure defenses but a long layoff due to injury and a dip in form has virtually put him out of reckoning. The other diminutive right winger would be Shaun-Wright Phillips. SWP like Lennon and Walcott is a bundle of energy and has great speed and guile. But the final delivery into the box might lack that extra bit of quality at times. This is where probably David Beckham would outscore the three others. His free-kicks need no description and may be these factors along with his 100 plus caps could prove too much for Capello to leave him out. It would be unfair if I don’t mention James Milner in this discussion. Capello has heaped praise on this Aston Villa youngster for his ability to play anywhere in mid-field.
The last but most important department would be the strike force. Capello must be delighted with the way Rooney has been scoring for Manchester United. His play has certainly lifted the expectation of the English supporters and in my opinion will be carrying England’s hopes on his young shoulders. Emile Heskey has probably won the heart of Capello with his work rate and is likely to partner Rooney. However, his finishing requires a lot to be desired. This puts additional pressure on Rooney to score. It also brings the question whether he should start an important game where chances might be few and far between. Crouch and Defoe have been good for Tottenham this season but have unproven records at international level. Defoe has all the skills required but is erratic at times and lacks composure during important phases of the game. Crouch gives something different to England with his height. However, the lack of a proven goal scorer apart from Rooney might support Micheal Owen’s inclusion. However, his injury record and his lack of playing time at Manchester United may prove to be his disadvantage. Calls for Owen to be included will continue because of his predatory instincts which might be essential in an important game. I personally feel taking the 5th striker will do England no harm and might prove the difference in a tight game. With Wes Brown more than capable at playing right back, Capello can take that risk of not naming a 2nd right back and including Owen in the squad.
England has been the perennial under-achievers and will be hoping Capello’s magic can help shed this tag. As with so many of the previous England squads, there is no shortage of quality but whether this squad can show character that previous squads have lacked remains to be seen. There are a few months to go to the world cup and English fans will have their fingers crossed when it comes to injuries to key players. I can’t wait for the World Cup to start and hope to be cheering England to glory this time around.
My Probable Squad:
Goal Keeper: David James, Robert Green and Joe Hart
Defenders: Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Wes Brown, Mathew Upson, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge
Mid-Fielders: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry, Aaron Lennon, David Beckham, James Milner and Joe Cole
Strikers: Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe, Michael Owen
wonderfully written ., except that i dont know any one .,
ReplyDeletemmmmmmmmmm clearly my soccer knowledge has ten zeros in them ., S00000000000ccer
hmmm thank u... not a problem... do u write any blogs??
ReplyDelete