This afternoon
brought with it the announcement of England's squad of 23 players for the
European Championships next month. It was also a first chance for new manager
Roy Hodgson to put his stamp on the job. Would he call up players overlooked by
his predecessor? Would he go for form over reputation? How would he solve the
conundrums of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, Rooney's two-game ban, and the
centre of England's midfield?
His squad looks like this:
His squad looks like this:
Goalkeepers - Joe Hart, Robert Green, John Ruddy.
Defenders - Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Glen
Johnson, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott, John Terry.
Midfielders - Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing, Steven Gerrard,
Frank Lampard, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Scott Parker, Theo
Walcott, Ashley Young.
Strikers - Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck.
Standby - Jack Butland, Phil Jagielka, Jordan Henderson, Adam Johnson, Daniel
Sturridge.
The headline selection was of Terry but not Ferdinand, a decision that dominated his press conference shortly after the squad announcement. Hodgson claims the decisions he has made are purely for football reasons, and whilst I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt here due to the respect I have for him, I find this an odd explanation. Ferdinand has been in good form, has played regularly despite suggestions he is incapable of doing so because of injury issues, and has been a key part of the second best Premier League defence this season, one that has been robbed of Nemanja Vidic almost throughout. On the flipside, Terry has been in patchy form in the worst Chelsea defence, in terms of goals conceded, in years. Though I did not watch the recent league game against Liverpool, from all reports he was extremely poor. There is also the small matter of his red card against Barcelona when his team needed him most. I have actually always been a fan of Terry as a defender, in sharp contrast to my views on him as a human being (saying that, the only story I have heard of him that didn't come from the media actually painted him in a positive light), but I have not been particularly impressed with him on the pitch of late. If the Ferdinand-Terry situation did not exist, I would actually still have Terry in my squad despite his form alongside Ferdinand, but I would not have him ahead of Ferdinand. Hodgson's assertion that Ferdinand has hardly featured for England in the last couple of years is true, and his claim that he wants to largely stick with the players involved in qualifying is honourable, yet it doesn't completely hold up when you look at some of the other players to be either selected or not selected.
England look a little short in defence, with just seven picked which mirrors the World Cup two years ago when Jamie Carragher surprisingly got a call up which had him covering both centre-back and right-back. Phil Jones is in that role this time, but whilst I think he has great potential, he has not looked very assured since a bright start to the season. Micah Richards, who has been excluded from the squad much like he was time and again by Fabio Capello, offers the same versatility and has been an impressive part of Manchester City's title winning squad, but perhaps he has paid for not featuring so much in the last weeks of the season due to Pablo Zabaleta's form. Hodgson said he had planned to take Kyle Walker before his injury, and was then left with a choice between Jones and Richards, with Jones the ultimate winner. Gary Cahill is definitely a part of England's future post-Ferdinand and Terry, but is he really a better candidate in 2012 than Ferdinand? Is he really better than Phil Jagielka who is only on the standby list? In his favour is the fact he now trains, and sometimes plays, with Terry at Chelsea, as well as his rather impressive ability as an attacking threat. The left-back selections were obvious, with Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines two of the best around.
Hodgson has packed his squad with midfielders, explaining that he believes the likes of Ashley Young, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are capable of playing as second strikers or even out-and-out forwards. There are two main points of contention with the midfielders that have been selected: firstly, Michael Carrick has been the pick of English central midfielders for many observers this season yet he is not even on the standby list should Scott Parker fail his fitness bid; secondly, why is Stewart Downing in the squad after an awful season for Liverpool that, if the statistic I read is accurate, did not even see him provide an assist for a goal let alone score one himself? Adam Johnson is on the standby list, probably because he has not featured much for Manchester City lately, but he is potentially a much bigger threat than Downing and has looked quite impressive previously in an England shirt. Downing is about as uninspiring a winger as can be imagined, and there must surely be better options than him out there. Maybe Downing looked good when Liverpool played West Brom this season. I can think of few other explanations. The other strange decision on a similar theme is Downing's Liverpool clubmate Jordan Henderson making the standby list, as he has been just as poor as Downing and done nothing to justify his big money move last summer which was based on little more than a decent six months for Sunderland.
The issue of replacing Rooney was alluded to in the selection of midfielders that can also play in attack, and Hodgson has also opted to take Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe. Welbeck was largely expected to be in the squad, although it is surprising that Daniel Sturridge, who has enjoyed a similar profile to Welbeck, has only made the standby list. I suspect that is mostly due to his backseat role under Roberto Di Matteo's stewardship at Chelsea as a few months ago he would have been a shoe in. Carroll makes the plane for two reasons: he has the potential to be a battering ram should England need a more direct approach, and in recent weeks he has looked like regaining the form from late 2010 that saw Liverpool shell out for him. In form, I am a fan of Carroll, and thought he was going to be the answer to England's striking issues when he first appeared in the national side. He has endured a difficult year and a bit at Anfield, but I commend Hodgson for taking him. Defoe is something of a surprise in that he has barely started for Tottenham, but he has still scored 17 goals in all competitions this season which is impressive, and he probably has benefited from Darren Bent's lack of match action and fitness as he is the closest option to the goals-and-little-else Bent. What disappoints me is that Hodgson has not taken a punt on the strikers in the best form this season. I'm talking primarily about Grant Holt, and to a lesser extent Danny Graham, but I had hoped that Hodgson coming from working with mid-table players at West Brom may have been brave enough to reward the form players who aren't at glamour clubs. There are of course arguments against the likes of Holt, offered up by pundits such as Alan Shearer who should know a bit about strikers, which say that Holt has no experience of international football so is too risky in a major tournament, but I believe that a striker in form and full of confidence is not a major gamble. If you can score against Premier League defences, you shouldn't have trouble against many international defences as they are made up of the same players.
The other interesting selections were the two uncapped players in the party. Whilst there was no room for the aforementioned Holt or various other untried players, there was room for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Norwich keeper John Ruddy. Oxlade-Chamberlain has impressed in the limited outings he has had for Arsenal, and in a squad of 23 with at most six games to be played, it is not a major risk to include him. He could well be the wildcard that England need, looking as assured and mature as he has done for the Gunners. He is certainly a better selection than Walcott was in 2006. Ruddy is a welcome addition to England's limited goalkeeping resources, and in all honesty is unlikely to get a game as third choice keeper so his merits hardly need discussing. What is probably more noteworthy is the inclusion on the standby list of young Birmingham keeper Jack Butland, who I am reliably informed has been very impressive on loan at Cheltenham this season. Whilst Butland has little chance of making it to the finals, and no chance of making it on to the pitch, it is curious to note that a youngster who has been playing in League Two is higher up the list than the likes of Scott Carson. Then again, Joe Hart started off at a similar level with Shrewsbury so maybe potential is more important than experience.
Overall, the England squad looks solid, and my nitpicking article overlooks the fact that nearly every player in the squad has a strong case for being there. It is only really Downing, and possibly his clubmate Glen Johnson, that I would strongly object to making the 23, and it perhaps highlights a surprising strength in depth in English football that there are many excluded players you could make a case for selecting. I would be disappointed if this was the squad for Hodgson's first World Cup qualifier in the autumn, as I believe this should be the last big tournament cycle for some of England's elder statesmen, but we at least have a solid if unspectacular squad to take to Ukraine and Poland with us. Hodgson will no doubt come in for far more stick than I have given him for some of his selections, as you can never please everybody, but I am prepared to give time for him and his selections to prove themselves.
The headline selection was of Terry but not Ferdinand, a decision that dominated his press conference shortly after the squad announcement. Hodgson claims the decisions he has made are purely for football reasons, and whilst I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt here due to the respect I have for him, I find this an odd explanation. Ferdinand has been in good form, has played regularly despite suggestions he is incapable of doing so because of injury issues, and has been a key part of the second best Premier League defence this season, one that has been robbed of Nemanja Vidic almost throughout. On the flipside, Terry has been in patchy form in the worst Chelsea defence, in terms of goals conceded, in years. Though I did not watch the recent league game against Liverpool, from all reports he was extremely poor. There is also the small matter of his red card against Barcelona when his team needed him most. I have actually always been a fan of Terry as a defender, in sharp contrast to my views on him as a human being (saying that, the only story I have heard of him that didn't come from the media actually painted him in a positive light), but I have not been particularly impressed with him on the pitch of late. If the Ferdinand-Terry situation did not exist, I would actually still have Terry in my squad despite his form alongside Ferdinand, but I would not have him ahead of Ferdinand. Hodgson's assertion that Ferdinand has hardly featured for England in the last couple of years is true, and his claim that he wants to largely stick with the players involved in qualifying is honourable, yet it doesn't completely hold up when you look at some of the other players to be either selected or not selected.
England look a little short in defence, with just seven picked which mirrors the World Cup two years ago when Jamie Carragher surprisingly got a call up which had him covering both centre-back and right-back. Phil Jones is in that role this time, but whilst I think he has great potential, he has not looked very assured since a bright start to the season. Micah Richards, who has been excluded from the squad much like he was time and again by Fabio Capello, offers the same versatility and has been an impressive part of Manchester City's title winning squad, but perhaps he has paid for not featuring so much in the last weeks of the season due to Pablo Zabaleta's form. Hodgson said he had planned to take Kyle Walker before his injury, and was then left with a choice between Jones and Richards, with Jones the ultimate winner. Gary Cahill is definitely a part of England's future post-Ferdinand and Terry, but is he really a better candidate in 2012 than Ferdinand? Is he really better than Phil Jagielka who is only on the standby list? In his favour is the fact he now trains, and sometimes plays, with Terry at Chelsea, as well as his rather impressive ability as an attacking threat. The left-back selections were obvious, with Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines two of the best around.
Hodgson has packed his squad with midfielders, explaining that he believes the likes of Ashley Young, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are capable of playing as second strikers or even out-and-out forwards. There are two main points of contention with the midfielders that have been selected: firstly, Michael Carrick has been the pick of English central midfielders for many observers this season yet he is not even on the standby list should Scott Parker fail his fitness bid; secondly, why is Stewart Downing in the squad after an awful season for Liverpool that, if the statistic I read is accurate, did not even see him provide an assist for a goal let alone score one himself? Adam Johnson is on the standby list, probably because he has not featured much for Manchester City lately, but he is potentially a much bigger threat than Downing and has looked quite impressive previously in an England shirt. Downing is about as uninspiring a winger as can be imagined, and there must surely be better options than him out there. Maybe Downing looked good when Liverpool played West Brom this season. I can think of few other explanations. The other strange decision on a similar theme is Downing's Liverpool clubmate Jordan Henderson making the standby list, as he has been just as poor as Downing and done nothing to justify his big money move last summer which was based on little more than a decent six months for Sunderland.
The issue of replacing Rooney was alluded to in the selection of midfielders that can also play in attack, and Hodgson has also opted to take Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe. Welbeck was largely expected to be in the squad, although it is surprising that Daniel Sturridge, who has enjoyed a similar profile to Welbeck, has only made the standby list. I suspect that is mostly due to his backseat role under Roberto Di Matteo's stewardship at Chelsea as a few months ago he would have been a shoe in. Carroll makes the plane for two reasons: he has the potential to be a battering ram should England need a more direct approach, and in recent weeks he has looked like regaining the form from late 2010 that saw Liverpool shell out for him. In form, I am a fan of Carroll, and thought he was going to be the answer to England's striking issues when he first appeared in the national side. He has endured a difficult year and a bit at Anfield, but I commend Hodgson for taking him. Defoe is something of a surprise in that he has barely started for Tottenham, but he has still scored 17 goals in all competitions this season which is impressive, and he probably has benefited from Darren Bent's lack of match action and fitness as he is the closest option to the goals-and-little-else Bent. What disappoints me is that Hodgson has not taken a punt on the strikers in the best form this season. I'm talking primarily about Grant Holt, and to a lesser extent Danny Graham, but I had hoped that Hodgson coming from working with mid-table players at West Brom may have been brave enough to reward the form players who aren't at glamour clubs. There are of course arguments against the likes of Holt, offered up by pundits such as Alan Shearer who should know a bit about strikers, which say that Holt has no experience of international football so is too risky in a major tournament, but I believe that a striker in form and full of confidence is not a major gamble. If you can score against Premier League defences, you shouldn't have trouble against many international defences as they are made up of the same players.
The other interesting selections were the two uncapped players in the party. Whilst there was no room for the aforementioned Holt or various other untried players, there was room for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Norwich keeper John Ruddy. Oxlade-Chamberlain has impressed in the limited outings he has had for Arsenal, and in a squad of 23 with at most six games to be played, it is not a major risk to include him. He could well be the wildcard that England need, looking as assured and mature as he has done for the Gunners. He is certainly a better selection than Walcott was in 2006. Ruddy is a welcome addition to England's limited goalkeeping resources, and in all honesty is unlikely to get a game as third choice keeper so his merits hardly need discussing. What is probably more noteworthy is the inclusion on the standby list of young Birmingham keeper Jack Butland, who I am reliably informed has been very impressive on loan at Cheltenham this season. Whilst Butland has little chance of making it to the finals, and no chance of making it on to the pitch, it is curious to note that a youngster who has been playing in League Two is higher up the list than the likes of Scott Carson. Then again, Joe Hart started off at a similar level with Shrewsbury so maybe potential is more important than experience.
Overall, the England squad looks solid, and my nitpicking article overlooks the fact that nearly every player in the squad has a strong case for being there. It is only really Downing, and possibly his clubmate Glen Johnson, that I would strongly object to making the 23, and it perhaps highlights a surprising strength in depth in English football that there are many excluded players you could make a case for selecting. I would be disappointed if this was the squad for Hodgson's first World Cup qualifier in the autumn, as I believe this should be the last big tournament cycle for some of England's elder statesmen, but we at least have a solid if unspectacular squad to take to Ukraine and Poland with us. Hodgson will no doubt come in for far more stick than I have given him for some of his selections, as you can never please everybody, but I am prepared to give time for him and his selections to prove themselves.
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