Buzzin Football Blog

The time for international friendlies and experimenting has passed!

Yesterday, Fabio Capello named his first England squad for competitive matches. As always eyebrows were raised and much discussions was had in pubs and radio phone-ins as to agreement or disapproval over certain selections.  So here is my player by player critic.

Goalkeepers
I don’t think anyone can seriously look further than choosing David James as the most inform and experienced England goalkeeper.  I am pleased to see Robert Green’s inclusion, and if England are beating Andorra by three or four goals at half-time, it would be a great manager who would then give Green some World Cup qualifying experience, and put cofidence in the best of the younger English goalkeepers.  I was surprised to see Paul Robinson and not Scott Carson.

Defenders
Jolien Lescott has had a poor start to the season with Everton, and I am surprised there is room for Matthew Upson over Johnathan Woodgate.

It’s a shame for England that their two best left-backs play for one team, so Wayne Bridge’s inclusion is always going to be questionable due to lack of first team football.  I’m not a big fan of Wes Brown, especially when played out of position as a full-back or even worse, a wing-back.  Surely Capello can at least choose players to play in their correct positions.  For me, Glenn Johnson is a better right-back and should be given a chane to cement his place, considering his performances for Portsmouth over the past year.

Ashley Cole, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are obvious choices.

Midfielders
With Steven Gerrard missing from the squad due to a groin operation I would choose Gareth Barry, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and David Bentley to start in midfied. For me, David Beckham is a bit part player and should be used as a substitute if and when required.

I’m not a fan of Jermaine Jenas or Stewart Downing, neither appear to be international quality or show much consistency.  I would like to see the pace of Ashley Young being used as an impact substitute and not Downing.

Capello’s surprise package is most definitely a debut call-up for Fulham’s in-form 29-year-old midfielder, Jimmy Bullard.  He has begun the new Premier League season as he finished the last, though he would not be in the squad were it not for injuires to Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves.

Forwards
Capello has included the following strikers: Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Emille Heskey. Walcott is still not a first choice for Arsenal, and though Heskey is playing well, I cannot understand either inclusion over Dean Ashton and Peter Crouch.  I would also like to see Gabriel Agbonlahor being included in the senior squad.

Imagine, 20 minutes to go in Zagreb, and Croatia are winning 2-0.  Capello brings on the Aston Villa young guns, Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlarhor and Peter Crouch for Joe Cole, Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe. England’s options of speed and height pull the Croatian defence all over the place and with just minutes to go …

The complete England squad to play Andorra and Croatia:
Robinson (Blackburn), James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham); Lescott (Everton), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Brown (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Upson (West Ham); Barry (Aston Villa), J Cole (Chelsea), Lampard (Chelsea), Bullard (Fulham), Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Downing (Middlesbrough), Bentley (Tottenham), Jenas (Tottenham); Walcott (Arsenal), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth), Heskey (Wigan).